A Very Exciting Summer

This summer was good, hard, challenging, inspiring, life-changing and so much more!  The things that I accomplished are:
-- driving an 11 passenger van with a trailer connected to it to six different locations
-- gave a totally of 19 sermons to children
-- stayed at 5 different family's houses and two camps
-- drove a pontoon
-- hitched a trailer onto a van
-- went a jet ski
-- wake boarded
-- went canooing
-- flipped a canoe on purpose
-- went fishing
-- went star gazing
-- had six minos in my mouth
-- taught soooooo many children how to make parachord bracelets
-- co-counseled with my lovely friend Jamey
-- saw the fireworks on a boat right above my head
-- walked through swampy water to play mission impossible
-- led devotionals for 5th and 6th graders
-- led games for campers
-- was in skits
-- was a part of the worship band at camp
-- washed my hair in the lake with some girl friends
-- got swimmers itch
-- got massive bug bites
-- did not get even ONE tick bite (Praise the Lord!)
-- Killed spiders that were in my shower
-- removed a dead frog from a canoe
-- got pied in the face like 7 times
-- got pushed in the lake twice by campers
-- learned how to properly swim
...Oh the list could go on and on

Trout Lake Camps has become another home for me.  I made so many amazing friendships, I learned so much about what it means to serve others.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." - Philippians 2:3-4

This verse came alive to me the week I co-counseled with my friend Jamey.  I became a leader and saw that I have a huge capacity to love much more than I ever thought I did.  I know there is so much more for me to discover about what I learned this summer.  I know that this season of summer is done, but I'm not sure about Trout Lake.  I love this camp you guys.  It truly has been a meeting place for me and God.  I found such a level of peace with Him there and was able to express emotions that I needed to share with my father.  I am sure I will share more later.  But for now it is a week at home and then I am moving into my apartment, getting a job, finding a car and starting my SENIOR year of college.  Oh boy - my life is crazy.

Oh Sweet Mother

Sorry...I failed at updating this thing.  I'm back from camp :-(...sad.  I will update...sometime...soon.  yup.  It was such an amazing experience!  I will share later.

Peace and Love people
Peace and Love

Coralville, Iowa - Trip 3

This week all three of us coordinators came together for one trip to Iowa.  It took about 9 hours, but with three drivers it was a smooth trip!  It's so fun to be in another state, and explore what is different and what is the same between minnesota and Iowa, Iowa and Wisconsin.  We are at a Church called Genesis that is in a restored big victorian white house.  Everyone in the community calls it The Big White House.  Usually on the 4th of July they have a community wide barbecue and about 700 people attend the event.  Because it has been so hot this week, and especially today, they decided to call of the event.  As much as it would have been fun to be a part of that, I am glad to have a day off.  And the fact that we are staying with the pastor's family makes it that much more fun, because they have three adorable kids who love to play and snuggle!  Along with the three of us (Abby, Lindsey, and myself) we have two guys on the trip: Josh and Ryan.  They are great and very fun to be around.

The Lord is doing something amazing at Genesis.  There is such a wide demographic of children at day camps even though there are only 17 kids attending.  He is really deepening my heart for children and for them to learn His word and know His love.  When it comes to day camps this week has been my favorite so far, because I feel that there is a new and exciting passion ignited in my heart from God.  It's real and that is why it is so exciting.  I really look forward to where these passions take me.

There isn't a whole lot else to update.  I see God working more than ever, and I am SO glad I chose to work at Trout Lake Camps this summer.  God had promised me that I was going to have an amazing summer and I keep on standing in amazement at how awesome this summer has been.

I would love for continued prayer when it comes to strength and energy to serve the kids and do my job well: for our whole team.  Also all of us on the team are sick in some fashion and so prayer for that would be wonderful.  I think the worst of my sickness is over (cold, fever...etc), but I want it to stay that way!

I think we are going out to eat tonight with our host family, and then seeing the fireworks!  What an adventure :-).

-Jamie

Trip 2 - Montevideo

Another 3.5 hour trip from trout lake and we ended up in Montevideo.  A small town with a walmart, a cute downtown and lots of green grass.  This week I have a team of two girls, Jamey and Ashley :-).  We all look alike, so that is pretty funny and was confusing for the kids at the beginning of the week.  Since there were two Jamie(ey)s this week I decided to go by my middle name not to confuse the kiddos.  I shortened Elizabeth and went with Izzy.  Haha...kind of weird, but it worked.  

This week we got to stay with a couple whose children are all married.  They live in this awesome old victorian house and we each got our own room.  Their bathroom has one of those old time bath tubs...so fun!  The wife works at a mini golfing and go carting business and we got to go mini golfing and go carting as their gift to us!  It was such a blast.  I'm sad I forgot my camera.  For counselor's night out (or girls night out for us this week) we went down town to a consignment shop and then a pizza place.  After that we had some pampering time with nail polish and a foot massage thing.

