More kampy things

God is so good. I know I've said that plenty of times. But this week has been reassuring in that I know the Lord has a plan for me. During one of my quiet times this past week, I stumbled across this verse:

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

Proverbs 16:9

It was just what I needed to read that morning. It was so great to be reminded that the Lord has a plan for us. And He knows exactly what our future holds. He will never put us through anything we can't handle! Because He is a loving and faithful God. I'm so thankful for that.

 We had a Medieval party that we call the "Knight at the Fair" where all the girls dress up like princesses and the boys dress up as knights. There were several booths that had funny games that were made medieval style. There was even a corn eating contest. My sweet kamper Elizabeth challenged me to one. And she beat me. NO competition. None at all. 

We took the girls in this term on their "Real Deal" Trip that I explained in the last post. They were so excited and as cheesy as this sounds, it just warmed my heart. It really did! I love their joy and excitement for the day. Sometimes, I feel so complacent and I don't always appreciate the day like I'm called to. One of my favorite verses that constantly reminds me to live for each say says:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:34

So here we are in sweet Lampy, MO at K-west for the real deal trip. We had just gotten there and we were about to go swim off their dock in wonderful Tablerock when, out of no where, this precious baby pig shows up. K-west is so cool and has a baby pig pet. I wanted to steal her and bring her home. Please look at the pink nail polish. My heart is melting. 

I'm sad that you can't really tell what I'm doing in this picture. But after we played with the cutest little pig, we headed to the blueberry farm. Look at the size of that blueberry!!! Its the size of a quarter. I'm just saying. They put the organic blueberries in Publix to shame. Complete shame. Y'all, they were the size of golf balls! Okay exaggeration, but I think you got the picture. Blueberries. Yum.

All I'm saying is, the Lord has blessed me this summer. I've loved the time I've gotten to spend with other counselors and with my kampers. I feel like my time at kamp has taught me so much about the Lord and about myself. 

This is a rando picture from staff training. But, we can't forget about our roots. And by that, I mean that I miss all my Auburn friends and I am definitely repping the AU out here in Missouri.

Until next time, 

Peace, love, & War eagle.

July & June

We have our second group of two weekers already! I cannot believe a whole group has come and gone. I miss my first girls but this group has been so great too. So far, we've had a couple of themed parties and with our new group we have gone on a ski trip. We don't actually ski.. Just a bunch of tubing in freezing cold water (really though... Lake Taneycomo doesn't mess around). It's just a day full of laughter, sun, and getting thrown off tubes. This past week has been really great because I've gotten to spend lots of time with the girls that left in the first term and with the new girls we just got. I love getting to be a part of these girls lives, even if it's only two weeks out of the whole year. Also, lots of my kampers from last summer are back this term! It warms my heart to see them and have them run up and give me a hug! Really though, it's my favorite thing ever.

For now, I'm at the Coinomatic... Hanging out, doing some much needed laundry. I realized yesterday that we only have THREE weeks left out here. My heart hurts. Literally, it hurts. I can't keep thinking about that because it makes me so sad. I wish time at kamp could last year round and that school would just get itself done. With that being said, I miss all my friends at home and I would strongly support their decision to move out here. We could work at Dixie Stampede together? Tempting....?

The Lord has been showing me time and time again to stop looking at my watch and to quit planning things so far in advance. I feel like my whole life revolves around a clock and a schedule. He has been reminding me that He knows what He's doing. That He doesn't run on a schedule. Things happen on HIS watch. Not ours. And although this has been a tough lesson for me to learn, I'm thankful that it's not up to me what happens in my future. And it never has been. It's so funny how I have such a small view of what the Lord is doing in my life and I find myself thinking that I still know best. I'm thankful for the Lord's plan, for His faithfulness, and for His patience.

I'm having a blessed time and the Lord is working in the Kampers lives and in my own. Please continue with your prayers, we definitely could always use them!

P.S. Last night we ate at a BBQ restaurant called Danna's. So great. SO so great. Attention everyone at home: come visit me but go eat Danna's first. Peace and blessin's yall. 

P.P.S. Listening to Jillian Edward's "July & June" and you should too!

Peach tea and Sara B

Driving around with the windows rolled down, drinking peach tea, and jamming out to Sara B is such a great way to kick off a relaxing day. This past week has been really busy so this break has been quite a blessing. We sent our girls in our barn 12 out on the "real deal" trip. It's a trip that the girls in our barn take once a term where they get a special day just for them. For all of the girls we have, it's their last summer at K-Kountry and they will be heading out to the older kamps, most of them to K-west. It was such a fun day driving out to BEAUTIFUL Lampy, MO where we swam on K-Wests dock and lake (shout out to my girl Carol Dav!). After, we went to the blueberry farm. This farm is the cutest place because you can go pick blueberries then take them to get rinsed and cleaned. You know what that means people, fresh blueberries. It gets so much better though because they make blueberry muffins with a little icecream and you get to eat the delicious muffins filled with blueberries you picked! What a cute idea!

