HS Camp – Day 2

It’s nearly midnight as I write, and I’m pretty darn tired, but had to share with you all what an awesome day we had. I’m loving spending time with the High Schooler’s, they’re such awesome young people! Here’s some quick hits about our day…

• 9:00 we kicked off the day with alpine slides, mini-golf, bungee trampoline, rock climbing wall, and some great scenery at nearly 13,000 feet. The kids had a blast racing each other down the apline sleds. Unfortunately Darius wiped out and left some skin on the track
• Cool to see kids building such strong relationships with each other and the youth mentors.
• Grilled burgers and hot dogs for lunch. I love grilling, so cooking for 60 on the grill was a blast.
• After lunch the students went off by cabins and did their daily S.O.A.P. times. It’s such a proud moment as a pastor to see everyone reading God’s Word, spending time reflecting and writing down what God is teaching us!
• Team building games capped off the afternoon, with the students working together to accomplish assigned tasks. There’s some great leadership in this group.
• Dinner was spaghetti. Lori made her secret recipe “bolognese sauce” and the kids loved it.
• I was moved to tears during chapel. D-Lo did such a great job leading, and I can tell the students are really growing in their worship from the heart.
• Different students shared their S.O.A.P. for the day. They have such faith and it’s cool to see them sharing it.
• I did a Q&A, allowing students and leaders to ask me any questions they wanted; nothing off-limits. It was humbling to talk about how God has changed my life, and I think the students gained a much different perspective of me. They asked some crazy, but meaningful questions. We’re going to do it again tomorrow.
• I talked from Daniel Chapter 1, reminding the students that God has a big plan for their life. My main points were (1) you must decide who you’re living for, (2) Realize that how you live your life matters, and (3) Remember that God will always make a way.
• I closed with a challenge for students to live their lives fully for Christ; that they might be blessed and be a blessing to others. I challenged them to dominate this culture with the gospel.
• A number of students waited in line to talk with me after the message. Obviously God is really working in their hearts. We shed a lot of tears and it was humbling for me to get to pray with them.

Well, tomorrow is a long 4 mile hike to the river, lots of fun. We’ll be gone all day and I can’t wait for the talks we’ll get to have with the students. Pray for us, especially since my 3 boys have been tasked to lead the way on the hike. We’re at their mercy to keep us on the right trail

Here’s some pics from today for your viewing pleasure…