My Dearest Friends and Encouragers:

I am afraid that I have lost my mind.

What am I talking about, you ask? I am talking about five days with 20+ children from 3rd-5th grades. And not only that, but a 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive just to get to camp! What in the world, my friends, was I thinking? Well, I will just tell you...

I was thinking this:

It is just about time I get over my really miserable experience at Falls Creek several years ago. It is certainly time that I invest in the lives of my child and many others at a place much like the camp where I myself had many wonderful church camp experiences as a child/youth. And it is high time that I got over MYSELF. So there. That about sums it up. But you know I won't leave it there! :o)

Wednesday we are leaving to begin our camp experience. While we are actually going to share the campgrounds with our youth group as well as a smaller group from another (mysterious to me :o) church, we will have our own events/groups and will not participate with theirs. This is where it differs from my beloved Camp Sooner, where all churches mingled and learned right alongside each other as we were often scattered throughout the camp with only brief contact with those we actually arrived with. I look forward to getting to know some of the other sponsors that I might know just in passing or even less than that. I look forward to getting the chance to invest in some children in much the same way a few particular people invested in me. And I really look forward to air conditioned cabins that the campground refers to as "dorms". (Totally weird from my humble beginnings - though I am sure those used to "roughing it" would have thought us quite spoiled at Camp Sooner!...did I mention that I LOVED that place?)

Some prayer requests should you think of us throughout our adventure:

• Our safety in traveling to and from (we are taking charter buses - the children will have one and the youth another!) as it is 3.5-4 hours one way
• Our safety in the many activities offered - there is horseback riding, swimming in the spring-fed swimming hole, ropes courses and many other things
• Our children's lives to be touched/changed as they learn of God's Truths - the theme is "Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should"
• The sanity of the sponsors :o)
• The last time I went to camp, other than the drama of the youth group :o/ the reason I had such a bad time was because my feet swelled very badly. So badly that they were numb. We kept putting ice packs on them, but I was severely limited as to what I could participate in...and due to my current issues with constant fatigue, I am concerned that I will be more trouble than help. Please pray that God will bless me with energy, enthusiasm and a willing spirit to do his work - truly my heart is in the right place and I want to do this regardless of any sacrifice I might have to make, but I don't want to be a burden on anyone

Thank you, dear encouragers, for reading this post and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I will be working on my Me, Myself & Lies study while I am there - as I have time! - and I am looking forward to blessings beyond measure. I will also be continuing to lift you up and look forward to getting caught back up on my blogs when I get back! I'll need a bit of time to recuperate, anyway! LOL! Be blessed and know I'll be thinking of you!