has the summer really been that wonderful?!

After a day of family on the 4th of July I made my way from the cabin to Lake Burton. Day 1 of YMCA Camp High Harbour 2009. This year posed to be very different from last year. I knew the staff, really loved the Trailblazer staff (my program), and was soon going to find out that I knew a ton of the campers, too! Four jam-packed weeks of climbing and rappelling, hiking, camping, caving, whitewater rafting, and loving these middle and high schoolers. Camp is an interesting place to say the least. It's no doubt a place where you can be yourself and that's alright, but it's also what you make it. Waking up and looking at the fog over Lake Russell after camping out, or listening to the stories around the campfire while the kids eat s'mores and get it all over their faces without knowing it, and especially choking up when a camper comes up and gives you the biggest hug and tells you that they just don't want to be any place but there with you at camp - it's then that I know. I know that God allows me (and others at camp) to be a part of these kids lives for a reason. I don't usually get to know the reason, but I pray that the one or two weeks these campers spend at camp are a positive influence in their lives somehow. I'm very thankful that I sought the Lord's guidance this past year in deciding whether or not to return to camp. I know that I, as well as my staff, grew because of the four weeks we spent together learning about ourselves and how we fit in this world with God as our ultimate leader. Many of us won't return next year, some because we'll have graduated college or some because they know the Lord is taking them somewhere else, and this year was a wonderful experience that made me more aware of the way the Lord uses us when we don't realize. I'll miss Camp High Harbour, but I know that a little piece of it will never leave me.

After I left the gates of camp I went back to the cabin to rest for a night. My parents came up and we had dinner together before I lead a backpacking trip with Nathan the next week. From the cabin I took my time and meandered my way up to the Ocoee in Tennessee to prepare for and begin this trip. This next week ended up being the most incredible next step put in place for me by God. Nathan brought me right in and we split teaching and leading and duties of being the leaders. It was such a good learning experience for me and I loved every minute of it. The group was from Pensacola and consisted of high school leaders in their youth group at church and a couple adult leaders. They were a dynamic and willing group that just blew me away in the way they really engulfed everything we talked about that week in relation to spirituality, leadership, and backpacking. Loved it.

A side note would be that while on the trip, we found ourselves on a trail that we had not planned to be on and that we were not sure of its location. Umm, yep we got a little lost. BUT... if you kept up with my ISAS semester then you know a little bit about me and being lost. Well, the Lord has taught me so much and he reiterated some of his teachings during this time. Nathan and I were able to come up with a plan, take care of the group, find our way out of being lost, and use it as a teachable moment all in one afternoon/evening. Thank the Lord! The Lord laid upon me a blanket of calmness and assurance that was unmistakable in the woods that day...

We finished our trip with a morning of whitewater rafting on the Ocoee and went our separate ways. I went home to my parents place to regroup and reconnect with the world, technologically speaking. No sooner did I finish my laundry that I found out I had a wedding shower to attend in Rome on Saturday... Back in action! Haha, the weekend turned out to be a beautiful time with some Berry friends from afar and now I'm looking forward to spending even more time with them at the wedding next weekend right before I get settled back into Berry for the year. Which I am uber excited about - it's been 8 months since I've lived at or gone to classes at Berry and I cannot wait! My prophesy is that this is going to be a phenomenal year and I'm looking forward to savoring every minute of it! After of course I take a few laps around the pool outside because it's so stinking hot! =)