CBS 2.6

And just like that, we are done with 6 and a half weeks of Family Camp. We only have half a week left of our summer. This past week has been so rad and so great having my family in camp. It was truly a refreshing week! 

Joe and I have had the pleasure of working beside Erik Anderson for the majority of our time here. When an individual class has a large number of kids, the teaching team is given a third person to help them out. My Joe and I absolutely adore Erik and his heart for the kids. We love everything he brings to the table! This week Erik is not with us in class because we only have 13 kids. We really miss him but we are still having a great time!

Every Friday we have our kids think about something they struggle with. Common things that come up are; obedience, gossip, fighting with siblings, mean words, and bad attitudes. After they talk about each thing, they write it on a rock and they throw the rock into the ocean. This symbolizes getting rid of the things that hinder them from living to the praise of God's glory. Before they throw their rock, each teacher prays for them individually. I look forward to this exercise each week because when we separate each child from the group, it really gives them the opportunity to open up. Each week, I trust with my whole heart that God is going to use me, Joe, and Erik to really speak into each kid's life. We have one young girl in our class who has not grown up in a Christian home and doesn't know what it looks like to follow Jesus. We are trying to share the truth with her without overwhelming her. She seems open to hear what we have to say and for that we are thankful! 

This past weekend has definitely been a memorable one. When the campers left we spent the afternoon swimming and relaxing. Each Saturday the staff puts on a big event and this week's event was a CBS Staff Coffee House. I volunteered to coordinate and MC the entire night and it was simply amazing. Our staff is so talented! We heard many original songs, poems, and a' Capella performances. It was truly a great night of celebrating the talents God has given us. Afterwards, we played a hide-n-go-seek type game called Grey Wolf. It was so awesome! I just love each and every person on staff and I am so happy that God so intentionally put us all together. My most favorite moments from this summer have been the times when the camper are gone. We absolutely love our campers but we cherish the time we have with each other as well.

All this to say, this weekend reminded me that it is so evident God intended for us to be in community with one another. A community in which people are spurring each other on to love and good deeds. The way God has used each person, makes my heart sing with Joy. 

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant. Psalm 25:10

CBS 2.5

My family is here *sigh*. This week has been a refreshing (and wet) week. It has rained 4 times since my last blog. We said goodbye to our week four campers and welcomed in a huge weekend thunder storm. It wasn't a storm that was miles away but the thunder sounded as lightning was striking. We did our traditional "Rain Dance" on the pier in the rain. It was so awesome! I spent the rest of that rainy afternoon listening to the thunder and munching on popcorn with Virginia (one of our family camp directors) in her and her husband's cabin. It was such a fun time of hanging out while watching the rain fall. 

Most of you may know that my family is here for the entire week of Family Camp! Ahh!! The Langs and Ellisons are here too and it has been so fun spending time with them and watching them enjoy time off the mainland. They had a somewhat new welcome because it was pouring down rain when they got off the boat. However, nothing could "rain on my parade" because I get my family (minus Alex) for an entire week! 

The rain has not only affected day time activities but also sleep activities. Rain can be a big issue for us because most of the staff sleeps outside. On Monday night I went to bed as it started to drizzle. I didn't think it would last so I didn't move inside. Well it lasted all night and I stayed out the entire time. Other then the soaking wet hair and lack of sleep it was a fun change. 

I've spent the last few days playing card games with my family. My most favorite part of them being here is that they get to meet all my new friends.  I thoroughly enjoy each person on staff and it's fun to see my family enjoy them as much as I do. 

I am teaching seventeen 3rd and 4th graders with Joe Yardley and Erik Anderson this week. It is a really fun group and we absolutely love our kids. I am so grateful for my wonderful teaching partners. I admire their love for the Lord and people. They serve so selflessly and I genuinely want to be more like them. It's so cool to be surrounded by such Godly men. They are the seriously the best. 

If you are wondering how to pray, I have a few things! 

Health: A few of our staff have colds and they are in desperate need of healing. However we are thankful for only a small virus. 

Seth's shoulder: He heard from the doctor last week that he separated it. He has been resting it as much as possible. The other day when he was running down one of our trails I shouted his name to encourage him and as he looked up he took a tumble. Don't worry, Mrs. Heinz, he's okay! He set his personal hiking record that day and I think the fall (caused by me) helped him! He also claims that his shoulder is starting to feel better but we really want to pray for complete healing.

Finish strong: The staff is starting to get super close to each other and as much as we want to enjoy time together, we really don't want to miss out on time spent with campers. Pray that we can stay focused on serving and serving well. 

A scandal of Grace,

you died in my place so my soul will live. 

