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

Week One: "Are We Really Here All Summer?"

Monday: Fay, Josiah, Jon, Josh, Maria, Sarah, Shawn, and I met at the University of Cincinnati early to caravan up to Michigan. Besides stopping at Jon's family's house for lunch and meeting up with Ryan in south Michigan, the trip was pretty uneventful. It did take us nine hours instead of six to get to camp...I blame the crazy Michigan drivers who enjoy playing car chess on the road.

When we showed up to Muskegon, we met up with Charly and our director, Anne. She told us that we would have to temporarily live in a house off the campus while they wrapped up their Joni & Friends week. We met the members of the camp band—Alex, Carson, Collin, and Susan—and squeezed in with them at Brazil, a Victorian style duplex across the street from Maranatha. Fay, Sarah, and I shared a creaky child's bunk in a room we could only access by walking through the bathroom.

 Brazil / living room / dining room

Jon immediately took us to the beach where our minds were blown by the perfect view and weather. Josiah commemorated this moment for us by promptly diving into the lake fully clothed. After some more exploring we got to experience the ample dinning hall spread for dinner. The night was concluded with some porch chats.

  just a glimpse of the beach

Tuesday: I was having a rough time feeling comfortable around so many new people in such tight quarters so I spent a good part of the day exploring the camp and taking pictures. I planned to update my blogs right away but the internet here is annoyingly spotty.

Fay, Sarah, Susan, and I bonded by painting our nails on our porch. We used that thing for every purpose because it could fit everyone and had a great view of the front of the camp. In the afternoon we swam and laid out at the beach. Lake Michigan is much prettier than Lake Erie. The waves were big and we all took a fair amount of sun and sand back to Brazil with us.

the famous porch / the surrounding gardens

Our team leaders Austin and Melissa invited us over to their house for pizza, dessert, and a campfire. As we were sharing our testimonies I got a call from Logan about Mack's condition. It was hard to try to handle in front of a bunch of strangers but they were warm and supportive. Melissa also treated us to one of her family's classic movies: Thumb Wars. It definitely was an experience I won't forget.

Wednesday: A&M met with us to do some planning for the first week of camp. We planned silly skits, purchased props, wrote movie scripts, and prayed for the upcoming weeks. It was a relief to finally get an accurate picture of what I would actually be doing in the upcoming weeks. (More about that later.)

 Sarah and Fay nap in between planning sessions

Thursday: By this point in the week we were either running out of things to do or getting extremely frustrated with having to search for a good internet spot. I explored and took photos for part of the day.

Joni & Friends decorations

A&M took us to Grand Haven to explore and see the sunset on a far out pier. Grand Haven seems like such an interesting little town that attracts a lot of visitors because of it's many docks and location on the lake. By this time the group really seemed to be bonding and starting to feel like a family. We ended the night with a concert and light show from the comical musical fountain. It's just what it sounds like, a fountain that moves and lights up to music.

Friday: Everyone living in Brazil and China had to pack up and be out of the house before nine. We dumped our stuff in the lobby of Lebanon, our future home, and dashed off to orientation. After orientation we had more planning and lunch with A&M at a Chinese buffet. It was a relief to finally unpack and settle into "home" once we were back at Lebanon. The facilities here are only three years old and designed specifically to house camp staff upstairs and hold youth meetings downstairs.

 bye bye Brazil

Charly wanted to take us and his family out to lunch so we went to a pizza buffet for dinner. I do not want to see another buffet until fall.

Saturday: Even though it was our day off we had more planning and prep in the evening. We put the finishing touches on the teen room and organized all the supplies we bought for the week. We had everything from baby food to a demon-possessed doll. You can watch our intro video for the kids here.

