Impact Team Beach Trip!

Yesterday, some of us on the Impact team decided to go to Florence 

for some much needed R & R. :)

When we left Eugene, it was rainy and gross, and it didn't change much when we got to Florence. So, we decided to get ourselves some yummy Mo's clam chowder. It was quite delicious. Once full, we walked around a bit and got ourselves some yummy coffee from a local coffee shop. As we walked back towards our cars, I began to notice the rain stopping and the sun shining through some of the clouds. We all got excited as we made it to the beach, seeing that the rain stopped completely and it was getting warm. The water was very warm (I was sad I didn't bring a swim suit!) and the sand was even warmer. It made for a lovely day at the beach...

Me and a lovely friend named Alli (Espresso). She is a wonderful, godly woman. I am so glad that I am getting to work with her this summer! 

Me and my boy. :) 

One second after I snapped this picture his camp name signature was demolished by the water. Ha. 

Me with my camp name! For those who don't know what a staccato is, it is a short note in music. I am short, and I am a worship leader, so I thought it fit nicely. :)

"See, it looks like a pirate walked here!" - Riley

He is such a goof. :)

I love these girls! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to get to work with them and know them better. They are absolutely beautiful. 

I absolutely love everyone that I am working with this summer. We are like a little family. I will miss them all terribly when summer ends.

God is so great.
It is incredible how He has blessed me this year.
I feel His love more and more all the time.

Camp Harlow - 5 - Day Camp 1

Exhausted as ever, this last week was great. 

The ages of our campers this week ranged from 5 - 10 yrs old. Most of them were little angels, with some being the cutest little kids I have seen in a while. With only some of the kids acting out, we had fairly well behaved children. The camp itself was really successful.  

The great thing about this camp was that the kiddos came at 7:45 and left at 5:00. It gave the counselors a chance to recuperate before the next day, and to simply let off some steam. They were each worn out by their ever energetic campers, so having some pure hang out time was very refreshing for them. Plus, it gave us (impact members) a chance to do something for the counselors such as movie nights, night swims, and the weekly campfire, but the staff version. It is what made this week truly fun.

As far as worship goes, Riley and I had an easy job this week. Basically we sang every child worship song/camp song we knew, and the children loved it! We struggled with some of the counselors not wanting to participate, which caused their kids to not want to participate. It was super frustrating, but we had a talk with the counselors and were able to get through to most of them. There were still some that felt to cool to participate, but there was nothing we could do. It was quite annoying. 

The only thing we had to do for worship that required any planning was to do four songs for the campfire which was more fun than anything. It was so refreshing because we were able to do the songs we all love to sing. The past four weeks we have been doing the same camp songs that all of the kids love, so having the staff campfire was really refreshing to us. 

Overall, this past week was really fun. However, I am more than happy to say that I am getting this next week off so that I can rest and get ready for my bestie's (Becca) upcoming Saturday nuptials. It's going to be a fun week! :) 

Camp Harlow - 4 - Elementary Overnight Camp 1

Oh boy. That's all I have to say about this last week.
It is said that Elementary Overnight Camp is like Day Camp on crack. 

I now know how true that statement really is.

To have 1st graders - 5th graders at camp, staying overnight, is a challenge, especially for those who are counseling. There was an unlimited supply of homesickness and bed/pants wetting. Yet, it was a really good week. A lot of the time the kiddos were really great, even though there were some mishaps. Being a worship leader, it was really hard to stay energized singing the same simple songs all week. I really had to rely on God to work through me. All of the camp staff memorized John 15:1-5 during training, which has been running in my mind this week, especially the last verse. It says that apart from Christ we can do nothing, and that fact is something that I have really meditated on. So many times I am trying to just do things myself, but I can't achieve anything without God's help. 

Working out at Harlow has proved to be a hard balancing act. We are supposed to be pouring into these kids so that the seed of Christ may be planted in them. I am so busy trying to accomplish that that I almost forget my own relationship with God. It can be so easy to go through everyday without spending any time with Him. But i can't pour out what I don't have. If I don't spend time with God, I can't successfully pour into these kids. I have never felt so spiritually tired. It is something that I need prayer for, because spending time with God is what I need the most, but never seem to have time for.

