Week Nine: Unexpected Endings

Wow. My last week at Maranatha was a huge surprise, in so many ways.

In the last week, Fay, Susan, Josh, Jon and Ryan all got baptized. I only got to see the first three get baptized. I had to run an errand when Ryan and Jon went. But it was a blessing to see so many of my friends make a physical commitment to the Lord!

 Charly leading the baptism / Susan, Matt, Charly, Josh, and Fay / hooray!

Monday: The first surprise was when I was hanging out with my beautiful little friend Ellie. I'd known her for weeks but in our final game of Find the Counselor she volunteered to hide with me. I felt God nudge me as we relaxed in our hiding spot on the beach. He led me to ask her some questions about her life and her family. And she opened up and shared how she has been inspired to grow closer to Jesus in everything she does through meeting us this summer. Did I mention she's 12? Just when I had been feeling like a total failure for not connecting really deeply with any of the kids from the summer God shows me that I am SO WRONG.

foggy mornings on the beach / pretty Ellie

Tuesday: Under the pretense of a final lunch from Mike's mom, the boys asked us girls to come over for lunch at the Carlson's. When we showed up and Jon began handing us Gerber daisies, we realized it was a surprise encouragement lunch for us! Mike cooked Chicken Parmesan and Ryan made Death by Chocolate. They even wrote notes for us. I was 100% caught off guard and really excited to be treated for an hour.

notes & flower

I also had the amazing opportunity to speak on prayer Tuesday evening for all the teens. Ryan and I had spoken on Inner City Ministry the week before so I wasn't super nervous, but it has been a while since I've taught in a spiritual setting. I surprised myself by feeling really calm but still enthusiastic about my topic. The best part of my talk was encouraging the kids to write prayers and verses with chalk all over the main walk of Maranatha. I can't take credit for this idea but it worked well the week before and hopefully it's a tradition that will be continued.

 fruit of the Spirit / pretty sketch / Ellie's note to me

I don't think I mentioned this before, but we had a bit of a prank war this summer. I think it started with the boys throwing us in the lake in front of all the teens Week 1. They say I started it for some reason...I mean maybe I bribed Alex with Ryan's cookies to hide Mary in Ryan's bed a few times. Anyway, after Shawn called me his girlfriend in front of all the residents and Sarah was sick of Ryan unceremoniously dumping her in the pool every Monday, we decided to end things. A week before this one, I bought a pound of glitter and got Fay and Anna to make sure the boys' room was clear (we didn't want to surprise anyone who wasn't decent). Then Sarah, Anna, and I made sure every inch of Ryan and Shawn's bed and clothes were nice and sparkly. The boys did a terrible job of pretending that everything was fine in their room so they finally broke down and threatened to get us back in a disgusting way. I guess glitter is the herpes of craft supplies and quickly spread to all eight of the boys' things.

As it turns out, they didn't really have a plan of action. After we spent a few hours getting the residents with water balloons, the boys literally cornered Sarah and me in the supply closet. They covered us head to toe using the left over spray cheese and tempera paint from Teens. After we made sure they were just as covered we paid our boss a late-night visit. Lebanon smelled like dried onions and garbage for a while after that.

we look so goood

Wednesday: At the beginning of the summer I prayed about having opportunities to dance more. Around Week 4, a few residents and I got to talking about dance. One of the girls was Ellie and we planned a "dance date." It turned into choreographing an entire song (listen to the song we used here) and preforming it at the final talent show! I wasn't even sure if we would really do it when we started working out a dance. But we preformed as the final act of the show, outside on the grass under all the Family Life Center lights in front of sixty people. It was amazing to dance again, uninhibited. And Ellie is a fantastic dancer!

Another dance opportunity happened out of the blue. I've always been a fan of flash mobs so when Ryan approached me about planning one with the residents, I was really interested. I chose "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet and spent days working on choreography with each pair of dancers. We even planned to have some kids dance on tables! With a week to turn it around we got the dance in good enough shape to preform at the talent show. The music got a little messed up but it was really fun to do with all the kids and staff.

