Derby Car Racing!

The excitement is building for the Derby Car race tonight. Everyone is working frantically to get their cars ready.  Please pray for all to have fun whether they win or not.

The chapel sessions on the Book of Ruth have been causing a lot of deep thought and soul searching.

Prayer requests:

• The residents of Cedar Crest Cabin have a sick child.  Please pray for his recovery and the family's well being.
• One of the ladies (KL) is making a trip back to the city today as her son is flying in to spend some time with her and her daughter.  It has been a while since she has seen him.  Please pray for a safe trip for him and her and her daughter, and a happy reunion.  Also, that there will be peace among the family members.
• One lady shared with staff that she was feeling empty although she has been a Christian for some time.  Please pray that she will be encouraged.
• Also, please pray for peace among the campers, especially M and P.

A few prayer requests from Family Camp

Chapel at Family Camp has been tremendous!  The theme for the week is the Book of Ruth and Romans 15:4.  Melanie GoLightly is our speaker and the small group discussions have been very soul searching and practical.  The campers are doing some deep thinking.  Praise the Lord for this wonderful teaching and for all concerned.  

We have the following prayer requests:

• Please pray for our chapel speaker, the camp staff and all the 'everyday things' that make it run smoothly.
• A camper who is struggling with responsibilities & personal issues.
• Another camper had to be moved to air conditioning and is also struggling with responsibilities & personal issues.
• One camper is suffering with migraine headaches.

Week Three - Family Camp

Our first 2 weeks of camp have gone very well!  This week is Family Camp, which is for our NLP clients (New Life Program), the Women's Community Bible study group, shelter guests that are in our New Beginnings Covenant program, and those in our NLP Supertrack program, as well as all of their families.

The camp activities and chapel this week are focused on building up the family through fun crafts, games and worship time together.

Although most of our staff positions have been filled with volunteers this summer, we do still have a few positions that have not been filled, which could cause us to turn some campers away who have already registered.  Please pray about filling one or more of these positions or sharing this with a someone else who might possibly be interested.  Thank you!

VACANCIES

Next week - Pre teen camp (July 17-23)

• 1 male counselor
• 2 male assistant counselors (or we will have to turn away up to 16 campers)
• 1 lifeguard (or rec staff with no lifeguard certificate)

Last week of camp - Teen Boys (July 31-Aug 6)

• 3 male counselors (or we will have to turn away up to 15 campers)
• 2 lifeguards

The Teen Girls Banquet

Friday is always a bittersweet day at camp.  During Teen-Girls week we look forward to the banquet that night and the HOURS of preparation the girls spend in making themselves more beautiful!  Stations are set-up in the cabins to do hair, makeup and nails.  The girls bring dresses from home in anticipation of the special evening.  They are then treated like ladies as they are served their meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes by the males we have on staff this week, as well as a few others who come down for the occasion.

Chapel on this night includes the girls dancing, the choir singing, and awards being presented.  There might even be a few tears shed as the 16 year old graduates of camp will be asked to speak about what camp has meant to them.  Almost all of the 8 graduates began camp in tot lot as 4-6 year olds!  However, even though this will be their last camper experience, they all say they want to come back as camp staff next year.  

The 16 year old girls are often good role models for the younger girls.  Yesterday at the pool one of the 13 year old campers was sad because she doesn’t have a boyfriend.  Her 16 year old cabin mate said, “Girl you worry about your education first and then you worry about finding a boyfriend.  You got that, education and then boys!!”

It will be sad to see the 16 year olds graduate, but we hope to be seeing them as staff next year! 

 

 

Prayer requests:

• For campers who have prayed and received Christ to continue at home.
• For those campers who have yet to receive Christ.
• Peace in mind in hearts, endurance, strength for counselors and staff.
• Lives will truly be transformed for Christ’s glory.

Nancy, Journalist, Teen Girls' Camp 2011

Craft & Recreation Time

As important as the chapel time is at camp, the camp activities probably provide most of the memories.

Our craft director, Miss Lane, said craft time allows the campers to express their creativity, even the creativity they don’t know they have!  She believes everyone is creative in their own way.  God made each of us unique and to be able to communicate with Him in many ways whether it is through writing, sports, or crafts.  Our God is so creative and there is evidence of His creation all over camp.  (Even though the campers don’t like bugs, there are so many different kinds to see!)  Miss Lane loves to see them go from “I can’t do that.  That’s too hard,” to “Look what I made!”  They are surprised and it makes them feel successful.

