Ok... So this is not the famed English Camp update article. That's coming. I promise. This is a little bit more mundane than that. I've had this song stuck in my head for about two weeks now. The band came up on my internet radio station, I liked the song I heard, so... like we all do in the age of iTunes, and online music services... I went and checked out some of their other music. Long story short I've had their CD on constant rotation for the past two weeks... and it hasn't let up. So I'm sharing the love, and embedding their official music video from YouTube on my blog. The band's name is Metric ... They're an indietronic group based out of Toronto (Yeah Great Lakes region... even if its on the other side of the border... gotta represent). The song is called "Gimme Sympathy." And to answer their question in the chorus... The Beatles, hands down (2 words on that "White Album")
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Ok...
So its been WAYYYYY too long since I've updated it. For good cause --- I think. Things got kind of crazy towards the end of English Camp and are just now, this week, really starting to slow down. There's actually a lot of cool stuff happening that I feel really fortunate to be able to be part of, and things I/We are looking into doing. More information on that coming in a later post.
I really feel its kind of necessary to write a brief post now summing up what happened at English Camp this year, and then later this week writing a longer one (With lots of pictures of course) with more information about the specifics of what happened at camp.
In a word camp was AWESOME. I'm always amazed at how God uses these times for so many different purposes. I would guess that on average about 75% would already consider themselves as Christians. We move a total of about 200 kids through our regional camp program each summer. That means at a conservative estimate about 50 of those kids are not... Our conservative estimates (understand that these numbers are in no way OFFICIAL but come from talking to different directors etc.) have the number of first time decisions for Jesus at about 15... that means about 1/3 of the kids who came not professing to already have accepted Jesus found him this summer. Now I realize that not all these decisions will stick (yes I've read the parable of the sower... yes I'm definitely a realist, and yes I also realize that not all of the kids claiming to already be Christians really are). BUT IF THAT DOESN'T GET YOU FIRED UP TO GO TO WORK... seriously I don't know what would.
Oh... and that doesn't in any way shape or form reflect recommittments, rededications, or any other kids of decision... JUST a first time decisions to accept Christ as Savior. More to come later... (stories... specific stories).
Hopefully in the next few days I'll give a more full picture of what happened at the two camps I was at... Show some pictures, and share some stories.
I really feel its kind of necessary to write a brief post now summing up what happened at English Camp this year, and then later this week writing a longer one (With lots of pictures of course) with more information about the specifics of what happened at camp.
In a word camp was AWESOME. I'm always amazed at how God uses these times for so many different purposes. I would guess that on average about 75% would already consider themselves as Christians. We move a total of about 200 kids through our regional camp program each summer. That means at a conservative estimate about 50 of those kids are not... Our conservative estimates (understand that these numbers are in no way OFFICIAL but come from talking to different directors etc.) have the number of first time decisions for Jesus at about 15... that means about 1/3 of the kids who came not professing to already have accepted Jesus found him this summer. Now I realize that not all these decisions will stick (yes I've read the parable of the sower... yes I'm definitely a realist, and yes I also realize that not all of the kids claiming to already be Christians really are). BUT IF THAT DOESN'T GET YOU FIRED UP TO GO TO WORK... seriously I don't know what would.
Oh... and that doesn't in any way shape or form reflect recommittments, rededications, or any other kids of decision... JUST a first time decisions to accept Christ as Savior. More to come later... (stories... specific stories).
Hopefully in the next few days I'll give a more full picture of what happened at the two camps I was at... Show some pictures, and share some stories.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sunday
Sunday is secretly my favorite day of camp. Actually I don't think its that much of a secret. Basically, outside of church, meals, and then chapel, the day is "free time" for the campers, which means that we (the staff) get a chance to mingle and just spend time with the kids without constantly worrying about the schedule or or respective jobs. Yesterday was an awesome day for that. We watched a movie as a camp, we hung out, we played Ping Pong... I'm just sad that there's no real chance like that again at camp... and that it comes pretty close to the beginning of camp rather than later on when we all know each other better.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
A New Day, Another Adventure
Goooood Morning CAMPERS!!!!
