Twice a day, we meet with everyone else at camp, about 2,500 others, for worship. It was always incredible. As I asked the youth what their favorite part of camp was, student after student, told me worship. It was phenomenal to watch our kids worship with total abandon.

They dove into the Word like it was finals time, cramming every bit they could in before the closing prayer. Students were not only attentive, but enthralled with the speaker, the content, and their Savior.

After Celebration in the evening, we had a meeting with our whole church group. Wednesday Zack invited a man who was a Compassion International sponsored child and is now working with Compassion, just finished his Bachelor's degree in Accounting, and is serving his people back in Kenya as a pastor.

Each church is added to one of four spirit teams. This year we were Green Rumble... and we went for it. We like to win! You were green, paint yourself green, yell for green... all week long. We saw capes and tutu's, tribal paint, and even fanny packs! in team colors!

Water Day

Each day at Rec students play and are challenged It's just for fun - lots of fun. At the end of Rec there is always a devotion, led by one of the camp staff.

The first day was water day and each station was designed to soak the kids. They played with sponges, tarps, baby pools, and lots and lots of water.

Mud Day

This was the most fun and most logistically awful day. Trying to get 60+ girls through 8 showers in 30 minutes was a challenge. Zack told the kids to wear clothes that they could just take to the dumpster.

Quite a few were hesitant, at best, about mud day, but after it started they were all in. The looks on their faces - and mud in the eyes and ears - speaks volumes about how much fun they each had playing in the mud.

Squad Wars

This day was Shallowater against like 5 other churches and we dominated. Over 96 tasks were arranged at various stations, each with a point value attached. Points earned plastic ball in baby pools. Upon the completion of your task, you were allowed to move "points" from their pool into your pool. Whole team challenges offered opportunity to earn lots of points all at once.

Our students were in it to win it. When it was announced they we won at the end the students even sung the fight song - twice! 

After the devo this day, Zach encouraged the students to do everything with that level of commitment and zeal - study, worship, play.. .all of it.  

Time away. Time with your thoughts. Time with Jesus allows for room for relationships to form, others to strengthen, and others to heal. It was amazing, but not surprising, to watch the Lord work in the lives of the students and heal some deep hurts. He brought people together to inspire one another and light fires to take what they've learned with them into the school year.

Adventure is typically a given when you move 100+ people 5 hours on way and this trip was no different. At least one bus over heated each way, Jeremy told football stories from back in the day, and we watched movies - and mostly slept - to pass the time.

Each morning these group leaders would meet with others from LOTS of other churches to learn about the theme and the lesson for the day. After the meeting each day, as a group, we stopped to visit and to pray. It was a wildly diverse group - and just who God intended for this trip.

I just woke up from a 48 hour nap after returning from camp. Last week, I took off with 104 of our youth to Glorieta, NM for 5 days of Student Life Camp. On our way to camp - a 5 hour drive on two packed tour buses - one of my youth minister friends told me that going to youth camp as a sponsor was like taking care of newborn triplets and advised me to sleep when I could.

The week was exhausting. It was wild. It was a blessing. It was memorable. We learned so much throughout the week and by day 2 the other adult sponsor and I were already talking about, "next year we should..."

On the last night the youth leaders were asking who was going again next year. They didn't want to break up "the dream team." Even with the sleep deprivation, I think that I'd still like to go again. However, I can't imagine why there isn't an application process and a waiting list of adults clamoring to go. I feel like I should have to rotate with others who want to go.

We are blessed with some incredible kids. So for those who think they might want to jump on the big bus next year, here are my top tips:

Plan on it. We often think nothing of plunking down hundreds of dollars for soccer camp, gymnastics camp, band camp, or (fill in the blank with any other activity) camp. We will even schedule family vacations and other commitments around them, because we recognize the benefit of concentrated efforts in those areas. 

Imagine what could happen if we put as much effort and financial investment into our children's spiritual development! 

​Take the time off. Reschedule. Commit to it. 
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Mentally, get ready for this, as much as possible. Pray. Pray. Pray. Get ready for anything. Be open to whatever God has been preparing for you and the youth. 

I left the night before from a baseball tournament in Sweetwater, drove home, tossed stuff in a suitcase, and left with the youth at 8am the next morning. I forgot all kinds of stuff - like a towel (Thanks for saving me, Danae) and had too much of others - like clothes. I thought that I would change for chapel each night. That didn't happen.

​Practically, bring stuff. The kids will forget stuff, lots of it. Bring some stuff. Hairdryers. Band-aids. An extra towel. Extension cord. If I get to go on the trip again, I will have a very different packing list.

I brought a backpack and that was wonderful. I packed things for the day in it and it came in handy.

Although it looked like we brought two of everything, I was surprised by the things that youth asked, "Hey, do you have a..."

My own child wore the same clothes SEVERAL days in a row. Not sure why. Don't want to know.

The more you put in, the more you will get out. Go. Get out. Jump in. Be part of the group by participating in activities, not standing on the side.

That said, I didn't participate in the Rec activities, except by encouraging, cheering and taking photos - lots of photos. The youth were probably thankful for that, although they would have been gracious and allowed me to mess up their groove. I am glad that I went to Rec time, walked around, and visited with them. Watching them play allowed me opportunities to observe the group dynamics too. It also allowed me a different avenue to create relationships with some of the students I didn't know.
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Some of the best moments of camp are the unscripted times.

Share. Be ready to share with the youth about your testimony and your faith. They are curious. Once they know that you listen and will keep their confidences, they will start to open up. Remember though, you share to get them to open up.

Camp played a significant role in my spiritual life as I grew up. I learned to have a quiet time at camp. I learned to recognize God's Spirit speaking to my heart at camp. I learned to work out my faith at camp.
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At some point, our kids will choose to either make your faith their own or reject it entirely. You can't make that choice for them, but you can give them opportunities along the way.

A Bible-believing camp is the perfect opportunity for  kids to step into their own relationship with God. For a few days they are not distracted by home life, sibling squabbles, or pressure from school. It's just them and God.

Serve the youth minister and the kids. Help create opportunities for those encounters to occur.