more camp photos

The theme of our family retreat last week was "Wholly Surrendered," especially focused on purity. It was a hard topic at times for the kids, but so good for them to hear! We'd spend the morning hearing a presentation, breaking into small groups for discussion, and hearing testimonies from staff. Good stuff! 

can't beat a small group discussion with this view!

Of course, I think the highlight of the trip for many people was swimming in Lake Victoria! 

Swimming with the kids was a real bonding experience, as many of them had little previous water experience. I had up to 3 kids at a time begging me to teach them to swim! There's only so much we could do in 4 hours of swimming through the week, but hopefully they've got a good start for future practicing. 

I got a sweet tan...and hopefully NOT bilharzia! 

 It was also sweet to see the older kids playing and helping with the younger kids in the water. 

The week ended with an unexpected adventure...our mini-bus was about 2.5 hours late! We finally arrived back home at 10pm. I was fighting a nasty head cold, which means that trip definitely takes the cake for 'worst road trip ever'! 

the back half of the coaster

back from camp!

Some pictures from last week at Musana Camps with my family group:

We've arrived! 

It was a really awesome week! We had fun together as family, discussed some hard topics, and were refreshed by the beauty of creation.

Team Golola wins the carpetball tournament!

There were traditional camp activities, such as carpetball, team challenges, and hiking...

Trying to push the ball across the right team line!

Befuddled by how to complete the challenge...but Team Rhino eventually placed second!  

...and there were some un-traditional camp activities (at least, from my camp experiences!), such as drumming and challenging the local fishing village to a football game! 

these guys have cah-razy drumming skills!

        

Apparently every family group that comes to camp challenges the village but no one has ever won. 

We came close, though--we tied!

the soccer game

Decisions, decisions

For those who receive my email updates, this may sound repetitive...but I think it's important enough to record on the blog for posterity! 

Making decisions can be tough. 

A decision means that all the choices, all the other opportunities, all the exciting possibilities are done. A decision means commitment, for better or for worse. And in a century where anything is possible and choices are endless, commitment can be rough. As Kevin DeYoung says, “Our freedom to do anything and go anywhere ends up feeling like bondage more than liberty, because decision making feels like pain, not pleasure.”* 

My life is at a junction right now. We finish the school year in early June, at which point my current one-year commitment with NHU will end. However, the Dangers have asked me to continue as their tutor for one more school year, through May 2014.

At the same time, I also have the opportunity to return to the adventure camp where I worked in summer of 2012, to pursue a passion that seems to be from God. 

Both good options. Both opportunities to grow closer to Jesus. Both chances to serve God. Both with the possibility to share Jesus with kids. 

There are many more factors involved in this decision that I won’t spell out here. But I would ask that you join me during the next month in praying for clarity, wisdom, discernment, and a choice based on faith, hope, and love instead of selfish motives. 

*from Just Do Something, an extraordinarily valuable little book about God’s will. 

summer, in some of its glory

It's been pretty quiet on the blog, mainly because it's been pretty loud in my life. For the past 4 weeks, summer adventure camp has consumed my life. Sunday afternoon through Friday evening, I'm working what has become the favorite job of my life thus far. I'm leading creek hikes, low ropes courses, pool times, high ropes courses, canoes, Bible story times, and all sorts of odd jobs, such as wrangling stray horses, washing dishes in a veritable sauna, running competitions for which group can enter the dining hall first, and of course, getting a really nice tan.

One of the best parts of this summer is working with this guy:

My brother, the coolest counselor at camp.

Living the outdoors life is pretty epic. Here we are collecting 50 gallons of water (as part of a challenge, not for drinking!)

And here's a group of campers & counselors, right after we became mud warriors during a creek hike:

Yup, I'm loving this job. Hard to believe there's only 6 weeks left until I move to Africa!!

seeing is understanding

Camp has started, and with it, a plethora of spiritual lessons, warfare, and growth. Of the many stories thus far, one in particular stands in my mind vividly and continues to send chills down my spine when I grasp the implications yet again.

