Narnia: Reflections on a Month Away.

I've found it easiest to tell people that it felt like I went to Narnia when they ask me what it's like to be back from camp. And in all honesty it's actually pretty true. Somehow by the grace of God I was transported to an alternate world for a month where time seemed to pass so slowly and so quickly all at the same time, but when I came home it was as if no time had passed at all. Just like Narnia.

Camp is an almost perfect picture of the body of Christ working together for a common cause. Granted its still on earth so its a tad flawed, but a clear illustration none the less. Each one of us has a specific and unique job that is integral to the running of camp. Some jobs look different from other, but each one has it's challenges. I came into camp with the flawed notion that life in the craft shack would be easy. That I didn't really need Christ. I was just making bracelets all day for goodness sake. (Take a second and just laugh at how dumb I am). Sometimes it becomes really clear that the Lord knows all our thoughts, and this was one of those times I was fully aware of that fact.

The first week in crafts was easy. Bridget and I literally jsut sat around and talked to campers, got to know a few of them really well and taught how to make a bracelet every so often. Life was easy. Now let me tell you about hair wraps. Week two hair wraps became the death of me. The humble little hair wrap taught me so much about patience, humility, and how inadequate I truly was. We went from doing practically no hair wraps the first week to spending 4 or 5 hours straight a day doing hair wraps. We were tired, our feet hurt, our fingers hurt, I ran out of things to talk about with girls, and the line seemed to be never ending. Hair wraps taught me that even in the craft shack I couldn't get through my day without leaning on Christ. My job wasn't overly difficult. Compared to other jobs it was probably considered easy, but it showed me that no matter how humanly big or small the task leaning on the Lord is crucial. It taught me that life is a lot better when I decide to call on the Lord's strength whether I think I need it or not, every second of every day.

Change is something that's a pretty key element at YoungLife camp. In all honesty it's basically the key element as to why we bring kids to camp - so that they're lives can change through experiencing God in a way they've never experienced before, and hearing about Christ's love for them in a way they've never heard before. We get to watch first hand as kids change from death to life through out the week. Talking to leaders and hearing the names of kids that are a long shot for accepting Christ that week or are the hardest kids on the trip, and then hearing those same kids stand up at the end of the week and say that they've turned their chair around and started a relationship with their Savior is one of the most moving things I've ever experienced. It's also a reason for a lot of change with in me too.

I'm not needed at camp. Camp isn't even needed. If God wanted to he could bring people from death to life and into relationship with him just by he sheer might. He doesn't need a YoungLife camp full of a bunch of dirty sinner, but for some reason he chooses to use it. The craziest thing is that camp isn't just for kids that don't know Jesus. I'm convinced that just exists just as much for the summer staff and the work crew and the assign team to be challenged and pushed closer to the Lord as it does for lost kids. The person I was when I drove into Lake Champion is not the same girl that left a month later. When I stopped to think about it I'm amazed that at the end of a long day when my feet were killing me and I smelled like rotten milk from exploding milkshakes I was still filled with overwhelming joy and couldn't wait to get up the next morning and do it all over again.

I realized two things at YoungLife camp: 1. Getting to watch nearly 400 new believers find the Lord in the span of one month is freaking incredible. Its a miracle that will humble me eternally. 2. Leaning intimately on the Lord brings about a joy and peace in the most trying of times that is not possible on human strength. Praise the Lord for putting me through a physical test where I was forced to see the depth of my need for him in ever situation.

Here's the verse we had to memorize and was kind of our theme verse for the month: "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God chose you out of the people on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6. That's not exactly relevant to anything I've said here, but I think its a pretty sweet truth to be reminded of. God chose you, and you are his treasured possession. That's pretty legit.

I feel like these words are so disconnected and so scatterbrained (the first time I typed all this up it deleted itself somehow so having to write it a second time was beyond frustrating) and do no justice at all to all that the Lord did during my time on summer staff (praise the Lord that my words are not at all what matter!). In all honesty even a week later I'm still trying to process all the things that happened, so be on the look for more tidbits from this amazing challenge of a month.

xoxo,
Abby

P.S. Hit me up if you want to know more about this! I love coffee dates and picnics and anything that gives me a chance to share what the Lord's been doing and hear how he's been moving in your life too!!

My favorite picture from the month. This was taken a few nights before we left. The rock we're sitting on jets out onto the lake and is located a ways away from camp so it was the perfect spot for us to all hang out and share our testimonies with one another. (Shouts to my Arizonian friend Dylan for snapping this pic!)