And so the madness begins.

So the first week of campers has come and gone.. and it feels like it's been a lot more than just a week. I can safely say that days are a bit longer when you're here at Camp Oak Hill. There's so many different things about camp that are different than real life, that it's kind of hard to believe it's all really going on.

This week's been amazing for many different reasons though.

For starters, I have 13 new best friends. The guys that were in the cabin were all really cool kids and all a bit crazy in their own way. Although I was one of three counselors for our cabin it was hard sometimes keeping up with all of them. Being kids that were going into the 6th grade it's hard to expect them to be angel children but they weren't far from it. I honestly feel bad telling the other staff how good my kids were cause I feel like they get annoyed.

My prayer is that the time Matt and Casey (other two counselors) and I got to spend with them is not something they forget and is something that God uses to affect their lives. I'm not saying that I wish they wish they could be like us... I'm saying that I hope they saw Christ in us and want to be like that.

Another cool part to the week was rotations. I was running the field rotation for the week so I got to meet every kid from each cabin. It was an awesome, yet humbling experience being the one to lead field though. I didn't realize how different each group of kids would be and how different the games I'd try and do for each one would have to be... definitely showed me that I have a lot to learn still when it comes to kids.

Also, dealing with a crying camper that didn't get the place he wanted in line in kickball because he got cut is a lot harder to handle than it seems.

The other thing about this week that I've loved is hanging with the rest of the staff at the end of the week. Yesterday and today have been a blast and been because of how cool and personable and loving the rest of the counselors are here. I love hearing comments like "the staff last year didn't hang out like this" because it makes me feel like God's the one bringing together the staff this year... not because of anything the we've done.

One thing I need desperately is patience and wisdom. Although the kids I had in my cabin were awesome there were definitely times where I was in desperate need of patience to stick through certain problems. Not only that, but also I've needed wisdom more than my own to handle situations that are super awkward [obviously talking about middle-schoolers here].

I know that as time goes on and I get more and more tired it's going to get tougher. But my goal hasn't changed yet and neither has the One who gives me strength to reach it.

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us that we would be called children of God; and such we are..." -- 1 John 3:1

-Aaron Fleming (ajflemin@ncsu.edu)

Welcome to Staff Training

Well, believe it or not, the week's over. It honestly doesn't feel like it should be because I could've sworn I was just getting to camp just yesterday. But time flies.

Before I talk non-stop about the week and how amazing it's already been... let me show y'all some of the crew that'll be here for the summer.

Credit for all photos: Jeff Basey

These are just a couple out of the 28 counselor that'll be working at camp this summer. I can't tell you how humbled I've been at how solid all these guys are. Already the counselors have grown together and built friendships that usually aren't there till the end of the summer.

God's been changing my heart to a couple different things and it's hard to say really what all that is. Loving others has taken on a whole new meaning. I'm still a bit nervous about being able to love well the kids that are coming in, but I feel so much more confident after this week. And the confidence I have really isn't in myself... it's in my heavenly Father and the other counselors that I know will have my back.

"Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  -- Philippians 4:6-7

The testimonies of the counselor's here honestly blow my mind. Stories of those with broken homes, friends that have been killed, trust issues, needs for happiness and fulfillment, and so much more all have Christ as their game changer. Without Christ there wouldn't be a single person at Camp Oak Hill this summer, yet God has brought those He's saved with his no less than perfect grace.

 One of the things that I realized this week is that by the end of the summer, I'm gonna be exhausted. And I might just get there before then. This week was only training and I know that when the kids are here it's gonna take even more out of me. But at the same time I look forward to it. I'm looking forward to giving everything that God's given me and show that to the guy's I'll be working with. So because of that I treasure now more than ever my time alone with God and his providence in my life day after day.

This is a passage that's encouraged me and I hope will do the same for you if you're in need of love and strength.

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  -- Ephesians 3:14-19

- Aaron Fleming (ajflemin@ncsu.edu)

Favorite.

I'm realizing more and more that a lot of the reason I started back on blogger was to keep up with other people. It's so encouraging to hear other people's story already from this summer and what's been going on. I guess it's basically as if I'm getting to catch up with them in person... sort of. 

I wanted to tell y'all something though.

It's been only a couple days and I'm already exhausted. Everything is go, go, go literally from 8am - 11pm and it's insane. Sometimes I catch myself repeating "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me".  But, with the insane schedule, God's already given me a sweet time to really enjoy Him and dive into His Word. 

In the morning right at 8 everyone gets up to go out to "scheduled" devotional time, which sounds a bit campy, but when you get into the Word with a sunrise right in your face reminding just a small taste of God's beauty... it's a game changer. 

One of the biggest pursuits in my life is for peace. There's so much struggle and hurt in life that I'm constantly finding myself begging for somewhere anywhere to find some comfort. Let me tell you though, my Father knows that. Honestly, there's no other time during the day that I'm as peaceful as when I'm in God's Word. I'm incredibly thankful that my Father give me simple little things like the "scheduled" time in front of a gorgeous sunrise to be immersed in His love on my life. 

-Aaron Fleming (ajflemin@ncsu.edu)