One Week Under the Day Camp Belt

What a week it has been up here at Mount Hermon....I cannot believe that I have already been here for 2 weeks! It seems unreal...One of my favorite things about working up at camp is the community we have up here. People have come all over the country (as far as Connecticut) to come work here up in this beautiful environment. Although this week has been challenging, I have had a wonderful time with my campers. My 1st and 2nd graders were a huge blessing for my first week. They were all really sweet and super smart. It was tough saying good-bye to them yesterday because after a week spending so much time with these little guys, you can't help but get attached. They say the funniest things too! I have a lot of quotes in my memory banks that I can go back to and laugh at. One of my little girls, Ella, was really sad the night before she had to leave. She was on the verge of tears as she was saying good-bye to me and Puffin. It was bittersweet. I pray that this amazing group of kids will grow in the Lord for the rest of their lives and will possibly remember the time they spent up at Mount Hermon. After only a week, I grew to love these kids so much...I can't imagine how much more God loves them and cares for them. They are so precious in Christ's eyes. And to think that that is also how God sees me. Its amazing.

Week 2 is fast approaching and I can honestly say that I am ready. I can't wait to find out what group of kids I get this week! I finally get my own group too! I am a little anxious, but I know that it is all going to be just fine. This last week, I really got to see that making mistakes is really how you learn...especially when it comes to a job like this. Again, I am ultimately my toughest critic when I am up here and I had to learn to cut myself some slack or else I'd just beat myself down and would not be useful for my kids. Its cool how much energy I get out of the tiniest compliments too. I've had many kids come up to me saying, "Kricket, you are so awesome." or "Kricket, you are my favorite counselor." It means a lot to me that I have maybe made some sort of a difference in these kids' lives. It gives me the strength and energy to keep doing what I am doing. But ultimately, I now can grasp what it truly means when the Bible says, "The joy of the LORD is my strength." To know that God is using me to help further His kingdom...a small human being with huge sin...a speck of dust in the wind...to see God using someone like me. Its a very humbling feeling. It gives me much joy. That is my strength. And to know that nothing can separate me from the Father's love. No matter how deep or wide my problems may be. God is there no matter what.

Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound.