Final Days of JAM Camp 2010

It's hard to believe it but we have wrapped up another great year of camp and I'm happy to say we are all safely home now, recovering from an incredibly busy week!  

We took our largest group yet, we were about 150 strong with all of our campers and staff.  It was a great group of students and amazing counselors, Travis and I were very happy with how it all came together.  Our staff also did a great job this week.  The Lord has blessed this ministry with each person He's placed on this team.  Travis, Jackie, Jed, Laura, Jenna, Cara and many other faithful volunteers made this week a huge success with all of their hard work, but of course none of it could have happened without the Lord being present and the many prayers of people who covered our week and interceded on  our behalf.  We are praising Him today for the good work He began at camp this week and for the promise that He will be faithful to complete it!  (Philippians 1:6)

I fell behind a little bit this week in my updates, mostly due to my duties as camp nurse.  On day 3 we had a couple kids with stomach flu/dehydration stuff and then on day 4, one sweet 8th grader who got hurt playing one of our night games.  Unfortunately, she was in enough pain that we felt like we needed to take her to the E.R. to get checked out.  After lots of phone conversations with her parents and the decision to go, 4 hours and 1 CAT scan later, we learned that she had some discs (the cushion between her vertebrae) that were sticking out and inflamed.  No wonder she was in so much pain and had been crying pretty frequently!  We left with a neck brace, some pain meds and a treat from the store to head back to camp :)  Between doling out band-aids, daily meds and dealing with a couple of other things, I missed a lot of my favorite things this year, but clearly the Lord had this job in mind for me and these were the students He asked me to invest in this week.  

Wednesday afternoon, it was time for the annual flour bomb war!  The kids love this game and so do the staff.  It's a riot to watch and of course we end up with kids who find themselves still caked in flour days later :) Ava napped through every afternoon game, which was a blessing!  I can't imagine trying to keep her away from these messy games!  She would have loved to be in the middle of it I'm sure :) 

Thursday afternoon was our shaving cream war and slip n' slide.  After I got back from the E.R., I missed 90% of this, but I did get to see the tail end and catch a few kids and staff still covered in shaving cream!  Here are 2 of our faithful staffers :) Never too old to have fun!

One of many students I didn't recognize when they were covered from head to toe!!

Ava wrapped up the week so well.  She was just a little trooper all around.  She napped wonderfully, slept all night every night, ate a lot at each meal and just had a wonderful time!  This morning she has been happily playing with all of her toys again and getting re-acquainted with home, but I know she probably misses all of the kids she got to watch and who showered her with love and attention.  They were so good with her and so careful not to run her over or scare her :) I'm exhausted from keeping up with her this week, but I'm so glad we went.  It was a treat for us in many ways.  

Yesterday we got all lined up for our final camp picture!

All of the kids in their new t-shirts, divided by cabin.  

Jed, working hard to capture the perfect shot!  It's not easy to get a group that large to cooperate, but he does it every year!

One of the things I missed the most this year, was not being able to participate in any of the chapel times at night.  Ava's bed time fell each night during this time and although we tried to stay up and we played outside where we could hear most of the worship and some of the messages, it just wasn't quite as easy to stay connected.  However, I depended on this little booklet that each of the students received and info from Travis to know what they were learning and what the teaching was centered on.  If your student will let you, ask them to see it and check out what their devotions and chapel messages were all about.  I know I said it earlier in the week, but Jackie did an incredible job with their daily devotion time and it was the highlight of every day to see students scattered all over camp, in the stillness of the morning, with their Bible's open and their booklets guiding them through a passage.  

One morning, I was hunting down a few kids who forgot to take their meds at breakfast and I ended up in awe of what the Lord was doing at that very hour.  I was checking my med chart and organizing that at the same time that the counselors were having their daily meeting.  As I stood in the background and overheard their conversations about what needed to happen that day and how it was going to get done, I stopped in my tracks when Laura started calling on them one by one to recite the scripture they as counselors were working on all week.  I heard several of them carefully rattle off 11 verses at a time, without hesitation, guys and girls who are about the ages of all those crazy jersey shore kids who are all over the media right now. What a difference in the way they are spending these years!  I stood there and thanked the Lord for these counselors who are getting no sleep, little to no down time and yet are still faithfully honoring Him with their hearts and actions, taking the time to memorize His Word and serve these students well.  Amazing.  

