Tuesday, August 9, 2011

4 weeks of pure bliss

Sorry I've been MIA for the last couple of months. Summer is a busy time in the Raymer household.

On Saturday I got back from working at K-Kauai in Branson. I was there from July 7-August 6 working with the Riptides (7-11 year olds) in the morning and working at the pool, office, snack shop, and occasionally picking weeds in the afternoon.

I LOVED my time at K-Kauai. It is seriously a slice of heaven on earth for me. This summer was better than the last in so many ways. While I loved my time in the kitchen last summer I felt I came to kamp broken and not growing at all in my walk with Christ. This summer was a complete 180 for me. God has been challenging me and pushing me out of my comfort zone all year so I felt I was ready to be pushed to my limits this summer.

I've been memorizing the first chapter of James, which was the book that the staff was studying this summer. Let me tell you James will kick you in the bumper, but it is a book filled with truth and practical ways that Jesus commands us to live. I loved getting to study it every week with an awesome group of girls.

I definitely had my bad days this summer. I was tired, weary, frustrated, low on energy, and just not myself some days. Luckily, my strength comes from the Lord and He is the reason I kept going. I got to work with some of the most amazing people on the planet. My fellow staffers kept encouraging me and loving on me even when I didn't think I needed it. I am so blessed that I got to spend a month with those people.

Working with the 7-11 year olds challenged me in a number of ways. I had to make sure I wasn't just wasting the week I had with each group of girls. Intentionality is something I'm working on and I know I missed some moments that could have been great conversations. I was also challenged to lead a bible study one morning with the kids on the importance of sharing your faith. It's tough talking about something so serious with a bunch of elementary-aged kids. They were surprisingly great listeners and were eager to ask questions.

All in all I'm sad the summer as come to a close and my second summer at K-Kauai has played itself out. I definitely learned some huge lessons this summer though. I learned that nothing I do amounts to anything, it's all for God's glory and His honor. I also learned that my strength fully comes from God. There is no way I could have gotten through the past four weeks without God filling me up every day with His strength and love. It will never stop amazing me that God loved me so much that He died for me. How crazy is that?! Mind boggling? Yes.

That's my quick update on my amazing summer at Kanakuk. Love that place with every fiber of my being.

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