Fire

Wow, it's over. Summer camp 2011 is over. I can't believe it. This summer has been a ride, that's for sure. I can't shake the feeling that last night I should've been at staff meeting, and this morning I should've been bringing kids to their cabins. But I'm not, and I didn't, because it's over. Wow.
WBC staff, I love you, with all my heart. I don't even have the words to describe what you mean to me. I look back at encouragement note after encouragement note, and I just think to myself, wow, how did I get blessed with this group of people? This group of people in Southern Manitoba, this group of people who are so out of the ordinary, that all some how ended up at Winkler Bible Camp. How does that even work?!?! There's so much junk out there in the world. As teenagers, we're expected to sleep all summer, to just lounge out, party, drink, swear, date person after person, and just not really care. And here I am, in the middle of over a hundred teenagers who've given up their summers to come to this camp and spread the word of Jesus to these kids; these teenagers who are willing to wake up early in the morning, work all day, and go to bed late; these teenagers who never turn down a request for help; these teenagers who are just on freakin' fire for God!!! I still how no idea how in the world I got put in this crazy place, but I love it. I love YOU! Man, you guys are just awesome. I love watching you serve, I love working with you, I love being around you! Don't let that fire die, throughout this school year, or whatever you're doing this year, please just rely on God in everything. Keep building that fire, it can never be too big!
In the song Hosanna, it says "I see a generation rising up to take their place, with selfless faith, with selfless faith." I proclaim that! And I know it's possible. Why? Because I saw it this summer in each and every one of the wonderful staff that I worked with. We are that generation.
I love you all! Please, please keep that fire burning!
Blessings,
Ariel

Alarm The Alarm

Wow, Satan is attacking hard this weekend. I get home, and my mom tells me that I have to clean my room before I can go see my auntie or anyone for that matter. I tend to snap at the littlest things lately. I just got so mad. I went up to my room, and man were the tears trying to make their way out. It wasn't just that though, it was also my week. Satan has been pushing hard on me for the past week.
My girls, intermediates age 12-13 just didn't seem to want to get into God. They were great girls otherwise, at activities and stuff, but when it came to Bible Break and Cabin Sharing, they just didn't care...at all. I was so discouraged on Thursday, I went and talked to my sister and the tears were just poking at my eyes...it was horrible! She prayed for me and I went back to my girls. For devo's we were gonna do a Beauty/Boy talk, we got finished the beauty talk, and the girls had questions about some of the verse I had read, but not about the beauty part of it, about the God part of it. We veered completely off the topic of beauty and they just had so many awesome questions about God and who he is. I was so happy!!! We went to bed around 11:30, and I remember looking at the time after I did this, 11:47, I'm pretty sure I accidentally giggled out loud because I was thinking about the events of that evening. So funny. I woke up at 6:30 just giddy. Man, God was so present! Then on Friday, Bible Break is usually around half an hour; our Bible Break lasted an hour and a half! Woo! It was fantastic!!! Ha :) I love the way God works. I'm just so happy that these girls got to experience God and that this week wasn't just a wasted effort.
So yeah, with the frustrations of the week, I got home and just got even more frustrated. My feelings throughout the summer have just built up higher and higher until the point when, yesterday, I just broke down. I cried like never before, and cried out to God like never before. I remember one thing that triggered it was facebook. I go on facebook and see all these people's status...wow. I just wish they would experience God and that it would change their lives forever. The holy spirit works in mysterious ways...who knows what will happen :)
This week/weekend has just been a crazy mix of every emotion, I look forward to my final week at camp. Please keep me in your prayers.
Blessings,
Ariel

Break Free

The one thing I always wish is that the whole world could have a camp atmosphere. To just be able to praise, to be able to break off the chains, to just worship Jesus! This weekend is probably the most I've hung out with any of my friends. I went to the These Kids Wear Crowns concert on Friday for my friend's birthday party. I'm happy that she had such a good time, but it was really heart breaking for me, to be honest. First off, what is the point to concerts with no meaning? I'm going to see Starfield tonight. There's a point to that: to worship God. But TKWC are purely entertainment. And for them being purely entertainment, I was bored. Not to mention I was half asleep for the whole thing (remind me not to go out on Friday nights anymore). I saw another one of my friends at the concert, and we freaked out and hugged. She was with one of her guy friends who you could tell by the way he acted towards me that he flirts with every single girl he meets. So, I was hanging out with these friends and it was so sickeningly worldly. The were smoking, swearing, threatening to kill people (dramatic much?). It made me so sad. So sad. For me, I know why if someone spread a rumor about me I would treat them with love. Sandals of peace. That's what we're called to wear. But for these people who don't have God in their life, and see no reason to have him in their lives, what are we supposed to do? What reason do they have to treat anyone with love? What reason do they have to do anything good? Nothing at all. And if they don't believe in God and don't want a relationship with him, then what can I do? I don't know. I'm so lost, I'm so broken.
I started thinking this week about different religions. Like Buddhism or Hindu or whatever else there is out there. It just breaks my heart because I don't know what I can do!!! I just want to do something! Do they really think that Buddha is real? Do they really think that he could ever love you or do anything for you? If this is their truth, and if they believe it with their whole heart, then how can we show them the real truth? Say someone believed in Buddha like I believe in God. My faith in God is unshaking, and you can't do anything to move me. I know that God is real. I've had my fair share of proof. But what if someone is set on Buddha? Then what? What am I supposed to do????? I just want so badly for these people to be shown the truth. God is good, he'll show himself to anyone who wants him, I believe that full well.
I'm realizing very quickly how I do not want to keep my faith a secret because if I keep it a secret, then I'm basically allowing the people around me to go to Hell. If they don't follow God, and I even try to do anything, then what good am I on this earth? I'm not going to go and scream in people's faces, "YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW GOD OR YOU'LL GO TO HELL!!!!!" No, but I will live my life how God wants me to, and I will be evident and bold about my faith. I want so badly to see the people in my town, in my school, break free from their chains. If God will use me and let me be even a little part in this, I am truly blessed.
God is good.
Blessings,
Ariel