Her Camp Alandale Family - Session #4, July 6-10

Letter to Prayer Coordinators for Session #4, July 6-10, 7th-9th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

Typically during our middle school weeks I, Gallagher, have found it more difficult to connect in some way to the campers that come up; it has been the experience of many counselors here at Camp Alandale in feeling, for lack of better words, “voiceless.” It can be difficult to break through those thick walls, the ones they’ve been building since grade school. As for me, this week was a bit different. I had a camper named Jose. Jose was born with lung complication, due to the fact that his mother was a drug addict. This has always led Jose from one abusive home after another. He talked about his uncle taking his head and beating it against a brick wall because he forgot to do the laundry. A few years later he moved back with his mother and she introduced him to a man who would eventually molest and rape Jose.

During one-on-one time, we talked about the power of forgiveness. Jose didn't want to hold onto this pain anymore, I was in awe when he said he didn't want to be angry with the man who took his innocence away. Jose believed in Jesus but this week, he learned to trust in Him, and to let go of all past pain. Jose and many other young boys and girls have a long and difficult road ahead of them. Keep in mind, our hope is not in what man can do, our hope his in Jesus.

For several months, God had heavily placed on my, Janine, heart the summer staff role of food coordinating. It was a difficult call to say, “Yes” to, for it required me to coordinate full-time rather than counsel every other week like the other summer staff roles. Counseling is a job like no other. That service toward Camp Alandale has been my joy and desire for three and half years now. However, God was asking me to be obedient to him. After several weeks and much prayer, I felt at peace with what God was asking of me. This week, our Lord surprised me with the need for another girl counselor—me!

God blessed me with two beautiful junior high girls in which to pour His love. Katie was 13 years old and had been in the foster system for all 13 of those years. Her mom was living in a group home for pregnant teens in New York. She was only 13 when she had Katie, and she was unable to take care of her due to her age and 3-year-running addiction to drugs. Katie had lived in over four foster homes before she turned 5 years old. One of her foster dads had repeatedly touched her inappropriately, and she was moved to California to be adopted by her aunt. Throughout the week, Katie had become very attached to the idea of the Camp Alandale family. She loved eating meals together, making her team laugh, and complimenting others. During our one-on-ones, God showed her the contrast between dysfunctional families and families that are built with Christ as their foundation and cornerstone. She had already accepted Jesus into her heart, but it was this week that her eyes were opened to the importance of having a relationship with Him.

Blessings,

Gallagher & Janine

Summer Staff 2015

Teaching About the Cross - Session #3, June 29-July 3

Letter to Prayer Coordinators for Session #3, June 29-July 3, 7th-9th Grade

Summer 2015 Theme

Greetings Dear Prayer Family,

What a full week. This week I, Brian, had two awesome campers, Hector and Ryan. Middle school is such a formative age, and these children are trying to figure out so much. On my first one-on-one with Hector he informed me that he was bisexual, and many of our conversations this week revolved around identity, particularly identity in Christ. Midway through the week Hector said to me “I see couples getting together on television and they look so happy; they look like they have it all together. I want that, but is it real? Can I really get happiness that way?” The theme of our summer camp: “Build Your Life on the Rock” was so fitting this week, and as we continued to talk, Hector began to see that happiness and how we feel aren’t the most important things in life. Hector's understanding of God was limited, and one of his first questions to me was, “Is God mad at me?”

Hector left camp with a huge smile; it lights up his whole face. I was so touched to see it several times this week as he learned truths about God, and as I poured into him. To us is given the ministry of reconciliation, and it was such a pleasure to see Hector's attitude and ideas about God change this week as he learned more about him.  Please continue to pray for Hector.

Calvin was one of my, Jessica, campers last week, and he was the only boy with a female counselor. At first I was concerned that Calvin would not want me as his counselor because I’m a woman, but I continually prayed about it throughout the week and God honored those prayers; He blessed our time together and we were able to bond and connect well.

Near the end of camp I asked Calvin what his favorite part of camp was and his response was “one-on-ones”. I truly enjoyed our one-on-ones as well, and I now gratefully look back on how God used those times to help me share His love, truth, gospel and grace with Calvin. One of my most precious memories with Calvin was during our Wednesday night one-on-one. Calvin didn’t understand the gospel of salvation, but he was very open and willing to learn, so I shared with him the forgiveness, salvation, love, hope, joy and everlasting life that are available to him in Christ Jesus. I could tell that Calvin wasn’t ready to receive Christ and give his life to God in that moment, so I didn’t pressure him, but we continued discussing the things of God. At the end of our one-on-one Calvin said to me “Thank you for teaching me about the cross.”

It was simple, but beautiful, and now I know that Calvin has heard the gospel and that the seeds have been planted. I still pray for Calvin and ask God to send someone to water those seeds and cause them to grow. It’s comforting to know that you are joining me in prayer for Calvin and all of us here at camp. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Blessings and love, your family in Christ,                   

Brian & Jessica
Summer Staff 2015

Finishing the Work - Session #2, June 22-26

Letter to Prayer Coordinators for Session #2, June 22-26, 4th-6th Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Working and ministering to children who have been taken advantage of, abandoned, and rejected can have its challenges to say the least; when those kids are 4th-6th grade campers, it’s a whole different ball game. This week, Session #2 over June 22-26, was one of those weeks. Thank you for your prayers before and throughout the week.