As if it couldn't get any better, I walked to the chapel to look for a student and slipped in the back to hear the end of Jackie's devotion time with the students.  As I listened to her teaching, I once again found my heart in awe of our God when I heard her ask any students to come forward and tell everyone the verses they had memorized for that day.  One by one, kids were getting out of their seats to get in line.  Before I knew it, 30+ 7th, 8th, and 9th grade kids were taking the mic, reciting a verse or a passage of verses and sharing what those verses meant to them.  I'm not sure you could get 30+ adults to do that and yet in front of eyes, I watched all kinds of girls and guys, outgoing and shy, popular and quiet stand in front of their peers and rattle off the Word they had hidden in their hearts.  To say it was humbling, would be an understatement.  I was challenged by them in my own memorizing efforts!  Sure, they were receiving double points for their cabins that day, but no matter what their motivation, those kids knew God's word and had spent time pouring over it.  

This summer I've been slowing meditating on, studying, re-reading and internalizing Proverbs 2.  It begins by saying:

"My son, if you accept my words,  and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,  and if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.  For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones."  

As I listened to those kids, I realized they were doing exactly what the Lord wants us to do in Proverbs 2.  It's been a prayer that I've been praying for myself, for Trav, for Ava and one day for Carter, but I found myself praying it for each of them.  We only get to have these students for 2 years and yet, they are crucial years for many reasons.  When I see them as a big group, it always prompts me to think about what kind of adults they'll become and who will go on to do what.  We LONG for them to live out these verses and for the protection, wisdom,  and understanding of God to guard them all of their days.  Junior high is challenging but so many of them are still so child-like and innocent, it makes me want to see that innocence stay preserved as purity in all areas of their lives.  Anytime they are spending in God's word, no matter how they get there, is time well spent and time that will produce a harvest of fruit later on.  Camp is such an amazing week, not only because we have the biggest blast and do crazy things, but mostly because we help these students carve out time for the God who created them and has a purpose for them and we spend so much time praying that what they learn and experience at camp, will spill over into their daily lives for a lifetime to come.  

The culmination of our week always ends with a time for any kids/counselors who are ready to follow the Lord in obedience through baptism.  

Travis will tell you, that of all the wonderful perks of his job, this is one of the best!  

We have each student share their testimony with the whole camp and we invite their parents and families to come and watch.  I cried my way through all of them yesterday as I heard some of the sweetest words from each and every one.

14 people chose to do it this year and it was awesome.  

2 of the reasons I was emotional were Katie and Emma, 2 more of my cousin's kids that Trav has had the privilege of baptizing.  This is Katie, who came as a counselor, after my very choked up husband baptized her.  So sweet :) 

And this is Emma, who also caused both of us to cry :) 

Every single one was precious, including one of our faithful volunteers Nathan.  Trav loved sharing this important time with each of these campers.  It's a memory for him as much as for them.  

This picture every year is worth all the headaches, the long days, the late nights and the non-stop demands of camp.  

Emma and Trav

 

 

Katie and Trav

Our annual camp picture of all our family members who are there!  

Hayley and Katie were counselors and Grace, George, and Emma were campers.  And of course, Ava was a second year camper too!

 

To say we are tired today doesn't even begin to describe it.  We have been "poured out" this week and now we are enjoying the chance to rest and let the Lord fill us back up.  I personally, plan to be off my feet as much as possible!  After a week of walking miles and miles in the oppressive heat, my ankles are so swollen it appears I don't have any!  Every night before we went to bed, we laughed at the size of my tired, swollen feet.  I think Carter and I need a good rest this weekend  :)

It was a great week!  We are so grateful for all the Lord did each and every day and we are praying that He will continue to stir up what He started in each heart.  JAM Camp 2010 is now officially "in the books" and we are happy to say it was our favorite one so far, for different reasons.  Thank you for praying along with us and for us. We appreciate it so greatly.  Parents, keep your eye on the Jammin 247 facebook page for hundreds of pictures to come!!  We miss your kids already :) 

Are You Kidding Me???

I'm afraid I have to interrupt the camp updates to tell you...

I love her.  

She could not be any cuter.  

I'm just saying...

Her personality kills me, she is Miss Animated these days and we are loving it!

I mean seriously.  I don't care if I am her mother.  

This girl is CUTE!!!

And she has an affinity for dogs.

She got her first friendship bracelet today, which officially makes her more "grown up."

And as I caught her walking and talking to herself, I had to wonder, where did my little baby go??  

She is looking more and more like a big girl these days.

I'm sorry.  I just can't help it.  Her Daddy and I are smitten!  


As for camp, it was another good day.  Our sick kids are better, the weather was cooler, and dare I say it...the mosquitoes may have even been less!  
Tomorrow is our last full day and I'm sure it will be a fun one.  


