camp

2 weeks ago, we loaded 60 teenagers onto a huge charter bus, and began our journey to BIGSTUF camp in panama beach, florida! what an incredible experience it was. for those of you who know me, i do NOT like camp. i have never really enjoyed spending 5 days, kinda roughing it, eating the same camp food that chautauqua has served for the last 100 yrs (haha) - so i can honestly say i wasn't exactly looking forward to a 22-hr bus ride to camp, even if it WAS in florida!
my heart was expanded during bigstuf - i have never been so blessed, as a youth worker, than i was at bigstuf. it was incredible to
1. be on the beach ;)
2. be in a hotel (haha)
3. be in florida
4. experience incredible worship
5. grow closer to the kids here at grace (felt like we were FINALLY making connection after 8 mo!)
6. spend time w/ my hubby
7. not have to endure activities every single day, but instead lounge on the beach w/ all the kids
8. experience incredible worship!
now, i know i'm not the kind of person who relies on a "worship experience" to truly experience God, but it just made my heart burst, to see over 1500 teenagers worshipping with all their walls down, their hearts on their sleeves, completely, totally in love with Jesus. this camp speaks to these kids like i've never seen a camp minister to students. God is definitely using the staff at bigstuf to do incredible things in this lost, lonely generation searching for belonging. it was inspiring, and it was also just the shot tim and i both needed, to push us even further along in this youth ministry journey. i look at my own babies, and realize their teen years aren't TOO far off! cam's going to be 10 this year! he will LOVE bigstuf someday, when he's "big" enough. ;)