Ok --- I love how each camp is totally different than the camp that came before it. Each staff brings its own culture, and each mix of kids is different. Its part of what I love so much about our camp program --- Its unpredictable, and there are always new challenges.
Camp 2 started a couple of days ago. So far its been interesting. I feel like I've spent less time working with the campers than ever before (which is definitely true). But its been rewarding in its own way. Its been great getting to know the team I'm working as part of - Most of them are from California, and their energy is kind of infectious :-).
There have been challenges as well --- Yesterday we lost a camper. Its not that we did anything wrong. A girl came down with a terrible headache the first day of camp that didn't let up. By yesterday afternoon she was lying in her bed, writhing in pain, hyperventilating. We called an ambulance and took her to the hospital in Loerrach, about twenty minutes away. My friend Anne, one of the translators at camp, and I drove behind her. After a couple of hours of waiting, she was transferred to a different hospital in Freiburg where they could do more tests... Her parents are picking her up today. Needless to say as a camp we're concerned about her. So if you could keep this girl in prayer that would be greatly appreciated.
Also if you could keep the combined English Camp Staff in prayer. I know that each staff member at each individual camp would greatly appreciate the prayers!
Ok --- I love how each camp is totally different than the camp that came before it. Each staff brings its own culture, and each mix of kids is different. Its part of what I love so much about our camp program --- Its unpredictable, and there are always new challenges.
Camp 2 started a couple of days ago. So far its been interesting. I feel like I've spent less time working with the campers than ever before (which is definitely true). But its been rewarding in its own way. Its been great getting to know the team I'm working as part of - Most of them are from California, and their energy is kind of infectious :-).
There have been challenges as well --- Yesterday we lost a camper. Its not that we did anything wrong. A girl came down with a terrible headache the first day of camp that didn't let up. By yesterday afternoon she was lying in her bed, writhing in pain, hyperventilating. We called an ambulance and took her to the hospital in Loerrach, about twenty minutes away. My friend Anne, one of the translators at camp, and I drove behind her. After a couple of hours of waiting, she was transferred to a different hospital in Freiburg where they could do more tests... Her parents are picking her up today. Needless to say as a camp we're concerned about her. So if you could keep this girl in prayer that would be greatly appreciated.
Also if you could keep the combined English Camp Staff in prayer. I know that each staff member at each individual camp would greatly appreciate the prayers!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Football Was Made for the Rain
(Written on Saturday Night)
But we didn’t actually play football outside today – which was a pity because it was our “Superbowl” theme day. It’s cold for summer, the temperature has been hanging around 60 degrees for a high the past couple of days, you know it’s cold in July when you step outside at three in the afternoon and can see your breath. And it’s been raining – so during activities time, a torrential downpour that started sometime yesterday (Friday) night and had been pretty much going on all last night.
SO --- we didn’t “grunt” and drag a camp full of kids outside to play in the mud (German kids don’t quite like getting dirty like American ones do). So there I was in the middle of a room of German teens teaching them how to play paper football… Its amazing. I haven’t shared any of the academic lessons from high school (I take it back, I helped one camper with math homework once) but the game we used to kill time with during study hall came in handy in a pinch. So we had a massive round robin paper football tournament.
And the verdict --- They LOVED it.
And its days like these that I realize how much I love my job.
But we didn’t actually play football outside today – which was a pity because it was our “Superbowl” theme day. It’s cold for summer, the temperature has been hanging around 60 degrees for a high the past couple of days, you know it’s cold in July when you step outside at three in the afternoon and can see your breath. And it’s been raining – so during activities time, a torrential downpour that started sometime yesterday (Friday) night and had been pretty much going on all last night.
SO --- we didn’t “grunt” and drag a camp full of kids outside to play in the mud (German kids don’t quite like getting dirty like American ones do). So there I was in the middle of a room of German teens teaching them how to play paper football… Its amazing. I haven’t shared any of the academic lessons from high school (I take it back, I helped one camper with math homework once) but the game we used to kill time with during study hall came in handy in a pinch. So we had a massive round robin paper football tournament.
And the verdict --- They LOVED it.
And its days like these that I realize how much I love my job.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Post for 2 Days
(This part was written on Thursday night, at around midnight... internet was down over here on Friday).