Thursday: Since Austin and Melissa had already left for school back in Florida, we switched things up at Game Night and played some bingo. Mike, Jon, and Shawn dressed up like old guys while I played Vanna White (sans sparkly dress). The teens LOVED it.

Mike dressed up for bingo

Friday: I got to hangout with Ellie every day the last week. Her brother Jack and his friend Zac were a few of the other young kids I spent time with. On Friday treated them to Pronto Pups (awesome corn dogs) in Grand Haven. Jack and Zac affectionately call me "Mama K" because I tended to play big sister. I can't help it if I love them all to death even when they intentionally drive me crazy. I finally met Jack and Ellie's parents after abducting them a hundred times to run errands with me. Ellie's mom was such a sweetheart! She has emailed me a few times since I left encouraging me about how I befriended Ellie. I'm so humbled that a family that has been at Maranatha their whole lives thinks I'm awesome! I think they're the bee's knees too :)

 Jack, Ellie, Lizzie, and Zac

I was honored to be able to participate in the big goodbye party for the camp directors.  Amy Hamilton asked me to get all the Teens prepared to shoot off confetti crackers and dance to "I Got a Feeling" when the festivities began. It was a true joyous flash mob and the all the guests danced with us. The night was full of great foo, beautiful decorations, funny skits, and good conversation. What a blessing to be involved in something so genuine and fun.

The final mind-blowing event happened after I had a conversation with Amy about coming back next summer. All summer I hardly thought about coming back to be a counselor next year. It was fun and I liked it but the responsibilities of graduating next April weighed on my future. But after Ellie, Jack, Zac, Lizzie, Aleesha, Jed, Evan, and Amy all expressed how much they hoped I would come back next summer I started to wonder...and so did a few other people. Ryan had connected with the younger boys and I could tell he wanted to come back too. He has internship requirements to fill, however, so we decided to talk to Ann.

At literally the 11th hour the night before we left for Cincinnati, he and I set up a meeting with our boss. We explained our interest in being camp counselors but our different limitations. I would be interested in being a designer for Maranatha next summer as well as counseling because I could begin to support myself after college. Since I designed some fliers and t-shirts, I was hoping to expand that to an actual design position next year. Without hesitation Ann said she would do whatever it took to allow us to come back next summer! I was floored.

Now I'm not saying I know what I'm supposed to do when I graduate yet. But even the possibility of coming back makes me excited for a future combining ministry and design. If God wanted me to come back to hangout with one special little girl, I would do it with joy. I'll keep you posted!

Kendra

Week Eight: A Firm But Unseen Hand

So right after I posted the excerpt from A Horse and His Boy, my computer crashed. It was interesting trying to get through the last few weeks of camp without a laptop. I did borrow a few people's computers to work on all the Welcome Week things I was running behind on. But besides that, I was relatively computer-free!

So how I wanted to tie in the story below is this: I am Shasta, walking through life experiencing highs and lows and wondering how everything is connected. The Lord is the lion, walking silently beside me and guiding me through every little thing in my life. The crazy thing is that God uses every circumstance in my life for a distinct purpose. Not to say that I don't make my own decisions. But his will is loud and clear in the end, no matter how I may think I have deviated. I will never be beyond God's heart. This is a truly humbling and eye-opening thought.

Week Seven: The Horse and His Boy

What put a stop to all this was a sudden fright. Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him. It was pitch dark and he could see nothing. And the Thing (or Person) was going so quietly that he could hardly hear any footfalls. What he could hear was breathing. His invisible companion seemed to breathe on a very large scale, and Shasta got the impression that it was a very large creature. And he had come to notice this breathing so gradually that he had really no idea how long it had been there. It was a horrible shock.

It darted into his mind that he had heard long ago that there were giants in these Northern countries. He bit his lip in terror. But now that he really had something to cry about, he stopped crying.

The Thing (unless it was a Person) went on beside him so very quietly that Shasta began to hope he had only imagined it. But just as he was becoming quite sure of it, there suddenly came a deep, rich sigh out of the darkness beside him. That couldn't be imagination! Anyway, he had felt the hot breath of that sigh on his chilly left hand.

