Camp!

 Boo had an amazing July full of camp! The first week is teen camp. We all prayed for them in the parking lot before they left. 

 

  

 

It was also R's birthday the day they left. 

 

 

Boo was a cabin leader for the first time and she came back with an amazing redemption story about these two girls in her cabin who were cousins and did NOT want to be at camp. She said they were swearing and angry and wanted nothing more than to go home. Pastor J said they were really aggressive and he and the camp director and several other adults had to get involved, but that Boo handled it beautifully. One of the girls' mom has just been sentenced to seven years in jail the day before the girl came to camp and they both had really rough home lives. 

 

The amazing part is that after a really tough couple of days with them BOTH girls came to Christ! Boo said it was like watching a switch get flipped and they went from angry and combative to peaceful, joyful, and asking how they can get involved in the discipleship program so that they can work at camp too! At church on Sunday Boo was able to tell the whole congregation about it during mission minute and it was so encouraging for everyone to hear their impactful story. I am so happy that are now part of the family of God and I'm so happy that Boo got to witness and be a part of such a turnaround redemption story! So neat to see how God worked it all out! 

 

 

 

Because of all that and how beautifully Boo handled the situation she also got Cabin Leader of the Week which is a big camp honor! Pastor J sent me this picture of her that he got when she received the award. 

 

I was going to have Boo take 11/12 week off but the girl that she spent all AWANA year with was going and it was her first time so Boo really wanted to be there for her. Boo got to cabin lead a second time that week. She really enjoyed it but said it is a whole different kind of draining. She said being a cabin leader requires a whole lot of mental energy whereas being a Timothy (grunt work) is physically draining. 

 

The third and fourth week she got to be a Timothy and was right across the path from Peaches' cabin during 9/10 week. Lou and I took Peaches and one of her friends up to camp on Monday and helped Peaches get settled in to her bunk. 

 

 

It ended up being a cabin with 7 of the 8 campers being all her good friends! I was a little worried that they would argue like sisters since they know each other so well (and since she said last year's cabin full of girls argued the whole time) but she said they had a wonderful week and didn't fight a single bit!  

 

 

Here she is wearing the camp shirt for this year. She was much less nervous about staying this year although I did get about a dozen hugs before I left. :) 

 

 

We brought Boo and R Sonic drinks and stopped by to see them working. 

 

 

One last picture before we headed out! 

 

 

Someone got this one of Boo during the week. I'm not sure where Peaches was. 

 

 

We went back up on Friday to pick Peaches up and she was full of energy and stories to tell! I grabbed a picture of her with her cabin leader E. I'm so thankful she had such a wonderful time! 

 

 

 

We brought Boo and R another drink since it's the only time we come up to camp for the season. These two have so much fun together! 

 

Boo finished up her camp season with a week with the 7/8 year olds. Unfortunately she got stung by a yellow jacket on Tuesday and ended up coming home on Thursday. The younger kids get one less day and then the staff gets one more night for R&R...no not rest and relaxation because they actually end up staying up most of, if not all of, the night. :P I think it stands for reflection and...something else, but Boo wasn't able to stay for it this year. She came home with Pastor S and the 7/8 campers and I took her to the doctor for her foot. He just prescribed some over the counter medicines and rest/ice and it slowly got better. She hobbled around for a few days afterwards. You can see how swollen and red her ankle was.

 

 

 

It was also really bruised where it stung her. :( 

 

One of her friends sent her this sweet picture of her and R with their camp bestie, J. So cute!

  

 

Other than the wasp sting she had an amazing camp season and we are SOOO proud of her for how hard she worked to further God's Kingdom here on Earth this summer! Way to go Boo!!! We love you!!!