I'll post about all the people on my team next,
Kendrasity

Sing Me a New Song

If you read my other blog The City Chroma, you've heard that the past few weeks have been insanely busy for me. I've also gone through a lot of change—my bestfriend got married, I ended a two-and-half-year relationship, and my family realized that my middle brother is pretty sick and needs some special care. On top of all that I packed my car full to bursting with everything I would need for summer camp and the two weeks leading up to it. Half of my mornings usually consisted of me trying to find that one dress buried somewhere among all the bags in my trunk. 

So I finally arrived here (Maranatha Bible & Missonary Camp), took a deep breath, and felt my world begin to crumble. So much change at once. It might sound like I'm bragging to say that I am really effective at managing my emotions, but it's true. I'm pretty good at looking them in the face and then moving on. And the last thing in the world I wanted was to be that girl you just met at camp who's crying all the time because of some crisis she can't deal with. But man, those three changes I listed above really hit me hard. [I would go into more detail about Adam and Mack but since the stories are personal to them, I don't think it's fair of me to share. (But you can read about Emily's gorgeous wedding here.) Just trust me when I say it's some rough stuff.]

Thankfully, God is on my side. I realized that the phone call from Logan and then my dad about Mack was a spiritual attack because it came when my Teen Counseling team was kicking off the summer. Through that call I was able to share my testimony and be vulnerable with the other people I would be leading with this summer. I was uncomfortable crying in front of a lot people I didn't know that well but it was comforting to have them jump in and pray for me.

Another plus is that Maranatha is beautiful and peaceful. There's beaches, forests, sandy trails, and open fields to wander and explore. I've already found several places to go on my own when I want to dance, sing, or just think. I've also been faithful with my quiet time every morning (something I've really struggled with enjoying in the past) and gotten a lot of peace and joy from my time with the Lord.

Thinking about the difficulties I'm wrestling with, I'm amazed at the calm now placed over me. I love the line, "Nations fall when you speak, and you have spoken over me, I am tired of giving in so easily," by Bethany Dillon. I feel really secure despite the calamity in my life. And I'm getting more and more excited every day about the official start of camp. (More about that later.) Thank you Father for your protection and provision.

boardwalk to Lake Michigan

I'm ready for a new stage of life and a new song to lead me on. I've been hearing it faintly for a while but as the enemy attacks me, I know I will learn it even better.

More updates and pictures soon!

Kendra

The Song of the King

The three knights sat at the table and listened as the prince spoke. "My father, the king, has pledged the hand of my sister to the first of you who can prove himself worthy."

The prince paused to let the men take in the news. He looked at their faces—each weathered from miles and scarred from battles. The kingdom knew no stronger warriors than these three. And these three soldiers knew of no fairer maiden than the daughter of the king. Each knight had asked the king for her hand. The king had promised only an opportunity—a test to see which was worthy of his daughter. And now the time for the test had arrived.

"Your test is a journey," the prince explained, "a journey to the king's castle by way of Hemlock."

"The forest?" one knight quickly inquired.

"The forest," answered the prince.

There was silence as the knights pondered the words. Each felt a stab of fear. They knew the danger of Hemlock, a dark and deadly place. Parts of it were so thick with trees that the sunlight never found the floor. It was the home of the Hopenots—small, sly creatures with yellow eyes. Hopenots were not very strong, but they were clever, and they were many. Some people believed the Hopenots were lost travelers changed by the darkness. But no one really knew for sure.

"Will we travel alone?" Carlisle spoke—a strange question from the strongest of the three knights. His fierce sword was known throughout the kingdom. But even this steely soldier knew better than to travel Hemlock unaccompanied.

"You may each select one companion."

"But the forest is dark. The trees make the sky black. How will we find the castle?" This time it was Alon who spoke. He was not as strong as Carlisle, but much quicker. He was famous for his speed. Alon left trails of baffled enemies whose grasp he'd escape by ducking into trees or scampering over walls. But swiftness is worthless if you have no direction.

So Alon asked, "How will we find the way?"

The prince nodded, reached into his sack, and pulled out an ivory flute. "There are only two of these," he explained. "This one and another in the possession of the king."

