Starting the Year Right... with Camp!

Me: "What do you love about camp?"
Camper: "Everything!"

     Whenever I would ask this question to get some feedback and start a conversation with a camper, this was the most common answer. I mean, I can't blame them... Camp is awesome! It will always have a special place in my heart.  

My first summer at Son-Life Camp!

Son-Life Camp is My Favorite 

      This camp played a huge part in developing my ministry leadership. I started out 5 years as a shy counselor who loved kids and wanted them to know about Jesus... to running the day camp program and staff, going up front, and being loud and goofy. I was even one of the speakers for the summer! God has done incredible things in my life.

Snowbound!!!

Snowbound 2015!

     You know how Facebook does those posts at the top of your newsfeed? "5 years ago you were traveling here and eating this amazing food...." Thanks a lot Facebook.... Don't taunt me like that! Well, one year ago is where God started connecting me to the residency. So that was an awesome reminder! I was helping to run the Snowbound weekend camp at Son-Life last year, and that's where I met these crazy residents who came as our guest speakers. I was just happy I didn't have to prepare any messages, but God had even bigger plans in mind! After hanging out with the residents all weekend, God planted the seed. "God, do You really want me in the residency?" Months later He made the answer clear: "Yes!" And here I am! This time when I went back to camp, I came as a resident guest speaker. It was amazing.

Encounter Experience

"You don't have to be an adult or be someone that you're not to share your faith and spread the light of Jesus. You just have to be you." 

Counselor Ben's station with magnets:
when we draw close to God, He draws close to us.

My favorite part of the weekend was Saturday night. We had stations set up around the retreat center for the "Encounter Experience." At each station, there was a leader to talk to the kids about specific ways to live their lives for God and seek Him. They asked the kids questions and had visuals and some things to interact with to think about. I got to tag along with my brother's cabin (Yes my teenage brother is old enough to be a counselor now! What???) When we sat down at Jaysen's (2nd-year resident) station, he passed out a candle to each of the kids. He explained the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His disciples. He lit his own candle and turned to the boy sitting next to him and said, "Jesus loves you. He died so that you can be restored back to God." Then Jaysen lit the boy's candle. He had the boy turn to his neighbor in the circle and tell him the same. His candle was lit. One by one, every kid's candle was lit, and our circle glowed with the brightness of the candles together.  "God uses you to bring His light to the darkness and share with people the light that you have. You don't have to be an adult or be someone that you're not to share your faith and spread the light of Jesus. You just have to be you." 

Jesus and His Little Ones

     As I was sitting with them, I was seriously tearing up and crying, because it was such a beautiful picture of what God does in us and through us, especially in kids. They can be overlooked and just seen as potential, but they are God's disciples NOW. Jesus loves His little ones and calls them His disciples. It's all over the New Testament: 

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward." ~Matthew 10:42

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." ~1 Timothy 4:12

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms,placed his hands on them and blessed them." ~Mark 10:13-16

Thank You!

Because of your prayers and support, I was able to go back to my camp and practice my teaching to God's kids. It helped my confidence in speaking, which empowered me to teach the middle school youth group at Ridge Point a couple weeks later. One of my supervisors even encouraged me, saying that I have the gift of teaching! I have never heard that before, and it humbled and empowered me all at the same time. Because of your support, I am able to practice teaching at camp and church and be coached by others who have been teaching for years. Wow, what an honor. God is so good!

For more information about the residency and/or to set up your account to support me, go to http://ridgepointff.org/fearless-leadership-residency/ Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click on "Support a Resident" for monthly support or "One Time Gift" for... well... a one time gift. 😉 

In God's grace,

~Hannah

P.S. Sorry, it's been so long since my last post! It's been crazy with the holidays, my wedding, a friend's wedding, camp, and just adjusting to married life! I've had ups and downs, but God has been faithful and so good to me and Alex through it all. I hope to post more regularly now! Thank You!!!!!!