Staff Campout

Blog (Wednesday)
Well, we made it….we are in beautiful, colorful Colorado. We take the staff camping every year before camp starts to get some rest and spend time together…..it’s one of my favorite parts of the summer! This year, there was some question if I would even go or not…..there are so many things still to do at the camp to get ready for Monday (the first day of camp), that I felt like I should stay back and work. I’m so glad I left the decision to my husband and he said we should just go….yay hubby!
So although it’s cold this morning, it’s so beautiful and awesome! We usually ‘seriously’ camp (out in the middle of nowhere, no bathrooms, no showers, etc), but this year, because of the threat of rain, we are staying in Cortez, CO at the Christian Discipleship Center (friends of our mission and somewhere I would LOVE to try to minister). They have a huge, beautiful GREEN lawn area where our staff pitched tents…..but hubby and I, and a couple other staff are staying inside, in the gym (where it’s warm!). But our adventurous daughters wanted to sleep in the tents with friends. I slept somewhat restlessly, waiting for them to come in and tell me they were scared or it was too cold….but surprisingly, they stayed out all night (they are STILL asleep, cuddled up together, I’m sure!).
Last night was great…..it was lazy and relaxing. Several staff played soccer….others passed the Frisbee around….others sat around in groups and chatted. The kids had lots of room to run around….they had a blast! I stretched out on the grass with some other ladies and we chatted and took pictures….I could have sat there for hours, but finally the sound of the guitar drew us over to the fire pit, and we spent time singing and sharing. And also, with great sadness, my dear friend Nanette shared with us that her sweet sister, who had been struggling with a brain tumor for some time, had finally passed away and was in the presence of the Lord. My heart went out to my dear friend….my beautiful, Godly, amazingly strong friend. We prayed together, we wept together, but then, in a wonderful way, we praised the Lord together. It was an amazing time of fellowship as she then shared with the rest of the staff her news…..there were tears, a time of prayer and then more singing and praising God. My heart is still in a state of praise this morning and I can’t wait to have my time in the Word and fellowship with my loving, sweet, all-knowing, perfect Savior.
And I’m looking forward to today also, because this weekend the staff have been challenged to reach out the people in the community….whatever community we are in at the time. For those that are new to ‘evangelism’, they were simply asked to just approach someone, converse with them, maybe share about the camp, find out something about them, etc…..now today, they are to move on to more…..they are to actually get to the point in the conversation where they can ask, “Do you have any spiritual beliefs?”. For many, when they were presented with that task, looked outright terrified. But after hearing about Nanette’s sister, after just hearing that someone had just passed into eternity within the hour and how different our reaction to that news would have been if she had NOT been a believer, I challenged them to approach people with that in mind…..to try to find boldness because of that. I know that even for myself it created a spirit of necessity, to get out there quickly and share the Gospel. I am looking forward to what today will bring. And tonight, when we sit around and discuss our “adventures”, that many will be able to say they experienced the strength and power of the Lord and maybe there will be stories of salvation and joy, too!
“This is the day that the Lord has made, we will be rejoice and be glad in it!”