Days 12, 13, 14 - Camp in Picture Form

What a week! So much... so much to say... so today we'll just use pictures to guide an overview of the week... Many longer, deeper, more awesome stories to come... but the lunch bell just rang, so I'm off to get some good camp food! :) 

Hannah and I went tubing on the lake! 

And we went boating too! This is me with Carol and yet another Hannah!

While I did speed boating, Hannah and Deb did more tubing!

Here's some of the girls and cabin leaders out on the lawn during a camp-wide activity. Aren't they super cute?!

And Thursday night was the banquet, and we all got to dress up... here's some of the girls in their pretty dresses! 

Here's our awesome praise band - Selah, Annika, Cody, Quinn, Stephanie, John, and Peter. They did a great job all week leading us in worship! And I loved getting to pray with them every day before chapel! 

During morning chapel, the girls broke into small groups to study the Bible.

An attempt to capture the breath-taking view of the moon shining on the lake late last night.

Day 11 - What's your story?

Today I'm moving my focus from the gorgeous view here to the beautiful people we are meeting! 

I'll tell you later about the 93 crazy, adorable, dramatic, sweet, fun girls who are running around with limitless energy this week. But today I wanna "shout out" to the staff. I've really enjoyed time I get to spend with the staff - they are all so awesome! This is our new friend Rachel - the "Memory Verse Lady", with her two beautiful daughters:

The other night, Hannah and I stayed up late with Rachel and had "story time." I said, "Rachel, what's your God story?" And she said no one had ever asked her that before, but then proceeded to tell us an amazing and powerful story of how God called her to himself. We shared our stories too, and prayed for each other. Yesterday, Hannah and I managed to ask three other staff workers about their stories. Some were more dramatic than others, but all included God calling them, and through different roads he has brought us together here at the camp for this amazing week. 

Since my theme for chapel is God's Story, I guess it's become sort of my ice breaker/conversation starter: "What's your story?" After all, we all have a story, and each of our stories is just a piece of God's bigger story of love and redemption... So think about it today: what's your story?

Hannah and I with the camp directors - Auntie Deb and Auntie Carol!

Day 9&10 - Camp Imadene

I can't believe we get to stay in such a beautiful place this week! This morning at the 7 AM staff prayer, I sat in the chapel with my mug of coffee, watching the silent misty clouds slowly seep down the mountain, through the trees and over the water... something very enchanting about those misty clouds...

It thrilled me even more once the sun broke through and burned away all the clouds and gave us a brilliant blue sky that reflected off the lake all day. The girls had a really good day of swimming, boating, skiing, and tubing. It's been fun to watch them play and spend some time with them. Gives me a better perspective on how to teach and share my story with them. 

Last night when I got up on the stage with my notes, and looked out at all those young faces, all my worry and nervousness drained away, and I felt strong and alive. I love teaching - especially to teens, and especially from the Bible! This morning we talked about the beauty of the Beginning, and the awesome holiness of God. Tonight, we will talk about "How it all fell apart" - the tragedy of the Fall and the resulting Brokenness. I'll also read one of my stories to them about a man named Judson who had a disease - a topsy-turvey, itchy-scratchy, clogged and stuffy, empty and achy Great Heaviness - and his search for the Cure. 

The girls have listened very well so far, but as the sessions progress, I'm praying that through God's power they will respond to the gospel and desire a relationship with Jesus. There are quite a few who don't know the Lord yet, have never read the Bible, and are asking questions to their cabin leaders at night. Please pray with me for the girls at Camp Imadene!

Day 8 - Victorian Flowers, Castles, and Iced Capps

Yesterday Aunt Carol took us to the Royal Roads University, also known as Hatley Castle, before we drove to Camp Imadene. Not a lot of time to write today, but wanted to share a little bit of the beauty with you....

Front garden at Carol and Gerald's house

Hatley Castle... where the British defeated the Americans... who knew?!

Looking up at the huge redwood trees in the Royal Road's garden

The rose garden

Me and my Auntie Carol

Ending our day with Tim Horton's Iced Capps

Today 93 middle school girls showed up at the camp, and tonight I begin my speaking sessions/Bible lessons/chapel services. My theme is on stories... how everyone has a story, about God's great story of redemption, and how our stories are a part of his... and how every plot twist and hardship we face, God can turn it around, redeem it, and use it to enhance the story of his amazing love. Please please pray for me to speak what God wants me to say, and that he will use it to help the girls draw closer to Him. I'll keep you updated, as the adventure continues...