Hey! Erin and Nathan here! We just finished our first full day of camp, and we could not be more proud of our team. Despite the language barrier and lack of sleep, they have already begun building relationships with campers, jumping in to help wherever needed, and sharing their testimonies. Our travel went smoothly, except for when the train stopped in a different town and the train lady woke Jacob Reinking up from his nap to usher us all off onto a bus we hoped was going in the right direction. We’ve been reassured by the Stoughs that we got the full Spanish experience. 🙂
Some highlights:
- A hike up to the castle as a team once we got to Berea where one of our team members remarked that the whole trip would be worth it just for the view.
- Sunday morning before the campers arrived, we had a time of worship and prayer as a team where we committed the week to the Lord.
- Sunday afternoon we played several intense games of volleyball, including one where everyone had to touch the ball at least once. With 25 of us, it took a couple – okay, maybe 100 – tries, but we eventually got it! (5 minutes before campers started arriving to boot!)
- Natalie Snyder and Jacob Baldwin both did a great job sharing about their lives and how God has been faithful. The big question they were each asked is “Why is following Jesus worth it for you?” The students were engaged and asked great questions.
- Our three game show hosts, J Money (Jenn Stough), Randy Beans (Nathan Kingsley), and Fannie Wigglebottom (Lauren Reinking) kicked us off with pizzazz and continue to make guest star appearances.
Some prayer requests:
- Praise that the camp is full!! Several weeks ago we only had 20 campers signed up, and 56 came on Sunday!
- The always necessary at camp prayer – energy & endurance. The days are long, the nights are short, but we know the Spirit within us will sustain us.
- Logistics – it’s the 4th of July, and that means our “Let Freedom Ring Bonanza!” It also means Erin teaching another English class and the team leading a Survivor-themed evening activity, so there are many moving pieces. There are always lots of details and schedules to keep track of, but especially so today.
- Team unity – praise that this prayer has already been answered, as we have really bonded with the Spanish team and each other. We ask for continued prayers that we would work together well and show Christ’s love to each other and the campers through the way we extend grace and provide encouragement.
