Radiant Sunshine 4 Him: September 2012

~~Yesterday~~ (a few ~~weeks~~ months ago) :) a small baby bird managed to fall into my window well. It was a sad looking little bird that kept making efforts to try to escape from the tall walls that trapped it. It would fly at the walls and cry for help never to make it to the top of the window well.

Later I saw its mother come and stand by the edge of the window with a worm in her mouth trying to find a way to reach her baby bird who was stuck in the window well. The mother's actions of trying to find a way to climb down the wall (which she could not) and the baby crying for help and making feeble efforts to try to fly up (he could only get about half way up before he fell back down into the window well) were saddening.

But isn't that how sometimes we act when we step outside our parent's authority. We are safe when we listen to our parent's counsel and advice but when we step outside their authority there are dangers and traps we can easily fall into. Just like the mother bird made crys to her baby and tried to help feed the baby and protect it, she could not when the baby left her protection and decided to find his own way. In the same way our parents may plead for us to listen to their counsel and advice to "stay under their umbrella of protection" if we reject their authority and protection we are opening ourselves up to the dangers of the world. How much more safe would the baby bird be if he had stayed with his mother and followed her, yet when he went on his own he fell.

How we sometimes are like this baby bird! To each young person reading this blog: Stay under your parents' protection. They truly love you and wants what is best for you!

PS in case you are all wondering the next day my Dad went to get the bird out of the well but it had already flown away. :)

All ready to travel to camp

Dear Friends,

I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and encouragement while I was at the Joni and Friends camp in MN (JAF camp). It was such a blessing to know I had many friends praying for me back home. The Lord has worked wonderfully throughout the week of camp and I have learned so much! :)

Here is a short update of what happened during the week:
Mom, Josie, Kaylee and I drove up to some friends in MN and spent the night there. the next morning I rode the rest of the way to camp with 3 other girls (pictured above) who were mutual friends of the family we were staying with. And mom, Josie and Kaylee spent the week with these friends of ours in MN. We arrived at camp around 1pm on Wednesday. The room was in I shared with 9 other girls plus 1 dog :) (with one bathroom in our room, that is a story in itself!!) :) (sorry no photos of this one!!)

On Wednesday we spent the entire day in training and classes. The classes helped us as volunteers to see each of the campers as God sees them and to get to know them for who they really are. Some parts of the training were very funny, like for dinner we were given a "disability" to act out during dinner. One of the video clips showed the silliness of not accepting people who we think are different from us (the video tape used some one with glasses vs someone without glasses:) We all did a prayer walk in small groups of volunteers over the whole camp ground. We also had a "hand washing" commissioning service for all the STMs (Short Term Missionaries/volunteers).

STM "hand washing" commissioning service

Then in the evening we were told which camper we would be paired up with for the week. I was paired with a sweet 12 year old girl named Sophie. She absolutely loves music! It was such a joy to get to know her and her family (her parents and her younger brother and sister were there as well). I learned so much about how to look past what may seem like a disability on the outside and to actually get to know and love the person herself. During the week we ate our meals with the family we were assigned to work with (there we 3-5 other volunteers helping with this specific family).

In the morning I attended the elementary programing with Sophie. It was really neat that this year the them for the kids program was on music. Sophie's sister Lucy was also in the elementary program as well. The program each day consisted of a short skit then a worship/music time, then arts and craft and games. At first I thought it would be difficult to get to know Sophie and relate to her since she is nonverbal. Later on during the week we spent many hours at the piano and harp and singing. She would play her piano and have me play the piano while she was directing my hands (she has some trouble with small motor skills but she knows what she wants to play). Even though cannot speak or communicate with words she has amazing abilities in music. I learned so much just watching her play. (she would have me pick out tunes, do chording, play the harmonic series and many other somewhat advanced musical skills). It is amazing to see how special each person is if you just take the time to get to know them, learn from them, and listen to them.

The Lord taught me during worship time as we were singing "Our God is an Awesome God" as I looked around the room at the campers, STMs, siblings of campers that truly our God is an Awesome God. He loves and cares for each one of His Children here and looks out for their needs. He loves them just the way they are and that what we may call a disability is not so in God's eyes. He made each of us the way He wanted to and has a special plan for each of our lives. Many of the campers were not just accepting the way God made them but actually rejoicing in the way they were made. Now isn't that just like our God, to use the ones we think our weak to encourage and teach the one who we think our the stronger ones. Each one who had a "disability" actually had many other abilities and talents that they would love to share if we would just take the time to know people for who they are rather than what we think of them when we first meet them.

Each evening there was a special activity the first night it was a "contractors ball" (the theme for the whole camp this week was based on Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's Workmanship" so everything was construction worker based (with hardhats and orange vests and everything :)

Dancing at the "contractors ball"

Everyone was included in all the activities whether they were in wheelchairs, blind, autistic or had any other disability. Sophie and I spent time together listening to the music and someone gave her maracas shakers to play along with the music.

The next evening we had a talent show. All campers were included that wished to be. Sophie and I played Amazing Grace on my harp together. Ali helped Sophie play glissandi on the harp while I played the melody. Then Lucy and I played What a Friend we have in Jesus on the harp together. (you can listen to a clip of the song below)
There were some girls who danced and helped their friends in wheelchairs with the dances, some sang making the best joyful noise unto the Lord that they could, others told jokes by speaking through electronic interpreters (a computer program on an iPod), all the way to a banana eating contest by 2 brothers and many other talents by each camper and/or family.

The last day the evening activity consisted of a special parents dinner and the kids had pizza on the volleyball court and went to a kids carnival at the camp. Sophie and I spent time singing together (I was the one who did the singing and she made her excited noises :)). It was neat to see her get so excited when I sang about Jesus and the joys of meeting Him one day. I then realized how much each of these children understand and what a joy they are. How much each of them can teach us about having faith like a little child and just delighting in the Lord.

During the week I met so many wonderful friends who were also STMs (Short term missionaries) AKA the volunteers/camp counselors. :) One of our instructors for the week was Judy Siegle. She is such an amazing woman. She personally knows Joni Eareckson Tada and is a quad herself (paralyzed from the neck down). She was such an encouragement to me during camp and has such an inspiring story. I had the wonderful blessing of being able to help her around camp most of the week. (she usually has her nieces at camp to help her but this year was the first they were unable to come). I learned to look out for the needs of those who seem to be weaker (1 Corinthians 12) But that the part of the body of Christ that seem to be weaker are actually indispensable and valuable to the Lord.

Judy Siegle

Leaving on Monday morning was one of the hardest parts of camp. I came to love the family I was working with and each of the volunteers, staff members, campers, and families at camp. I am so excited to come back next year to help!!! I know the dates for next years camp are Aug 14-19th, 2013 and registration begins sometime in January. :) Anyone else interested in helping?!? :)

Thank you again for all your prayers, encouragement, and friendship throughout my week at camp. I pray that you are blessed through these testimonies of God's faithfulness as well.