JJ and Tiana
Summer Missionaries 2021
Oregon
High School Week Recap
“When Covid hit and we had to cancel camp last year, God wasn’t sleeping or going on vacation. He’s going to do, this summer, what would have been last year plus what will be this year. Be ready to see some great things,” said Pastor Rus, our staff pastor as we sat around the downstairs of the camp lodge during our first staff meeting before camp even started. An “Amen!” rang in my heart and it was all tied up in feelings of both excitement and inadequacy.
This first week at Fir Point, JJ and I were each filling two roles. We were doing both the preparations for leading S.W.A.T. (Servants With A Task) for the weeks to come as well as each helping co-lead a cabin of campers.
Before long, Monday afternoon, there were 27 campers all lined up to check-in and get situated. 27 is a low number for Fir Point but was more than our program director, Kenny, expected to show up this year. This put us at only 1 full girls cabin and 2 full boys cabins.
What it didn’t take long for us to notice was that almost all of the campers this past week already professed to be Christian. After a year of no camp, I wonder if many of the other would-be-campers have forgotten about camp and are off doing other things. A fellow staff member mourned the fact that many campers that would have come from her town decided not to because they would rather be off doing things they really shouldn’t be getting into.
I could get really discouraged about that except for the fact that what I did see God doing at camp was really incredible. In my cabin were a group of girls so ready to listen to God’s word and grow in their faith. For our S.W.A.T. classes, all of 13 campers committed to come back and serve on our S.W.A.T. team. As a part of the S.W.A.T. training, I sat with each of the girls and taught them how to give their testimonies.
On the last evening of camp, all the staff and campers met around a fire pit and we heard several campers come up and testify to the goodness of God in their life. Even though a lot of these campers already considered themselves Christian, not all of them have had life easy. But, every one of them that got up and spoke that night had seen God’s goodness and grace in their lives and encouraged others to enter into it as well.
It is my prayer that the campers who came this week will be built up to go out and reach everyone who would have come to camp but didn’t. What an amazing testimony it was to me that God is going to do great things even when I don’t feel adequate and that God can use this camp even when we haven’t had camp in a year and have small numbers.
What’s Next?
For the next two weeks, JJ and I will be fully devoted to leading our S.W.A.T. teams. I will be leading the girls and JJ, the boys. If you’re unfamiliar, at Fir Point, when students come as campers to the high school week, they have the option to take a 1 hour training every full day of camp during their free time to be able to come back and serve during the weeks to come. When they come back they are a part of what is called the S.W.A.T. team.
The S.W.A.T. are responsible for working in the kitchen, helping with games, and doing work around the camp, while also being trained in how to one day lead as a cabin leader in the years to come. JJ and I will be discipling this team by bunking with them, leading them in devotionals and their everyday duties, and being an example to them in their walk with God.
Thank You!!!
We’re so grateful for your support and prayers this past week. A big challenge was just having the physical strength to get through the day. We are feeling rested for this next week, ready to serve.
Prayer Points:
Pray for JJ and I that we would humble ourselves and be an example of Christ to these young believers.
Pray for our preparations. That we would listen to and follow God’s leading in our planning and also be open to His direction during the week.
Pray for our Servant Leaders that they would be built up in their faith and overflow with the joy of giving and that together with them, we all would set our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12)
Blessings,
Tiana & JJ