Shelby Dreves 

Campus by the Sea

PO Box 466

Avalon, CA 90704

CBS 2.4

I'm in town after a five mile hike! I'm still trying to decide if I'm happy I hiked or if I regret it! Either way it was a good time with friends.

Last weekend was so refreshing. We sent off our week 3 campers and welcomed in a weekend of rest. Some of you may have known that my friend  Seth was gone last week because of a prior commitment he had at church. He came back on Saturday and it was so good to see him and catch up with him. On Saturday afternoon, the women staff had a tea. It was a delightful change of pace and time for conversation with other women. After the tea, I went fishing with Phil and Seth off the work float. We sat there with our toes in our water and a fishing rod in our hands waiting for a fish to pull up. We didn't catch anything but it was a fun time with some good friends. That night we had a pizza dinner followed by a time of worship at the camp fire. It was so nice to pause and worship the God that has done so much right in front of our eyes. Later that night the staff went on the annual night snorkel adventure. I bravely agreed to go but only stayed in for a few minutes. It was fun to see the water at night but cold and scary at the same time. Two days ago I caught an eel off the rock jetty! My friend who is the camp's naturalist put it in a tank for the kids to look at! I caught it with a dropline and I screamed like a 7 year old girl, hence why my voice is still gone.

 This week we have a very vibrant group! My friend Christy, who was on staff last year, is in camp with her family this week and it is so nice to have more familiar faces. Our class this week is great! Our kids have a lot of energy but they know when it's time to pay attention and have a good time! 

I went into week four with an open heart to serve this next round of campers. I am especially praying that I can live in the moment. I have been missing my family a lot the past week and I am anxiously awaiting their arrival this Sunday. I just really want to be present with the campers that I am seeing instead of focusing on what's coming. It has been so cool to see God move this summer. He has given hope to marriages that were failing and helped restore people who are completely lost. He has also done a lot of work in my heart. Even though I have been in leadership positions in the past, this is the most serious position I have been in. It's cool to see how God is using me to encourage, lead, and love on my team. As a leader, not every conversation is easy but God has given me so much wisdom and grace. Also, the people here are so easy to lead. They are all on fire for God and that fire is fast spreading. I'm so crazy about what God is doing in everyone's hearts. God must have a huge heart for Campus by the Sea because he continues to use this unique atmosphere in beautiful ways. 

Pray that I can stay in every moment and contain my excitement for my family's arrival. Also, pray that as a staff we can finish strong and remember that we are not just serving people, we are serving the Lord. Also, just take a second to praise God for his goodness. 

Shelby Dreves

Campus by the Sea 

PO Box 466

Avalon, CA 90794

Sorry for any typos, I forgot how to type. 

CBS 2.3

Sunday July 5th

This week has been so different in so many ways. God's provision have been so clear to our staff this week. He has met so many needs of mine and many others on staff. While I'm at camp I am always in search of small pieces of home. This week one piece I found was in our guest speaker. Brent Eldredge is a new speaker at camp this year. Intrigued by a new face, I introduced myself to him. I mentioned to him I was from Arcadia and he immediately asked me what church I am a part of. I barely had enough time to finish saying Fellowship Monrovia when he interrupted me saying that he helped my pastor, Albert Tate, plant our church. It was cool to hear from a speaker I had such a small, yet comforting connection with. 

On afternoon during the week each family makes a boat, swims it out 20 yards, and releases it with the hope that their boat makes it to the shore first. I was walking down to the beach with my teaching partner, Joe, when we spotted one of our boys from our class. We approached Asher asking him if he was building a boat. After he said no, I told him "You have a 0% chance of winning the boat race if you don't build a boat". After a few minutes of prying, Joe and I finally convinced him to let us help him build a boat. With only 25 minutes of building time left, we made a boat using only sticks, painters tape, and milk cartons. The rest of the kids in our class joked about how it was going to be a titanic sequel. With little faith, Asher and I watched Joe swim it out and let it drift to shore. It is my pleasure to announce that "The Asher" made it to shore first!!!! Families who spent hours working on their boats were puzzled when they heard our boat had won! It was so cool to see how a lame boat brought us so much joy and unity! Asher had a hard time connecting with a lot of people in class but this one on one time he had with his teachers gave him the opportunity to open up and make a connection. 

Many of you may be wondering how I spent my Fourth of July. After our week two campers left the island, a group of us went  paddle boarding for a few hours. The water was so warm and the sun was shining all day making it a perfect day for water activities. Later on in the evening, a transit boat picked up every staff member and took us into town to watch fireworks. Fireworks on the island are much different than on the mainland. Someone rents a barge and launches fireworks from a boat in Avalon's harbor. I sat and watched the fireworks with 5 year-old Brandon Garcia seated on my lap with my two best camp friends Joe and Seth floating in the middle of the ocean sitting in a boat. It was such a dream. 

