"The First Day it Changed My Life."

Let's talk about camp. Because Echo Lake is where it's at.

It's not always easy to tirelessly love campers when they don't love you first. But that is what we're called to do. Not just at camp, everywhere. Whenever I get tired I ask God to give me a broken heart for campers. It's the hardest prayer ever because God consistently breaks my heart, but it's the only way to remind myself why camp matters, why ministry matters.

A few weeks ago I asked God for a broken heart.

And God broke my heart.

A few weeks ago I saw Jesus work in a young camper's life like I had never seen before. This camper was reluctant to come to camp to say the least. She stood scowling at registration. She let everyone know she didn't want to be there. Within the first hour of camp we discovered she struggled with self harm. She had already visited the nurse twice for cuts on her arm that she apparently didn't know where they came from. At this point, we didn't even know if we had the staff to keep her safe. We called social workers with questions. If we couldn't keep her safe, we'd have to send her home. No questions asked.

But then before dinner I noticed something about her that I hadn't noticed before. She was smiling. She was laughing. She had a light in her eyes. I wanted her to stay so badly. She had already sensed Jesus by dinner time. Jesus had started working in her heart through the laughter and the silliness of camp.

After dinner there were no more trips to the nurse for the rest of the week. No more band aids. She was safe. And she was loved.

The whole week there were glimpses of hope. The light in her eyes shone brighter.
There whole week there were also shadows of reluctance. Fear would creep up behind the light in her eyes and she would take a couple steps back to where she had been before.

But she kept smiling and laughing. She and I had a few opportunities to talk. It wasn't even about anything deep or spiritual. We both had metallic temporary tattoos. We both didn't like One Direction. That's it. I didn't think I was making an impact.

After Tuck (candy time) on the last day she gave me a note. And it broke my heart.

She wrote, "The first day that I came to this camp I thought it would be boring but I regret saying that. The first day it changed my life. And just thinking of I might not be able to come again makes me so sad. I just want to stay here forever and ever... I love you as a best friend... Thank you for the best week of my life."

Her social worker emailed camp the following Monday to say that this camper loved camp and to ask if we have any more spots available during any other weeks. The transformation is visible beyond the boundaries of camp.

ALL THIS BECAUSE OF JESUS. All this because Jesus made his love gush out of the staff. All this because Jesus knows this girl and loves this girl.

Camp is full for the rest of the summer. Unless spots open up, she might not get to come again.

Please pray that she would continue to feel God's presence.

Because Jesus doesn't just live at camp, he lives everywhere. And Jesus doesn't just reach people at camp, his love reaches everywhere.

The part that amazes me most in this is that God doesn't even need me. He could have revealed himself to this camper all by himself. He could have used somebody else. But he used me. I got to witness this. I got a glimpse of what heaven will look like. I got a glimpse of his perfect peace.

And it happened again this week. A camper came screaming not wanting to even get out of the car. She left crying because she didn't want to leave camp. God used a cabin leader to show his love to this camper. The cabin leader's life is changed because of it. The camper's life is changed because of it.

When God shows up everything changes.

So continue to pray for our campers. Ones that have come and ones that are coming. Continue to pray for our staff. Pray that we would have broken hearts. Pray that God would work through our brokenness.

God is restoring his people. God is bringing peace. This is everything.