Back From Camp!!!

Well, we're officially back from camp. What an awesome experience. I was paired with 2 of the oldest boys in the camp whom I'll refer to as C and R. What's neat is God's always in the details.

First, God paired me up with C. My most vivid memory from my first year at camp was with C. C came in last year with his armor on full blast and he was way "too mature" and "too grown-up" to do a lot of the fun activities we did last year. I had the hardest time getting him to work on his balsa wood car last year. Then by the end of the week, he was having more fun than just about any kid there. So that was my most precious RFKC memory from last year. RFKC took a kid who was forced to be emotionally way more mature than he should be (due to abuse, neglect, etc.) and made him a kid again who sang songs and prayed to God. Well, wouldn't you know it. He was mine for this week!!!

During the week, C, R & I had a ton of fun playing in the pool, going down the zip-line, building planes & stools, blowing bubbles, painting toe nails (yes, somehow this was popular amongst the boys this year) and doing all sorts of fun things. But then on Thursday, during pool time, I accidentally kicked R in the nose while trying to kick a ball out the way that me and 3 other boys were trying to get. So we decided cut the swimming early and head back to the cabin. On the way back, the 2 boys started sharing to each other about their pasts and let me listen in. Then before I knew it, they were telling me just about everything. When they each shared the story of what incident finally got them in the DHS system, my heart just broke and then broke some more. The things C & R had been through was more than I would've ever imagined. I cried and prayed while they talked. I asked God to give me their pain & sorrow and relieve theirs. At that moment, I wondered if this pain and sorrow and love was the same Jesus had for you and I.

So then every night just before bedtime, I would get C & R's Bibles out along with their Bible Study books and C would sit on my left, R on my right and we'd do our Bible Study. Then we each prayed, C leading, me in the middle, and R closing. It was those 30 minutes of every day that I treasured the most. I can't tell you exactly why, but those were the special times with my boys.

All that were involved with RFKC this year vowed to be there next year. And C, who turns 13 in 2 months told me that in 3 years time, he'll be 16 and will be at camp. Helping out as a Rover.

So now its back to normal. I need to figure out what I'm doing job wise and how I'll support the family. But it was an absolutely unforgettable experience being able to serve God by hanging out with "my boys" (better known as "Senors del Cool Guys") for a week. Getting out my comfort zone and serving for a week especially in this setting was extremely fulfilling and reminded me what I should be doing with my life. If you get a chance, I encourage you to do the same.