Week 2 = Fun (Rain or Shine)

July 15, 2016

This really was the commitment this week by all staff and campers as we did not have much respite from the rain this week. If you looked at the smiles on the campers' faces and how crazy loud it got in the Dining Hall as the week went on - you would never know just how much rain actually fell at camp this week.

We had some sun - and in the end only one or two activities got pushed. I'll give you something though - our Ignite 1 and Roughin' It Boys 1 kids are troopers. Rain or Shine - these kids were out to have fun this week.

This week on Base Camp (Ignite 1), Tom Mulhern from Dalhousie Church in NW Calgary spoke to us about identity. He started the week off by showing us some pretty funny pictures of himself in Junior High and stories of where he grew up. He challenged each of us to start to answer the question of "Who am I?". The next night Tom posed the question...Who are you? What does the world say about you - how does the world define you? He had us write some of those things on a piece of paper to burn because the next part is key...

On Wednesday, God seemed to line up a very, very important message to us all. Llama shared her testimony with us Wednesday morning about her experience growing up being adopted. Tom didn't even know what she was going to share that morning as he launched into his evening talk about who God says that we are (sons and daughters) - that we are not lost or abandoned - we are adopted into God's family.

Finally - last night, Tom connected us back to John 15:5 and what it means to remain in Me and I in you. He went through how our spiritual life is like a house and he encouraged us to pursue God as we head home from camp by doing things like reading our Bibles and connecting with a Youth Group and Church near our homes.

After Tom finished speaking last night - it was time for Testimony Sticks. As you know, it's my favourite part of the week. Here are some of the things that were heard last night:

I feel safe with God looking out for me.
There's a lot of good stories in this thing (refers to the Bible).
I've come to camp before, just not last year. God taught me to overcome my anxiety when I go places without my parents.
This year, God talked to me for the first time...or maybe, actually, for the first time I actually listened.
God taught me how to serve and serving is good. - From a Pit Crew camper
I learned how to say yes to God.