Goodbye

"Goodbye until tomorrow. Goodbye until the next time we meet"

That's a line from the a Broadway play called "The Last Five Years". Today the missionaries left for Arizona and in only a few short days this session's Summer Staff will be leaving. I don't do goodbye very well. So I ask for your prayers as we prepare to say good bye for now. That our hearts can stay strong and we can stay focused on the mission that God has called each of us too. I know that the Lord will provide opportunities for us to be reunited exactly when he knows we need it the most. Keep our campers, host, musician, Youth Ministers and Core Members in your prayers as well as they dive deeper into camp and what the Lord has in store for them.

FIAT

Joy

Crazy Love Part 3


"Joy is something that we have to choose and then work for"


Joy has been a big part of my summer. I often find it hard to find joy in cleaning a pan, or getting up at 5am on a Friday to cook bacon. But my joy needs to be something I look for everyday. When I look for it I find it in the Lord. The ten or so minutes I may get to stop at the chapel that day fills my heart so much. If I don't get the opportunity to stop there before the day begins I make sure to get there at some point during the day. I've found so much joy in the Summer Staffers this week. They have been a constant positive energy in some stressful times in the kitchen. They have brought the joy of the campers, core members and youth ministers into the dinning hall and its beautiful. 


As I dive deeper into my role this summer pray I can humbly accept my role. Pray for strength and endurance. I will be praying for you. 


FIAT

Mission Partner Update

This is the weekly email I've sent to all my mission partners.

Hello Family, 

Week 1 of Extreme Edge Summer Camp is over, Praise God! This week proved to be more challenging than I had prepared my heart for. Last year I had a very hands on role with the campers. I got to interact with them daily, and see how the Lord was moving in their hearts. This year is a little bit different because I am in the kitchen most of the day. I get to feed people and watch blessed conversations happen in the dinning hall. Mid week I was struggling with being behind the scenes and someone explained being on the kitchen crew in such a way that touched my heart. Our faith is based around a table. When we come mass we are gathering around the Eucharistic table. Our bodies are nourished by the Word of God and then we move into the celebration of the Eucharist where our bodies are nourished by the Lord and we become living, breathing, walking tabernacles. So how blessed am I to help prepare food that people will gather around a table and talk with each other about their day and the way the Lord is moving. Often times new friendships are formed around a table, and old friends catch up at a weekly dinner they may have. I pray that you have blessed conversations around your tables this week. 

This week also came with a mid week challenge that nobody was expecting. On Thursday nights we make breakfast foods for dinner. As I was pulling the sausage out of the top rack of the oven I poured the grease right on to my side. The grease burned me through my shirt and I went to the hospital. The doctor said I had a 2nd degree burn and I should be fine in a few days. Praise God that it's beginning to heal. Thank you for all your continued prayers and support. 

If you want to see more of the daily happenings of camp check out lifeteen.com for daily pictures. If you would like to know other ways the Lord is moving in my hear check out my blog at 

http://fearlesslovewithoutboundaries.blogspot.com/

Crazy Love Part 2

This week was a HUGE an EXTREME blessing. Some of them came disguised as struggles but the Lord pulled through and showed me how much of a blessing they really were. Quick recap of the week then on to Crazy Love.

*242 Screaming middle schoolers showed up at camp on Monday afternoon
*At approx 5pm the Lord began to ruin their lives and mine in the process
*Had a mash potato war in the kitchen
*God smacked me in the face with humility multiple times
*I got sausage grease right out of the oven poured onto my side at 3pm on Thursday and took a trip to small town Georgia hospital.
*242 beautiful men and women of God left Covecrest Saturday morning to concur the world.

So through out this entire week I didn't have much time to read because I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I was struggling with being in the kitchen a lot this week but through prayers, and offering it up I really did find joy in scrubbing a pan clean.

There was one line in particular that stood at to me this week while reading Crazy Love. This chapter is about being obsessed with the Lord. The chapter begins with a simple definition of the word. Then it said this "People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving his people". So as I was struggling this week with my role this summer I started praying into that line. I think I'm obsessed with Jesus. I mean I talk about him a lot, I pray to him, I wear a cross around my neck. Doesn't that mean I'm obsessed? Probably not, and here's why. I haven't fully dived into my role this summer. Waking up at 5am is a burden. Serving others is a burden. Cleaning up after messy teenager is a burden. But I've begun to give those burdens to the Lord and started praying through each one.

So this week I ask you for prayers of turning my "burdens" into my joys. To do the little things with great love like Mother Theresa has said.

Oh and side story on the whole sausage grease thing. I was taking a pan of sausage out of the top rack in the oven and I poured the grease on to the left side of my body. I wound up going to the hospital to check it out and they said it was a 2nd degree burn. They gave me some burn cream and sent me on my way. So I'm feeling much better but I am going to have a SICK scar!

Humility

–noun

the quality or condition of being humble;  modest opinion orestimate of one's own importance, rank, etc

—Synonyms 
lowliness, meekness, submissiveness

—Antonyms 
pride. 

Lord, 

Help me to be more humble today. 

Amen