My summer has been nothing less than crazy with summer camps, mini-vacations and adjustment back to the states. Read on to hear just how crazy, yet enjoyable, my life has been these last few months!
My summer has been jammed packed with numerous summer camps, two week trips out to visit friends in Denver, fourth of July weekends busy visiting family, random work here and there and an upcoming trip to Ohio to visit the only and only Rebecca Sorrell.
Outside of the craziness, it’s still been an enjoyable summer. I’ve had lots of coffee dates (thank you unemployment) and met a ton of incredible people. The camps I’ve helped out with are the usual Nebraska Leadership Seminar (NLS) and Royal Family Kids Camp (RFKC). Everything was going as normal until last week, until I staffed a new Royal Family Camp in Cozad.
I’ve been a part of Royal Family Kids Camp for five years and I have loved every minute of it. I have spent five years getting to know my little Sadie-Bug and helping her learn and understand the love her Father has for her. I’ve spent many hours at the spin-art table with Irma as she creates and recreates the same picture. I’ve learned dance moves and actions to worship songs that seem to get stuck in my head for weeks at a time. I’ve learned what it means to love those little children unconditionally and show them the Kingdom of God despite the chaos of abuse many of them live in.
For the first time since I started volunteering with RFKC I wasn’t a big camper at camp this week, I was the camp social worker. I was so nervous. I was at a camp where I knew only one person on staff and I felt that I wasn’t cut out for the job since I hadn’t held a “real” social work job in almost two years. I was afraid that I would fail the kids and the camp. What if a little camper needed something that I couldn’t provide? What if something happened and I didn’t know how to intervene? What if this, what if that, etc. But to my surprise, like always, the Lord provided more than I could ever imagine.
Camp is always a little chaotic, regardless how well all of the staff, directors and everyone else plans. But this week, I was able to experience more of what it takes to make camp happen. I was able to go “behind the scenes” and take on a little more responsibility and leadership. I was able to get to know and spend time with every single little camper instead of just a handful like I have in the past. I made phone calls to guardians and parents when we needed more information. I talked with case workers when we had questions or concerns about certain kiddos. I had a few sleepless nights spent with kiddos that couldn’t sleep for various reasons and still had strength to function the next day. (Thank you Jesus!)
The Lord used this week to help me remember why I chose to become a social worker in the first place, He used this week to reignite my passion for foster care and the kids within the system. He used this week to remind me what I’m passionate about and that HE put those passions deep inside my heart before I even knew what they were.
On two occasions at camp, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt deep conviction from the Spirit to spend time in the word or in worship. Both times I said to myself, “Really, right now? You want to spend time with me at 3 o’clock in the morning?” But both times, I was so thankful I listened to the Spirit and spent some time with Jesus. I’ve never really felt like RFKC has drastically changed my relationship with the Lord or faith in Him; most weeks I leave so exhausted and emotionally drained to even think about it.
This week was different. The first time I woke up in the middle of the night I was almost discouraged, actually I was totally discouraged. I felt so alive in my spirit because I was totally in my element at camp; serving Jesus, spending time with kids, being outside, working with the foster care system and being on a team of incredible people. But at the same time I was almost mad at the Lord because I had this same feeling when I was in Uganda; in Uganda I found my joy, I was touched each time I saw a Muslim encounter Jesus, I watched people get healed and find salvation, I was on fire. But I kept saying to the Lord, “Why did you make me so passionate about two things that are worlds apart?” Despite my child-like attitude and complaining, I felt so comforted by the Lord when He reminded me that wherever I was He would use me and that He knew, before time began, what I would be passionate about. I just simply needed to increase my trust in Him to make my passions align.
The second time I had a divine encounter with the Lord in the middle of the night was when I was trying to go to bed at 2:00AM on Thursday. I couldn’t sleep; I was tossing and turning, worrying about campers who I knew were having trouble sleeping, just super distracted and wide awake when I felt I needed to get out the word and listen to The Inheritance. The next day I was planning on talking with each and every camper at our closing ceremony before leaving camp about letting go of our past hurts. I already had everything planned and felt good about what I would be teaching on. Then I started getting words from the Spirit like a wind and I couldn’t write fast enough in my journal to get it all down. As I began journaling the Lord slowly started changing my teaching for the next day, and wow am I so thankful he did.
I’ve been a part of Royal Family Kids Camp for five years and I have loved every minute of it. I have spent five years getting to know my little Sadie-Bug and helping her learn and understand the love her Father has for her. I’ve spent many hours at the spin-art table with Irma as she creates and recreates the same picture. I’ve learned dance moves and actions to worship songs that seem to get stuck in my head for weeks at a time. I’ve learned what it means to love those little children unconditionally and show them the Kingdom of God despite the chaos of abuse many of them live in.
