Jumping. Cheering. Sweet fellowship. Crazy names. Fun activities. More jumping. Constant, yet wonderful heat. Beautiful, redemptive stories. Laughter. Praising and worshiping the Lord.....These are the things that come to mind when someone mentions the word camp. It brings a smile to my face and joy in my heart whenever I reflect on the summers I was allowed to spend at Pine Cove. 10 summers to be exact.
From the time I was 7 until I was 17, I went to Pine Cove every summer. It was the place where I became a believer. The place where I learned so much about my Savior and grew in my walk with Him. The Lord used my time there to develop a desire for Him, to teach me that I was in desperate need of Him, and to show me what true fellowship looked like. I was extremely blessed to be given the opportunity to go to a camp that strives to proclaim the name of Jesus and follow His lead.
Ever since I first starting going to Pine Cove, I dreamed about being a counselor there. It was (and is) such a special place to me, and I wanted to be apart of it for as long as possible. And let's face it, who doesn't want a crazy, fun camp name to become your new alter ego? However, instead of being chosen to be a Baby Ruth (a discipleship program at Pine Cove for girls about to enter college) last summer, the Lord had other plans. I was given the incredible opportunity to go to Hong Kong (more on that experience in a different post); a place that captured my heart and lead me down a path that didn't include going to camp during the summer for the first time since I was 7. Talk about change.
And so, I thought I was done with Pine Cove. Not done in the sense that "I wanted nothing to do with the place, and never go back again" (that will never be the case). I just believed that Lord was calling me somewhere else in order to proclaim His name and apply what I had learned at camp all those years. I honestly loved my time away from camp last summer. I missed it for sure, but I learned that there is life outside of Pine Cove, and that the Lord is working all over the world. I grew so much in my faith last summer, and my desire to follow His will and rely on Him increased tremendously.
When it came time to start applying and interviewing for Pine Cove last fall, I really struggled with what the Lord wanted me to do this summer. I felt my heart being tugged in two different directions; one towards going back to Hong Kong and the other one towards working at camp. I decided to go ahead and apply to Pine Cove, trusting and praying that the Lord would open doors that needed to be opened and close doors that needed to be closed. And late one night towards the end of the semester, He did just that.
I was studying in the library for a huge test that I had the next day when I got a text from my older sister (who is on leadership at Pine Cove Towers this summer), asking if I had received any phone calls or voicemails that night. I immediately checked my inbox and refreshed my phone about 50 times, just in case it was doing something funky. Nothing. I tried to go back to studying, but honestly, there was no way I could focus anymore. So, I sat and stared at the blank screen for about 5 minutes until it lit up with a text from the girl who had interviewed me, asking if I could call her back when I got a chance. Without any hesitation, I sprinted down 3 flights of stairs and outside, shaking as I called her back. Two minutes later, I was offered a job as a counselor at Pine Cove Towers, the 2nd to 5th grade camp. Tears streaming down my face (probably alarming the studious people going and coming from the library...oops), I accepted. The Lord had answered my prayers and I have no doubt that He wants me at Pine Cove this summer. Boy, is He faithful and His timing perfect.
In just 9 days, I will be headed to Pine Cove for 2 weeks for orientation. Towers holds a special place in my heart out of all of the camps at Pine Cove (but, I absolutely love every one of them). It is where I became a believer. The fact that I get to go back and work with little kids, leading them to their one true Savior and Creator, fills me with excitement and definitely humbles me. This summer will be challenging, exhausting, rewarding, humbling, and exhilarating. I am so very eager to see what the Lord is going to teach me and how He is going to further His kingdom.
My hope and prayer is that I will not treat being a counselor as just another job or a check it off on the list of "things a Christian is supposed to do". I want to be used by Him to transform the hearts of others. I want Him to be glorified above every name. I want to love on and serve the campers (and staff) that I come in contact with. I want to come away from camp at the end of the summer a different person; not because I did anything to change my heart, but because I let Him do everything.
"Yet, Oh Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men...; for you serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24
