(scroll down for part 1!...)
Part 2: Broken by the Lost
CAMP #6
Our next destination was Winston Salem, NC at Wake Forest University. We pulled onto campus to check in, climbed back in the vans to grab some dinner, and came back for an epic frisbee game in one of the quad fields. These are the moments we treasure together as staff! =)
Little did I know that this would be one of my most overwhelming weeks of camp. As stated in my last post, we have responsibilities as staff. I did registration as well as Evangelism Training/Debrief on "Witness Wednesdays." Encouraging the students and hearing their testimonies every week was truly an honor and blessing which taught me so much. Every week I would challenge the students during training to pray and ask God to break their hearts for the lost, realizing that the people they were going to talk to were not just faces, but faces that had "bound for hell" written across their forehead. This is the reality of where they're headed -- dying in their sin. I would continue by saying that this is something that breaks God's heart, therefore, as you desire the heart of God, pray and ask Him to break your heart for the things that break His.
It's one thing to say this every week - to get into a routine of saying the same thing and giving the same challenge. But as the students in North Carolina finished their practicum that day and boarded the bus, there were about 5 students who were in tears. I began talking to a few of them and asking what was wrong. They responded in brokenness --- they were filled with sorrow by those who had rejected the Gospel. Their hearts had truly been broken by the lost. I was so overwhelmed by seeing this challenge in action. It was difficult doing debrief with the students... I hadn't expected the experience to be so heavy on my heart. What an honor to see God working in the hearts of these students! The fact that I was able to be part of it was truly humbling. ...We serve a God Who is beyond anything we think we can do. The reality is that we are nothing without Him - He is the One working in our hearts, and out of that growing love for Him, we begin to desire the heart of God.
CAMP #7
Our last camp took anchor in Virginia Beach, VA at Regent University. I had my smallest group of the summer, consisting of 4 girls and they were all between fourteen and fifteen. The tiny size of our group allowed the girls to bond in a way that I hadn't seen all summer. They wanted to be with each other... it was beautiful seeing their desire to invest in their relationships and encourage one another throughout the week. My fondest memory with them has to be painting toenails before evangelism practicum. Nerves always tend to rise before going out, and I try to find ways to help them get their mind off worrying. Painting toenails was the perfect activity! Each of them began sharing how God was working in their heart, even before that week of camp. Again, it's moments like these where I realized the undeserved blessing of being a staffer. I'm overwhelmed by God's grace in giving me a role that I know I'm so unworthy of. But yet He uses me as His hands and feet anyway. What a humbling part to play as His instrument and vessel!
Now regardless of how much I've written at this point, unfortunately you're still in the dark about how any of it has to do with lampposts, battles, forest animals, and permanent winter snow --- the contents of a magical wardrobe! Coming home, I've quickly realized that this summer with Worldview Academy has been like stepping into Narnia. As child-like as this metaphor may sound, I caught a glimpse of eternity. Bonding with the body of Christ in such a way that each one of them felt like brothers and sisters was a beautiful thing to behold -- and experience. There were many, many tears at the airport as we all said our goodbyes. Being here at home has been difficult, and I wrestle with discontentment almost hourly (...glancing at my watch and still wondering where I should be according to the camp schedule... yea, that's bad.). Yet, I can still rest in knowing that these people are my family for eternity. What an honor it will be to worship at our King's feet in the presence of His people.
On July 22, our last camp in Virginia ended. Coming home has been an extremely difficult transition. But -- how sweet it is to know that He is always faithful! Many have asked me what my highlight of the summer was... this is absolutely impossible to articulate, because there isn't just one! This summer has not only been the best summer of my life but it has changed my life completely. Every week of camp had both its challenge and its joy -- both of which allowed me to realize how undeserving and inadequate I was for the job I had been given.
SDG
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