But tonight, I'm going to go kiss this sweet little face and lay in bed thanking God for her!  

Because if I haven't said it already, she is so darn cute!!

Jam Camp Day 2

We survived a scorcher of a day here today!  To say it was hot and humid would be a gross understatement.  It was the kind of day that leaves you feeling sticky and wet after about 5 minutes of being outside.  Not my favorite weather to be in, personally, but when you're at camp you just have to adapt and make it work!  Thankfully, the Lord graciously gave us some cloud cover this afternoon, which helped with the intensity of the sun and made the day a little more bearable.  Tonight was much better, we even got a gentle and cool breeze after dinner, thank you Lord!!  We are thankful to be on the lake however and to have the option of water time to cool off!

We took Ava straight to the lake after lunch and it took her no time to find some arms who wanted her :) 

We also blew up her new raft and let her splash around in that for awhile!  

She loved it and I loved that it has a sun shade on it :) 

I'm not going to lie, she's our favorite camper here.  

Nobody else wears a hat with a chin strap like she does :) 

Some counselors enjoying a much needed break on the dock...

...and lots of students lining up for more rides on the lake couch!

The slide was also a hit, but mostly for kids with short legs :) 

And of course there are always guys who are willing to push each other off the floating dock!

I braved the sweltering heat for a few minutes so I could watch Ava in the lake, but it did not take long for me to wish I was right back in the air conditioning.  Being 7.5 months pregnant in the dead of summer is not for wimps!

But getting a smile out of this little peanut is totally worth it :) 

These two girls tried desperately to take a picture with Ava, who was "less than cooperative!"  In her defense, she was just minutes away from her 2 hour nap this afternoon!  

Thankfully, the clouds stayed out all afternoon and the kids were able to play their game without the hot sun on them the whole time.

Their fearless leaders :) 

They played a variety of things, including an old-fashioned game of tug of war.

Can you sense the excitement??  Ha Ha!  I'm told it was a fun time, I just wouldn't know because I could only stand the heat for so long!  I joined Ava for a nap too :) 

Tonight at dinner we had a little fun with the mail call game!  Every day when the mail comes, we make a big deal out of who gets a package or a letter and we make the kids do something funny to "earn" their mail.  Every single year my cousin Jenny sends a package to everyone in our family who is at camp.  This year, she included someone very special:) 

Our little camper got her first piece of camp mail!!  She had to do the chicken dance with her cousins to get it :) Well, her Daddy had to do the dance for her while she sat on his shoulders!

Reading her little letter and opening her very own care package, complete with a strawberry shortcake doll and animal cookies!!  Not too bad for a a 1year old!!  Thanks Jenny, we LOVED it!!

I had high hopes of writing something about our program time tonight, but my night has turned into a blur of band aids and neosporin, benedryl and ibuprophen.  Nothing major, thankfully, just lots of cuts and scrapes during our night game.  I prayed this afternoon for the Lord to give me some opportunities to bless some kids or minister to them...I was thinking more along the lines of a great conversation or some play time with Ava...but I suppose to test my sincerity, the Lord was thinking more along the lines of mercy :) I am the camp nurse, so it is fitting that I should "work" for that title!  I will say, all these years of growing up with a Mom who is an RN is definitely paying off!  I can hear her voice in my head every time someone says, "Are the nurse? I think I got hurt."  Anyway, it's later than I wanted to be up posting this, so I'm going to leave the program stuff for another day.  

I do have a couple of prayer requests for you, if you are praying along with us....We appreciate all of the support so many of you have told us about and God has graciously answered lots of the prayers you've prayed on our behalf.  In fact, before I forget, I do want to tell you about the best part of our day!   This afternoon, during some free time before dinner, one of our 7th grade students called Travis over to talk.  He asked if he could pray with them because the friend that he invited along to camp wanted to pray to receive Christ!!!  Amazing.  Somewhere between this morning and this evening, the Lord did a work in this student's heart and drew him to Himself like only He can.  Travis was able to talk with him and pray with him and tonight, welcome him into the family of God in front of all the other kids!  So sweet and totally worth the all of the effort to "put on" camp for a week.  

Our requests for tonight are short and sweet...

-We have several kids with stomach aches, nausea, etc.  We would love for them to feel better and for us to have the wisdom we need to help.  The heat is not helping, but we are doing everything we can to keep them well :) 

-Mosquitoes!  They are terrible this year!!  We are certainly functioning despite them, but is there anything more irritating than a mosquito bite??  Maybe the Lord's heart will be moved by some petitions from some Mom's and he'll wipe them out of here for tomorrow night :) Wishful thinking perhaps, but it's worth asking, right??  

