I cannot believe all the ways that God is working!
I have only been at camp for about four weeks, the summer is halfway over, and it feels like I have been going forever! So much has happened, the experiences have been wonderful! I have met so many sweet campers, adult leaders, and so many wonderful people who will change my heart for the rest of my life.
God has shown me his blessings in some of the most outstanding things, places I never would have expected him! God has provided so graciously as well! God is opening my heart and showing me why He has put me exactly where I am this summer!
I had called ahead to some people I could visit in the coming week before I left to return to camp and there was a man who I probably wasn't going to be able to visit because I couldn't get out to his house early enough before he left to take his wife to her doctor's appointment. I was gonna have to go out to camp first and then drive out to Gaston county and that would make it after 1:00 and that was not going to work at all. Before I left that day though I got a call from Sarah, my lead program, who recommended that I just start working in Gaston rather than coming to camp because it was such a long drive. So I got to visit one of the sweetest couples ever, John and Barbara Berry, but God did not stop his work there. We decided to schedule the job for the Berry's that week, when Caroline went out to schedule them Mr. Berry was a little upset and explained that at his wife's doctor's appointment they said she probably didn't have much longer left. You see, Barbara has Parkinson's disease and John has to assist her with just about everything. They are so sweet to each other and they have so much love not only for each other but also for the Lord. We were able to send a group out there to paint not only their front porch but also the back porch and underpinning of their trailer. If I had not gotten to stop in Gaston county we may not have gotten the chance to work for this family when they really needed it.
I went to visit a lady in Cleveland county one day named Mrs. Morrison. She is 92 years old and needed the back of her house painted. As we talked in her backyard I was taking measurements and getting what I needed when she told me that she had just celebrated her birthday. I was so preoccupied that I just said "wow, that's great." We continued discussing things about her and her family and she kept trying to remember the group that was working for her daughter in another county and she just couldn't remember. I prayed with her and looked up to say my goodbye's and I saw a tear in her eye. As I left and sat in my car I looked up for a split second and realized that she had followed me onto the porch and was trying to get my attention. When I got out of my car and walked back up to talk to her she said she had remembered the group, it was Camp McCall, another CCC camp very near by. I thought it was so cool that her daughter was being helped and loved on by another of our summer camps and it helped me remember that there are so many people being greatly affected this summer by campers and staff as we do God's work. I also got the chance to wish her happy birthday and if I had left a minute earlier I would have missed out on such a wonderful moment.
I went to visit a lady one day and as I was leaving I stopped at another house on the same road, I didn't think she was home because she hadn't answered the phone but I just felt like I needed to stop. As I walk up to the door someone across the street calls out and asks, "Yes?" She was the lady I was working for and she had been visiting her neighbor who was sick all morning. I was able to talk with her and check out the work, but also able to pray with her. When I was finished she looked me in the eye and said "Thank you, that just made my day." Another chance I would not have gotten had I not stopped.
I sprained my ankle on Sunday during fun in the field, but I found God even in this. I didn't get to go to the urgent care until Wednesday and Sarah drove me there and we worked together that day. We went to go visit one of her CMG's and they were finishing up when we got there. We got to see their finished ramp project, take pictures, and admire their interaction with the lady and her grandson. This six year old boy had muscular dystrophy and was having a blast walking up and down this ramp and pretending to hammer in nails and measure with the measuring tape that their leader had given him. I also got the chance to witness the group giving this lady her CCC bible that we are handing out this year, to see her face just glow when she showed her grandson all of the kids names inside. When the group left Sarah stayed after to talk with the lady a bit and this sweet boy began playing with us like he had known us all his life. He was running all around the yard and up and down the ramp. I told him that he was walking really well and his grandmother said, "Yes, that is his miracle right there." She told us that the only way that he gets out of the house is if she carried him down the set of stairs they had and with this ramp, he was going to be able to run around and play outside, something he hardly ever got a chance to do. If I had not gone with Sarah this day then I would have been all the way in Gaston county and not gotten a chance to visit with this wonderful family.
We have sharing each night and one night we had a sharing about how we have had to trust God in our lives. As I began to share about the death of my grandfather and how it affected me and girl began to sob. She came to me afterwards and she explained that her grandfather had just passed away and that she came to camp to forget about it. She thought it was funny. God gave me the words to say, God worked through me to tell that story so that she would have a time to realize that everything was going to be alright, that she didn't need to forget. I was able to have that moment with her and support her and show her that God is going to be with her through everything and that he has a great plan for everything, we just have to trust in him.
On Wednesday night each of the staff shared a testimony about God has shown us his grace. I spoke of how God has forgiven me of my selfish sin of being jealous of the attention my sister received for her disability and shown me His greater plan for me. I spoke of my family and what a big part of my future plans they are and how I mistreated them by somewhat keeping them out of my life. We each dipped our hands into white paint and covered up the sin we had spoken about that had been painted on a cross. We opened the floor to allow the campers to come and erase a sin to show that God will show them grace as well. The staff waited in case there was anyone who wanted to talk with us and I had five campers come to me and talk about their families and how they felt that they were not treating them right or not following God's plan for them. God gave me the words and the guidance to speak with these campers and be someone they could talk to about their troubles. God knew what I needed to say to reach these campers and give them what they needed to hear. He works in such wonderful ways.
We scheduled eight wheelchair ramps in one week...yeah we're a bit crazy. We knew we were going to have to work extremely hard to raise donations so that we could have a break even week with the lumber costs we had this week. Things were not going well, but we prayed and trusted that God would provide. Sure enough, we got some great donations from businesses in the area, but what really amazed us were the adults that came to us and donated because they were so grateful for all the things that we were doing this summer and doing for them. Due to their generosity and the power of prayer we were able to cover the costs of the weeks projects. God showed us that we were supposed to do all of those projects this week. He provides and it is a wonderful thing!
I saw God in my staff and our times of bonding, our times of laughter as well as sadness. He has shown the reasons that He has put us all together. I am so grateful for my wonderful staff!
I was given so many reminders throughout the week of why I am doing all of this. Why God chose me, He is showing me the reasons that I am supposed to be working so hard and fighting off the exhaustion and not just hanging out at the pool or laying in my bed at home. I am so grateful that He chose me this summer and I cannot wait to see what else He has in store. He continues to remind me that this is not a job of checklists and constant moving but of rejuvenation in the spirit and seeing Him working in the lives of the people that I am meeting and allowing them to bless me. I am so grateful and I cannot explain all of the stories of all the places I have seen Him, and there is much more ahead!
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