Frontier Ranch

SO i’ve been at Frontier Ranch for the past month.  Let me tell you it was pretty intense and I definately left a piece of my heart behind.  Going into I really didn’t think that any other experience would be able to go up against Malibu.  But I was wrong.  Very wrong.  I’m not saying that they weren’t both great learning experiences or that they didn’t both have amazing groups of people.  I dunno I just feel like Frontier almost came out on top.  Its pretty difficult to choose so I don’t really think that I’m going to.  I can’t begin to describe the relationships that I built this past month.  The memories that I made.  The lives that I saw changed.  Or the way my life was changed.  It was truely and incredible experience that I will never forget.  My heart almost breaks when I think about my time there I miss it pretty badly right now.  If i got a phone call asking me to come back I would be on a plane in an instant.  Now, reading this, you’d probably assume that I had one of those perfect months at the perfect christian camp.  WRONG.  My month was far from perfect.  There were definately fun times, but there was hardship, frustration, bitterness, brokenness (physical and spiritual), healing, laughter, joy, sadness.  Believe me the month was a rollercoaster.  But we pushed through.  We used it to grow together.  My stubborn streak unfortunately reared its ugly head this month.  But gosh I don’t really even know what to describe.  Well I guess first off I will say that my job was the ropes course.  And to be perfectly honest going into it I was TERRIFIED.  Literally.  But by the end of it I was hanging off the edge of platforms doing the whole course with a boot on my foot.  So go figure.  And my team.  Gosh.  I’ve said so many times already that there aren’t words to describe but its just so true!!  They were great.  Tie Dye Tuesday is going to be sorely missed.  One thing that was really great was our first Summer Staff meeting together they gave us all journals and really encouraged us to write in them.  Just a few sentences, passages that meant something to us.  Just whatever we felt on our hearts that month.  It was great.  I really suck at journaling but by the end I filled up almost the entire thing which is pretty crazy for me.  SO after this post will be quite a few little posts that are some of my journal entries over the past month.  They also really had us focus on prayer over the month.  Prayer for the camper, the camp, the staff, each other.  It was great.  Going in I knew my prayer life was something that was in desperate need of a makeover.  So that was something that really benefited over the past month.  I got to do so many cool things!  Here’s a list:

Ropes Course

Rappel a mountain

The Screamer (giant swing)

Make banana splits for hundreds of campers

Dance at a hoe down

Just plain dance!

Take pictures of BEAUTIFUL scenery

build great relationships

Wrangler breakfast (Thanks Snow)

Obstical Course

Town Tour

Share life stories

Carnival

Tableau

Sing Amazing Love every week

Sand Volleyball

Play with Addie, McKenna, and Kayleigh

Go through the book of John

Wash each other’s feet

Share my crap with girls who cared

Prayer Mosaic

Clean the camp

Hang out by the pool

Go down a water slide with 30 people (but don’t break your leg…)

Be loved.

This list could go on and on and on with all the opportunities at fellowship and fun that we had.  People always seem confused why I would give up a summer job and volunteer a month of my time unpaid.  Well just look at what I’ve written.  How could I not want a place to truely live in community.  To build lifelong friendships.  To see kids meet Jesus.  How could I not jump up and down and beg to be chosen to have that opportunity.  So if you ever consider Summer Staff or Work Crew with Young Life and you just really aren’t sure.  Read this.  Do it.  Please.  You will not regret it.  In fact you will ball your eyes out when you get on that bus or that boat and have to go home.  You will cry in the airport every time someone has to say goodbye to get on the plane.  You will laugh and cry at all the funny pictures put up on facebook of all your memories of such an awesome time.  And during all of that you are being a servant of Christ.  Doing his work.  So as of now I am eternally grateful that I was given this opportunity.  I loved it.  My heart’s there.