He put the instrument to his lips and played a soft, sweet aria. Never had the knights heard such soothing music. "My father's flute plays the same song. His song will guide you to the castle."

"How is that?" Alon asked.

"Three times a day the king will play from the castle wall. When the sun rises, when the sun peaks, and when the sun sets. Listen for him. Follow his song and you will find the castle."

"There is only one other flute like this one?"

"Only one."

"And you and your father play the same music?"

"Yes."

It was Cassidon inquiring. Cassidon was known for his alertness. He saw what others missed. He knew the home of a traveler by the dirt on his boot. He knew the truth of a story by the eyes of the teller. He could tell the size of a marching army by the number of birds in flight. Carlisle and Alon wondered why he asked about the flute. It wouldn't be very long before they found out.

"Consider the danger and choose your companion carefully," the prince cautioned.

The next morning the three knights mounted their horses and entered Hemlock. Behind each rode the chosen companion.

-----

For the people in the king's castle, the days of waiting passed slowly. All knew of the test. And all wondered which knight would win the princess. Three times a day the people stopped their work to listen. After many days and countless songs, a watchman spotted two figures stumbling out of the forest into the clearing. No one could tell who they were. They were too far from the castle. The men had no horses, weapons, or armour.

"Hurry," commanded the king to his guards, "bring them in. Give them medical treatment and food, but don't tell anyone who they are. Dress the knight as a prince, and we will see their faces tonight at the banquet."

He then dismissed the crowds and told them to prepare for the feast.

That evening a festive spirit filled the banquet hall. At every table people tried to guess which knight had survived Hemlock Forest. Finally, the moment came to present the victor. At the king's signal the people became quiet, and he began to play the flute. Once again the ivory instrument sang. The people turned to see who would enter. Many thought it would be Carlisle, the strongest. Others felt it would be Alon, the swiftest. But it was neither. The knight who survived the journey was Cassidon, the wisest.

He strode quickly across the floor, following the sound of the flute one final time and bowing before the king.

"Tell us of your journey," he was instructed. The people leaned forward to listen.

"The Hopenots were treacherous," Cassidon began. "They attacked, but we resisted. They took our horses, but we continued. What nearly destroyed us, though, was something far worse."

"What was that?" asked the princess.

"They imitated."

"They imitated?" asked the king.

"Yes, my king. They imitated. Each time the song of your flute would enter the forest, a hundred flutes would begin to play. All around us we heard music—songs from every direction.

"I do not know what became of Carlisle and Alon," he continued, "but I know strength and speed will not help one hear the right flute."

The king asked the question that was on everyone's lips. "Then how did you hear my song?"

"I chose the right companion," he answered as he motioned for his fellow traveller to enter. The people gasped. It was the prince. In his hand he carried the flute.

"I knew there was only one who could play the song as you do," Cassidon explained. "So I asked him to travel with me. As we journeyed, he played. I learned your song so well that though a thousand false flutes tried to hide your music, I could still hear you. I knew your song and followed it."

by Max Lucado

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I wanted to quickly explain the title of my blog. Looking back on the past three months I can see at least two examples of God asking me to make hard and seemingly poor decisions. In both cases I wanted to submit but I resisted for a while because I thought my way was better. And both times the Lord won me over because he sang to me of the plans that he had for me. That song was sweeter than any other I've ever heard. So I've dedicated this summer to listening to his song. I love the story above because I want to be the knight who survives the trials. I want to be a warrior for the Kingdom who also knows the King's song and follows it above all else. I now know that this doesn't come easy, but the things that the King sings to me about are so much more valuable than what I have to lose.

I'm here to grow and find out who I'm meant to be. I'm excited and scared all at the same time. Please pray that I would see how my future combines design and ministry. And please pray that I would be willing to do what it takes to follow Jesus.

Please show me your plan and mold me to be a champion for your kingdom, Lord.

Kendra