Just to let you know how legit camp is… I’m writing this from an Eno hammock.
The past couple weeks have been insane and this is really the first chance I’ve gotten to actually, or more felt like, writing. Just as a preface, I’ve lost my phone so I’ve literally been without technology for a solid week and I don’t mind too much. Also this is one of the only nights I have off for the next week or so.
So now all that’s out of the way, let me tell you about camp life from the past two weeks.
Last week was extremely different in several different ways. There was a church group that came in (much like week 1) but this group had their own counselors. So the whole staying with the campers thing didn’t happen. Instead there was a lot of time was taken up with doing rotations, serving the kids at meals, working free time duties, and working side projects with Jerry the maintenance man. To me though it felt more draining then a regular week because it didn’t seem there was ever really a good break. Thinking back though I think the reason it was more draining than I thought it would be was because we didn’t have the campers there 24/7. It sounds weird but I think having the campers there and tangibly seeing the effect you God can have on them gives more and more motivation.
That week though, on one of the days, Jerry took all the guys out to a ranch his friend owns… that has 11 Clydesdale horses. And yes, like the ones from the Budweiser commercials.
And now let me introduce you to 2-week. These next two weeks are a non-stop camper filled some of the best two weeks of the summer kind of deal. It’s completely different because the oldest campers from the week 1 (12 years olds) are now the youngest campers of 2-week. My Apache cabin went from 6th graders to 9th graders.
I absolutely love it.
Just to give you an idea of how crazy these kids are, one of them made up a song on the spot with his guitar about a fictional character named, Leeroy McButts. He also proceeded to sing his song at the talent show this week. The week’s just begun and I’m so stoked to keep on hanging out with these guys. Also my guys love to poke fun at my use of the word “solid”. More importantly there are a couple guys that are only staying for one week and I’m praying constantly that I can have the opportunity to have real genuine conversations with these guys… and honestly I’m worried that because most of the guys I’m talking about are really not very outgoing and don’t talk much. I know it’s in God’s hands though and that’s why I’m constantly asking Him for wisdom with how to reach these guys.
An awesome time we got to have with them though was this past Friday. We went out to the field at night to have devotions before we went back to cabin. John Larkins (co-counselor) and I got to pray individually over each guy and challenge them about everything they'd heard us talk about the week before. It was by far one of the coolest moments at camp so far.
On a completely random note, I got to experience this week what it feels like to have a club hand. All thanks goes to the wasp that was kind enough to find me, land on me for a half second, and sting me.
If you haven't really read a lot of what I talked about in this post, it's ok... it's just me rambling. But please pray for me as the 2nd week of 2 week comes up. To be real, I'm tired as all get out, and another week ahead looks daunting. I'm in need of strength from my Savior and I don't doubt he will provide.
Here's my reason why:
"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint." -- Isaiah 40:28-31
-Aaron Fleming (ajflemin@ncsu.edu)
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