One young camper, whom we'll call Gregory, had been an particularly ridiculous punk, concluding the first two days with a swing at a fellow camp-mate. Violence being discouraged at our camp, the immediate recourse was a chat with one of the permanent staff and a phone call to the parents. I entered the story after Gregory had a chance to explain his angst at camp food, fellow campers, and camp activities to his parents and then was dismissed to his group so a solution could be discussed between the permanent staffer and the parents.

Gregory was given a 24-hour probation period, a flashlight, and an extra counselor for his group. A second phone call between the permanent staffer and the parents was scheduled for 830pm the next day. If things hadn't improved by Wednesday night, Gregory would be sent home.

*********************************

As Wednesday wore on, it seemed the chat, the extra counselor, and some special food accommodations were helping Gregory's attitude. Fairly certain that Gregory would be able to stay the rest of the week, I still caught his group's counselors briefly after dinner for their analysis of the situation, so we could knowledgeably update his parents. All three agreed--Gregory was doing better and should be allowed to stay. The permanent staffer concurred and conveyed the news to the parents: Gregory could remain at camp.

Several hours later, Gregory's two male counselors came to me, asking for the permanent staffer's cell phone number. Concerned, I asked if everything was alright. Oh yes, they assured me; they simply wanted to make sure that Gregory wouldn't be sent home. They continued to plead his case for another five minutes, explaining all the reasons that Gregory should be given a second chance and citing all the small proofs of his slowly changing heart. Once they paused for a breath, I affirmed that Gregory had been permitted to stay, which caused no little rejoicing between these two counselors.

*********************************

I was surprised by the counselors' concern for Gregory and the way they had pleaded for him. The situation mulled through my subconscious for the next 10 hours, until suddenly I realized why their actions were so significant. The way these two young men took it upon themselves to plead Gregory's case reminded me of Hebrews 7:25, which states that Jesus "always lives to make intercession" for those who trust him. Just as they were imploring me that Gregory have a second chance, so Jesus stands before God's throne in heaven pleading that I receive mercy, that I receive a second chance, a third chance, a one-hundredth chance. If I have received such undeserved mercy, how then can I refuse to show it to others?


"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." - 1 John 2.1  

a quarter

For those of you who don't know, I turned 25 this week.

I am excited about this for one main reason: 25 is the age when you can rent a car without additional fees.

It's a big milestone because people will give you any size and type of car, thinking you're a mature adult. Really, though, you feel like this: I just graduated from college...wait, was that really 3 years ago? But I don't really know anything, in fact, I know less than I did in college. Why didn't anyone ever tell me that I'll feel stupider as I get older?? Wait, this person thinks that I can pay multiple hundreds of dollars in rent every month? When did I reach the age when hundreds of dollars wasn't a big deal? It was just a few years ago when I thought $100 was like a million!! And why do these people think I can handle all these responsibilities because I definitely haven't reached adulthood!! Don't they say you're as old as you feel? I feel 14, not 25!


I'm also thrilled about age 25 because of the exciting things I'll be doing during this year of my life, such as becoming a hobo on April 30, working at an adventure camp all summer, seeing one of my best friends get married, moving to Uganda, spending a week at the beach with my adopted family, watching my brother graduate from college, learning a new culture simultaneously with a new job, and renting a car without paying underage fees.

Also, some tidbits for you on how the world has changed during the past quarter century:
-"Salad-in-a-bag" was invented in 1989 (age 2)
-Electronic tolls (think EZ Pass) began in 1989 (age 2)
-Dopplar radar started its TV run in 1990 and is still going strong (age 3)
-Powerpoint was unveiled in 1990! (age 3)
-Debit card transactions became popular in 1995 (age 8)
-Disposable contacts arrived in 1995 (age 8)
-DVDs were introduced in 1995 (age 8)
-Blackberries started accepting email in 1999 (when I was age 12)
-iPods were developed in 2001 (age 14)
-speaking of 2001...9/11 was a life changing event for my generation (age 14)

To avoid ending on a downer, here's a shout-out to my friend JenniMarie: on my birthday in 1888, Eastman Kodak was formed.

jitters.

