Lake Mead Christian Academy

We said goodbye to 4 of our Las Vegas crew today. They have done such a tremendous work here. They have been servants in the truest sense of the word. We are talking washing endless stacks of dishes, cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, hugging on kids, telling campers about Jesus, and most importantly SHOWING Jesus through their lives. They are missed already. Have a great trip, Amanda, Katie, Kyle, and Carolyn.

So here is a picture of my cabin this week. Six little girls who know almost nothing about God and most didn’t even know the name of Jesus. It is amazing to me that this can even be the case in a country like Canada. Ashley is the other cabin leader. She and I have been sharing with them and answering their questions and teacing them to pray. The first night no one prayed. Last night our little mouse, Tyra, prayed first. It was a sweet prayer asking God for a warmer day so they could go swimming. Tonight four of them prayed. Now that is precious…”let the little children come to me” kind of moment. Thank you Lord for giving us opportunities of sweet ministry.

Pray for continued strength, health, and a good night’s sleep. Also pray for continued peace in our cabin so the Holy Spirit can work freely in the lives of these precious children of God.

We are entering the third week of camp. Amanda, Katie, Kyle, and Carolyn are going on their 17th day here and only have a couple of days left. They have done a terrific job and have made some lasting impressions on the kids here.

One of the shining moments this week was Carolyn’s baptism. Carolyn shared her testimony and then Jason baptized her in the lake. It was really cool to watch one of my students take that step of public testimony.

So we are heading into the third week of junior camp. We have a lot of new faces on staff and a few people who have been here all summer. Please pray for our health and endurance to run the race well this week. I actually get to be in a cabin, as a cabin leader this week. I think it has been at least 4 years since I have done that. I usually have so many other jobs I hardly have time to bond with the campers. It should be fun!

Emma is recovering from a sprained ankle from volleyball camp last week but is hobbling around. She and her friend Kassy will be L.I.T.s this week. Which means a lot of cleaning but also a lot of flexible time and time to hang with the campers.

Jocelyn will be a cabin leader again this week. She has done a great job, building relationships and sharing Christ. She has a great servant attitude. She is about half way through her time here. Pray for her continued health and strength.

Keep checking for updates…

Kyle!!
My past week here in BRBC I have been challenged spiritually and physically. I have been challenged to come out of my shell and really talk to the kids about the Lord. The past week had been amazing because God has answered my prayers such as letting me be a light to those in the darkness. I also felt, God speaking through me to the kids in my cabin. Another fun experience was my fishing time. I thought I got a big fish, but it all turns out that it was a weed. I also got a bite from a fish and ended up breaking the fishing line. The food here is AMAZING, I tried my first poutine (fries, gravy, and cheese.)YUM! This week I also learned how to play the guitar and the drums, really I did.

Amanda!!
Well this week I decided to be a cabin leader. I was going back and forth between staying in the kitchen or going into a cabin and didn’t know what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed working in the kitchen but I felt like I was called to come work in a cabin and tell the kids about Jesus! There were things I didn’t want to give up but I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t here for me, I was here for the kids. And it was a good idea!! In my cabin we have several girls who came to camp in previous years. It’s really cool to see these girls come back every year and remember me. Also for them to look forward to doing everything we do at camp if it is just polar dipping or playing games. I am glad I went into a cabin. Being able to plant just a little seed into these girls’ lives is an amazing feeling. I have learned a lot so far, and plan to learn more as the days go on!!!

Katie!!
Well this week I am a L.I.T. again. I wanted to be in a cabin but there are too many people. Being only the first full day at camp I don’t have a lot to say. Dishes are the same as last week, maybe just a little more. I am learning to have a happy face, a real one, and a servant’s heart as I do the dishes. Thanks for all your prayers.

Carolyn!!
A whole week has gone by and it has gone by way too fast, as it always does up here. My co-counselor, Giovanna, was my same age and we operated totally unified as we had some of the same ideas. For example we both wanted to wake up really early and we bought the same kind of candy for our girls. On Sunday it was my birthday and of course Jason being Jason announced it to the church up here and the entire church sang to me. The campers arrived in the afternoon. My youngest was 11. It was a little disappointing that I did not get any of the younger campers, but my girls definitely had some personality being older girls. At the beginning of the week we had a total of one camper in our cabin that had accepted Christ. It gave us a lot of opportunity to pray and made it a big victory when one of the other girls accepted Christ. By the end of the week we had all bonded and made it harder to say good-bye to them all.

The weather up here has been pretty crazy. On Thursday when we got to camp it was pouring and generally cold and miserable. It was like that for most of the week. Friday was a beautiful day as is today.

Last night after the campers returned home we drove out to Prince Albert (PA) to get some supplies for next week. We ran into Glenna and Kaitlyn, which was awesome. It is hard to believe that tomorrow we start all over again.

Jocelyn!!
Hooray!!!! I am finally in Canada! After a long 15 hours in an airport I am finally with my Canadian family again. There was a weird feeling when I arrived on camp and I didn’t know why, but I know that God has a bigger plan than what I had imagined. I just can’t wait to see how it comes to play. Well not much to say about my first couple of days here, but I love seeing everyone again and cant wait for the campers to come tomorrow. Keep me and the whole group in prayer and I will talk to you soon. =]

Tonight was the last night of the first week of camp here in Big River, Saskatchewan. Emma and I arrived here at 3:30 this morning and came to came at 7:30 for staff meeting and breakfast. Amanda, Katie, Kyle, Carolyn, and Callee have been here 10 days already. So really they have more of a story to tell about our first week of serving here…

Amanda!!
It is so nice to be back in Canada! Being able to see all the kids and leaders I have worked with in the past years. This is my 4th summer at BRBC and every year it is so different. This is almost the end on my first week at camp! This year I worked in the kitchen and I had a blast!!! It was nice to serve in a different area of the camp this summer. It is different not to be in a cabin this year but I know God has a plan for me. I know he has me in the kitchen planting seeds with other people.

Katie!!!
It felt so great to be in Canada again and seeing the people I haven’t seen for over a year. We were welcomed with new smiles as well and that was good too. This week I was a L.I.T. again for the second time and I could tell that God was teaching me something new everyday, every hour. I could feel that God was with me in trials and I thank Him. I had a lot of fun and new relationships were built. I hope next week it will be even better than the first! Yeah, I decided to be an LI.T. for the second week so that I can serve God by doing those dirty dishes everyone eats on ALL the time!

Callee!!!
It has been such an incredible experience being able to return to Canada this summer. Building new and old relationships and seeing bonds with campers and fellow leaders flourish has been an experience to remember! This past week we have been slightly overstaffed enabling personal relationships to be built with the campers. It has been so great to have more time to focus on getting to know the kids rather than just focusing on keeping track of them!