Set the World on Fire

Jesse, Marshall and I had the wonderful opportunity this past weekend to assist with summer camp for the youth group at our church. The theme was "Set the World on Fire" and these were our team bracelets. We camped for three days and two nights at Huntington State Park. There were 20 teenagers ranging from 13 to 18 years old.

In spite of Debi's tire blowing out on the way down and the church van overheating on the way home, it was great. They were such neat kids and I'm so glad I got to know them better. Jesse brought his acoustic guitar and we led the worship music for the weekend. I have to say, it is really cool to sing praises to our Creator in the midst of His creation.

I was really nervous about going. One of the biggest issues I was worried about was Marshall. I was concerned about him getting too tired and throwing horrible fits. I prayed about it so much before we left and God totally answered my prayers. Marshall was really good. There were a few times he got tired and fussy but for the most part he did really well. He took great naps, stuck around camp and, as you can see, had a way with the ladies. Here he is with Rachel, Ashlie and Shawnee. He loved all the kids and they loved him. They were such a big help. In the mornings when we were getting ready in the tent he would say "See the kids, see the kids" because he wanted to get out and play with the kids.

In this picture with Nate you can also see the monkey on his back. We bought that before we left because the monkey has a "tail" that can be used as a leash. Marshall loved the monkey and even kept asking us to put the "tail" on the monkey. Ha, Ha! Looks like we successfully tricked the 20 month old. This is Braiden and he was so cute with Marshall. He kept trying so hard to get Marshall to like him and I'm really glad that Marshall warmed up to him toward the last half of camp. He taught Marshall how to pound it (meaning his fist, not a beer, it is church camp) and shake hands. It was really cute. Here we have Julianna, Alyssa and Broudy. Alyssa and Julianna are sisters and I taught both of them in my Children's Church class. I am so happy to see the beautiful girls, both inside and out, they are becoming and the ways in which they have chosen to follow Jesus. I must put in a picture of Tommy, our fearless youth pastor. This is Stephanie, Josh, Tommy, and Dadiri. Tommy did a wonderful job leading these kids and I have a new found respect for what he does with the youth on a weekly basis. Ladies, he is single if your interested! I have to highlight my beautiful friend, Stephanie, a little more. I was worried about the midnight curfew Tommy had made. I thought "I can't make it until midnight! I'm going to be passed out by ten." Well, Steph and I stayed up until 12:45 am discussing all kinds of stuff. She was asking a ton of deep questions about God and the Bible and it was such an honor to be the one to help her with the answers. I didn't have all the answers, no one does, but that's what makes Him God. If we could completely understand Him, He would no longer be God. Steph is leaving for college in August and I wish her the best with everything. This is Stephanie's younger sister, Tiffany. Tiffany was so much fun and was so great at making everyone feel welcome. And yes, she is a little crazy but we love her anyway! On a side note, the lake was down and the mosquitoes were horrible. Here's proof from Jesse's legs.He had over 200 mosquito bites by the time we got home. Like I mentioned before, the van overheated and here are the smiling faces of Rick, Tommy, Dadiri, and Jess who were taking care of the problem. We ended up having to leave it on the side of the road with all the luggage piled in it and call for a tow truck.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and I'm so glad we were blessed with the opportunity to participate as a family. I was so glad to meet such a wonderful group of kids. Thank you, God, for answering my prayers, in more way than one.