Today, I'm doing something that gives me butterflies in my stomach.

I dreamed about it last night. Even after forcing myself to stop thinking about it so I could actually fall asleep.

When I woke up at 5am, it was the first thing on my mind. I consciously forced myself to relax and fall back asleep.

I purposefully chose to run sprints this morning to remove a bit of the boundless energy that consumes me when I'm nervous. (yes, friends, if I seem to have kilowatts of energy in some situations, it may be from nerves, not boredom!)

Staying in a comfort zone is often quite...comfortable. It doesn't make me nervous, it doesn't give me the jitters, it doesn't require concentration or attention to details. Comfort zones give freedom for exploration, dreaming, hobbies, and joking with friends. Being pushed to face and to conquer phobias is often quite terrifying. The 'what ifs' crowd my mind, I literally shake with fear, my voice goes up a decibel, and my stomach refuses to accept even the most tempting of delicacies (ie, pizza!). I listen to Glory Revealed, Kelly Clarkson, Aaron Shust, Katy Perry; I joke with friends; I pretend excitement; and still in the back of my mind I'm contemplating how I can escape, whether starting a new life in Denver would be easier than the thing I'm about to face.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13


"All things" would probably include my first solo venture in setting up the zip line.

"Cast all your anxieties on [Jesus], because he cares for you." 1 Pet. 5:7

PS--the dream was NOT a nightmare. ;) Well, minus being short and unable to reach things (a legitimate issue) and losing my favorite shirt in the lake (a bogus fear, since there is no lake nearby!). 

secret doors

Last week, my brother came to visit me. We visited a hotel styled a "mansion" in Washington, DC, because said hotel also styles itself as a museum with many secret doors to find. 

Secret passage behind a bookshelf! Sweet!

Sometimes, life feels a little like that hotel/museum/mansion: confused about itself, full of secret passages that require special knowledge or insight to find, and containing very odd decorations sometimes unbecoming to itself.

Finding "God's will for my life" used to create all sorts of fear in my life. Was I on the correct path? What if I had worked the wrong job two summers ago? What if I was supposed talk to that military recruiter? What if I had totally missed the way??

Then I read a liberating little book called Just Do Something. If you're in my area and want a copy, I actually own two: one that I've underlined, marked, and loved, and one that I purchased specifically for lending. Everyone needs to read this book. For those who haven't, the essence of the book is this sentence: If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God's will, so just go out and do something.

Since reading that book two years ago, my perspective on life has changed. No longer am I searching for the secret door that will reveal God's will and make my life happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise. As long as I love God and obey His commands (read the Bible, they're pretty plain!), I am free to pursue almost whatever life I want!

Thus have I reached my current life position. In a few months, I will be leaving my current job to spend the summer advancing God's kingdom through a position at a Christian adventure camp in Virginia. I'll spend my days preaching, praying, and playing with kids. Then, come August, I'll be moving to Uganda to support a missionary family by teaching two of their children for a year. 

At an age and a point where my career could start advancing, I looked at my life and realized that God has given me the perfect opportunity to spend a year serving His kingdom. I had a choice: I could pursue the next level in my career field or I could pursue a year of faith-building. Both were valid choices; both had pros and cons. In the end, after much discussion and prayer, I chose option 2.

So I'm putting my career on hold for a year in favor of a year of breath-taking adventure, ultimate challenges, and a faith-building journey that will grow me closer to my Savior, Jesus. I'll be sharing my journey on this blog, not to convict but to inspire. Watching other people's lives, in person and via blogs, has made a huge impact on me; now, I'll be contributing my voice. 

T-minus 2 months. Let the countdown begin.