Sorry that I been bad about blogging and have not done so in a month. Looking back on my summer I cannot imagine better place or a better group of people to experience God with. My fellow staff were incredible, and God used them and grew them in miraculous ways this summer. It was awesome to be a part of that.
Camp week 3 went well, but feels like a blur at this point. I do remember the encouragement I got from a camper who was a writer. I have been writing my prayers all summer in an effort to grow my prayer life and connect with God, and she did the same. It was cool to have her share that with us and encourage us on the way. Hearing about where our campers saw God during this week was truly awesome, and the ways in which he made himself evident to them was incredible.
Camp week 4 was a challenging yet great. We had alot of unfortunate circumstances arise throughout the week, but it was incredible how God showed up in those moments and provided comfort. Whether it was an issue in camp, or back at home, my staff rose to the occasion and God provided all of us with strength that comes only from him.
On the very last day after we had finished up everything as a staff, we worshiped together. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever been a part of. The growth and the love of the Lord was so evident. Spending an entire summer with these people has been an incredible blessing. Together we worked for over 100 families in Rutherford, Burke, and McDowell counties, which is a testament to God. Serving on CCC staff for a 3rd summer was something I will never forget. God began preparing me for my position as a Camp Director long before I ever thought about doing it, and I thank him for that.
Our worships throughout the summer really spoke to myself and the staff. The worship that really spoke to me was our Thursday night worship when we let go of our futures. As I am now back at school beginning my senior year with my entire life before me, I have been challenged to really and truly let go, and let God have my future.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Camp Week 2
So I am at the halfway point of this summer of serving at Carolina Cross Connection. The summer has flown by, and it seems as if it will be over in a flash. This summer has been quite an experience for me, as I have really enjoyed serving God and this ministry in a new way. The days of helping groups build wheelchair ramps and steps and repairing floors are gone, but the days of behind the scenes stuff is just as important and satisfying.
Spiritually speaking, CCC builds my faith every year. I am always amazed at how God transforms my life, as well as those around me. The way he works in the community, in the camp, and with my staff is nothing short of many miracles. I have already seen tremendous growth in my staff as well as myself, and every camp week has led to spiritual growth in the campers as well. God molds us in a new way everyday, and just at the midway point of my summer I can see his hand clearly at Camp McCall.
I have said it a few times, but I really think that God is doing something very special at Camp McCall this summer. It is a place that you cannot help but feel close to God, and I have seen two camp weeks full of Christ, in every moment of every day. I don't know exactly what God is doing at McCall, but I am truly excited to see what God is going to do here over the next few weeks, and extremely excited to begin camp week 3.
Spiritually speaking, CCC builds my faith every year. I am always amazed at how God transforms my life, as well as those around me. The way he works in the community, in the camp, and with my staff is nothing short of many miracles. I have already seen tremendous growth in my staff as well as myself, and every camp week has led to spiritual growth in the campers as well. God molds us in a new way everyday, and just at the midway point of my summer I can see his hand clearly at Camp McCall.
I have said it a few times, but I really think that God is doing something very special at Camp McCall this summer. It is a place that you cannot help but feel close to God, and I have seen two camp weeks full of Christ, in every moment of every day. I don't know exactly what God is doing at McCall, but I am truly excited to see what God is going to do here over the next few weeks, and extremely excited to begin camp week 3.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Letting Go
Camp Week 1 of Carolina Cross Connection this summer was truly a blessing to me. Being in a new position has its challenges, but I can feel God guiding my every step. The six fellow staff members that God brought to me have been a tremendous blessing in my life already. I am very thankful for what God is doing in each and every one of their lives, and I am excited to watch them grow throughout the summer.
As the Camp Director, I do not get to meet as many of the families that we are working for. However I did get to meet a few, and I cherish those moments more than I ever have. I was visiting a lady in McDowell county that the McDowell news did a news article on. This lady was full of the Lord's spirit, and it was awesome to see a genuine excitement and spiritual satisfaction in her eyes. Another interesting story from the first camp week was when I was in Bi-Lo buying some groceries. When I got to the cash register the lady behind the desk recognized the logo on the check that I handed here. "Are you at Camp McCall this summer?" She asked. I told her that I was and that I worked for Carolina Cross Connection. "Well about 5 years ago I was the camp cook for Camp McCall." Instantly we had a connection, and we talked for a few minutes about the Camp. It was a reminder of the far reaching impact that serving God has, because I met a woman at Bi-Lo that had in some way been impacted through serving God, through the ministry of CCC in particular.
