I’m sitting on my couch as I write this and I am thinking of how God
has richly blessed me this summer. For those of you who don’t know, I wrote 6
different blog posts this summer updating my readers of how things were going during my 7 week stay on Catalina Island. Feel free to click on the links below to read any of the
updates.
I wrote in the beginning of the summer that God was going to
show up at Campus by the Sea. He didn’t just show up, he was waiting for us. He
knew exactly what he had in store for us before we even got to the island.
If you read all of my blog posts from the summer you know
how blessed I was to be able to work with the Kindergarten age group and have such
an amazing teaching partner. I went into the summer wanting an older age to
work with but God obviously had different plans for me! I also had an idea of who
I wanted to work with. Although I had these plans of my own, I loved working
with the 4 and 5 year olds and it was such a joy to work with my partner Seth
this summer. Some of our friends on
staff would comment on how great Seth and I would do in class but we give so much
credit to the kids. We were so blessed with so many amazing kiddos that were so
eager to learn and have a fun time! I learned so much about kids and how they
learn. Occasionally things didn’t go as planned during class time, but those
unplanned moments gave me and Seth the opportunity to be creative! Our favorite
moments of class were the times when a child would take their clothes off in
the middle of class or tell us how they have seen a live dinosaur. A lot of the
times we would question what went on in their little heads but their crazy
stories and prayers for each other would keep us laughing. We were both so
pleased to be able to work with a fun and silly age group! I was so blown away with how the entire elementary staff worked so well together. We all connected so well and did a great job serving our campers!
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| This is Jojo! Two years ago she was rescued from the Congo and week 6 she was in our class. She was one of our all-stars! |
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| Getting them together for a photo was so difficult. |
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| My teaching partner, Seth, and little Brandon! |
God has blessed me by putting so many amazing people in my
life. Living in community with so many people for an extended amount of time
can be difficult at times but we experienced very little drama despite having a
variety of personalities. I was so impressed with how many people on staff were on fire for
God. Everyone that was part of the staff had such an amazing heart for serving
people and putting others before themselves. In the morning, the beach would be
flooded with staff members reading their bibles and spending some time in
prayer. I loved being in such a Christ-centered, encouraging community this
summer. I have been back for a full week and I have already seen a group of my
camp friends two times. Even though we live a far distance from each other, we
all makes an effort to spend quality time together. It was so refreshing to
wake up to so many smiling faces of people who were ready to serve and have fun
while doing it. Without their encouragement, loving personalities, and their love
for Lord, I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the summer. All of my
camp friends will always have a special place in my heart.
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| A few of us dressed up as ninjas in preparation for a birthday skit! |
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| Not everyone made the photo but I LOVE these people. |
There were many fun times this summer, obviously, but I will
narrow it down to just a few. Our summer was filled with fun meal times,
pranks, paddle boarding, dancing, teaching, snorkeling, games, hikes, nights of sleeping under the stars, and inside jokes. Did you notice how I didn't list "spending time on Facebook" or "Talking on the phone"? Thats because the cove that the camp is in has no cellphone reception and no internet access for summer staff and campers! This allowed us to focus on each other and have fun without being distracted by technology. One of my favorite memories
of this summer was night snorkeling on a Saturday night with everyone on staff.
We all put on full-body wetsuits as we prepared to go into the black water. We
were armed with our mask, snorkel, and dive lights as we swam around the creepy
water. I knew that I was not going to
last long because of my fear of the dark, but my good friend convinced me to
stay out until the end. It was so exhilarating and I’m so glad I stayed for the
whole experience. We spent a rainy Saturday swimming in the ocean and doing our
beloved “rain dance”. Another fun memory I’ve cherished was going on a plethora
of staff hikes. We had a 2 mile shore hike, a 4 mile night hike, a 9 mile hike
called “Lone Tree”, and a daily 1.5 mile hike followed by a swim. Those hikes
were such a great time for the staff to get to know each other (suffer
together, haha)! We had many fun times working in our classrooms this summer as well. I
have multiple pages in my journal that are full with things our kids would say
in class! One morning my friend Christy and I woke up to ants all around our
sleeping bags. We didn’t think anything of it until we got to breakfast and
heard that some of our guy friends but sugar around our mattresses to attract
the ants. We spent our nights with the campers being a part of a gameshow, line and swing dancing, singing songs and having s'mores at the campfire, and reflecting on each week during a "fancy" banquet night. One of the coolest things
about this camp was that it was all good, wholesome fun that was free from any
drama.
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| This photo was taken before Syd's departure. You can see our beautiful facilities in the background. |
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| This photo was taken right before our night snorkeling adventure! |
God has taught me so much about so many different things
this summer. One of them was how I learning how God uses every single
situation whether we recognize it or not. There were many times when the staff
would rejoice together and times when we would weep together. Through great
times and sad times we knew that God had a purpose in every circumstance. We
had many illnesses come and go this summer but to see how God stopped those
right in their tracks was miraculous and, without a doubt, the work of the
Lord. We also saw the way that God worked in the midst of families who were broken and in need of a break from the craziness of the mainland.
Another thing I learned was how God knows my every need. I
mentioned in a previous post how I have always wanted to be an elementary
teacher. I would tell my friends that I would take any grade except
kindergarten. After working with that age all summer, I now feel confident
enough to say that I could be a kindergarten teacher! God gave me this
challenge knowing it would give me the confidence I needed. After seeing how he
worked in my heart this summer, I am so willing to let him use me now. He also
affirmed my desire and talent of working with kids. I also learned a lot about patience. Most of the time when kids would act up or misbehave, they were often the ones that needed the most love. Sometimes, they just need to be held! I am so grateful for having the opportunity to work with a partner who was always so patient and willing to hold our kiddos when I couldn't.
Snorkeling is my favorite
The last thing, and most important thing I learned was how
important God’s word is. I have always known its important, but this
summer I learned the bible needs to be the guide for my life. It has the answers to questions and doubts that may slow me down. Since being back from the island, I have made
my morning devotions part of my daily routine and I have seen how much it can
lift my spirits and give me a fresh start to my day.
Thank you to all my family friends who loved me through this
all! I appreciated all the cards, care packages, and prayers that came from all
of you this summer. Love you all!
“In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus.
You can have this whole world, just give me Jesus.”
-Shel
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