Hello again, everybody!

Camp is well under way and I thought that it was probably about time I give you all an update on how everything is going. We just finished our first week of teen camp this morning after our previous three weeks of junior camp. You might expect me to tell you about what I've experienced as a counselor this summer and that's what I would've been telling you if things hadn't changed. Let me explain. I returned from spring break fully expecting to be a counselor at Mt. Lou San Bible Camp this summer, only that's not what God had planned. I was approached by the camp director immediately following my return and was asked to instead help train and supervise the operational staff girls and work in the kitchen alongside them. If I was needed as a counselor, I would do so but otherwise that is the role that I would be fulfiling. Let me back up a little bit though.

In the summer's of 2012 and '13 I worked at this camp as a member of the operational staff, working in the kitchen and cleaning the buildings on the property. So of course when I was asked to work with the girls who would be in the place that I used to be in, I was beyond excited. 

I'm going to be honest, it was hard at first-and still is sometimes. I went from being with the team 24/7 to barely seeing them. From being with my best friends all the time to just watching them from the kitchen as they had completely different responsibilites and schedules than me. After the first few days of feeling completely out of the loop I finally realized the immensity of this opportunity. I thought of the women who had been "op-staff mom" when I was on op staff and the ways that they had influenced my life and realized that that was me now. That's the role that I was placed in for the summer and golly, did I want to do it right. So, that's been what I've been trying to do this summer. To not only be my girl's supervisor, but also be their friend as I try to help them fulfill their roles to the very best of their ability. God has stretched me beyond what I thought I could handle. He's put me in situations that I never imagined I would be in and taught me to simply rely on Him to give me the words to say. He's been teaching me compassion the most, I think. Trying to see things from other's points of view and give them the benefit of the doubt even when I want to believe something completely different. Now that I've briefly gone over what I've been up to and what God's been teaching me, I wanted to give you an update on what I will be doing this coming fall. 

This spring I thought I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I was going to come home and save up for a degree in interior design. Well, God had other plans for me (like usual). He soon took away the peace that I had about this coming year and gave me a longing to return to the team for a second year. Well, I called God crazy for a few weeks. Saying that I couldn't come back, that I didn't have the finances. It wasn't long before God put someone in my life to tell me that my reasoning was foolish. So, I started praying about it and everybody and their mother started telling me that I should return for a second year. Was it a sign? I wasn't convinced. So, God proved Himself yet again. That same person who told me that my reasoning was foolish told me that they would like to help me finacially if I felt like God was leading me to return to the team. So, I called my parents and talked to them about everything. They promised to pray about my future with me and give me an answer within the next few days. Well those days felt like an eternity. But it wasn't long before mom and dad gave me their full support and I talked to our director, Ardy, and told him that I'd changed my mind and that he would have to put up with me for another year if he would take me back. So, here I sit with our last concert exactly two weeks from now and a new team beginning two weeks after that. God is so good. As I look towards the beginning of a new year and a new team a few prayer requests come to mind. Please join me in praying for these specific things as the other team members and I begin to prepare for this next year.

#1- each team member is responsible for raising $1,000 in training camp fees which includes team outfits, books, equipment, food, lodging and other needs. Please pray with me as I wait for God to provide in this area. I know that He would not have called me to return for a second year if He did not intend to provide the funds necessary.

#2- specifically for the returning team members...all of the new members are going to be watching us and looking to us to reflect the ministry and be an example to follow as they get used to everything. So just pray that we would realize the responsibility placed on us and begin doing everything with a spirit of excellence if we are not already.

#3- that God would prepare the hearts of all of the team members for what we will be learning and that we will be open to change.

Thank you all for your prayers, support and involvement in my time on Encounter. I wouldn't be here without you all.

In Christ,
Anna
{Joshua 1:9}