A Month Has Gone By Without A Post...Oops! :)

  So I haven't updated this in a really long time, sorry!  It's been a crazy bunch of weeks!  Starting the week of July 25, we had a group called Surf City come to "take over" camp.  Surf City is a group out of Pittsburgh that connects a bunch of youth groups in that area and brings them over (in motor coach buses) to good ole Mears, MI for a camp experience.  The Surf City staff come complete with a band, wave runners, lots of loud music, crazy outfits/costumes, and a whole lot of fun!  For a small taste of what they're like: The first day of camp the buses were greeted with an entourage of North Pole elves, reindeer, and Santa {It was Christmas in July}! During every meal the had tables set up complete with a sound system and mics for some "DJ's".  Breakfast took place during a "radio segment" called "Ketchup and Mustard in the Morning", where 2 of the staff guys wore giant Ketchup and Mustard costumes and hosted their pretend radio station from the Galley each morning.  They all had amounts of energy that I never thought possible for one single person to possess!  All-in-all, they were a blast and that was evident in each camper's face.
  Unlike the campers, my Surf City experience ended a little sooner than desired.  The second night of camp (Monday night), I went to bed early after sleeping in the Health Office for 2 hours with a stomach ache and a head ache.  Tuesday, I woke up with the same headache and proceeded to spend the day in bed resting.  Wednesday, I got out and did a few things, but still had no relief from the headache.  At dinner I had a conversation with Ben about what was going to be best for me to do, and after talking with him I made the decision to head home and get to the bottom of the pain I was having.  At 8:30 that night my parents and fiance loaded in the car and drove up to camp to pick me up because I felt unable to safely drive home alone.  The next day I went to the Dr. only to leave with no more information than the obvious: I had a migraine!  The next few days I spent resting and on Sunday had to make another decision to return to camp or stay home for a few days to return to the Dr. because I did not have the relief I needed.  Well, I ended up staying that whole week and finally returned Sunday the 8th.
  This next week was a bit different to what we had done in the past.  We held our second Treasure Seekers camp for the summer.  Treasure Seekers is for girls ages 12-14 to come and learn what it means to be a woman of God (or woman in training for these young girls).  There were only 28 girls that came so our cabin size was smaller, which was nice.  This was an amazing week!  Every girl that came to that camp was specifically placed there for a purpose and that became quite evident early in the week!  I had a few girls in my cabin alone that had been through some things that no one, let alone a 13 year old girl, should have to go through!  It was heartbreaking to hear the stories...but God is good and at the end of the week there was a drastic change evident in these girls lives! One of them did not know who Jesus was and had never heard the Gospel, but before she left Friday afternoon she made a decision to accept him as her Lord and Savior!  It was AWESOME!
  This week was also special because Grace got to be a part of the Unity Christian Music Festival in Muskegon.  Starting Thursday volunteers from camp (and others) helped at "Camp Unity" where Grace held lots of fun things like: a paintball tent (which Matthew West just happened to come take some shots in), a Ga-Ga pit, an Archery range, a climbing tower, and much more!  Friday night Jason and I decided to go to the festival to check it out and to hear Casting Crowns perform, and Saturday we actually volunteered to help out during the afternoon.  After we were done on Saturday we checked out some other booths and got to hear Mandisa, Matthew West, and Jeremy Camp!  It was a blast!
  The next week, which was the last for summer camps, I was on program staff.  I helped out with the guest group we had from Kalamazoo, and did some other end-of-the-summer cleaning.  Friday night we had our final meal together as summer staff (well, those who were still around), and we watched the staff video and then most of us headed home.  It was hard to leave!  It has been one of the best summers I have ever had, and it was spent being the hands and feet of God!  Now I've been home for 3 days and have done a great amount already, and have a LOT more to do before October 22!  But I'm so excited for this new chapter in my life, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our new life together!
  This summer, God has taught me many things.  But as I look back one thing stands out among the rest.  To trust Him with everything!  Not just what I'm comfortable giving to Him, but EVERYTHING!  This has prepared me to be the wife and woman that God wants me to be.  Jason and I don't have much of an idea as to what's to come in the next couple of years, but if we put our complete trust in God we know that He will provide wherever we are or in whatever we are doing.  One of my favorite verses fits perfectly in with what I have learned this summer, and I will end with it. "Trust in the Lord with ALL of your heart, lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and HE will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6