The next day was more of a nightmare to be completely honest. I had been feeling sick since last Thursday but it was Sunday when it really hit me. I woke up feeling defeated. The head cold got the best of me that morning. I went into our camp church service and started worship standing next to my friends when I felt that my constant sniffles and sneezes were distracting the people next to me so I got up to sit in the back. I went to sit alone when Lisa Friesen asked if I was okay. Knowing I wasn't, I bursted into tears expressing how I was frustrated that I was sick. For those of you that know Lisa, you know that her hugs and kind words are overwhelmingly comforting. I got to call my mom later that day and tell her I wasn't feeling well and it was nice to hear her and my dads voices. That night, I attended my small group. The men in our group had prior commitments so they were unable to attend. Every week two people in our small group share their testimonies. My two new  friends shared their testimonies and it was incredible. As much as I love the guys' presence in my group, the intimacy that the girls of our small group felt was indescribable. God so intentionally put that time aside for us girls to connect on a deeper level. It reminded me that one of the most valuable things we have is our stories. Hearing the way God is using my friends is the most beautiful thing.

I am feeling much better today but my voice is still raspy. If you want to know how to pray for me you can pray that my voice heals completely. Also, pray that our staff can continue to work and serve people with humility. Miss you guys! Feel free to write!

Sorry that was a long one, I hope you can take something from this.

It is well, it is well with my soul. 

Shelby Dreves 

Campus by the Sea

PO Box 466

Avalon, CA 90704

CBS 2.2

From Friday, June 26th:

I'm laying in bed after our first banquet. I'm snuggled up in my sleeping bed listening to friends down at the camp fire singing "Chicken Fried". This quiet time in my bed is precious because today has been long and difficult because of the stress of first banquet. Despite the craziness,

 I am going to bed with such a thankful heart for each and every person who is on elementary team. I can trust each person with tasks that I sometimes just want to do myself. It's nice to loosen up and put my trust in people who are so willing to serve and serve humbly. Thank you Jesus for each person! 

From Tuesday June 30:

This past week has been so crazy. Last week me and my partner, Joe had eighteen 3rd and 4th graders. This week we had 17 of them. It has been a challenge for us to teach a class that big and connect with each one but with the help of our friend, Erik, we have succeeded! The kids are really experiencing God in a way that they never have before. It's been so cool to see them grow closer to Him. 

Some days have been harder than others because of the work load and my voice which has been lost. These past few weeks I have been raising my voice more than normal because of leading the elementary staff and the children I'm teaching. Most of the time I'm speaking to a group of people so my voice grows tired easily. Let me tell you, it has been a challenge to try and not talk but I have tried to cut down. Since this is our second week of family camp, the staff really knows what they're doing and there are less meetings. It's nice to see everyone getting used to things.

Other than the voice, my week has been going so well. It rained yesterday so it was nice to have a change and something exciting happen. I love the excitement that comes with thunder and lightning, and what a treat it is to experience on an island! Anyway, the water has been unusually warm for this time of the year and I will never get used to diving to the bottom and experiencing the sea life. I'm so grateful for this place and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer.

Grace, What have you done?
Murdered for me on that cross.
Accused in absense of wrong,
My sin washed away in your blood.

Shelby Dreves
Campus by the Sea
PO Box 466
Avalon, CA 90704

CBS 2.1

This past week and a half has been so crazy yet so fun. Some of you may know that I am co-leading the elementary program so I have had a lot more responsibility compared to last year. It's so fun to be a leader of something I am so passionate about. The staff this year has many new faces and I am beginning to realize, it is an advantage. Most of our members came with little to no knowledge of how to run the program. It has been nice to start from scratch with new people who have great ideas and gifts that they brought with them. I could not be more proud of how the staff has come together these past several days. Every single person has a heart to serve the Lord. 

Along with the many joys of being a leader, there are some tough things that come with the job. One is that I feel most of the stress. I constantly question whether things are going to get done or if we are forgetting something but it is remarkable to see how everything has come together so nicely. We are really feeling God's presence here at CBS. The entire team of people jumped in the deep end, and we aren't just treading water, we are floating. 

So let's forget about the stress that comes with planning a program and focus on the fun stuff.  I have spent most of my free time hiking one my favorite trails called "scar", swimming, diving, tanning, chatting with friends, reading, and having "floatillas" with my amazing girls in my class.  I absolutely adore the 3rd and 4th graders I am working with this summer. It's is a big change from working the kindergarteners but a good change. I love the conversations I have my girls and their contagious positive energy they have to offer. I feel like God is working in their hearts, and mine. 

