Dear Prayer Warriors and Camp Family,
Hello, my name is Garrett Denbaugh and I am so blessed to be able to serve up at camp this summer. This week, Session #2, was by far the most challenging and difficult week of camp for me. I was stretched to a point where my prayers turned from, “Father, give the energy and strength to last the rest of this week,” to “Father, I am running on empty. Would you please carry me to the end of the week? Speak through and be patient through me as you would to these campers.” My campers did end up teaching me a ton about myself and the God I serve.
My campers were Will and
George. Will was this adorable kid with a smile that could make anyone’s day
so much better. Will struggles with anger and has a hard time controlling his
moods. He could be sitting at the tables laughing and having a great time, and
out of nowhere he could be throwing punches at another camper. I had never met
someone like Will before, so in the beginning of the week I had a hard time
dealing with him in a manner that would stimulate growth. Prayer was my biggest
weapon to fight whatever the enemy was doing in this child. One day as he and I
were walking to the amphitheater, I encouraged him to pray every time he lost
his temper. Sure enough, every time he got upset and ran off, I would ask if he
wanted to pray about it and most of the time we would. He quickly learned that
he needed God to cover him with his peace and joy. I kept thinking back to
Psalm 32:10 where David writes, “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but
steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.” It’s that word
“surround” that brought me encouragement in those times of prayer because God
really wants to surround these campers with his love, overflowing their hearts,
being the only one that can truly satisfy.
My
other camper was pretty difficult. He wouldn’t listen to me, he would interrupt
me constantly, and he would provoke any of the other campers that would mess
with him. George had a lot of leadership qualities in him, but unfortunately
struggled with the same things a lot of leaders struggle with. George was
prideful and believed he was always right in everything he did. He would never apologize when he messed up and would not listen to me when I encouraged him to
“be the bigger man” and “turn the other cheek.” At the end of the week, my
heart was so heavy for him because I felt like he did not listen to a single
thing that I was trying to teach him. However, I was reminded of 1 Corinthians
15:57 where Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is
not in vain.” This verse gives me the confidence to know that every camper that
comes to Camp Alandale is in the hands of our Sovereign Lord, who loves them
unconditionally. Not every camper will respond in the way that you would hope,
but our labor is not in vain and God has a great plan for Will, George, and
all of the other campers. Thank you for praying for us!
Sincerely,
Garrett Denbaugh
Summer Staff 2016
Sincerely,
Garrett Denbaugh
Summer Staff 2016
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