I am excited for this week, but it is going to be a lot of the same regarding the campers. Basically the only difference is that there are going to be kindergarteners along with the elementary aged kids and they are not staying the night (thank the Lord). But Riley and I are going to be having to do the same songs as last week, so we are going to need a lot of God given energy to make it through. At least we have the nights to relax and have fun as the staff and take part in deep times of worship through song and fellowship. That will be the blessing that will help me get through the week. 

Thanks for all your prayers regarding my health. I have been feeling much better! :) 

God is good!

Camp Harlow - 3 - Mid School Camp 1

Week 2 of camp is over, and boy was this one crazy!

I don't think I have ever been this tired, both physically and spiritually, but it feels so great. This week, I really witnessed God's love and grace. Being an IMPACT member, I am able to spend time with kids, but I also get a chance to really pour into the counselors and watch them lead their campers to Christ. 

Camp started on Sunday evening and lasted until Friday, so the week was long. However, as the days went by, I began seeing how God works through His children so that his plan will be realized. I watched a counselor, who felt so inadequate, lead her girls to Christ. On Tuesday, we did a fun night at First B, with an inflatable slide and obstacle course. One of the counselor's girls, who was disabled and couldn't walk, wanted so much to go down the slide, but couldn't get up the ladder. The counselor proceeded to put the young girl on her head and walked the girls feet, using her hands, up the ladder. The young girl said later that going up and down the slide with her counselor was the highlight of her week. It really touched me because it was a huge image of what Christ does for us. We can't climb the ladder of life by ourselves. So Christ, being our savior, carries us through all of our life's happenings. He doesn't let us fall. 

Throughout the week, Riley and I struggled with worship. It just seemed as though we weren't able to do anything truly right. I had to rely on God a lot this week to build up the energy needed to lead the campers in worship, because there was negative feedback that we received from a counselor that really made us feel inadequate. Honestly, though, we truly are inadequate. Sometimes I feel as though Riley and I go along feeling like we have everything in control, when really we don't. We always need to be relying on God to work through us. The moment I began praying for God to really use us, he did. During one of our worship sessions, we began singing and I noticed that I heard a voice from the audience that rang loud and clear above the others. It happened to be a boy named Thomas. Thomas has cerebral palsy, so he doesn't have movement in his legs or arms, and has a speech impediment. Hearing him singing without inhibitions made me fill with joy, and made me stop and think. I know that sometimes we are thrown curve balls that may come in the form of rude letters or someone telling us that we need to be doing our job a certain way, but God works through us in those times to really do something great. Despite what we were told by that counselor, our worship times, with the help of Christ, were successful. God made up for any short comings that Riley and I had, and is continuing to do so. 

The highlight of my week was when Thomas decided he wanted to speak and sing in front of the campers during the campfire on Thursday. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. He was carried onstage, given a microphone, and began telling us about the prodigal son and how we are all prodigal sons; all of us need to run to our Father who is waiting for us with open arms. That young boy is wiser than many adults today. He touched my heart so much I couldn't help but crying. He began to sing with a soundtrack of a quartet group singing a song I grew up listening to in church. His love for Christ, and his willingness to shout about that love from the rooftops, was so amazing. He touched my heart so much I couldn't help from crying, and I had to go up and lead worship afterwards! He taught me so much. He was a blessing from God who taught me what it really looks like to worship God with everything that a person is. It was truly beautiful. 

As a whole, this week was a great success. We had many new life commitments, as well as re-commitments from the campers. It is so great to watch God work. I feel so blessed to have this job. I wouldn't be anywhere else, doing anything else. 

Thank you for your prayers regarding how I was feeling last week. I found out I suffer from allergies and was given meds to take care of them. Since I have been taking my medicine, I have been feeling so much better!
I can still use prayer for continued strength, rest, and time that I can take out of my busy days at Harlow to spend with God. 

Despite the great fun I am having at Harlow, I feel so blessed to have a long weekend I can have to rest!

God is great. :)