Well this blog is all most late but that's better than never. Our second group last week was a blast! They were from a church in El Passo, Tx and man were they fun! Their leadership did an outstanding job with teaching and helping us provide an environment that is free of distractions (well as much as you can with a buch of teenagers).
Right off the bat, I noticed that there were several clicks with in the group and those clicks were isolating some of the kids. But, by the end of the week it was difficult to see a clearly defined click wich was an answered prayer. I knew if the clicks continued, camp was not going to be any fun for the kids.
Ok, I cant hold this back to much longer. I know that God was working hard in some of these kids life's because there were a few new members added to my family this week! I will never get tired of finding out that I have a new brother or sister in Christ! Those kids that God called into the family is all that I need to know that every single week that we have poured into these kids was worth it and I will do it all again just so that one person will come to know God as their personal Savior!
I am going to cut this one short because thats all that really needs to be said about the week. God did his thing and that is what really counts.
Pray stuff:
1. for the kids that seed were planted in and for those that are new believers! let God work through their life in crazy awesome ways!
2. staff
THANK YOU! you would not believe the rested and restored we are! your prayers are being answered so dont stop!
3. this up coming week
resound abq is coming up tomorrow for a 5 day camp. pray for the kids that they get here safe and without getting lost (Bryne Palmer is driving them here...) pray that they will be open to anything God has planed for them this week (tack the staff to that too) and pray that they will take what ever they learn and apply to their life when they get home with out lossing any of their zealousness for God!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Week 8.1
Well here I am again. What a blast the past few days have been! Shane and Chelsea O'Neal's wedding was SO MUCH FUN! They had an out door wedding at Laughing Sheep Farm in Lincoln NM. It was beautiful with the pond in the back ground and the geese swimming this way and that. And the food... oh the food. We ate alligator ribs and qual and even rattle snake sausage! (This is Taylor... Chris left his blog open, went to do laundry, and allowed me to get on his computer. If he doesn't catch this... hello blog followers of Chris!) Well... yup. thats true, I did leave. Oh well. anyway the wedding went off with only one hitch, and that was the one that counted.
The past few days we had a mission group come in from Fort Worth. They went to the Navaho reservation near Socorro NM for a few days and did a ton of humanitarian work there. While they were here some of the slept but most of them played on the water for a day. After dinner they discussed what they thought was cool about the trip or how they saw God move in one way or another. I was talking with Jeff, there Lone Tree team leader, about how the trip went and he said it went well but he was more concerned about the lifes that the kids were returning to. From what I understood, these kids have it way worse then I could even imagine so keep them in your prayers.
In the morning we have to do some "staff training" out on the water and then we are going to finish getting camp ready for our next group that will be showing up sometime tomorrow afternoon. It is going to be a church from El Passo if I am not misstaken and its going to be a regular 4 day camp. Other than the fact that they are bringing 32 people (biggest group yet), I really dont know much about this group. I guess for now just pray that they will be open to what God has in store for them in the next few day and that they will take it home and use what they learn in every day life.
Thanks so much for keeping us in your prayers. It really means a lot to me when I go and check the stats and see so many people reading and praying for everything that is going on in my life. YOU ROCK!
Pray time:
1. For the Mission kids
- that they continue to have a servant's heart long after they get home
- about whatever they are going through and that they lean hard on God through it
2. For the kids to come
- for safe travels as they come to camp tomorrow
- that the are open to everything God is going to be working on them as they are here
3. For Staff
- we just crossed the mid way point of the summer (we are exhausted), so energy and sound sleep
- that we find God working in and through us even though we are doing the same stuff over and over
4. Shane and Chelsea
- that God will continue to bless them and their marriage
The past few days we had a mission group come in from Fort Worth. They went to the Navaho reservation near Socorro NM for a few days and did a ton of humanitarian work there. While they were here some of the slept but most of them played on the water for a day. After dinner they discussed what they thought was cool about the trip or how they saw God move in one way or another. I was talking with Jeff, there Lone Tree team leader, about how the trip went and he said it went well but he was more concerned about the lifes that the kids were returning to. From what I understood, these kids have it way worse then I could even imagine so keep them in your prayers.
In the morning we have to do some "staff training" out on the water and then we are going to finish getting camp ready for our next group that will be showing up sometime tomorrow afternoon. It is going to be a church from El Passo if I am not misstaken and its going to be a regular 4 day camp. Other than the fact that they are bringing 32 people (biggest group yet), I really dont know much about this group. I guess for now just pray that they will be open to what God has in store for them in the next few day and that they will take it home and use what they learn in every day life.