If the horse had been any good—or if he had known how to get any good out of the horse—he would have risked everything on a breakaway and a wild gallop. But he knew he couldn't make that horse gallop. So he went on at a walking pace and the unseen companion walked and breathed beside him. At last he could bear it no longer.

"Who are you?" he said, scarcely above a whisper.

"One who has waited long for you to speak," said the Thing. Its voice was not loud, but very large and deep. 

"Are you—are you a giant?" asked Shasta.

"You might call me a giant", said the Large Voice. "But I am not like the creatures you call giants."

"I can't see you at all," said Shasta, after staring very hard. Then (for an even more terrible idea had come into his head) he said, almost in a scream, "You're not—not something dead, are you? Oh please—please do go away. What harm have I ever done you? Oh, I am the unluckiest person in the whole world!"

Once more he felt the warm breath of the Thing on his hand and face. "There, it said, that is not the breath of a ghost. Tell me your sorrows."

Shasta was a little reassured by the breath: so he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives; and of all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also, how very long it was since he had had anything to eat.

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.

"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" said Shasta.

"There was only one lion," said the Voice.

"What on earth do you mean? I've just told you there were at least two the first night, and—"

"There was only one: but he was swift of foot."

"How do you know?"

"I was the lion." And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. "I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

"Then it was you who wounded Aravis?"

"It was I."

"But what for?"

"Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."

"Who are you?" asked Shasta.

"Myself," said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again "Myself," loud and clear and gay: and then the third time "Myself," whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it.

Shasta was no longer afraid that the Voice belonged to something that would eat him, nor that it was the voice of a ghost. But a new and different sort of trembling came over him. Yet he felt glad too.

The mist was turning from black to grey and from grey to white. This must have begun to happen some time ago, but while he had been talking to the Thing he had not been noticing anything else. Now, the whiteness around him became a shining whiteness; his eyes began to blink. Somewhere ahead he could hear birds singing. He knew the night was over at last.

He could see the mane and ears and head of his horse quite easily now. A golden light fell on them from the left. He thought it was the sun.

He turned and saw, pacing beside him, taller than the horse, a Lion. The horse did not seem to be afraid of it or else could not see it. It was from the Lion that the light came. No one ever saw anything more terrible or beautiful.

Luckily Shasta had lived all his life too far south in Calormen to have heard the tales that were whispered in Tashbaan about a dreadful Narnian demon that appeared in the form of a lion. And of course he knew none of the true stories about Aslan, the great Lion, the son of the Emperor-over-the-sea, the King above all High Kings in Narnia. But after one glance at the Lions face he slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn't say anything but then he didn't want to say anything, and he knew he needn't say anything.

The High King above all kings stooped towards him. Its mane, and some strange and solemn perfume that hung about the mane, was all round him. It touched his forehead with its tongue. He lifted his face and their eyes met. Then instantly the pale brightness of the mist and the fiery brightness of the Lion rolled themselves together into a swirling glory and gathered themselves up and disappeared. He was alone with the horse on a grassy hillside under a blue sky. And there were birds singing. 

excerpt from The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis

 

Week Seven: Lessons Learned

I mentioned that I'm learning lots about myself and others this summer. I knew the Lord wanted to open my eyes this summer when I signed up. But I could never guess what I would be learning; a lot of it has been really hard for me! Some things God has shown me lately:

• It's okay to be 100% of myself all the time. I shouldn't feel the need to hide any part of me from my friends.
• I do not always need to be the leader or the person with the plan. I can be just as effective as a follower and helper!
• Making a decision for life after graduation is a lot less scary now that I'm single. God's great plans now only affect myself, and that's a huge relief.
• Talking to teens is tough and I'm not that good at it. But I can pray for them like crazy and love on them through activities.
• I come across as uptight but my mischievous and silly side knows no bounds when it comes out. You may refer to me as Supreme Prankmaster upon my return.
• Although this world is broken, God gives us opportunities to see that life is beautiful. Even though things have been really difficult with my family this summer, I value every second I breathe and sunset I see.