Our worship theme for the summer is about letting go. Letting go of things in your life and letting God have them. I think this has been very fitting for me because I have a hard time of letting go of things and really trusting God with them. On Thursday night we let go of our futures, and it was extremely powerful to watch roughly 60 people lay their future plans at the foot of the cross. My future is very uncertain, and the thought of letting go of it entirely really scares me. This summer my goal is to really begin to understand what letting go of my future really means now, in 5 years, in 10 years, and etc.
I am very excited to see all of the ways that God is going to move at Camp McCall in week 2. My prayer is that God uses this week to transform peoples lives, and that when they let go of all of these things then they have no choice but to hold on to God.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Ready, Set, Go!
This was my third time attending staff training for Carolina Cross Connection, but it was my first as a director. I had an idea of what to expect, but was still very nervous. Directors arrived to training a few days before everyone else to decide upon camp locations and to add two members to our staffs. Being a part of the selection process for this ministry was an exciting and humbling experience, as God formed and perfected each selection in his will. I am happy to say that I will be serving as the Camp Director at Camp McCall this summer!
Being one of the leaders among the entire staff was a great experience. Being able to share your knowledge and experiences as a part of the ministry is exciting. For the first few days we began training, and all of the new folks were soaking it all in. Then on Monday night came staff selection. This is where the Directors and Administration go through the process of selecting the rest of each summer staff. With God's guidance, direction, and nudging, this process was complete by around 2 a.m. Being a part of this process was incredibly humbling to me, and God used this process to teach me many things about Him and myself.
My staff has come together already to begin sharing and spreading the love of Christ in the Camp McCall community. We have visited many people, and are on the verge of beginning our summer of serving Him. I am excited to be leading this group of people, but I am also grateful to know that I am not doing it alone. I know that God is by me every step of the way, and I know that I have the support of everyone who has faithfully supported me over the past few years. God has transformed my life through my summers working at CCC, and I cannot wait to see what he is going to do this summer!
Being one of the leaders among the entire staff was a great experience. Being able to share your knowledge and experiences as a part of the ministry is exciting. For the first few days we began training, and all of the new folks were soaking it all in. Then on Monday night came staff selection. This is where the Directors and Administration go through the process of selecting the rest of each summer staff. With God's guidance, direction, and nudging, this process was complete by around 2 a.m. Being a part of this process was incredibly humbling to me, and God used this process to teach me many things about Him and myself.
My staff has come together already to begin sharing and spreading the love of Christ in the Camp McCall community. We have visited many people, and are on the verge of beginning our summer of serving Him. I am excited to be leading this group of people, but I am also grateful to know that I am not doing it alone. I know that God is by me every step of the way, and I know that I have the support of everyone who has faithfully supported me over the past few years. God has transformed my life through my summers working at CCC, and I cannot wait to see what he is going to do this summer!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Beginning the Journey
Tomorrow is the beginning of my summer working for Carolina Cross Connection as a Camp Director. First off I would like to thank all of you who partnered with me this summer financially in service to this ministry. Your gifts are greatly appreciated, and I cannot thank you enough. I have been very blessed to be surrounded by such a generous Christian Community. I also greatly appreciate the prayers that have been offered and that will be offered this summer.
It is safe to say that I feel a vast array of emotions about this summer, but excitement is the most dominant of these emotions. I have had a fairly relaxing time spent at home these past few weeks, and I am ready to see what God has in store for this summer. I will be spending the next roughly 2 weeks at staff training for the summer, where I will be meeting all of the other staff members, and learning more about my role as a CCC camp director for the summer. This is an important time to really fully prepare yourself mentally and spiritually for what the ministry of Carolina Cross Connection is all about. Carolina Cross Connection is about serving God, and loving other people as God commanded us to do. It is about caring for our neighbors, and caring for those who need a hand. It is about showing the love of God to everyone that we come into contact with. As direct and as straightforward as that is, it is not always easy. I want to make sure that I never lose sight of that this summer, and throughout my entire life. We are all here to show the love of Christ to one another. God calls us to do that in whatever capacity we can. It is all about Him, and not about us. This time of training will set a foundation for our entire summer of ministry, and I am very excited to see what God has in store.
Please pray for the entire CCC community as we come together over the next two weeks to begin preparing for this summer of ministry, pray that God will be at work in every individual involved and that every heart will be open and willing to serve Christ.
