Camp...

I don't think I can finish writing about Dad D just yet. His name will probably pop up in the post whether I mean for it to or not however...
LBC July 8-13. Mom and I left for Kindersley at 8:00 am on Monday July 7, (my 34th bd). We traveled fast and got to spend most of the afternoon with my sister and her family. We even managed a bit of a birthday party. Mom drove Anna and me out to LBC Tuesday. It was an experience I'll tell you, the whole week I mean. I will forever be changed by those 5 days.
Here's the highlights... Dylan, Kaitlyn, and Ian. Those will be the three names and faces that I will always remember. Anyway. Tuesday and Wed were kinda rough for me. Chapels went well but my heart was torn. I so wanted to be home with the Dirpauls.
Thursday morning I woke up at 5 am to the sound of a downpour. Now if you've ever been to bible camp (or any camp!) there is nothing worse than trying to make a rainy day FUN. By Staff meeting at 8, it hadn't really let up and all of the staff was feeling down. Our director asked us where we were on a scale of 1-10. When my turn came I said "It doesn't matter what I am now by chapel I'm gonna be a 10." and I shared with the staff how my heart was torn but how I wanted to see God work in amazing ways that day and I believed he would if we just got out of his way and let him!
We came out of staff meeting and all around us there were clouds but right above our camp was a big patch of blue sky and sunshine! All day long when we were inside it would rain and when we needed to be outside it would be sunny. And that evening just before chapel there was a double rainbow that went ground to ground right over the LBC chapel building! That night I was sharing the Gospel message. God moved in such a mighty way. There were about 40 campers there and about 3/4 of the way through my message I asked them if they were ready to say yes to Jesus. Spontaneously about a 1/3 of them looked up at me and yelled YES. It was incredible. I gave the alter call and about 25 children ran for the front. My first reaction was to panic! I'd never had this happen before! It was evident that God was in control. I prayed with the kids and then some left, some stayed and prayed with councilors.
I got to pray with Ian. I asked him what what his heart was telling him. He replied "That this is right." How simple and how true. He was so excited b/c he had just learned how to use his Bible that day. Now he could look up verses all on his own! I loved watching Ian the rest of the week. He praised God with everything his little body had! Dance and sing like nobody was watching.... and really nobody was except for me and all of heaven who was rejoicing with him!
Dylan was a pudgy little guy who came up to me after and said "My mom's gonna be real happy that I did this. She said it would make me a better person. And my dad's gonna be happy too cause he said accepting Jesus made HIM a better person!" My heart smiled...
Kaitlyn was a girl that you could tell just didn't quite fit. You could just see that she was bullied and unaccepted. We talked for a bit and she said 'I'm 90% decided and 10% scared. I'm scared this will be just one more thing I will get teased about.' We talked and prayed some more and then she asked me to leave her be for a bit. 'Come back and check on me in 20 minutes.' she said. I left smiling I knew it wouldn't take that long. Sure enough about 10 minutes later, a little arm snuck around my waist. I looked down into Kaitlyn's eyes. "you've decided?" She smiled and nodded while a few gentle tears rolled down her cheeks.
Yep there is nothing like seeing a life changed by Jesus' love. And what a privilege to be God's instrument. Yeah I'm forever changed...
my hands hurt. I'll tell you all about EBC next time...