So the first day of camp was today, actually by the time this is posted it will be “yesterday.” This is round 8. In some ways the start of camp feels very familiar by now – the awkward first greetings, trying to get through the first round of chapel and room times, trying to forge the start of relationships. However, this is the first time I’m “Directing.”
The truth is: I’m nervous. On the other hand though, God has brought together an amazing staff from all over Europe and North America. And I can say, and be totally honest, that each one of them is deeply appreciated. I’m constantly amazed at how different personalities can work together to complete a whole.
I can’t claim to be any kind of “great leader.” I know my strengths, I know I do have some, and I know my weaknesses as well – in a lot of ways I’m so very glad this staff is around to pick me up when I fall (because I know eventually I will). Directing, at least so far, has also made me keenly aware of just how much each person on a team is needed, from job they do to the personality that they bring to the table.
I feel like I’m writing a really sappy post without an edge, so let me just clear up – I’m absolutely positive that in a couple of days we’ll have some serious issues, not necessarily because of any particular person, or group, but because any group of people who work hours as long as we do, in an already stressful situation is bound to have them. I’m just praying that God gives us all the wisdom to make it through those situations with as much grace as possible, and that the campers can see him through that.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Ok --- I'm writing this next part on Saturday - so the first full day of camp is over already. We've survived the first wave, and now the grind out till the end of camp 1 is on. That's kind of a negative way to put it. In some ways it always feels like that - conserving energy to try and stay as even keel as possible. But the scary thing is we only have 1 week left with the campers. A week isn't a lot of time.
It hits me harder every year. You start one of these camps and then blink and its over. Its amazing what God does during such a short time. And I'm already dreading saying goodbye to everyone. The community that we work so hard to build in the 2 weeks together as a staff, and then for 9 or 10 days with the campers is over... and you'll never get that same group of people together again. Its gone, relegated to memory, and pictures, dreams and prayers.
If you're reading this. Please pray that our staff could continue to get good sleep, that we'd have wisdom in our interactions with the campers and that we'd continue to serve God in our actions, words, and attitudes.
Steve
Saturday, July 11, 2009
And in the red corner we have...
So I've had the theme song from Rocky stuck in my head for the past few days... The best reason that I can think of why is that I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of a colossal boxing match, and we've just finished the opening rounds...
What that means is baisically.... ENGLISH CAMP STAFF GETS HERE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok, thats a lot of exclamation points, but I think you get the picture. Its been kind of a brutal, long work week, and I realize my days are going to stay busy, stressful, and long. But the payoff starts tomorrow when we start getting our staff in. I'm all sorts of fired up and ready to go. I'm celebrating my last night in my appartment with some frozen food and a movie... Trying to take my last couple hours of relative peace and quiet and milk them for all that they're worth... cause I won't get much more until August.
That being said, I'm hoping to keep my blog relatively updated while at camp. I won't be able to do much, however I should be able to ge ta few pictures up, as well as a few stories and prayer requests as we go - so keep reading!
In leaving you I'm posting the short version of a video that will rear its ugly head at camp this year --- Yes that's me with a 500g hamburger... no I don't normally eat like that... yest I know I'm feeding into the American sterotype posting this, no I'm not trying to prove it right ;-) (You just gotta trust me on that one)
What that means is baisically.... ENGLISH CAMP STAFF GETS HERE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok, thats a lot of exclamation points, but I think you get the picture. Its been kind of a brutal, long work week, and I realize my days are going to stay busy, stressful, and long. But the payoff starts tomorrow when we start getting our staff in. I'm all sorts of fired up and ready to go. I'm celebrating my last night in my appartment with some frozen food and a movie... Trying to take my last couple hours of relative peace and quiet and milk them for all that they're worth... cause I won't get much more until August.
That being said, I'm hoping to keep my blog relatively updated while at camp. I won't be able to do much, however I should be able to ge ta few pictures up, as well as a few stories and prayer requests as we go - so keep reading!
In leaving you I'm posting the short version of a video that will rear its ugly head at camp this year --- Yes that's me with a 500g hamburger... no I don't normally eat like that... yest I know I'm feeding into the American sterotype posting this, no I'm not trying to prove it right ;-) (You just gotta trust me on that one)
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