here we are again

Camp is the best. We are here now!

As I write this, I am sitting on my bed at camp, all bundled up, yet still freezing. I wish July at camp would be a warmer time, but nonetheless, it remains to be the best place to be.

We are in LIT precamp right now, and it's pretty chillaxed. It seems as if it's going to be a good team of staff to serve with this summer. On saturday night all the sites at OPC had a commissioning service together. It was a great night to get focused and in the right mind set to start serving at camp. Seek first the kingdom of God. That was a major point of this service. And that is what we have got to do specifically when working at camp or in any ministry if we really want to make it through in one piece. But really, it is a necessity throughout all of life. I think that sometimes we can forget about this in out day to day life, or at least this is not the focus for us when we're back in the city living normal life. But when we're at camp specifically, to seek the kingdom of God first and to put our complete trust in him, seems to be significantly needed, wanted, and really is the only way we will be able to love and serve those in our care.

But why does it seem like seeking the kingdom of God first is easier when you're in fulltime, intensive, and draining ministry? Why is this not more of a focus when you're at home, writing papers, going to a desk job, etc? it should be. Maybe you're just ahead of me on this one, but this is a situation I am finding myself in. When I'm in a really intentional ministry situation, it seems so easy and natural to seek first the kingdom and to have the Lord as your central focus, but when I'm just at home living everyday life, it seems to be more of a push to do this. Or at least more of a push to see the need in seeking first the kingdom. It's just easier at home to live and serve on my own strength (which will most definitely fail eventually!)

These are just a few thoughts floating through my mind these past few days. It's not that I don't seek the kingdom at home, more the opposite, but my thought is that it is much more defined and specific at camp. It would be quite difficult or even impossible to keep up the strength, love, endurance, and grace needed to serve in a camp context and at the pace that it goes at, throughout the whole year(s), but camp is such a special place where God works in amazing ways in the lives of these campers and LITs. It is a privilege to serve and love these LITs, and I am really excited to see what God is going to do in their lives this summer, and how he is going to continue to transform them for the rest of their lives. Our LITs don't arrive at camp until Thursday, but I'm really excited to meet them and start this program!

I'll continue to write updates and post photos from camp as I take them.

Peace.