I still have no idea what to do for my capstone project next spring orhave a plan for when I graduate. But I'm at peace about it right now because my world has been expanded and I have the strong sense I am being led down a path, even if I can't see it.

Kendra

Week Six: Time Is Sliding By

Ohmygosh. I have two and a half weeks left in Michigan! Where did time go? It feels like just yesterday we were settling into Lebanon and exploring the beach. I have learned so many things about myself from what the Lord is teaching me this summer, grown close to the residents and staff, and gottten a good tan. I never want it to end. Getting back into the swing of life on campus and at Landor in Cincinnati may be rough, luckily I get to bring 7 of my favorite people back with me.

We've been spending the last few weeks sharing Jesus and playing hard. Here's some pictures from the two slip n' slides we made for the kids this summer. One is into the channel and one goes directly into the lake. Talk about epic!

At the channel

at the beach

Week Six: So This Is Love

I've spent the past five plus weeks with five awesome Teen Staff people and I have to admit it; they mean the world to me. I can't imagine caring more for any other group of people. These kids have seen me crying, frustrated, hyper, and completely exhausted. If they still want to be friends with me after all of that, I owe the deepness of our friendship to the Lord.

Today we met as a team at Russ' Diner for an uplifting lunch. After we had eaten, we encouraged each member of our group personally and intentionally. I was overwhelmed to hear what people noticed about me and it reminded me how much the Lord loves and uses me. I also loved being able to share my heart for my teammates in a safe setting. To see Fay caring, Sarah accepting, Jon guiding, Ryan leading, and Shawn growing has truly been the highlight of my summer. There's no place I would rather be than right here.

spicy hot summer colors

Week Four: Bonfires

Every Thursday we have a bonfire with the Teens. We encourage them to share testimonies (they are always really awesome) and then we hangout and eat s'mores.

 the bonfire at the canal / 3rd week girls / Fay and Emily

Austin, Ryan, and some of the kids like to have Chubby Bunny competitions. The point of the game is to see who can get the most marshmallows in their mouth while clearly saying "Chubby Bunny." It's pretty hilarious because the boys look like chipmunks after a while.

 Austin stretching / "Chubby Bunny" / "Twubby Wunny"

Fay and Sarah always enjoy feeding the ducks. Sometimes Austin tries to catch one.

feeding ducks stale graham crackers / Austin Simpson, Duck Whisperer

Week Three: Play All Day

Camp is great. It's been really hard to keep track of what we do from day today because no day is the same. Teen staff works over 40 hours a week because of all the planning and prep we do for each session. But we love our hours off and take full advantage of them by napping or swim at the beach, playing soccer or volleyball, talking sunset walks, and eating tons of ice cream. My days are full of hard work, prayer, bonding, good food, and hard play.

The interesting thing about living at a camp all summer is that I've been losing track of time. The first week and a half went slowly, but now days seem to fly by. I tend to forget what days we did what activities—the weekdays feel like one never ending day. Confused yet? That makes two of us!

Staff volleyball game

Sorry for the sporatic posts, I'm having a hard time keeping up with our daily activities!
Kendra

Week Three: Chicago!

We decided to escape to Chicago for the weekend. The six of us took two cars for the three hour drive. Ryan and Shawn road with me and took turns napping. Ryan really enjoyed my fuzzy heart blanket.

In Chicago we explored Millenium Park, the Magnificent Mile, and Navy Pier. The girls and I popped in Zara and Topshop for some clothes lusting. We ate lunch at a small pub and dinner at Giordano's, which is famous for its deep-dish, inside out pizza.

 being cliché tourists at the Bean

Although the long drive was exhausting, it was so nice to spend time as the six of us (Teen Staff from UC) and catch up. I really love this group of people.