I, Gallagher, counseled three boys but my focus will remain on one, his name is John. He had a noticeable twitch and it would make itself known with every word spoken from him. He ran on all cylinders from the rising to the setting of the sun. Throughout the week I watched as other kids would point out his seemingly acquired gesture, leaving John disheartened and angry. I often thought and prayed asking God, “Guide my words and heal this child.” John is a good kid, he really is; he knows he’s a little different than others and right know John is unsure of how to deal with it. During testimony time at camp fire, John decided that I was safe, so he wrapped his skinny arms around mine. His head rested on my shoulders as a few sniffles meekly resounded. 

By Thursday, John had opened up to me. He still has angry towards his parents but God is starting to take that burden away. John, thankfully, has foster parents who love Jesus which makes it easier for me to let him go knowing that he’ll return to a safe and loving home. Our Father is faithful to complete the work He started. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

I, Alex, counseled for Session #2 as well. George arrived at camp with his hood on. The moment I saw him I could tell he had something he wanted to get off his chest. During our first one-on-one he hardly talked. I was having a hard time finding things he was interested in. When we were half way through the one-on-one, I was out of things to talk about and we walked in silence for a while as I was trying to think of something to say and seeking God’s direction, and eventually George began to talk and the one-on-one went better than I thought it would. Early in the week George shared with me that he used to be “emo.” One day as we were sitting at lunch God threw a question in my mind I had to ask George, “So George, what does it mean to be emo?” Right away he responded with, “Well, it means you have no future, your dreams are ruined, and your life is ruined,” he said contently with a fake smile. I was shocked. I thought of a few verses and began to unmask this lie as God led me through the conversation. One verse in particular, “'For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). He was speechless when I told him this verse. 

Later that night I was surprised when George and his sister went up together to share their testimony. His sister did most of the talking, but at the end of her time, he broke out in tears, began talking about how he missed his parents and how his older brother would continuously beat him on a daily basis. George talked about how while his brother beats him, he has tried to hug his brother and tell him how much he loves him. Throughout this time his sister was patting his back and rolling her eyes as if he is being a baby about these things going on. I finally realized how loving and caring George is, even though he doesn’t get that same love and care in return. When George left camp I could see that he was more at peace after opening up. He wasn’t completely at peace, which made me feel like a failure as a counselor, but God reminded me that He is the one doing the work in George's heart. I have faith that God will finish this good work that God is doing in George's life. Pray for him and other campers like him!

Sincerely,

Gallagher & Alex

Summer Staff 2015

God's Power Firsthand - Session #1, June 15-19

Letter to Prayer Coordinators for Session #1, June 15-19, 4th-6th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

Greetings prayer warriors! This last week, Session #1 from June 15-19, was an intense one. We only had 18 campers but it sure felt like a full camp. I was blessed with two campers named Howard and Seth. They were by far the smallest of the boy campers but seemed to have some of the biggest attitudes.

When Howard first got off the bus he was already isolating himself from the rest of the campers. As we were sitting at the tables listening to the rules, another camper started to make jokes and distract everyone. Howard was starting to get flustered as he yelled from two tables down that the other boy should be quiet. I tried to calm him down and tell him that the directors would deal with him but he did not think it was fair. This led to Howard not wanting to participate in the games afterward. This began to be a very big trend. Nothing was ever fair for him.

Fast forward to Wednesday night, Howard's behavior had progressively gotten worse. He was refusing to go to amphitheater once again. The directors had talked to him and gave him the option to either participate in the program or call his house to arrange a ride back home. As the directors were walking inside to call his house, he headed over to the amphitheater. That night Howard randomly said to me that he wanted to give his testimony and he raised his hand when the opportunity came. When it was his turn and the directors called his name to come give his testimony I was just praying that it would go well. I had no clue how this was going to turn out. As he started to give his testimony the whole amphitheater got quiet. This was a miracle! Everyone was listening and the fear of Howard feeling upset because of everyone else left me. Howard's testimony was very confusing and I could hear the hurt in his voice. As he ended his testimony it looked as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

After testimony time I had a one-on-one with Howard. He automatically suggested that we go and play Frisbee. I said that it was probably too dark for that and asked if we could go for a walk or something. He said that it wouldn’t be too dark if he had his flashlight. I was like “Well, he's got me there.” So we started walking up toward our tent to grab his flashlight. I started to ask questions about him and he replied, “I don’t really want to talk about myself.” So I asked if he wanted to hear my story. He said “Yeah, that’s fine.” I started to tell him my testimony. When I was finished with my testimony he started asking about when I accepted Jesus Christ. He had about a million questions after that. After answering numerous questions he asked if Jesus would be able to help with his anger issues and with his memory. I said that we could pray about it and he agreed. I started praying first and I prayed for various things like: Jesus to help him with his anger and memory, that he would catch a lizard, and that he would make friends at camp. When it was Howard's turn to pray he prayed the same things, but at the end of his prayer he went in a little different direction. He prayed that Jesus would put the Holy Spirit in his heart. I was very surprised and when we were done praying I told him how exciting it was that he just accepted Christ.