Another place for campers to try new things is during activities which are only available at camp.  Mr. Mike, our longtime Teen Girls’ Camp recreation director, said he keeps coming back because he gets to spend time with every camper.  By the end of camp, he knows all their names!  He and his rec. staff provide safety and security especially when a new activity might be scary.  Mr. Mike encourages the girls to try and try again to pass the deep end swim test.  Many of the campers have never been to a lake before.  He coaxes them one foot in at a time.  (The lake trampoline is quite an incentive!)  Archery is another skill that can be attempted at camp.  The campers are given the illustration of the official archery term “sin” having the meaning of “missing the mark.”  But our God is a God of second chances.  Praise the Lord!

Nancy, Camp Journalist, Teen Girls' Camp 2011

More prayer requests at Teen Girls camp -

Wednesday morning we woke up to gentle rain showers.  It is a bit cooler, but still very humid.  It has stopped for now.  Please pray that the rain will not prevent our plans for the rest of the day. (swimming, picnic supper, camping out, etc.)

Prayer requests and praises from the counselors for Wednesday:

T - Continual guidance from God and that hearts will be softened too/ campers are opening up in devotions and reflection time and can tell that God is grabbing their hearts.
S - A camper’s attitude continues to get worse and she is being disrespectful/ devotion time went well.
R - Pray for personal areas God is and will work out/ cabin is having no more strife.
M - Camper has a lot of pain and doesn’t believe in God because of past/counselor is feeling a lot better physically.
C - Can’t sleep well, renewed energy, strength and maintaining an upbeat attitude/God has been allowing honest conversation and softening of hearts.
T - Energy and wisdom/campers are asking good questions and are engaged in devotionals.
L - Camper is shutting down and the cabin out, another camper is opening up about distance from God/information is sinking in and campers are talking about it.
S - Girls will get the most out of the week without grumbling and counselor will not be discouraged/ camper prayed to receive Christ! She longs to know Him more.
M - Emotional and physical strength/campers are feeling comfortable about having real conversations regarding rough moments.
M - Campers have been snappy today, pray division will end quickly & relationship with one particular camper will be solidified/relationship with camper has slowly and steadily been established.
L - Transformation for campers, be thankful/ words of wisdom for counselor to articulate how to live for God.
R - Keep opening my heart and totally relying on the Lord for strength/campers are opening up.

(Nancy, Journalist, Teen Girls' Camp 2011)

EGG WAR!!!

Last night we had our first teen-girls egg war! At first the girls didn’t know quite what to expect.  We used 40 dozen eggs and we ended up with most of the girls ready for showers afterwards.  The only casualty was a counselor and 2 campers who found a bee hive in the woods and consequently bee stings.  Please pray those will heal quickly.  Tonight is our late night swim and smoothies are provided as refreshment.  Pray for no lightning to spoil our fun.

Last night at chapel the air conditioning quit working and it was extremely hot during the teaching time.  Praise God it has since been fixed!  You never know what the evil one might try to use to disrupt God’s Word from being spoken!  The girls were very patient.

We learned that one of the men from The Farm left the Christian Life Program.  Please pray God will protect him and lead him to another group of believers.

Pray for wisdom for the counselors as the campers are asking a LOT of hard questions.  Specifically from our counselors:

C  -  Seriousness during devotions/camp out was fun last night.
M  -  Wisdom during devotionals for tough questions being asked/renewed energy for today.
R  -  Campers worth to be found in God, ability to point the girls to Jesus, give my all, Christ increase, I decrease.
C  -  To be militant about speaking truth into scary places in the girls’ lives.
L  -  That God’s Word really begins to penetrate their hearts and to really process and apply what they are learning.
L  -    Maintain enthusiasm, remember to pray continually and, pray for forgetfulness of  camper/campers bonding and caring about camp more.
M  -  Wisdom and strength to love no matter what/ camper that has been struggling remembered her memory verses!
R  -  Able to be equipped and have Spirit filled conversations with campers/  campers are getting along better and including a camper who had been an “outcast”.
S  -  Campers’ hearts will be opened and they will allow the Lord to dig deeper/ the girls are amazing!
M  -  Continue being healed, camper that doesn’t know or believe in God will be more open to learn about Him, devotionals are clear and easy to understand for all campers.

Thank you for your prayers!  We couldn’t do it without you upholding us!

(Nancy, Journalist, Teen Girls' Camp 2011)