Hey there :)
So, my last post on here was in April which is pure craziness :P I always said that this was going to be an every now and again deal, but I'm hoping to try and keep it more consistant than that from now on. So, as you can imagine, a lot has happened to me since April, which it normally does. God has been taking my on a lot of crazy journeys, some breezy and beautiful, some frustrating and "pounding a brick wall" material. But I feel like the climax to these journeys, the door that finally opened to show me a bit more of what God wants and has for me, came this summer in Athelstane WI.
I'm not sure if I posted anything about this before, but I was in Wisconsin for about a month this summer, working as a camp councelor. The camp I was at is called Camp Daniel, and it is specifically for adults and children with disabilities. The ratio of camper to councelor is one to one, so you are paired with your camper at the beginning of the week and do everything with them. It was, seriously, one of the most life, mind and heart changing times of my life.
I found right off th bat that the position I held was going to require total sacrifice. Not just a bit of sacrifice and then time for me (which I came to realise that was what I was used to), but complete selflessness from 7 or 8 in the morning until 9 at night. I don't think I've been that tired, but I also don't think I've felt that satisfaction or that sense of purpose before either.
Before the camper arrived, we had quite a few hours of orientation, letting us know how everything was going to run, what to expect, things like that. That's also where I found the drive and determination to give the week my all for whoever I was paired with. For most of the campers, the week at Camp Daniel is something they look forward to all year. There are campers who pack weeks, sometimes months in advance. The story was told of one camper who begins calling three months before camp starts to find out which team he will be on. It is a place where the campers feel safe, like they belong, and they are free to be themselves, even if it's only for the week.
The other thing shared at orientation that really changed my perspective was regarding the spiritual side of the week. We were told that we were the "Jesus person" in our campers life for the week. Alot of the campers had never been to church before or really had any positive encounters with Christianity. I'll be honest, that freaked me out just as much as it motivated me :P.
So, as I look back on all that I just wrote, it really is a lot of and describing and not a whole lot of explaining. This summer has been a huge eye opener for me. There is a whole culture of people, those who have disabilities, that separate ourselves from. They have amazing gifts and talents that go un noticed and pushed aside because they are deemed different. This has become especially apparent to me within the context of the church. There are campers there who are amazing prayer warriors, lead the worship teams, and the genuine way that they simply worship the Lord together is one of the purest and most honest things I've ever experienced.
So that's all for now. My heart and me head are full, and so I will fill you in on more of what's going on soon. It really is amazing what God will do with your heart when you surrender it to Him. Talk to you soon!
Lots of Love
God Bless
Meaghan :)
~Romans 8:38~
