Stop #1 - Camp Yavapines

   Monday morning (June 17). It was the day after Marianne's graduation from WWU. Mom, Jannetta, and the kiddos took me to the airport in Pasco. I flew to Seattle where I had a few minutes to settle my mind and recuperate before boarding my flight for my first visit ever to Arizona. I prayed, closing out the school year and looking ahead to a fun summer dedicated to God.

MIRACLE #1:
   I stepped off the plane in Phoenix, not sure how to go 2 hours north to Camp Yavapines in Prescott. I had been told there were shuttles, and it was "easy", but that did not relieve my nervousness. So I breathed, said a prayer, and stepped up to wait for my luggage. It was one of the first pieces on the carousal. I thanked God then turned and headed for the door with my awkward load to go find a shuttle. Right next to the door and around the corner, I saw a counter...labeled: "ShuttleU". I bought a ticket for the next hourly shuttle and it left in the next 5 minutes, with me safely on board! After a couple questions, the driver discovered I am a pilot, and then a SDA and he had sooo many questions about both! It was awesome, and the lady sitting by me joined right in the conversation too, while the third passenger listened intently. :)

   I arrived Monday evening during Spanish Camp meeting and was fed Taco Bell (YAY, I love Taco Bell!!) then worked in the Kindergarten department the rest of the week. Then came staff training week, which was a lot of fun! We cleaned the whole camp and then began our meetings. After training (which was a lot more fun than I expected, and really not too tedious) we had a wonderful treat. We drove up to Sedona on Sabbath and enjoyed our day at Slide Rock! We witnessed the beautiful baptism of two camp staff and really enjoyed the day. Yes, I did jump off a 60-foot cliff into the water...and screamed loudly both times despite my efforts to hold it in. :) We also enjoyed the natural water-slides in the beautiful red rocks, and I didn't even burn too badly!

 
... And then... the kids came! We had 200-250 campers each week and I was one of the girl counselors. I had the green cabin and so I decorated accordingly. I had fun with streamers and duct-tape. Then I made construction paper flowers to cover the duct-tape and made it look like spring. The girls loved it, and I had fun doing it. :)

   It was a weird feeling to welcome the 6-9 year olds into the cabin, and suddenly become their mother for a week. It was hard, but sooo worth it. I told them to shower in the morning, told them to brush their teeth, and then had to help them!! I brushed and braided their hair, and showed them how to make their beds and clean the room. I sang with them, played with them, and talked with them. Each night I would do worship with them in the cabin then walk around to each girls' bed to pray for them and chat for a minute. They were full of questions! It was so exhausting and yet so fulfilling. We did everything as a cabin because of supervision rules, but they began to love it. They wanted to hold my hand and walk as close to me as possible. On Monday and Tuesday a few were crying for their mothers and home, but by Wednesday they were crying because they were thinking about the coming Sunday and they didn't want to leave for home!
    We had a wonderful week, and each week this process repeated itself, just with different girls who were older with different activities and different questions. :) I really didn't like the goodbyes at the end of the week, but I pray that each one of them will remember their week as well as I remember them. They are such sweeties. I hope and pray they learned more about Jesus and choose to be His friend.

Sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham

Junior Camp

    On Sabbath afternoon, the girls would take natural items and create a Bible story. Then we would go and collect small flower bouquets for different staff members. It was little things like that they had the most fun doing. :)

15-foot Yucca stalk

Two of the sweetest Adventure campers <3

 

Tween Camp

Staff Prayer Group one Sabbath :)

MIRACLE #2:   The third week was about to start and all the counselors were ready, with our cabins swept clean and emptied out. I was sitting there waiting when I felt like I should check my email. Well, we had been told we were welcome to check our email any time....except Sundays from about 10 AM-5 PM because of registration.... The time was 1:30 PM.
I felt like I really should check my email!
   Leanna, you are being ridiculous; this the ONLY time you are NOT allowed to be on the computer, why would you check your email right now?!
   I felt very impressed to check it, so finally I did. This is crazy and you are slowing down registration. You haven't checked your email for 2 weeks, why should you today?
   I opened my computer, and there was an email from Jeanne, the Student Missions director at WWU. She had emailed my itinerary for my SM year on Friday afternoon. It was a tentative plan including a flight out of Pasco, WA on the 28th! I was supposed to fly out of Phoenix, and had not communicated that to her. Praise God, He impressed me to check THAT DAY so I could call Jeanne and tell her to change my flight to Phoenix  before she finalized the plan that Monday! :) God is so good!

Thumb Butte on my day off. Conquered it!

MIRACLE #3:   The last week of camp we had 200 campers. With 10 kids per cabin, that meant 2 boys counselors and 2 girls counselors were not going to be counseling. I chose to step out of the position when the director asked for people who were willing. I wasn't sure why because I really wanted to keep being a counselor. But I did. I took over for the geocaching teacher who had to leave early. In addition to that class I worked for the activities director and was just a "floater". At first I was frustrated and missed being with the kids. But then, I was able to sub for one counselor who was sick. And step in and help out in ways I hadn't expected. And additionally I was able to have more rest and thinking time. I didn't realize how important that would be in preparing me to leave for my SM position. Also, I left EARLY Sunday morning and would've had to have a sub for the last day if I were a counselor. What I thought was a disruption to plans, turned out to be part of His plan and my 3rd Big Miracle of this experience.

   I had a wonderful summer at Camp Yavapines and I know I learned a lot. About kids, myself, and God. He taught me a lot of patience and how to adjust to change. How to pray through the hard days AND the easy days. He gave me a wonderful support and camp family who prayed for me and with me. We were a great team, and God did some incredible things this summer! Both in the staff's lives and our kids' lives. Their questions and searching was incredible and though-provoking. They were drawing nearer to Jesus, and taking me with them!
   God sure knew I would need the space and beautiful nature that Camp Yavapines offered me as well. On my day off each week I was able to go for a long run/hike in the hills and enjoy the nature different than anything I've seen before. He knew I would need that before my SM year.I will not see anything similar for a year. He gave me time and space to think, pray, and BE. It was a spiritually growing time and I want to continue that growth. I really enjoyed the worship thoughts that were presented and the guidance given to us by Pastor Ben and the other leaders. The challenges were realistic, with methods to help us attain our goals.
   God is so good, and I know He has the WHOLE WORLD in His hands....
From Walla Walla University (Washington), to Camp Yavapines (Arizona), to Ebeye SDA School (Marshall Islands).... :)
   Thank you, Lord, for a great summer!