Friday, July 9, 2010

Camp Adventure

I got to spend the last couple of days at one of my favorite, most special places on the planet... CAMP ADVENTURE!! My dad is celebrating his 40th consecutive year as a counselor or director - and he was here as a camper for many years before that! INCREDIBLE!

As I've mentioned before, our family spent a week every summer together at camp... dad was the director, mom served as the camp nurse, and Aaron, Angela and I would run around catching frogs, swimming in the pool and falling off the rope bridge. Here's a family pic from back when dad enjoyed wearing snazzy white pants.
This was the 2nd week this summer that Granger's Student Ministry has been here, and since John is one of the directors, Angela and Lydia have been here for 2 weeks as well! When Ruby and Lydia are together they can't take their eyes off one another. Maybe someday they will be campers together!
I can't explain the many ways that this place has shaped me into the woman I am today. As a child for 11 years, I wanted to grow up to be like the campers I saw here. As a middle-school camper for 4 years I wanted to grow up to love Jesus the way I saw the counselors here love Jesus. As a counselor for 8 years I wanted to grow up serving Jesus every day, the way I watched my mom and dad giving everything they had to Christ and His Kingdom daily. This place will always hold a special place in my heart. I am thankful for the years that I've been able to come here to deepen my relationship with Jesus. I'm thankful for the 36 hours I was able to spend here this week. I am inspired to go home and be the kind of mom who inspires her daughter to live for Jesus.

Kudos to John, DC, Jeff and the teams of counselors and helpers who gave these two weeks of their summer to serve Christ by loving on some middle-school campers! Awesome, awesome, awesome!

4 comments:

Mark Beeson said...

So great to have you here Amber! Camp is better because of you!

Anonymous said...

You and your sister have also helped in shaping the lives of many like my two girls. I am so thankful for all those people and opportunities they have had to grow and become strong women of God.
Liz

Anonymous said...

Oops--that last post was Liz Ditto by the way. Thanks again!!!!!!

Christen said...

Ah, Camp Adventure... brings back SO many memories... Gotta love being a UMC PK and spending summers at Camp Lakewood, Camp Adventure, and then Senior High Institute! =)