27 campers and 16 counselors are here for this week. Just before campers arrived on opening day a storm hit with heavy, heavy rain. Our counselors of course were enjoying the deluge of water from above as campers came to register many of whom are spending their first week away at camp with TC! I must say that the opening night was much better this week as the temperatures were more comfortable. From the first night, I can tell we have a group of campers this week that are very inquisitive and have many questions with which to challenge the counselors. They enjoyed the giant rope maze after dinner as they were also required to get to know other campers names and an interesting fact concerning what was their greatest fear. Much more to come for the day ahead!! I will try to post some pictures.
Monday June 21Great first day of camp! The word of God is being preached and for the most part we have an attentive and captive group. I am amazed at how I see the work of God so clearly in the lives of the campers. The value of having so many counselors is priceless as we seek to minister this week.
All campers enjoyed their activities with some playing paintball, some pond fishing and the rest shooting rifles. I heard stories like that of Gavin Foxworth who hit his target all seven shots and Zachary Hodge who caught the largest fish of the day. I also saw some paintball wounds and heard amazing stories of war from the paintball field. Praise the Lord that it is not as hot this week as last although it is still quite warm. Water! Water! Water! Tuesday activities are Survival Skills, Skeet, Paintball and Pond fishing.
Tuesday June 22
Last night around the Big Oak with the breeze blowing off the corn field was fantastic. Birds sung overhead with a clarity and pitch that brought to mind the wonders of God's creation. At one time we had a song bird up in the canopy singing a melody akin to the greatest worship song ever sung while bobwhite Quail called to each other from three different locations over the sound of cicadas strumming a chorus of praise. Wow! I hardly wanted to teach in order just to sit and listen to the sermons of the wild! That was just sitting down at the oak.
We sang and worshiped a real risen Lord and taught from the scriptures 1 John 1, John 1, and Matthew 3 concerning Jesus. The question was ask "How many times have you heard the name of Jesus?"
of course the answer for everyone was 'many times'. The name of Jesus is to be above every other name in our Life including parents and friends. It is to be above the most loved name in our life. Think about a name in your life that brings forth a well spring of love and devotion and compare that name with the name of Jesus as it enters your ear and travels to your heart. Which one draws the most love? This should be a challenging question for us all and cause us to consider the name of Jesus and His place in our lives. Is He Lord of Lords? Is my love for Him greater than any other affection in my life? The name of Jesus.......no other name I so long to hear.....than the name of Jesus!!
Wednesday June 23Today we took 12 campers canoeing into Sparkleberry swamp and I think of how it must have looked for Jesus to be accompanied by his disciples. A small caravan of learners and a teacher. The canoe trip was a day of learning for most. Learning either to paddle or most importantly to cooperate with one another. I am well aware of the trials that come with trying to maneuver a canoe through trees and toward a particular location when you have someone in the same canoe that is working against you. It is humorous at times to see the frustration build as each camper works so hard to paddle but its fruitless because they are not working together. They dont mean to be opposed. They are not trying to cancel out each others efforts but due to their lack of experience and just plain ignorance they go in circles. That's when frustration sets in and you can see the best of friends and even brothers become enemies sitting in the same boat. They can flail their paddles and ask the deepest questions of one another "What are you doing?", "Where are you going?". All in all the canoe trip always starts out rough but ends with a group that is bound together in adventure and by the end we have adjusted and all works well as we paddle together. Many lessons learned!
Thursday June 24The Holy Spirit is amazing at how he leads and guides in perfect timing. I am learning each day just to trust Him. Last night as I was listening to worship and meditating on what I was to preach the Spirit of God lead me to take off the wall a picture of Mari E. Daniel a missionary from India who visited the camp last summer. I tucked it in my Bible just seconds before I came out to preach.
2 Corinthians 5:13-15 (For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; If we are in our right mind it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died: and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.) Daniel is a man who lives by faith, no longer living for himself but for Christ. He travels around the world with no means and many times not knowing where he will stay or how he will arrive at his next destination. What would possess a man to live such a life? The love of Christ controls him!! He is beside himself!! He must go and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Daniel visited the camp last year and was brought by a good friend of the camps named Dennis Stratton. He came to camp last year on June 23. June 23!! Exactly one year to the day. I am thankful for the Spirit as He leads me and enables me to preach God's word. I dont understand everything the Spirit asked me to do such as to take a picture off the wall and put it in my bible but I have learned that when I am obedient He will bless me with further instructions and often I get to see the fruit of my obedience.
This week was a great week deserving of many praises. I praise Him for salvation marked by a repentant heart which mourns over sin and is fascinated with the Savior. I leave salvation to the Lord because I must! It is He who saves but praise be to Him who is the author of our salvation. To Him be the glory and honor and praise forever. Amen. It is wonderful to see our Lord at work as His word begins to cut deep into the hearts of all those who receive it.
Rifle Range!! Everyone is having a great week. A funny thing happened on this day at the range. I was told that several rabbits made their way down range of campers!! With much eagerness they wanted to take aim at the "real" targets. I was proud of our counselors who more than likely really wanted to take a shot themselves but they kept the rabbits alive. What would make a rabbit just wander out onto the range while the shooting is taking place. I think maybe they have become accustomed to the noise and now see no threat. It is a great reminder that we all can become accustomed to the noise and sounds of the world and the sin that surrounds us and so much so that we just wander into the most dangerous areas of life.
Ever sat beside a tree in the swamp with a piece of bacon on a paperclip waiting on a crayfish to bite?