Thanks so much for keeping us in your prayers. It really means a lot to me when I go and check the stats and see so many people reading and praying for everything that is going on in my life. YOU ROCK!
Pray time:
1. For the Mission kids
- that they continue to have a servant's heart long after they get home
- about whatever they are going through and that they lean hard on God through it
2. For the kids to come
- for safe travels as they come to camp tomorrow
- that the are open to everything God is going to be working on them as they are here
3. For Staff
- we just crossed the mid way point of the summer (we are exhausted), so energy and sound sleep
- that we find God working in and through us even though we are doing the same stuff over and over
4. Shane and Chelsea
- that God will continue to bless them and their marriage
Monday, July 11, 2011
Week.... what week is it again?
Well first of all I am sorry that I didn't post a blog last week, it was a crazy weekend. So, this is a combo blog
Last Last week:
We pretty much worked the whole week because we didn't have a group until Thursday and even then they were only there for Thursday. We moved our beach again around to a new spot because as of this last weekend, the area it was at is now above the water line. Not so good for jumping off of stuff. The group that came was from a church in El Passo, Tx and they were a lot of fun. they couldn't afford to come for the whole week, or part of a week for that matter but they still came and God got to work through those kids even if they didn't get the whole camp experience. After they left we started preparing for the weekend (4th of July). We have this small vender tailor that is used mostly for the mission groups that roll through from time to time. We took it and cleaned it up and made it into a burger joint that we called the "Tiki Hut." Why did we do this? Because we (staff) used the crazy flow of people that come into the park for the holiday to raise some money for the camp by selling hot dogs and hamburgers and brisket. That was a hard and hot job because not to many people were interested in it and the only way to get cool was to just sit and sweat. But God did bless us by providing a few people that came back over and over again so that was awesome.
Last week:
The group was YOUNG! Well young for this camp anyway. We normally have jr high and sr high school aged kids and this group was entirely under the age of 12... I didn't sign up for that. That age group is hard for me but I guess God had some stretching for me to do this summer in that area and thats perfectly fine. Well it is now that I am reflecting back on it. The group was from a local church right here in Elephant Butte and the kids had a ton of energy and for the most part were completely well behaved. Oh, and on top of having a young group of children, we also, for the first time, ran our own program and teaching. One of the staff at the Lone Tree Ranch, Sean Trout, came over and taught on the Sea of Galilee and he did a really good job with it. One of the things that most challenged me this week was the river float. Its one of the activities that we take campers on during the week that involves driving to the river, keeping everyone together once they are in the river, and keeping them safely in the middle of the river. That last part........imposible for these kids to do.... That hour and a half was the single most challenging part about this entire summer so far. I felt like I pulled all of them about 12346443 times from trees and rocks because they ether wouldn't listen to me and swim to the middle or just plum couldn't do it because they were to little. By the end of the float my arms and back were on fire from paddling that little sit on top kayak up, down and across that river. However, even though this week was hard, I got to know a lot of the kids very well. It was hard to tell where most of them stood in their walk with Jesus or even if they had one. But I do feel like we at lest showed them what Jesus looks like in our lives and how He can look in theirs, and to be honest, that rocks. And thats all we are here to do, its up to God to call people to the family, not ours. So, we can continue to pray for these kids along with the rest of the kids that have been and are yet to come to camp, all the camps.
This Week
Since this week is half over already I figured I should throw it up as well. This week we dont have a camp at all. So, we are just working on stuff that keeps getting pushed back to "oh we can do that tomorrow." Well I guess we are just working on that stuff the first half of the week and then its off to wed some of my most dearest friends, Shane and Chelsea. I have the extreme honor and pleasure of being Shane's Best Man and I am extremely excited for them! I dont want to say to much in here about them because I dont want them cheating in on some of the stuff I am gonna say in my toast to them and God's amazing plan for their life.
Next Week
Next Week is going to be a little bit crazy.... After the wedding and reception I will be at work back here in Elephant Butte at 7am for the marina till 1pm and the from 1pm till that next Saturday its going to be camp time! We will have two groups coming in for camp. The first one, Sun-Weds, is going to be a mission group who are working with one of the Indian reservations near Saccorro NM. So, pray for them because they are doing Gods work. The last half of the week we will be just doing normal camp with kids (jr & sr high) so pray for them that God works in their life starting now and ending...well never.
Thank you so so much for your continues support and prayer! I really can tell a difference between the days that yall are praying and ones that yall are not. I like the ones that yall are the most.