Thanks friends!  We are having a great time and are amazed at the way God is speaking to all of us as we seek Him.  We're looking forward to another great day tomorrow!!

JAM Camp 2010!

Day one of Junior High summer camp is almost officially in the books, and I'm happy to say that we survived it!  In fact, it was a great first day!  For my husband, this week is the highlight of his year.  He loves JAM camp and can't wait for this week to get here, year after year.  However, I will also tell you that he's not the only one who loves it!  I was reminded today of just what a blessing it is to have 5 days of continual face time with so many students, time to get to know them, to love on them, to minister to them  and to have fun with them!  I think our staff do a tremendous job of putting together an incredible week for these kids.  Camp has really become a well-oiled machine and yet, year after year, I'm amazed at what they come up with and how the Lord uses each experience to accomplish His purposes.  Anyway, without further ado, here is a little snapshot of our day...

Can I tell you just how much praise we were giving the Lord for a smooth first night with Ava???  She did great in her pack n' play and woke up a very happy little girl this morning!  Even though we were all up bright and early, with Travis so busy all day, it was a great way for us to have him to ourselves for a little bit.  Ava wasted no time climbing on his lap so he could read her book after book :)  For all of you sweet people who are praying for the 3 (actually 4) of us this week, thank you...We need it and appreciate it!  

Ava is a typical youth Pastor's kid so far...She travels well and adapts well no matter where we have her or what the day looks like.  I've learned to bring lots of things from home to make our stay easier and thankfully, she was a trooper all day as we played and napped our way through it.

The kids were raring to go after breakfast this morning!  In typical fashion, we don't let them go anywhere or do anything without playing some kind of crowd-breaker to earn points for their cabin.  It never takes long to scrounge up some volunteers to do the grossest things!  This particular time, the counselors lined up so that Travis could spray them in the face with a water gun, while they held as much of it in their mouths, and then spit it out into a cup to see who held the most.  I know, classy :) I've given up trying to sanitize these games.  I'm told "it's all part of the camp experience" and I'm sure it is.  There are endless rounds of these games and always plenty of people to do it!  In fact, I'm not sure who loves it more, the students or the staff :)  

After breakfast and a crowd-breaker, the students spend every morning hearing a little word from the staff before we send them out to do personal and cabin-wide quiet times.  Of all the things we do, this part of the day is always my favorite.  Jackie spent much time putting together a devotional booklet for them this week, with a different passage for each day and questions to prompt them along.  We never pretend that everyone is familiar with spending a regular time with the Lord, but it's always our hope and prayer that regular time with Him at camp would help encourage them or spur them on in days, weeks or even years to come.  

In a crowd this large, it always amazes me to think about the many things these kids will encounter in the years ahead.  Some will go on to do great things, some will face tragedies, some will be dealt with illness, sadly some will even fall away from the Lord for a season and yet some will quietly but faithfully trust the Lord as they navigate the coming years.  You just never know what seeds might be planted in them during these impressionable years and it's so incredible to know that God promises "his word will not return void" when it goes out.  "It will accomplish that which it was sent to do."  Even if they don't digest much, the hope is that they digest something.  Trav and Jackie talked to them this morning about why we spend time with the Lord each day and the importance of hiding his word in our hearts.  Jackie challenged them to memorize a few key passages this week and then asked if anyone could share anything they've memorized in the past.  After a few seconds of silence, can I let you know just how many students stood up to recite a verse or a passage that they've written on their heart already??  It was so sweet...I'm sure 15 girls and guys shared on the spot and then gave a little explanation about why they memorized it or liked it.  Junior high students often get overlooked for being wild and crazy and immature, but don't be fooled in thinking they aren't capable of a deepening walk with the Lord.  It was a blessing to hear them today, with no warning in advance and then to hear Jackie share a passage she's working on right now too.  We never want to ask them to something we as a staff aren't doing as well.  It was a great way to kick off the week and after they were done, this is what we saw for the next hour...

In the stillness of the morning, students scattered around the camp, Bible's open and hopefully hearts receiving truth.  

Travis was stopped by one particular guy who told him, "I've got a Bible and this booklet, but I don't know what to do.  I've never done this before, I don't even know where to find this..."  Travis was thrilled to help him and let him know that it doesn't matter where we're at with the Lord, He's always ready and waiting to hear from us.  Such a sweet thing to hear from an 8th grade boy's lips.  

