New Life

. . . for Jessica.

Jessica - she's always been a believer. Since she was little girl. She knew God existed and she knew he was there and she knew he loved her. She just didn't know how to make him part of her life -

Mission Moment - Music Camp

Not Jr. Music Camp like a couple weeks ago - now it's for the teens. Soon it will be for the Young Adults - Western Music Institute. But this week is about the teens . . .

Mission Moment: Don Brown

Adrian brought a set of clippers for don Brown and the next thing you know, Don comes traipsing back in the office - head shaven. Right behind him is 8 year old Hank - head shaven. His son, James, 14 years old - head shaven. Thank goodness Mary still had her hair.

Anyway, he proceeds to tell me how much he appreciates being made to feel like part of the family and that he loves the way Don (my Don, Captain Don) opens up the word and makes it easy to understand. coming from Don Brown, that's a pretty big compliment.

The Family's growing!

mission moments: bug checks

So one of the campers supposedly had llice today and yours truly got to do the "chore." We were banished to the outer reaches of the kingdom - which actually saved on the whole embarassment thing so it was ok - and given a little kit to work with. Actually, kind of cool but it would have been nice if it came with a radio and a bottle of water for each of us. It was 100 degrees outside - and we were in a small enclosed bathroom.

So, I don't think she really had lice but it gave us a little chance to bond - and talk about things . . .I may try to get her to teen sports camp - she loves the hikes the best!

I found out she has been to camp several years in a row and I'm wondering why we don't have her coming to any of our programs. we really have to follow up on these things . . .she's a great kid.

I'm glad i'm the officer and I get all the dirty jobs. It's worth it.

MIssion Moment: Alanna

alanna - the camp cook who has to deal with all the problems that come with being the camp cook - (is that something like the lunch lady?). . . .

so me and patty are going to do our best this summer to help her out - maybe incognito, maybe not.

It might be a lot of mission moments.

UPDATE #1: We cleaned out the ovens for her. They needed it. But we needed it too. Just like that oven cleaner had to sit for a while before the baked on hardness would come off - we are like that - we have to bask in the fire of God's consuming love (okay, maybe baking not basking) in order for the hard edges of our hearts to come off. But come off it does.

Mission Moment: Cassey

Cassie - she met her current "other" at a truck stop someplace in Oklahoma. I think he felt sorry for her and kind of adopted her like a puppy. He seems to be kind to her and they are a couple now. They live in a "safe" place - she can't tell me because she doesn't quite trust me yet - up on the hill (which means camping out).

Last week, I gave them an abandoned ice chest and stuffed it with leftovers from the corps refrigerator. They brought a friend with them to church and joined us for lunch. THIS week, Cassie looked completely different! She had gone to the thrift store and bought some "church" clothes - including some heels (big square ones but heels nonetheless). Again, joining us for lunch, working a little bit on their broken down car in the parking lot, and then taking off again.

In the time from last week and this week, she had called her mom, her husband (what??), and decided that going home wasn't a safe place for her to be - too many temptations, too many silly choices, too many whatevers . . .for whatever reason, she is going to stick around for a little bit . . .

I hope it's because she is supposed to find herself in God here . . .I like Cassie. As patty says, "faith like a child . . ."

UPDATE ON CASSEY: She was hitchhiking home to Oklahoma. I don't know why - I'm a little sad to hear it - but maybe she needed to stay here just long enough to hear that she was worth something to God and now she needs to go home and live her life.

mission moment: TJ at Jr. Music Camp

TJ - which is for Timothy Jr., not timothy william, because "tj sounds better than tw," he says. TJ who desperately wanted to be in guitar class (he was crossing his fingers and praying against hope) but ended up in my class instead. TJ a chubby little kid who doesn't (can't) pay attention very well, has to be asked at least TEN times to do ANYthing, and doesn't have any friends he hangs around with (that I can tell).

Yup, TJ who gave me a hug at the end of camp. TJ who actually GOT IT when we played the devil sticks, TJ who said this was the best class he'd ever taken and he was going to teach his little brother how to do the devil sticks.

Mission Moment: TJ's mom.