WEEK 1. God is good all the time, All the time God is good.

Chaotically...In between dinner and the Hoe Down Sundaes...here it is.
To describe the past week at Windy Gap...WOW! From learning to do laundry for 390 people...fitted sheets, flat sheets, towel exchange, kitchen rags, work crew and summer staff laundry- Yikes! You could actually fit inside the dryers (which at some point the girls and I will see how many times we can go around inside it! Although we are stuck inside the laundry room, we are finding amuzing ways to keep entertained. I experienced one of my hardest weeks here at camp. I wasn't thinking about Charleston and the move, but I was disappointed in the lack of time that I had to encourage my girls. Time to sit down and go deep. We are constantly up to our heads (I mean literally) with laundry! In the midst of the week, I strained my muscle in my fore arm (which causes pain when trying to pull wet clothes out of the machines, we had a girl fall out of the top bunk in the middle of the night-waking me up to crying, hearing life stories of the girls (pain 17 year olds shouldn't have to carry), we have 2 gimpy girls with hurt knees, one girl knocked her face on another girls head going down on the slide-- she is swollen like a chipmunk and now has an incredible black eye! Along with all the pain, it has been long days, early mornings, late nights and finding little time to be with the Lord.

Peace in the midst of the storm.
Melissa surprised me with a note from Windy Gap's office. She was planning to come up to visit for the weekend with Sarah! This couldn't have come at a more perfect time. It was something that the Lord knew that I needed. It was amazing to share how crazy it has been, have them come along and partner with us in the laundry room (Thanks, girls!!!), see who I get to partner in sharing the gospel with this session, and hear about life in Charleston. Young Life is such a small world. As campers are cleaning their cabins and leaders are bringing their dirty sheets to us, Melissa encountered this small world. One of her childhood friends from NY was here at Windy Gap with her high school friends. So neat to watch the excitement.

We had Capernaum group from Greenville, NC here this week. Although our interaction was limited...laundry girls had the pleasure/responsibility in washing any linens that were soiled, clothes that needed washed. With our job we get to touch every aspect of camp (every camper will sleep in a clean bed, use a clean towel). We got to pray over those same sheets and towels. To be able to see those kids stand up/ or be held up and proclaim Christ was the most beautiful picture of grace. We heard Coop's story of how the Lord redeemed him. With cerebral palsy he is limited to his wheelchair, but he RUNS with Jesus!! As a leader, his heart breaks for kids like him to know Jesus. He shared with us what his job would be if he wasn't on Young Life staff: the first sit-down comic or the first disabled stripper. He is so funny. To be able to hear his heart about what makes his life hard. You would think that it would be the very things that we take for granted, but it was the very thing that is hard for most people. He desires to be married and have kids (which he can do both). He wants to meet a girl. It was amazing to hear his desire and heart, one that I completely can sympathize with. I can guarantee you that Coop and I will be friends.

One of my favorite moments- overwhelmed by the Spirit of the Lord- was after the Cross Talk and the work crew/summer staff ended the campers 20 minutes alone in camp. As we were singing, "Amazing Love." campers began to walk toward us...50 or so...at this point our camp speaker, David Haskins, began our descent down the hill into camp. I felt surrounded by the Spirit, and almost overwhelmed by the power of His kingdom. My thought: One day we will be in that place where we will be worshipping our Lord, together. Not just with 75 people, but with the whole Kingdom.

As I continue to learn of God's goodness, I am made aware of how I doubt and believe that He is holding something back from me. I despise my unbelief. For I know that He is good and intends good for me. Even a midst of the craziness and hardness of the week, He has investing a lot into showing me Himself. In the prayers of my high school friends on work crew, in the boldness of the Capernaum kids embracing and loving camp and watching them for the first time not get ignored, in the beauty and majesty of this place, in the servant hearts of each of the assigned team/summer staff/work crew, in my much needed visit from Melissa and Sarah, in being reminded of who He is and how he thinks of me.

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11