Parents, it would be a great thing for you to pray for your child and their peers every morning around 10:30 when we do this.  You just never know how God could use this time to do a big work in their hearts!  Pray along with us for hearts that are softened toward Him and for ears that are willing to hear Him speak to them.  It's only day one and already we know that He is here and working...

Before lunch, these representatives were chosen to race to the lake and back to determine which cabin gets to eat first :) We're all about friendly competition around here!  

Thankfully, the Lord held the rain away and we got a perfect afternoon to play in the water!  It's incredibly humid here, but that just made lining up to do this....

...even more fun!!  We are so impressed with the camp staff here, they are always looking for ways to make this free time fun and the kids had a blast taking turns on this new "couch" that they bought this year.  Every afternoon this week, the jet skis or the tubes are running for a few hours to cool everybody off.  

Even miss Ava got in on the action in the lake!

With our new infant life vest on, she spent some time with Daddy in the water!

And of course time with the many kids who wanted to play with her or help us too!  She has no idea, but she is one lucky little girl to be getting all of the attention she does :) The kids are so sweet to her and all day long they are quick to offer anything for her!

This made me laugh because although she was standing on the dock, she could barely walk in her life jacket without tipping over!  How Travis thought she was going to leap to him is beyond me, but he was a good Daddy for trying!  

Although even she thought it was crazy :) 

He did successfully take her on a slow tube ride and she loved it!

You wouldn't believe how many kids were worried that she was going to cry or wondered if we had a life jacket on her!  So funny!  Good thing she's got all these extra sets of eyes on her, in case either of us throw caution to the wind and do something crazy :) 

The highlight of the day for most students had to be another epic round of "death ball."  As much as I hate this game, due to many injuries every year, I'm shocked and happy to report that this year was extremely uneventful and injury free!!  It was just a great, hot afternoon with lots of kids having fun.  

I apologize for the distance between my camera and the game...Normally I'm up close and personal for some action shots, but this year I was: (a) too tired to walk that far, (b) too hot to be in the sun, and (c) certain that Jed was getting all the shots I wasn't!  You should be able to see some much better pictures from the week later on the Jammin 247 facebook page.  It's an ordeal trying to upload pictures here on this network, but I'm sure Jed will get to them sometime soon!  Although don't hold him to that, he's pretty busy here!  

After everyone showered and we had dinner, the kids got some more free time and then we moved into program time.  But I'll share more about that tomorrow, as this is already incredibly long!  

Know that we are having a great time here and all is well with everyone.  The Lord has given us great weather so far, He's kept us safe and He's got all kinds of things going on that we're not even aware of.  

If you'd like to, please join us in praying for the following things:

-Safety and health for all of the campers, counselors and staff.  We have a group of almost 150 people with us this year, which is awesome!!  But it's a long week,  full of constant activity, and we're doing our best to keep everyone hydrated and safe.  We would love your prayers for that!

-For our cabin times to be fun, encouraging, edifying, and honoring to the Lord.  In other words, for the drama to be minimal :) 

-For the counselors who have graciously given up a week of their summer to love on these kids!  We are so thankful for each of them and confident in their ability to lead their cabins well.  But they are tired at the end of the day and usually drained dry by lots of adoring kids!  

-For Travis, Jackie, and a few students who have been asked to speak this week.  Chapel times are in the morning and at night and we would love to ask you to cover those times with your faithful prayers.  

-For those students who need a respite from home this week and all the stress and heartache they leave behind.  There are some kids who are really hurting and it's always our prayer that God would help our staff SEE them and prompt us to love them well, no matter how great or small their need is.  

-For our paid staff who are "in charge" and responsible for all that goes on here.  Patience, flexibility, wisdom, discretion, and energy are always needed.  Sometimes on a minute by minute basis!  They do a great job, but it's a ton or work too and everyone is falling into bed at night!  

-Finally, for Sarah and I, who are here with our young kiddos :) We are both thankful to be serving alongside our husbands, but these days are long and we need extra doses of patience and stamina.  Also for our kids, Kaleam, Quincy and Ava.  They are all doing great, but they're all under 3 and that could change at any given time!  It's fun for them to be here and to participate in what they can but we know that the Lord uses our parenting and marriages as an example for these students to watch too...No pressure, right??  

If day one is any indication about how the week is going to go, then we're due for a wonderful week!!   Stay tuned for more updates each day...Provided I can stay awake long enough to get them up :) 

If you'll excuse me, my feet are swollen, my back is sore and my bed is calling...

Welcome to camp!!