I'm not going to lie, life has been pretty rough for me in my head for the last 3 months. Change is not something I'm accustomed to, especially in the context of last year. But I think that that has been the problem: I haven't been able to just let go of Ecola. And it's time I did.
Last year was full of experiences that I will always remember and people I will always want to be close to to, at least as much as I can long distance-wise. Ecola marked the first time away from home, the first time I truly learned who I was in Jesus, the first time I was able to really admit my own human depravity, the first time God really smacked me with His truth. I got close to so many people, many of which are out doing there own thing in the world or are back at Ecola, so I don't hear much out of anyone, only once in a while now. It's understandable, as I'm doing the same thing here. I'm sitting here trying to express what last year was, but I can't. God took me, tore me down, and began the remolding process, a process that will last my entire life. Then I was able to take some of what I learned and take it out into the world, to kids at camps and just love on them with everything God allowed me to be. And it was AMAZING.
But that is all over. Ecola is over. SMT is over. And I've made a huge mistake: I made Ecola/SMT just as high as God. NO! God only USED that experience to redirect my compass and allegiance towards Him. I have been living for the past I miss and the future I can't see, but I haven't been HERE! I made up my mind that if I can't be in Cannon Beach, God wouldn't work as much, He wouldn't have as much of a presence. This is so wrong... God is just as living and active as He ever has, and it was me that wasn't recognizing that. It wasn't God that wasn't "here", it was me looking to other things in order to fill the "gap" that didn't actually exist!
I serve a big God. I serve a mighty God. I serve a God that works. I serve a God that loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to live a life of example for us and to die for our sin so that we may be with Him and have access to Him forever and ever! That still and will forever blow my mind, because I of all people DO NOT deserve that kind of love! What I need to remember, and I'm sure that I'll forget often as I am very human, is that God is here with me, using me, working to build me, where ever I am, whether it be at a camp somewhere, or among my peers at school, or in the film industry.
No matter where I am, The Lord is still there and working! :)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
SMT, Part 6= Pinecroft- Week 2
So after our first week working at Pinecroft, we took Trudi Fountain up on her offer to stay at their house for the short weekend break between Primary camp and Jr. camp. So we drove to the Fountain's farm in Cusick, WA. We had gotten to know Trudi, Ethan, and Andrea pretty well through that first week, but we met the rest of the family for the first time: Jennifer, Bridget, Sonja, Evan, and her husband Steve. Their farm was beautiful! The house was over a hundred years old, as well as the rest of the buildings (I think). We spent that Saturday resting, swimming in their awesome home made pool, and in the hot tub.
(PS- this was where I was when I got that first contact from Nikki, but I don't want to slip into the whole "getting this off my chest" mentality again.)
Anyways, I don't even know how long we spent in that pool... 3 or 4 hours if I remember right. It was such a great bonding time for our team :) That's also where I first really bonded with Jennifer and Bridget. They are Trudi's younger two daughters and they are great! In fact that weekend started a close friendship between them and I that has lastest even to this day (we still write letters back and forth). We started messing with each other from the beginning. In fact, if I remember right, there are was a water gun involved.... ;)
After that just amazing weekend that we all needed, we headed back to camp on Sunday evening. We got to sit on a chapel for Teen Challenge, a group that helps addicts get out of their entrapment and steer towards the light of Christ. That chapel was amazing....
And so that week started. It was a 5th and 6th grade age (if I remember right).
That was my toughest week of the summer. I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around being there in the moment. I had a hard time remembering my kids names and I just... couldn't get my head in the game. The devil did a masterful job of messing with me that week. I honestly have a very vague recollection of the week... I remember getting closer with Jennifer and Bridget Fountain. I remember cabin times. I remember judging cabin clean-up with my SMT group. I remember making camp videos (big mistake by the way). I remember games somewhat. I remember the craziness of Matt's weird dreams. I remember playing Darth Vader in Human Clue. I remember the water park! But everything else is such a blur... Which is sad because I loved Pinecroft so much!
I had a co-counselor named Mike. Mike was awesome! He was a seminary student doing an internship with a pastor a couple towns over. He had an amazing knowledge of the Word and and learned a ton from him! I also was able to teach him what counseling was all about, and what to do in certain situations. He was also a nerd like me. He knew a lot about movies and such, something I had been missing for a solid month or so. So I'm glad God provided that friendship. It was a nice break from the "non-nerdyness" that I was so used to by that point.
My camper's names were Joel, Joe, Josh H., Rudy, Josh B., Jake, Josiah, Noah, David, and Jim. Yes it was a big cabin, but that made it great for cabin discussions. We actually got into some good stuff. As I said, it was an incredible blessing to have Mike there, especially in those discussions. I didn't have any guys come to Christ because they were all already saved. So I got to pure into them and encourage them in their walk with Christ.
There is so much more to say about this camp, but the haziness of the week is preventing me... I loved this camp so much and I wish I could remember more... But God is still good! He used me in what ways these kids needed me in :)
Soon, the camp was over, and it was time to drive. We said our goodbyes, which was tough, especially saying goodbye to the Fountains. But soon, we set out on the road again, driving towards the Seattle area of Washington.
