09/07/2025
At , the weekend is broken down into four themes: Trust, Love, Forgiveness, Hope & Prayer. Of these themes, I think that Hope & Prayer may be the most critical to sustaining the impact the Holy Spirit has had on the angels. The kids (we call them angels) have learned to Trust God (Proverbs 3), they have learned that their perfect Father loves them unconditionally (1 John 4:9-10), and they have learned to forgive not only those who have wounded them, they have learned to forgive themselves (Mark 11:25). But it is the fourth theme, Hope & Prayer that sustains them when the magic of the weekend is months behind them and when the realities of their lives confront them every single day. It is Hope & Prayer that will bind them to each other and it is Hope & Prayer that will continue to make them grow in their relationship with Jesus (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
In just the few years that I have had the opportunity to serve at camp I have seen the hardest kidsβ stone exteriors melt away when God finally pierces their hearts. I have seen kids age out of the program only to return to camp and thrive as a mentor. God has made their cups overflow and it is beautiful to watch them pour themselves out to the younger generation. These new mentos and young leaders have a unique, personal understanding of what the younger angels are going through, because they have gone through it themselves.
It may be that the raging fires that the Holy Spirit started in the angelsβ hearts during camp slowly dies down as the angels head down the mountain and the normalcy of life kicks back in, but MY Hope & Prayer is that there is always at least an ember that remains, waiting for the Holy Spiritβs subtle breath to fan the flames again. I want to see that wildfire spread in their lives, I want to see Godβs perfect plan come to fruition in their lives and I am eternally blessed that I get to witness this transformation year after year.