One of my favorite blogs, Todays Letters, recommended this blueberry farm to my girl Mollie and myself. She worked at a kamp in Lampy and said it was a definite must. It was just as wonderful as she had described it.

This past week has definitely taught me a lot about myself. To be honest, this was a hard week with all of the busyness and heat. But I'm so thankful for that. I'm thankful for the hard weeks because I'm constantly reminded that I can't do a single thing on my own. I'm thankful for the hard weeks so that my strength doesn't come from myself but from the Lord. I'm thankful for the hard weeks because they are humbling and motivating. If you could continue praying for the kamp, for the counselors, and for the kampers that would be great! Miss everyone.

HOLLA

He is so faithful

Y'all I'm so glad the Lord knows exactly what we need. I'm so so glad He knows what I need more than what I think I need. Eeeeeeks hope that makes sense! Kamp has been so great. It is the happiest place on Earth and it has permanently taken place in my heart. Heres a little update for all the peeps back home and all my girls in Europe/at camp!

Staff training was a full ten days. Let me tell you, it was such a sweet time to get to hang out and work along side all of my old kamp friends. I have missed them SO MUCH this past year and it was real great getting to make some new kamp buds as well. So then the day came when we were placed into barns (yes we have barns, not cabins. deeeeal). Of course, being the creature of habit I am, I wanted barn five again. I had barn five last year and fell in love, thought it was the greatest place ever. But I was still open in being placed wherever. The  Lord opened my eyes and saw me in barn twelve this year (the oldest barn at k-kountry)! At first, I was shocked. And so nervous. If anyone says that seven year olds and eleven year olds aren't that different, lets have a chat. Forreal. Because they are.

Again, the Lord is SO FAITHFUL. He knew exactly what I needed. The kampers in my barn are SO wonderful. Their walk with the Lord already at age eleven is so strong and I am convicted everyday to be an example for them and try to keep up with them. My co-counselor is the most amazing girl ever! Chelsea Courtney and I are in charge of the "real deal" which is a nick name for our barn. Just when I thought I had kamp all figured out, the Lord humbles me and sweetly reminds me that HE is in control. HE knows best. He is so faithful in that.

I'm on my very first "2-4" and I find that every topic of conversation is completely consumed with kamp and my girls in barn 12. My sweet co from last summer, Alyssa, lives right across the street from kamp so I'm getting to sleep in some A/C with one of my sweetest friends and get to hang out for the day. Isn't it so great to have a brief sense of normalcy and relax for a few hours? We will get to hang out for the day before I come back! I love the wonderful people you meet at kamp.

Heres a few things I'm obsessed with this week. 1) FEDEL, a christian rapper. Y'all he is so cool, go check him out. 2) Light purple nail polish. Hello summer time. 3) Gatorade. Or as my dad calls it "sugar water". Just the greatest drink ever invented. YUM 4) Sweet old fashion communication. Thanks right, snail mail. Send some my way out to Branson, MO please! 5) Coffee. I drank some this morning (with tons of sugar and milk in it, sorry AE). 6) Outlet malls. PTL for stores that save money.

Joplin

I've been in Missouri the past few weeks and during staff training our kamp directors felt called to send our staff out to Joplin, MO for the day. Some of you may not have heard much about this town, but it was hit awfully by a tornado that left Joplin literally in shreds. So we traveled two hours down there for the day to serve with Samaritans Purse. What we saw was shocking. Everything was flattened. You could drive for ten minutes through the town and everywhere you looked you saw flattened houses and debris. We noticed  big X's on houses and numbers inside of the X. If the house had that, that meant that there were people in the home who passed away because of the storm. Y'all, what we saw was heartbreaking.

My team served a sweet sweet lady named Margie. Margie is 84 years old and was home alone when the storm hit. Margies roof is gone, with her back yard scattered with random belongings ranging anywhere from christmas decorations to sewing projects. Sweet Margie arrived at the house in the middle of us clearing up her back yard. She was in tears. She'll never be able to move back into the house because of all the things that had happened to it and all the neighbors she had lost. My heart broke for Margie that day. Myself and the rest of the team reassured her that we were going to clear that backyard for her, get rid of the huge tree that was looming over half of it, and help her make a smooth transition to her new home. My heart went out for Margie that day.

I know you probably don't know Margie. But I reassure you that there are hundreds of Margies. Pray for the Margies in Joplin and pray for healing.