The kids have been so great.  They are a younger group this week, so gearing our messages to them has been harder, but nonetheless it has been a blessing to spend time with them and love them with Jesus' love.  There are a few kids that I have just fallen in love with!  

Overall it's been a good week - I'm learning the balance between serving and resting.  Boundaries are necessary for me to take care of myself and than serve others!  Please pray for me, that I may be able to have the courage to set those boundaries and live dependent on our Father. I know that is the only way I may serve others the best.  God has been so good and will always be good.  

Thanks for listening,

Jamie

Waconia -- trip 1

After two weeks of planning our day camps I have finally headed out with my first group of counselors to Waconia, MN.  It was a 3.5 hour drive that was spent in a 15 passenger van with a trailer on the back and yes I was driving it!  It was successful.  Our host family is amazing - they are so inviting and their house is wonderful and cozy.  That is wonderful after being at camp for two weeks.  Although I love camp and nature, having a bit of coziness is wonderful.  The first day of VBS was good, I learned a lot and learned that I have to delegate and communicate a lot!  I will share more later when I can.  So far things are going well and I am very blessed by everyone that is a part of this ministry!  What a great way to spend my summer :-).

I would appreciate prayer for strength, rest, and focus on the Lord and the people I am called to serve and love.

All for Him
-Jamie

A meeting place with God

I'm at camp! People have been really welcoming and my team of day camp gals are so fun and so different than me! The transition is nOt too bad but there is some struggle. I've found the boat dock to be my hide away and place with my papa so that's so sweet. It's peaceful, and I can so the sun ser and the moon begin to beam all at the same time! Right now we are just doing a lot of planning for vbs and one of the many places me, Abby and Lindsey have spent our "office hours" is this beautiful place (I will try to figure out how to get a pic on here soon). That's about it for me...time for bed. Ease keep me in your prayers that the transition would go well!

Selah

I have been home since May 11th.   That means that I have been here for 15 days (almost 16).  Each of these 15 days has seemed to sweep past me, yet little treasures have been given each day.  Amidst the sea of my sin, I have seen my father's blessing.  Is that what it means to be a finished work in progress? 

These past 15 days have been a time for my body, mind, and soul to take a deep inhale.  (deep breath, and as the oxygen releases from my nostrils I can feel there is still a tightening grip on my heart).  With the heavy load of school and the pain of life that I walked through this past semester, I have needed a time to pause and reflect.  A "Selah" if you will.  For the first few days my body guided me by directing me in paths of lying down on the couch, my bed, or some grass.  Although the tape in my mind that tells me what's wrong didn't approve of the lying down I knew better than to listen to that voice.  I praise my Father that the voice on that tape is getting quieter (maybe I will share more about that sometime).

These two weeks of rest and recovery have been much needed.  I don't know how I will adjust to camp life, but I know my heart isn't ready to stop recovering - in other words healing.  It feels like that has just begun in some ways.  I have had more time, and for the first part of it I wanted to find things to fill up the time to avoid any feeling of loneliness.  Then I had to remind myself that this time is and was a gift that I will not get in my life always.  I'm sure that sooner than I  know it I will be working and married and then children will come at some point and my time will be very limited.  I can use this season of my life, where my time is mine, wisely.  I can take time to journal, sit in the sun, read a book, lay on the couch, and drink sleepy time tea before bed with a book that I can't get my eyes out of (If you haven't read Redeeming Love I highly recommend it).

The tightening grip that I feel and have felt has everything to do with heart ache.  Heart each ebbs and flows in my soul.  Something can trigger it and all at once my heart is back to memories I'd rather push down, so I can move on to something happier, something that doesn't sting.  But it is there.  Some of the aches have been there for years, and some are freshly set upon the old ones.  There is someone that knows me really well, and who I am beginning to know, that can sit with me and slowly begin to heal it all.  He doesn't judge or expect anything from me.  He loves to love me, and is relentlessly after my heart.  He's very jealous for it.  He wants me.  Yes - it's Jesus.  Over these past 15 days there have been times I've really let Him in.  I've learned more about His love (read Redeeming love!!!) for me, and like for me.  I've seen prayers answered. I've learned that He doesn't care about me being cool - well He actually wants it gone and has shown me in some really practical ways how to walk out of it.  For example, I wanted chacos for camp.  Oh my beloved chacos.  Nope!  Keens are for me, they fit like a glove and they don't look cool to me.  Let's see who cares?!  Not my father, or my earthly dad, or my mom, or my friends.  They like keens...haha.  Not that it entirely matters, but hey it was a big deal for me.  There are more little treasures that God has given me, but that's one example I think is good and funny to share.

My "Selah" time is almost over.  What I have learned is that I need to "selah" each day, and my heart needs it each moment of each day.  My heart needs fresh air, warm sun, comfy blankets and pillows and some discipline too.

In 4 days I go to camp.  Deep breath in, and as the oxygen deflates from my chest, I can feel a sense of peace.  It is surely not my own.

-Jamie