Howard pulled a complete 180 degree turn with his behavior. He followed directions. He was excited for Bible study. He started leading people in doing the dishes without even being asked. He seemed like a completely different kid. Although Howard still had outbursts of anger and would lash out at people, it was in those situations he was able to learn. It is works like this that could only come from Jesus. All of Howard's prayers came true during the remainder of the week. I got to witness God show Howard His power firsthand. It is an awesome experience both for him and for me. Pray that he can remember what he saw and felt at camp and that he can continue to read his Bible.

God Bless,

Tyler

Summer Staff 2015

An Overwhelming Call - Summer Staff Training, June 7-12

Letter to Prayer Coordinators for Summer Staff Training, June 7-12, 2015

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

Toward the middle of April, God placed an overwhelming call on my heart to be a part of Camp Alandale’s 2015 Summer Staff—but not in the way I had expected. My 2014 summer staff experience was amazing. I had served as a nurse (distributing meds, cleaning cuts and scrapes, and praying over campers as they needed their physical/health needs met) while still being able to counsel every other week. I have been counseling at Camp Alandale for three and a half years. Counseling campers is a task like no other. Seeing campers come to Christ during a one-on-one and seeing God heal them from their hurts is indescribable. I love counseling. Therefore, I was shocked when the Lord asked me to give up counseling for the summer.

As I grieved this calling, God lovingly massaged my hurt and slowly replaced it with excitement for the full-time (non-counseling) summer staff job of Food Coordinating. As a Food Coordinator, I would be behind the scenes—organizing food storage, ordering and receiving food orders, making sure food items for a meal are healthy and accounted for, and facilitating their preparation. The Lord showed me that this role was something He had been preparing me for in years past. As a naturally organized and detail-oriented person, the idea of budgeting, coordinating, and preparing meals “tickled my fancy.” I joyfully accepted the job.

Still, my heart ached that I would not be spending this summer as intimately with the campers. Throughout the Summer Staff Training week, I shed many tears and continually cried out to God. Ever so sweetly, He reminded me that I am still serving the campers. Many of these kids do not get healthy, planned meals three times a day. Many meaningful conversations are had around the meal times between campers and counselors. God is asking me to be an integral part in setting the stage for campers to experience all of those things. As I held onto that reminder, I felt the weight of prayers on me during the training week. As I let go of my desires, God gave me new ones. I cannot wait to see the campers, counselors, and JCs share moments together while eating at the picnic tables. I know that God is going to work mightily this summer, and I am humbled to watch it all happen.

Thank you so much for your prayers for the all of the Summer Staff during our training week. Your prayers are so important and we’re forever grateful for the time that you spend lifting us up in prayer.

Sincerely,

Janine Diaz

Summer Staff 2015

JC Training Recap - May 22-25, 2015

Letter to Prayer Coordinators for JC Training, May 22-25

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you for your diligent prayers; they are greatly appreciated.  Once again, we had an amazing weekend during our Junior Counselor Training over May 22-25.  I love watching our junior counselors transform and become leaders.  During our summer camps, our JCs play such an important role at camp.  They work incredibly hard, and help make camp run smoothly.  This training weekend helped prepare the JCs for what is to come during summer camps, and most importantly was a time for the JCs to grow deeper in their walk with God.  One of the ways we did this was through prayer dot groups. 

During the weekend we were split into prayer dot groups.  The idea of the group is that we open up with one another, share the burdens that are on our hearts, and lift each other up in prayer.  As a group, we slowly become closer and closer until we are as close as a dot.  We ask the JCs to be “hot”: honest, open, and transparent.  I had the privilege of having a group of all girls.  During our prayer dots, my girls were able to really open up, and be real and genuine with one another.  It never ceases to amaze me at how faithful God is when putting together the prayer dot groups.  Many of the girls were going through the same struggles and trials.  As heart breaking as it was to hear their prayer requests, it was encouraging to the girls to know that they are not the only ones who are dealing with a particular trial and were reminded they are not alone in their battles.  I was encouraged to hear all of the girls pray for one another.  You could hear the compassion and love these girls had for one another as they lifted one another up in prayer.    

One of my favorite parts about the JC program at camp is that campers have the opportunity to become JCs.  This past training weekend we had many new JCs who were once campers.  It is inspiring to see how God has transformed the lives of these campers. “He also brought me up out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay.  And set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.  He put a new song in my mouth” (Psalm 40:2-3).  This verse reigns completely true for the camper JCs.  While many of them are still going through a healing process, they are most definitely changed and walk with a new song that God has given them.  You can see the desire in their hearts to grow closer to God, and the desire to serve him.   

Thank you for all your prayers, and the commitment to pray for camp.  Please continue to pray for the upcoming summer camps, and the work God has planned.

To God be the glory,

Ariel

Summer Staff 2015