This is John Friend, signing off for now :)
(PS- this was where I was when I got that first contact from Nikki, but I don't want to slip into the whole "getting this off my chest" mentality again.)
Anyways, I don't even know how long we spent in that pool... 3 or 4 hours if I remember right. It was such a great bonding time for our team :) That's also where I first really bonded with Jennifer and Bridget. They are Trudi's younger two daughters and they are great! In fact that weekend started a close friendship between them and I that has lastest even to this day (we still write letters back and forth). We started messing with each other from the beginning. In fact, if I remember right, there are was a water gun involved.... ;)
After that just amazing weekend that we all needed, we headed back to camp on Sunday evening. We got to sit on a chapel for Teen Challenge, a group that helps addicts get out of their entrapment and steer towards the light of Christ. That chapel was amazing....
And so that week started. It was a 5th and 6th grade age (if I remember right).
That was my toughest week of the summer. I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around being there in the moment. I had a hard time remembering my kids names and I just... couldn't get my head in the game. The devil did a masterful job of messing with me that week. I honestly have a very vague recollection of the week... I remember getting closer with Jennifer and Bridget Fountain. I remember cabin times. I remember judging cabin clean-up with my SMT group. I remember making camp videos (big mistake by the way). I remember games somewhat. I remember the craziness of Matt's weird dreams. I remember playing Darth Vader in Human Clue. I remember the water park! But everything else is such a blur... Which is sad because I loved Pinecroft so much!
I had a co-counselor named Mike. Mike was awesome! He was a seminary student doing an internship with a pastor a couple towns over. He had an amazing knowledge of the Word and and learned a ton from him! I also was able to teach him what counseling was all about, and what to do in certain situations. He was also a nerd like me. He knew a lot about movies and such, something I had been missing for a solid month or so. So I'm glad God provided that friendship. It was a nice break from the "non-nerdyness" that I was so used to by that point.
My camper's names were Joel, Joe, Josh H., Rudy, Josh B., Jake, Josiah, Noah, David, and Jim. Yes it was a big cabin, but that made it great for cabin discussions. We actually got into some good stuff. As I said, it was an incredible blessing to have Mike there, especially in those discussions. I didn't have any guys come to Christ because they were all already saved. So I got to pure into them and encourage them in their walk with Christ.
There is so much more to say about this camp, but the haziness of the week is preventing me... I loved this camp so much and I wish I could remember more... But God is still good! He used me in what ways these kids needed me in :)
Soon, the camp was over, and it was time to drive. We said our goodbyes, which was tough, especially saying goodbye to the Fountains. But soon, we set out on the road again, driving towards the Seattle area of Washington.
This is John Friend, signing off for now :)
Friday, November 4, 2011
SMT, Part 5= Pinecroft- Week 1
Hello all! It's been a while since I've blogged... First off, I want to apologize if my last SMT post was too... love life detailed. My original goal of this was to glorify God, not show everyone my dirty laundry. So I want to ask your forgiveness for my lack of focus on what was really important.
So from Lake Retreat, we drove to Spokane, WA. Matt and I stayed with Tia and her parents, and the girls stayed with Rhianna and her parents. This was the long weekend of July 4th, so we had a ton of free days off. We hung out, slept in, and hung around the house, thankful for the brief break that we all knew we would be longing for in just a few weeks time. We went up to Coeur D'Alene, ID for a day and jumped off of the cliffs, which was so fun! And we got to hang out with Isaiah Joner and Katie McMurphy at the huge Cabela's store, and got to watch fire works with them up at Coeur D'Alene on the 4th.
After days of much needed regathering and recuperation, we headed up to Newport, WA, where Pinecroft Camp is located. We got there early, so we had time to go get food at Safeway. When we returned, we unpacked and started to get to know the staff. That was the first camp where I felt really... out of place at first. But it wasn't long before I felt completely at home. This was to be the only week that Matt and I got to co-counsel, along with (name is escaping me, I'll change it later), who is an awesome older guy with a huge heart for the Lord and for kids. This first week was 3 days long, age range being Primary (1st-3rd grade). We had 9 boys in our cabin: Josh, Ben, Angus, Wade, Ethan, Jordan, Joel, Derek, and Justin. They were EXHAUSTING! I've never seen so many naked children at one time in my life! You would tell them to put their clothes on and the next minute, they'd be running around the cabin with less than they had had before! It was insane!
But so much fun! You would think that most people would vow never to have children of any kind after going through the week that we did. Not me! Ever since that week, my desire to be a daddy has only increased :)
I was amazed and even humbled by their childlike faith. The way that they just knew that Jesus was their Savior was so amazing... As we grow older and experience more and more of this messed up world, God gets so crowded out by, well, everything! But the way these children were so understanding, the way that it all just made sense to them was amazing!