Pray Stuff:
1. kids.....kids....kidsssssss
pray for them about everything I mentioned above and anything else you can think of. They cant and sadly wont get enough of it.
2. Shane and Chelsea
pray that God remains the center of their relationship for years and years and years to come and that He will work through them in amazing ways
3. Staff
It is easy for us to get burnt out. We still have 6 weeks of camp left to go and we need to be just as fresh for that last group of kids as we were for the first group. so pray for rest and for anything else God lays on your heart for us
Last Last week:
We pretty much worked the whole week because we didn't have a group until Thursday and even then they were only there for Thursday. We moved our beach again around to a new spot because as of this last weekend, the area it was at is now above the water line. Not so good for jumping off of stuff. The group that came was from a church in El Passo, Tx and they were a lot of fun. they couldn't afford to come for the whole week, or part of a week for that matter but they still came and God got to work through those kids even if they didn't get the whole camp experience. After they left we started preparing for the weekend (4th of July). We have this small vender tailor that is used mostly for the mission groups that roll through from time to time. We took it and cleaned it up and made it into a burger joint that we called the "Tiki Hut." Why did we do this? Because we (staff) used the crazy flow of people that come into the park for the holiday to raise some money for the camp by selling hot dogs and hamburgers and brisket. That was a hard and hot job because not to many people were interested in it and the only way to get cool was to just sit and sweat. But God did bless us by providing a few people that came back over and over again so that was awesome.
Last week:
The group was YOUNG! Well young for this camp anyway. We normally have jr high and sr high school aged kids and this group was entirely under the age of 12... I didn't sign up for that. That age group is hard for me but I guess God had some stretching for me to do this summer in that area and thats perfectly fine. Well it is now that I am reflecting back on it. The group was from a local church right here in Elephant Butte and the kids had a ton of energy and for the most part were completely well behaved. Oh, and on top of having a young group of children, we also, for the first time, ran our own program and teaching. One of the staff at the Lone Tree Ranch, Sean Trout, came over and taught on the Sea of Galilee and he did a really good job with it. One of the things that most challenged me this week was the river float. Its one of the activities that we take campers on during the week that involves driving to the river, keeping everyone together once they are in the river, and keeping them safely in the middle of the river. That last part........imposible for these kids to do.... That hour and a half was the single most challenging part about this entire summer so far. I felt like I pulled all of them about 12346443 times from trees and rocks because they ether wouldn't listen to me and swim to the middle or just plum couldn't do it because they were to little. By the end of the float my arms and back were on fire from paddling that little sit on top kayak up, down and across that river. However, even though this week was hard, I got to know a lot of the kids very well. It was hard to tell where most of them stood in their walk with Jesus or even if they had one. But I do feel like we at lest showed them what Jesus looks like in our lives and how He can look in theirs, and to be honest, that rocks. And thats all we are here to do, its up to God to call people to the family, not ours. So, we can continue to pray for these kids along with the rest of the kids that have been and are yet to come to camp, all the camps.
This Week
Since this week is half over already I figured I should throw it up as well. This week we dont have a camp at all. So, we are just working on stuff that keeps getting pushed back to "oh we can do that tomorrow." Well I guess we are just working on that stuff the first half of the week and then its off to wed some of my most dearest friends, Shane and Chelsea. I have the extreme honor and pleasure of being Shane's Best Man and I am extremely excited for them! I dont want to say to much in here about them because I dont want them cheating in on some of the stuff I am gonna say in my toast to them and God's amazing plan for their life.
Next Week
Next Week is going to be a little bit crazy.... After the wedding and reception I will be at work back here in Elephant Butte at 7am for the marina till 1pm and the from 1pm till that next Saturday its going to be camp time! We will have two groups coming in for camp. The first one, Sun-Weds, is going to be a mission group who are working with one of the Indian reservations near Saccorro NM. So, pray for them because they are doing Gods work. The last half of the week we will be just doing normal camp with kids (jr & sr high) so pray for them that God works in their life starting now and ending...well never.
Thank you so so much for your continues support and prayer! I really can tell a difference between the days that yall are praying and ones that yall are not. I like the ones that yall are the most.
Pray Stuff:
1. kids.....kids....kidsssssss
pray for them about everything I mentioned above and anything else you can think of. They cant and sadly wont get enough of it.
2. Shane and Chelsea
pray that God remains the center of their relationship for years and years and years to come and that He will work through them in amazing ways
3. Staff
It is easy for us to get burnt out. We still have 6 weeks of camp left to go and we need to be just as fresh for that last group of kids as we were for the first group. so pray for rest and for anything else God lays on your heart for us
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