An unusual camp experience...

In the summers I usually make a little extra money on the side by working camps. For the past 4 years and 5 summers I have worked for the same club lacrosse team and while it's had it's ups and downs I enjoy every summer and feel like there are multiple opportunities to improve my community through working with the kids and coaches at this camp. This isn't just a lacrosse camp but a bit of a life experience camp. The girls are encouraged to share and get advice about life as well as college (they are all rising seniors). The company's modo is "You are who you are so BE it" encouraging young girls to discover who they are and who they want to be and then to BE themselves. Every summer the girls and counselors have to come up with and share their BE word. I've probably had a different word every summer since my memory is suspect at times but this summer I chose BE contagious. The kids all laughed of course because I'm the athletic trainer but I want to be contagious in a good way. I want the way that I am living my life to inspire others to do the same things and to spread the love that I have in my heart around and just be a living testimony to the heart of Jesus. So while I laughed at first I soon had a captive audience and really felt as if the words that were coming out of me weren't mine but that of my savior!

This experience was encouraging and moving but it was the experience that would come next which takes the prize. The owner of the company and head coach of the team then encouraged me to share the change that I have made in my life over the past couple of years that has made such a difference in my hope and happiness. I then shared the shorter version of my testimony and how I had rededicated my life to Christ with a group of 40 female lacrosse players who probably were not expecting to hear about Jesus this week. I haven't shared my testimony to a large group like this ever and I will say while I was excited but uncomfortable at first by the end I was sure that this was no accident and that God was working through me that evening. What an amazing experience which I didn't see coming or really prepare for that just happened before me.

From my testimony I had a few girls come up to me and tell me that they would like to talk with me about some of the things I said that night. While I didn't directly bring anyone to Christ that night or the following nights I hope that I at least made a difference in a few 17 year old lives and gave a little hope to a few hopeless teenagers in some way or form. My work with FCA is really what prepared me to do this at camp and part of the reason that I return to this camp summer after summer is I feel like I can testify to these kids not necessarily through words but through actions and be a positive influence in their lives over a week to 10 day period. I have a strong desire and will to lead these kids to Christ but I know that if I bombard them with it or force it on them that they will rebel and run away like many things that are currently happening in their lives. I feel like if I can be a positive influence that maybe later in their lives when they approach the thought of devoting their lives to Jesus they will think back and say to themselves "well she seemed to have a lot of love in her heart and she didn't force me into anything, maybe that's what I want for my life". I think that is all I can hope for and maybe once in my life I can be involved and witness leading someone to Christ but until then I will settle for spreading love and happiness to the lives of teenagers and young adults.