For the first time since I started volunteering with RFKC I wasn’t a big camper at camp this week, I was the camp social worker. I was so nervous. I was at a camp where I knew only one person on staff and I felt that I wasn’t cut out for the job since I hadn’t held a “real” social work job in almost two years. I was afraid that I would fail the kids and the camp. What if a little camper needed something that I couldn’t provide? What if something happened and I didn’t know how to intervene? What if this, what if that, etc. But to my surprise, like always, the Lord provided more than I could ever imagine.
Camp is always a little chaotic, regardless how well all of the staff, directors and everyone else plans. But this week, I was able to experience more of what it takes to make camp happen. I was able to go “behind the scenes” and take on a little more responsibility and leadership. I was able to get to know and spend time with every single little camper instead of just a handful like I have in the past. I made phone calls to guardians and parents when we needed more information. I talked with case workers when we had questions or concerns about certain kiddos. I had a few sleepless nights spent with kiddos that couldn’t sleep for various reasons and still had strength to function the next day. (Thank you Jesus!)
The Lord used this week to help me remember why I chose to become a social worker in the first place, He used this week to reignite my passion for foster care and the kids within the system. He used this week to remind me what I’m passionate about and that HE put those passions deep inside my heart before I even knew what they were.
On two occasions at camp, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt deep conviction from the Spirit to spend time in the word or in worship. Both times I said to myself, “Really, right now? You want to spend time with me at 3 o’clock in the morning?” But both times, I was so thankful I listened to the Spirit and spent some time with Jesus. I’ve never really felt like RFKC has drastically changed my relationship with the Lord or faith in Him; most weeks I leave so exhausted and emotionally drained to even think about it.
This week was different. The first time I woke up in the middle of the night I was almost discouraged, actually I was totally discouraged. I felt so alive in my spirit because I was totally in my element at camp; serving Jesus, spending time with kids, being outside, working with the foster care system and being on a team of incredible people. But at the same time I was almost mad at the Lord because I had this same feeling when I was in Uganda; in Uganda I found my joy, I was touched each time I saw a Muslim encounter Jesus, I watched people get healed and find salvation, I was on fire. But I kept saying to the Lord, “Why did you make me so passionate about two things that are worlds apart?” Despite my child-like attitude and complaining, I felt so comforted by the Lord when He reminded me that wherever I was He would use me and that He knew, before time began, what I would be passionate about. I just simply needed to increase my trust in Him to make my passions align.
The second time I had a divine encounter with the Lord in the middle of the night was when I was trying to go to bed at 2:00AM on Thursday. I couldn’t sleep; I was tossing and turning, worrying about campers who I knew were having trouble sleeping, just super distracted and wide awake when I felt I needed to get out the word and listen to The Inheritance. The next day I was planning on talking with each and every camper at our closing ceremony before leaving camp about letting go of our past hurts. I already had everything planned and felt good about what I would be teaching on. Then I started getting words from the Spirit like a wind and I couldn’t write fast enough in my journal to get it all down. As I began journaling the Lord slowly started changing my teaching for the next day, and wow am I so thankful he did.
The next day after lunch I met the little campers over at the activity centers to start our closing ceremony. I was a little nervous as how things would go since I changed things up just a few hours before. As I had the little campers gathered around me sitting on the ground, I looked at each one of them and spoke to them about the Father’s love and how He has a love so perfect He is able to wash away all of the hurts ("rocks") we hold onto in our hearts. I spoke on Philippians 1:6 and told them how the Lord created a good work in them and that He would carry it out until the day of Jesus Christ. When I concluded my talk, the little campers were handed sticky notes and pens to let go of some of the “rocks” in their heart. I played the song The Sun is Rising by Britt Nicole and slowly but surely I saw each child have a moment with the Lord. Whether they were crying, withdrawing or finally finding hope I saw it in their eyes that the Spirit was on the move. When we were finished we crucified the hurts on a cross and chose the Love of our Father in exchange for our “rocks.” I was in shock seeing how the words I received from the Lord at 3 in the morning so heavily impacted each of the little campers.
Now that camp has come to a close for all of us, I think of those kids often. I think of how they’re doing. I think of what they might be doing. I wonder if they’re being fed and cared for. I think about a lot of things, but through it all I rest assured in what I saw the Spirit do in those kids - and in me - Friday morning.
- Isaiah 61 -
Bringing freedom to the captives,
-Victoria
Now that camp has come to a close for all of us, I think of those kids often. I think of how they’re doing. I think of what they might be doing. I wonder if they’re being fed and cared for. I think about a lot of things, but through it all I rest assured in what I saw the Spirit do in those kids - and in me - Friday morning.
- Isaiah 61 -
Bringing freedom to the captives,
-Victoria