sometimes we experience things in life that just blow us away. some things are so simple and some so complex. either way it is hard to put into words how exactly you felt. i am reflecting on how much God showed up, how much He used us as a staff, and how much i grew as well. i must admit that i was excited for winter meltdown, but i was also so nervous. don't get me wrong i really couldn't wait, but you know how nerves can make you feel sometimes! we really had no idea what to expect because we had never experienced a winter program before. i guess that is a good thing so we wouldn't go into it with expectations! sarah's role was to create a reverse poem where it reads one way down and another way back up. it is called I Am. it is an absolutely beautifully written poem that shares about a person (or people in general) who has no hope and has no idea what they believe in. when read the reverse way it is about a person (or people) that has hope and who is living their life for the almighty I Am. she put so much work into it and it turned out beautifully. taco and ladessa wrote a skit/drama about the youth today and what they struggle with. it is about the expectations they feel they need to live up to and the ways they try to deal with pain. it is very powerful and unfortunately hits close to home for many youth. bill and ryan performed a different take on the verse of John 3:16 where they take this popular verse and challenge the youth to view this verse in a deeper way. i get chills just watching and listening! all of these interns are so talented! my role was to recite poems...4 of them to be exact. a few short and a few long. one was about 2 and a half minutes! well, now you see why i was so nervous! haha we were in constant prayer the whole weekend for the children and for the Lord to be our memory and calm our nerves.. He showed up so big.. my coworkers and i were in constant prayer for each other as well. it helped us grow in so many ways praying for each other and for the Lord to use us. we grew so much closer as a group. it is amazing when you do something for the Lord. not only did we grow in our walks, but we also had fun! just because we were working the program didn't mean we couldn't participate with the youth. haha it was a blast. the kids had so much fun as well. the Lord was really moving in their hearts.. around 5 people got saved and some rededicated their lives. we can never truly know the hearts of people, but i so believe that some of these kids came to know the Lord and experience Him in ways they had never before. we are blessed to be a part of this ministry.
winter meltdown weekend number 2 is done! it finished up 3 days ago.. it was once again a great and fun weekend. it was jr and sr high this weekend, so it was harder to get the kids to focus and listen, but i know the Lord was working regardless of that. it snowed a few inches friday night!! it was so much fun to experience a winter meltdown with actual snow on the ground :) a group of us still ran the zip line in 16 degrees while snowing! we had to get a picture of that kind of dedication! :) regardless of the freezing and snowy weather the youth were able to participate in the outdoor activities. we were more tired than the first weekend, but that is expected! this is where it is important to call on the Lord and not rely on our own strength. the Lord was giving us the strength and energy to help run the program well.. winter meltdown is such a cool program. it has some pretty powerful skits, dramas, poems, videos, and other ways kids can see the Lord. it is great to see it all come together.. another cool aspect is that our staff all comes together. we are growing so much closer and with the staff families as well. it is very unusual to see all the ranch families together and i am loving it! it is a cool thing that we get to reach kids for the Lord all while growing as a camp family. we like this camp ministry stuff. :) the Lord is good.
along the journey,
beth.
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