If you're wondering how you can pray for me, you can pray that things start to slow down. Planning makes me so busy and even though I like being busy, I would like to move at a slower pace. I sometimes need to say "no" to myself when I want to skip out on rest. Also, pray for health for the staff. We haven't had any serious sicknesses yet and we are hoping to stay that way. 

"Rid me of myself, I belong to You. Oh, lead me. Lead me to the cross."

Xoxo 

Shelby Dreves
Campus by the Sea
PO Box 466
Avalon, CA 90704

Dear Pasadena City College

For those of you who don’t already know, I will be transferring from Pasadena City College to Grand Canyon University. I wrote a heart felt thank you letter to my community college that I went to. I am so grateful for the positive experience I had the past two years! Enjoy.

Dear PCC,

Thank you for introducing me to people who are different than me.

I grew up going to Arcadia schools and everyone that I went to school with lived in the same city as me. I understand that everyone I grew up with wasn’t the same as me but Arcadia schools aren’t as diverse as Pasadena City College. People from all over the county attend the college, which provides a plethora of people of different races, religions, and family history. During my time at PCC I have realized that people who may seem different than me actually end up being similar.   Meeting new people at PCC has helped me see the world in a different way!

Thank you for re-teaching me how to make friends.

When you go to community college you feel like you are missing out on so much because all of your friends from high school are “living it up” at a four-year college. The first day of school you tell yourself that you are going to keep your head down until it is time to transfer. Before you know it, you have a group project and realize that the people you are working with are in the same position as you! Making friends becomes easier if you are willing to put yourself out there.

Thanks for teaching me how to use my resources.

Pasadena City College has an amazing library that is filled with thousands of resources that is open to any student. My high school also had plenty of resources to use but in college I really paid attention to how to use them.

Thank you for teaching me that relationships are important.

I have realized over the past few years that I have had some awesome professors and some lame professors, but through the ups and the downs I have realized that relationships are important. Every professor has one thing in common: they love students who take the time to meet with them after class and take the time to get to know them. The professors that I got to know when I was at PCC taught the classes that I did well in, and it wasn’t a coincidence. Not only does your effort to get to know them leave a lasting impression, but it helps keep you in check. When you become close with your professor you feel a higher level of accountability.

Thank you for showing me what I’m good at.

The ONLY good thing about general education classes is studying a wide variety of different things. Now this could have been a great experience for you, or a bad one. For me this was a positive experience! I never knew I would love psychology until I took that intro to psych class, and most importantly, I would have never discovered my love for English. Yes, I know that I have taken English classes my whole life, but my English classes and professors at PCC helped me realize my love for reading and writing. Every English teacher I had pushed me to my full potential and I could not be more grateful. They also taught me to not be shy about my writing. The more people who read it, the better! Now, moving forward, at Grand Canyon University I will be studying Elementary Education with an Emphasis in English and I could not be more excited!

Thank you for teaching me that time to myself is not scary.

Days in the PCC library can be lonely at times. People who hang out on Campus are either studying or in class and most of the time there is no one to hang out with. Before I had a car, I would spend my 4 hour breaks sitting in the library studying or doing nothing. This was especially hard for my extraverted self. I constantly need someone beside me to keep me company or have a conversation with. My alone time at PCC made me realize that being alone isn’t as scary as I thought. Sometimes it is PEACEFUL! Who would have thunk it?

And thank you for teaching me to stick up for what I believe in.

I will never stop telling the story of how during the first day of philosophy class, my professor asked the class if anyone believed in God. Of course I was the only one to raise my hand! Although I have had a lot of encounters similar to this one in my life, this one was the scariest. I felt so alone and unable to believe that I could see eye to eye with anyone in my class. The semester turned out better than I thought, and at the end of the class I felt like Jesus’ love is not something to be ashamed of, but to boast about!

Final thoughts:

Ever since I was in junior high, I felt this constant pressure to attend a 4-year college after finishing high school. I never even considered going to Pasadena City College. Whether you choose to believe it or not, our high schools do not support the students who choose to attend a junior college as much as they support the students who plan to attend a 4-year university. Although many will believe that attending a 4-year university is the best thing to do, students who choose to transfer out of a community college should not feel as if they are not as successful or less than the students who are having the 4-year experience right off the bat.

Students who attend community colleges go into their two-year experience with past students’ horror stories lurking in their memory. Luckily, I was one of the rare ones that started PCC with an open mind. Many students just like me have felt or are feeling the pressure that I felt as a high school senior but I am hoping this post shines a good light on a topic that is not often talked about. College should be a positive experience no matter how you choose to do it!

-Shel