Joy!

Wow. The week has just begun and yet it's already over. Tomorrow is our last day of skills, which means it's our last normal day at camp before this set of campers leaves and the next arrives. Thursday will be a little crazy with awards being presented and singing and dancing and I'm sure many, many tears. And I will be crying bucket-fulls

Last night we had our cookout on the Cardinal hall (the hall of 9-12 year olds). Which means we walked down to the fire pit (called Council Ring) and made hobos, or as they call them here: tin foil dinners. They are basically a preferred combination of hamburger meat, potatoes, tomatos, peas, corn, onions, and garlic salt, wrapped in tin foil and set on the fire until cooked. Then, if desired, you can add some cheese and enjoy. The we had smores.. mmm... and played sone silly, little girl games. And finally, the devotion. Last night our head counselor (the girl that the other counselors and I report to if we have problems) led the devotion for the whole hall. She talked about joy and how it is different from happiness and how we get joy from God and joy is there for us always and not just when we're happy. It was a good lesson for all of us as we were led into our last week together.

Then this morning I got to go to my first Power time, which is basically a devotion time for counselors. It was amazing. We all got to pray over the Cardinal head counselor as she cried tears of pain, joy, and amazement at the support she had through this time of decision making and uneasiness she is experiencing. During some of our beginning prayer time God revealed somethings to me about Him and how I should seek Him that were novel ideas for me. These ideas inspired by someone that I really look up to. I am constantly encouraged by and learning from his words, even weeks after they are spoken. I learned that there is more to seeking our Lord than "what can I do in this situation" or "how can I affect and teach this person" but also God wants to teach us individually. He wants us to learn directly from Him sometimes and not always through others.

To me that is a new and beautiful idea. God wants to teach me things about Him. Not only so that I can teach those ideas to others, but, first and foremost, so that I can learn those ideas. I just I had just never thought of His teachings as anything but so we can teach them to others. But He really wants us to learn. Learn from Him and through His word and through just sitting quitely and listening to Him.

Well please be praying for us all as we finish out our week and that we can continue to make a difference in these girls lives even tho they are leaving soon and that we can learn about and love the next group of girls that we will recieve on Sunday. I miss you all and I love you all dearly!

My favorite verse right now:

"Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."
Proverbs 4:23