Kendra

Week Two: What We're Good For

As Teen Staff, we constantly meet new kids (the weeklies) and seeking to form real connections. Some of the kids who live at Maranatha all summer (the residents), also come to our daily meetings and activities. It's a good mix of new and familiar faces each week. I was overwhelmed with the challenge of befriending and then saying goodbye to the three girls in my small group last week. Amanda, Jill, and Mackenzie had good insight and real issues to talk about but I shot myself in the foot by feeling inadequate from the get go.

In spite of my awkwardness, God gave me an opportunity to pray for Amanda and her sister Allison when they were having a tough time during the prayer walk. I had to swallow my fear to ask them if I could pray for them in the first place. But when I laid hands on them I felt the Lord's heart towards them and was able to speak his words of encouragement. Praying for them turned out to be a blessing for me too because I had been struggling with finding a place and using my strengths at camp. Although praying for someone when you don't know a thing about what is upsetting them is uncomfortable, I really felt in my element. It didn't seem to matter that I wasn't connecting in conversation the way that I had hoped. What mattered was the gifts God I had equipped me with for this exact situation.

I went on to pray for four other emotional girls. Each experience was humbling and difficult, but I believe God gave me the words to say. I don't know for sure if I conveyed what the Lord wanted to say with each girl. However, I heard from another resident that Amanda and Allison felt a lot of peace after the prayer walk and were excited to share their experience with prayer. That's one for God :)

Week Two: The Daily Grind

On Sundays we get a new batch of teens ready to start their week at camp. Teen Staff meets everyone on Sunday evenings by holding a Kickoff Night. We open with a movie all about us, a few silly skits, and then break into small groups by age. The first week of camp I met with the 17–18 year old girls.

Most morning sessions (9–12 am) consist of an opener (a silly competition like drinking soda out of a baby bottle or feeding your partner pudding blindfolded), worship, a lesson, small groups, and a game. We try to break up the spiritual learning with lots of fun and interactivity. I'm learning all types of camp games, so if you ever need an idea, I'm your girl.

The evening activity is different depending on the day.


Monday: The lifeguards reserve the pool for the Teen's use from 7–8 pm. We meet up for worship and then one of the Staff shares their testimony. After that the kids can play on the beach or swim in the pool. The girl staff members figured out pretty quickly that if we don't get in the pool right away we get splashed or thrown in.

worship poolside

Tuesday: This entire day is focused on missions and a particular nation in need. So far we have covered Indonesia, Bolivia, and my favorite, Burma. After educating the kids on the spiritual state of the country, we write them encouraging letters or pray for them. It's pretty awesome to see highschoolers care about other nations.

Wednesday: Guys and girls split up for separate activities. We normally talk to the girls about a particular topic to encourage them. We try to bake treats and treat ourselves to manicures or uplifting notes to each other.

Thursday: The kids meet us at the beach for a bonfire with worship and a testimony from one of their peers. We burn marshmallows for s'mores and try to avoid getting dropped in the lake. Unfortunately, my first escape attempt didn't go that well.

Friday: Friday morning is different from the other days because we guide the kids through a prayer walk with different stations and activities. Once every small group makes it to each station, we all meet in the prayer tower overlooking the lake and have a time of worship, confession, and communion. It varies from week to week but the Holy Spirit normally touches the teens and they open up about what they are struggling with. I loved praying for my girls for the first week.

Since most of the kids leave Saturday morning, we get them together for one last hurrah in the evening. Normally they want to play games or have a dance party.

Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon we invite the the teens to a planned activity. Last week they got really into boat building—a competition to build a boat that floats well out of the random items we give them. We took the makeshift crafts down to the canal and filled them with bocce balls and bricks until they sink. Sometimes we play more active games like kiddie pool kickball or dodgeball.

Boat Building

Good news! I got to design the weekly fliers for Teen Program. They get handed out to the new vacationers every week. I also am working on some Staff t-shirts. Our director approved them but I'm not sure how tedious the printing process will be. Keep you posted :)

Kendra

Week One: From Brazil to Lebanon

I mentioned that we moved from Brazil (a split cottage) to Lebanon (the Staff dorms above the teen room) on Friday of the first week. Let me just say that Lebanon is awesome—they thought of everything when they built it two years ago. Although there is space for more people, ten boys and eleven girls live here. We also have dorm parents to look out for us.