It is safe to say that I feel a vast array of emotions about this summer, but excitement is the most dominant of these emotions. I have had a fairly relaxing time spent at home these past few weeks, and I am ready to see what God has in store for this summer. I will be spending the next roughly 2 weeks at staff training for the summer, where I will be meeting all of the other staff members, and learning more about my role as a CCC camp director for the summer. This is an important time to really fully prepare yourself mentally and spiritually for what the ministry of Carolina Cross Connection is all about. Carolina Cross Connection is about serving God, and loving other people as God commanded us to do. It is about caring for our neighbors, and caring for those who need a hand. It is about showing the love of God to everyone that we come into contact with. As direct and as straightforward as that is, it is not always easy. I want to make sure that I never lose sight of that this summer, and throughout my entire life. We are all here to show the love of Christ to one another. God calls us to do that in whatever capacity we can. It is all about Him, and not about us. This time of training will set a foundation for our entire summer of ministry, and I am very excited to see what God has in store.
Please pray for the entire CCC community as we come together over the next two weeks to begin preparing for this summer of ministry, pray that God will be at work in every individual involved and that every heart will be open and willing to serve Christ.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
CCC 2012
Well, it has been quiet a while since my last post at the end of the summer. God worked in my life in so many ways last summer, and when the summer was ended I was exhausted yet I felt satisfied in completing my second year on staff. There were moments of joy, sadness, frustration, exhaustion and humor. Throughout all of those moments, there was God. As my school year began this year, I was really unsure of what my future held, especially about what I was going to do this summer. I begin to pray about what God wanted me to do, and started the process of applications. I applied for CCC as well as multiple places for interviews, still unsure of what God wanted for me, or had in store for me. I also applied for an Assistant Resident Director position for High Point University in the fall.
As I begin interviews, I continued to pray about the direction God was going to lead me, knowing that he would provide and make clear the right opportunity for me. When I heard back from target almost immediately in regards to interview in Hickory, I was excited. Needless to say the interview went okay, but I was not hired for that position. Then I interviewed at the Target in Greensboro, as well as CCC and ARD. I fully expected God to reveal to me something, although I had no clue what he wanted or honestly what I wanted. I was literally 50/50 on what I wanted to do this summer, between CCC and an internship.
Then I got an e-mail from High Point Congratulating me on getting the ARD position for the Fall of 2012. I was very excited about that opportunity, and now I was waiting on another call from either CCC or target to decide. I prayed that I would be able to make the right decision when the time came. Little did I know that time would be an hour after I got the e-mail, from Adam Cline, the Executive Director for CCC offering me a position at CCC as a Camp Director! I can't explain it, but as soon as I picked up the phone I knew what I was going to do this summer. After telling Adam a most likely yes, I called my Dad, and then called Adam back accepting the position 5 minutes later (He had to think I was crazy). I was completely overwhelmed in those minutes, and a range of emotions came over me. I was happy, I was shaking, and I felt God's hand in my life guiding me along the perfect path that he set out for me before I was even born.
I could not be more excited and humbled at this opportunity to serve as a Camp Director for CCC. God sure works in some crazy ways, because I never would have thought 3 years ago when I first applied for staff that I would end up at this point, but God did. I have been given a tremendous opportunity to once again serve God through the CCC ministry this summer, and I cannot wait for Staff training and the summer to start.
All of these experiences have really taught me firsthand that even when you don't know what you want or need, God always does. My prayer for this summer is that God would transform the lives of all of the people involved in CCC, and that he would teach me in particular to always be listening for his voice.
As I begin interviews, I continued to pray about the direction God was going to lead me, knowing that he would provide and make clear the right opportunity for me. When I heard back from target almost immediately in regards to interview in Hickory, I was excited. Needless to say the interview went okay, but I was not hired for that position. Then I interviewed at the Target in Greensboro, as well as CCC and ARD. I fully expected God to reveal to me something, although I had no clue what he wanted or honestly what I wanted. I was literally 50/50 on what I wanted to do this summer, between CCC and an internship.
Then I got an e-mail from High Point Congratulating me on getting the ARD position for the Fall of 2012. I was very excited about that opportunity, and now I was waiting on another call from either CCC or target to decide. I prayed that I would be able to make the right decision when the time came. Little did I know that time would be an hour after I got the e-mail, from Adam Cline, the Executive Director for CCC offering me a position at CCC as a Camp Director! I can't explain it, but as soon as I picked up the phone I knew what I was going to do this summer. After telling Adam a most likely yes, I called my Dad, and then called Adam back accepting the position 5 minutes later (He had to think I was crazy). I was completely overwhelmed in those minutes, and a range of emotions came over me. I was happy, I was shaking, and I felt God's hand in my life guiding me along the perfect path that he set out for me before I was even born.
