Miracle Camp Weekend

This weekend we took our Senior High kids to our Winter Retreat at Miracle Camp in Lawton, Michigan. It was such a great time! Our speaker was wonderful, able to keep the students' attention through great humor, but always making an impressionable point with biblical truth. We talked about being unnamed servants rather than living in pride. We learned that Christianity is not just a checklist of reading your Bible, going to church, and praying, but an intimate, real relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of our students were touched by this since we tend to teach that our faith is a bunch of things we have to do instead of who we are and - more importantly - who He is in us. Here are a few pics of our students and leaders.




One story I'm blessed to share is that I saw an amazing answer to prayer when a student who had walked away from the Lord felt drawn back to Him after this trip. He and Jake had a bit of a struggle earlier in the week and I was concerned that he wouldn't want to come back to our youth group. I just prayed that this weekend away would do wonders for him, and God answered that prayer when he shared before the group - and his friends that he is sort of the leader of - that this trip meant a lot to him. Another leader and I were in tears and could do nothing but praise God!

I was a bit concerned how the trip would be on my end since I had to take Laina with me, but she is such an amazing baby that it was so easy! And, the camp set up a beautiful room for me with a full size bed and my very.own.bathroom. Seriously...do you know what a treasure that is when you're on a trip with 15 high school girls? Pure bliss! Anyway, this is what she looked like the majority of the weekend. I had to buy her a new coat right before we left because she is growing so fast! No more 0-3 months for her!
And of course I had to dress her up and show her off on Saturday. She loved being the center of attention and got passed around by almost all of the students! I love that they love our kids so much and are so eager to give them kisses and snuggles.Of course it wouldn't be a winter retreat without some sledding! Laura, Kori and I were brave enough to face the tobogganing and it was so much fun! Probably not as dramatic as we made it, while we screamed down the hill, but amazingly fun! Then, I braved the sledding FACE FIRST with Laura. I am not a fan of things FACE FIRST. All I could think was that if we hit a tree, it would be BAD! Laura kept telling me I was ridiculous because it was a clear path....but I saw all of those trees way off of the path and you just never know where your sled will go! Ha!
Jake and I have been home together today and I have to say, I have such a hard time adjusting to real life again! How great it was to be served all weekend and to not have to make meals or clean up dishes! It has been wonderful being back with all of the kids though. I've read "That's Not My Fairy" with Maurah and Hayden I don't know how many times and was able to enjoy a few rounds of Candy Land and Dominoes with Cole. Thanks so much to Grandma Tammy and Grandpa Dave for watching them for us so we could enjoy the retreat!