 Lebanon / view from Lebanon

The first floor is open for the camper's use. One side is a game room with ping pong tables and the other side is the Teen room where we meet. It has sound/music equipment and lots of chairs. In the back there's a large kitchen for the Staff to use for meals.

The top floor has a lounge with couches and bunk beds (we moved them in) for optimum movie viewing space. We also have a tiny deck for anyone who wants to survey all of Maranatha or escape from the chaos of Lebanon. Beyond the lounge the dorm is divided into a male and female half. Each side has two giant rooms with bunks and one large bathroom/laundry room. The dorm parents live in the bedroom in between the boys' and girls' sides.

I share a room with Fay, Sarah, and Susan

The Teen Staff are pretty spoiled because most of our meetings with the kids are held in the Teen room downstairs. We can literally roll out of bed and grab breakfast as we walk downstairs to work. Some of the other kids that live with us work in the dining hall or with the younger kids so they don't have it so easy. But we're bonding in spite of our different jobs and schedules! I plan on becoming bestfriends with Susan the female worship leader and Autumn, who works in the Sweet Shop.

I have a dinner meal plan but for breakfast and dinner we survive off pb&j or cereal. I can't wait to get paid because I could use more than one solid meal in my day. But the food in the dining hall is awesome; Italian night is my favorite because of the penne and cannolis.

Hope that gives you an idea of my pimped-out crib!
Kendra

Week One: Teen Staff

My job at Maranatha is to hangout with the teens that come to camp with their families as part of the elite Teen Staff. We plan lessons and lots of games for their morning and evening sessions. I'll explain more about our weekly schedule in another post.

There's lots of people who live in Lebanon, the dorm that houses our living space as well as the Teen room where we meet. Only a third of us are on Teen staff, everyone else works in the kitchen, Sweet Shop, pool, or with younger kids. It's been overwhelming but fun to get to know the other people living with us beyond the kids I know from UC. But for the sake of better understanding my little corner of Maranatha, I will introduce you to the wonderful people on my team.

Ryan, Sarah, Fay, Austin, Collin, Carson, Susan, Melissa, Me, Jon, and Shawn

Austin Simpson: Recently married to Melissa, he is a graduate of a Bible college in Florida and has a heart for sharing the Lord with guys searching for direction. Best known for his removable front teeth and iron stomach (meaning he invents disgusting eating games and willingly participates in them).

Melissa Simpson: After working at Maranatha every summer for the past six years, she agreed to work in Teens for the first time ever. Melissa is creative and pretty on top of the organizational side of things. A good listener with a sense of humor, she is also very athletic.

Mike Carlson: A brawny specimen who dwarfs most men I've ever met, he is inventive and hilarious. Best known for "Girl, pluheez!" he attracts teenage guys like flies and everyone wants to be his best friend.

Jon Foster: The unofficial leader of our UC crowd, Jon runs a lot of the games we play with the kids. Although he is a stealthy prankster, he has a soft spot for the kids and humors them in most of their attempts to torture him.

Sarah Williams: She may seem quiet, but this girl has a silly and competitive side that makes her up for any game people want to play. Out of everyone, I have loved talking to and getting to know her the most over the past two weeks.

Fay Hafner: A self-proclaimed open book, I'm never quiet sure what I will get when I talk to her. She is genuine and passionate, especially about the girls in her small group. No matter what, she is an encourager to all.

Ryan Chimney: Full of endless energy, Ryan reminds me of Hammie from Over the Hedge. We normally hear something like "What are we going to do tonight? Let's build a catapult! Let's throw the girls in the lake!" around 8 pm when we get off work. He must be doing something right because the guys in his small group follow him around like puppies.

Shawn Hickey: Thoughtful and perceptive, Shawn enjoys one-on-one discussions and playing his bass by the lake. Although he is the youngest on the team he is growing quickly and finding his spiritual legs.

That's the folks on my team but there's many more people here we are getting to know!
Kendra