I could not be more excited and humbled at this opportunity to serve as a Camp Director for CCC. God sure works in some crazy ways, because I never would have thought 3 years ago when I first applied for staff that I would end up at this point, but God did. I have been given a tremendous opportunity to once again serve God through the CCC ministry this summer, and I cannot wait for Staff training and the summer to start.
All of these experiences have really taught me firsthand that even when you don't know what you want or need, God always does. My prayer for this summer is that God would transform the lives of all of the people involved in CCC, and that he would teach me in particular to always be listening for his voice.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Camp Week 4
Camp week 4 was a week filled with blessings from our Creator and truly a time where God was at work at West Wilkes. There are many stories of how God provided for our camp 4th week, and the theme of this camp week for me was being dependent on God, and then watching him provide time after time.
At the end of the summer, your budget for materials is sometimes a little stretched, as ours was this summer. We knew going into the week that we needed to seek donations to help pay for some of our materials. Since I was the one in charge of the material budget, I prayed that God would help provide for us in some sort of way. So then I get a call from another lead field one day, asking me how I was doing and we eventually started talking about our material costs and such. She told me about a man that she had met that was giving them lumber for projects, and that she might be able to give us some. Turns out they were able to bring to us 2 truckloads full of lumber and some tin, just enough lumber with what we had left to do every construction project that we had scheduled to complete. Another camp was able to give us carriage bolts and a few more boards, and God provided for our camp through the other camps.
The campers from 4th camp week were different in alot of ways, having campers from Goldsboro, NC all the way up to Delaware. They came together to form a great bond and watching them all week was really awesome. Listening to them share about how they saw God everyday was really special, and experiencing my last week at West Wilkes for the summer was a bitter sweet experience.
The families that we were able to work for this week were very special to me, as they are every week. Being able to serve the families that we have been able to serve is such a blessing to me, and being the hands and feet of Jesus every single day is a truly rewarding experience. I worked for a lady on Monday who asked me to give her a bear hug as I was leaving, an 80 year old woman being bear hugged by me, that isn't something you see everyday! We were able to build a wheelchair ramp for a lady that was home bound in Fleetwood, NC, a small town in Ashe County. By the end of the summer I can estimate that we were able to serve roughly 180 families in Ashe, Wilkes, Surry, and Alleghany counties this summer!!
The end of the summer always brings a flood of emotions and of course, change. The summer seemed to end very abruptly, but the things that I learned from this summer have and will continue to shape my journey with Christ. Thank you to all of you who helped make this summer possible, whether you partnered with my financially, through prayer, or both, you helped make CCC 2011 a great experience for me, my campers, and everyone that we worked for.
At the end of the summer, your budget for materials is sometimes a little stretched, as ours was this summer. We knew going into the week that we needed to seek donations to help pay for some of our materials. Since I was the one in charge of the material budget, I prayed that God would help provide for us in some sort of way. So then I get a call from another lead field one day, asking me how I was doing and we eventually started talking about our material costs and such. She told me about a man that she had met that was giving them lumber for projects, and that she might be able to give us some. Turns out they were able to bring to us 2 truckloads full of lumber and some tin, just enough lumber with what we had left to do every construction project that we had scheduled to complete. Another camp was able to give us carriage bolts and a few more boards, and God provided for our camp through the other camps.
The campers from 4th camp week were different in alot of ways, having campers from Goldsboro, NC all the way up to Delaware. They came together to form a great bond and watching them all week was really awesome. Listening to them share about how they saw God everyday was really special, and experiencing my last week at West Wilkes for the summer was a bitter sweet experience.
The families that we were able to work for this week were very special to me, as they are every week. Being able to serve the families that we have been able to serve is such a blessing to me, and being the hands and feet of Jesus every single day is a truly rewarding experience. I worked for a lady on Monday who asked me to give her a bear hug as I was leaving, an 80 year old woman being bear hugged by me, that isn't something you see everyday! We were able to build a wheelchair ramp for a lady that was home bound in Fleetwood, NC, a small town in Ashe County. By the end of the summer I can estimate that we were able to serve roughly 180 families in Ashe, Wilkes, Surry, and Alleghany counties this summer!!
The end of the summer always brings a flood of emotions and of course, change. The summer seemed to end very abruptly, but the things that I learned from this summer have and will continue to shape my journey with Christ. Thank you to all of you who helped make this summer possible, whether you partnered with my financially, through prayer, or both, you helped make CCC 2011 a great experience for me, my campers, and everyone that we worked for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)