Circle of Friends Camp

I want to share about my Labor Day weekend. It was one of the best weekends I've had all year! I volunteered 30 hours at a camp for families with physically and mentally challenged children. This is always very physically strenuous--the volunteers are on duty 12 hours a day, and we are each assigned to a challenged child. But it's always worth all the struggles and exhaustion, because we are learning to serve the Body of Christ sacrificially! It's like a crash course in sharing God's love constantly--first to these special children and families, then to the volunteers after we get off duty.

The picture is of me and a girl named Bethany. She blessed me so much! Bethany is so sweet and loved to hang out with me. One day, she started crying because of a boy at her school who had called her a loser. She came to me, and I had the opportunity to share with her how special she is, that she is known, loved, and chosen by God, how beautiful He made her, and how much I love her.

It really hurts me to see these wonderful people, who are so dear to God's heart, called names, ignored, and looked down upon. I was so blessed to have the opportunity to share the love of God with them--a love that doesn't care if they look or sound different than we do, but accepts them for who they are in Christ.

I don't have a lot of pictures, but I do want to share a few more stories. Candi is about 25 years old. She is so much fun to be with! She was adopted about ten years ago, and she went to Morocco last year and spoke at orphanages. She simply told them her story, and that there is hope for the physically and mentally challenged children--that God can use them and that they can have a good life. God really used her mightily to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged Moroccan children.

Ceci is a young woman who prayed one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard before lunch one day. She stood up and looked me right in the eyes and prayed what she believed. It was so pure, so true, and such a huge part of her life that I was very moved. I wish I had written it down, but I didn't have a pen. It went something like this:

God is so good.
Jesus Christ is the most amazing person that ever lived.
God has blessed us all.
He has made us all beautiful.
God is everywhere.
He is here, with us.
He is in your heart.
And He loves us so much.

I want to encourage you all to show the love of Christ today--to your family, to your friends, to everyone you see. And when you come into contact with mentally and/or physically challenged people, show God's love to them too! I know how easy it is to just ignore them because you feel uncomfortable, but please be open to God's leading and say hello, or how do you do, or whatever. I know from experience how much this blesses them--just to see that you care enough to look them in the eye and make them feel welcome. Show God's love today!