Luke 18:17 says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Jesus wants us to know that we have to accept Him with child-like faith, but otherwise we will not spend eternity with Him. When we say in our hearts, "No, God. I cannot believe in what You have done", we have said no to an eternity of the opportunity to worship Him. These children reminded me that I have to have that child-like faith day to day, the faith of knowing that "Of course God is going to take care of it all! He's God!"
That week, Matt and I had the opportunity to lead 4 of our boys (2 a piece) to Christ: Josh, Angus, Jordan, and Justin. It was so simple too, coming back to that child-like faith. :)
A story worth mentioning happened the next week, but had to do with Angus. When we were doing orientation for the camp the next week, a woman came up to me and said, "Are you the culprit?" I panicked because I thought I had done something wrong. She told me that she was Angus's mom. She said that he had come home the weekend before, not telling her about his acceptance of Christ. But in the evening, he curled up in her lap and showed her his Bible, which said on the inside flap "Angus accepted Christ on --date--." At this point in the story, she broke down crying, so happy that her son had accepted Christ. She said that it was so hard being a parent and not knowing whether or not your child would become a believer. She thanked me over and over, and gave me a hug. I wish I could have stayed longer to talk, but I was late to chapel. But I had never really thought about the stage of not knowing about your child's salvation...
All in all, it was a great week! But I was so glad when the 3 days were up, as they were so exhausting...
During this week, we befriended Trudi Fountain, who was working at the camp and was the mother of Ethan, who was in our cabin. She offered to have us for the weekend, as we would be coming back to Pinecroft the next day. So we headed off to the Fountain home, and to 8 friends I will not soon forget.
Well, until next time, this is John Friend, signing off :)
So from Lake Retreat, we drove to Spokane, WA. Matt and I stayed with Tia and her parents, and the girls stayed with Rhianna and her parents. This was the long weekend of July 4th, so we had a ton of free days off. We hung out, slept in, and hung around the house, thankful for the brief break that we all knew we would be longing for in just a few weeks time. We went up to Coeur D'Alene, ID for a day and jumped off of the cliffs, which was so fun! And we got to hang out with Isaiah Joner and Katie McMurphy at the huge Cabela's store, and got to watch fire works with them up at Coeur D'Alene on the 4th.
After days of much needed regathering and recuperation, we headed up to Newport, WA, where Pinecroft Camp is located. We got there early, so we had time to go get food at Safeway. When we returned, we unpacked and started to get to know the staff. That was the first camp where I felt really... out of place at first. But it wasn't long before I felt completely at home. This was to be the only week that Matt and I got to co-counsel, along with (name is escaping me, I'll change it later), who is an awesome older guy with a huge heart for the Lord and for kids. This first week was 3 days long, age range being Primary (1st-3rd grade). We had 9 boys in our cabin: Josh, Ben, Angus, Wade, Ethan, Jordan, Joel, Derek, and Justin. They were EXHAUSTING! I've never seen so many naked children at one time in my life! You would tell them to put their clothes on and the next minute, they'd be running around the cabin with less than they had had before! It was insane!
But so much fun! You would think that most people would vow never to have children of any kind after going through the week that we did. Not me! Ever since that week, my desire to be a daddy has only increased :)
I was amazed and even humbled by their childlike faith. The way that they just knew that Jesus was their Savior was so amazing... As we grow older and experience more and more of this messed up world, God gets so crowded out by, well, everything! But the way these children were so understanding, the way that it all just made sense to them was amazing!
Luke 18:17 says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Jesus wants us to know that we have to accept Him with child-like faith, but otherwise we will not spend eternity with Him. When we say in our hearts, "No, God. I cannot believe in what You have done", we have said no to an eternity of the opportunity to worship Him. These children reminded me that I have to have that child-like faith day to day, the faith of knowing that "Of course God is going to take care of it all! He's God!"
That week, Matt and I had the opportunity to lead 4 of our boys (2 a piece) to Christ: Josh, Angus, Jordan, and Justin. It was so simple too, coming back to that child-like faith. :)
A story worth mentioning happened the next week, but had to do with Angus. When we were doing orientation for the camp the next week, a woman came up to me and said, "Are you the culprit?" I panicked because I thought I had done something wrong. She told me that she was Angus's mom. She said that he had come home the weekend before, not telling her about his acceptance of Christ. But in the evening, he curled up in her lap and showed her his Bible, which said on the inside flap "Angus accepted Christ on --date--." At this point in the story, she broke down crying, so happy that her son had accepted Christ. She said that it was so hard being a parent and not knowing whether or not your child would become a believer. She thanked me over and over, and gave me a hug. I wish I could have stayed longer to talk, but I was late to chapel. But I had never really thought about the stage of not knowing about your child's salvation...
All in all, it was a great week! But I was so glad when the 3 days were up, as they were so exhausting...
During this week, we befriended Trudi Fountain, who was working at the camp and was the mother of Ethan, who was in our cabin. She offered to have us for the weekend, as we would be coming back to Pinecroft the next day. So we headed off to the Fountain home, and to 8 friends I will not soon forget.
Well, until next time, this is John Friend, signing off :)
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