Church Camp Part II

Second day of camp....

We have worship and small groups and free time in during the day and then our main worship service at night. During our small group session in the morning, I was finally getting the kids started talking and we were headed in a good a direction when my co-leader got to the group and blew the whole discussion out of the water. Talk about frustrating! I just tried to go with the flow and roll us somewhere close to back on track. By the afternoon, small groups was not an interest to them and the session was crazy. No one wanted to do anything but talk to the person next to them about what they were going to do when they got back home, who had met up with who, and who would make a cute couple.....anyway, when we finally got a topic going that everyone was interested in (okay, so it was nothing to do with our curriculum but at least we were all talking together) here comes my co-leader and it all goes out the window.....Argh!!!

So we get to worship. They band is awesome, again! And then Pierre starts talking about forgiveness. About God's forgiveness, about our forgiveness. Well, I don't know of anyone in our camp that could not relate to at least some form of unforgiveness at some point in their life. One of my ADHD Asbergers kid was still for the entire 2 hours we were in worship. Talk about a milestone (and he wasn't asleep either, he was listening). Then he hit the nail on the head where I am most impacted....forgiving yourself....."Don't even go there!" I shouted in my mind. "There are things in my life that I have done that forgiveness of self is not possible!" That is when I heard the message loud and clear, one that I have heard before but it just slapped me in the face..... "If God, who is the creator of all things, all-powerful, all-knowing, can forgive me for my sins - no matter what they are - who am I to put myself above him and not forgive myself" Yep, a lot of junk went in the trash on Tuesday night that should have gone there a long time ago. Funny how we hold onto things.

Our family group met after worship and there was not a kid among us who was not at least slightly moved. I was not in enough control of my cracking voice to pray so I asked one of the young men in the group we married if he would pray, and he did. And, it was an awesome prayer.

Our small group on Wednesday morning was a little better than Tuesday. I paired everybody up and gave them two minutes to learn as much information as possible about each other and discover their greatest dream and greatest fear. We talked about each one and then I gave them "homework"! LOL! I told them they had to seek each other out after we did the ropes course and before our next small group meeting and pair up again and ask their new partners the same questions and share them with the group. They agreed. Oh, and it had to be someone they didn't already know.

We did the high ropes challenge course that day. I have a fear of heights. Not so much the heights (I love the view) but more a fear of falling from a great height! So, my kids are on the course and I am encouraging them every step of the way. The one who is afraid to move because she can't feel the harness, I convince her to step to the lower pole and she will not only feel the harness but will have a wedgie that will remind her it is there for the entire section. *grinning* I convince each of them to keep moving, it is only when they stop their fear can take over. Let me tell you, I can be creative from the ground encouraging these guys! LOL! I had one camper that all she did was climb to the top of the cargo net and come down. I was really proud of her for accomplishing that! Then it was my turn....well....let me just say that I talk a good game. I did make it through and then had to ride the zip line down. Now, I like zip lines. I just don't like that you have to lean forward looking down over the side of a 30ft tower to start the zip. I yelled....loudly.....really loudly....then when I went past the youth holding the ladder I yelled "Wheeeeeeeee!" He laughed at me and said, "That's not what you sounded like up there!" LOL!

To be continued......