Reality Check

I know --I think I got lost! But, found my way back -- just kidding! I've been "on the road again" and seem to meet myself coming and going. However, I wanted to post this report on the Youth Camp from Sandi. She read this to our church on Sunday morning .. Linda

Genniser (Cornerstone's Youth Pastor) asked me to share about youth camp. I told him no. And he asked several more times before I agreed. In many ways I don't want to do this. But this week I asked campers several times if they were unable to do something or simply unwilling. I do feel unable to do this but I'm not unwilling - so here I am. This past week at Reality Check was the most intense week of my entire life. Tim and I have been a part of many camps for many years in every way (as a camper, counselor and director).

For the past 5 years we have directed youth camp for our conference of FM churches. We knew going in to this week that we would face challenges but had no idea of the scope of things. So as I tried to figure out what to tell you - I went back to the promise I had each teen make whenever they talked to me - be real. So I'm going to get real and pray that you will see through the tough stuff to the realization that it takes being real to make any progress. None of the counselors this week were aware of all that happened - but Tim & I have endeavored to keep the things that can't be shared between us and God. One of my campers came to me this week and said that what she had to share she couldn't simply say - so she had to write it out - I had to do the same.

So what to share. I could share about the fun we all had - from softball, to volleyball, to basketball, to mini golf, and ping pong, to carpet ball to canoeing, to human foosball, to the petting zoo, roasting marshmallows, going on hayrides, pool volleyball, eating kettle popcorn made over an open fire. I could tell you that major prayer happened in the golf cart I was driving (especially since I'm legally blind and don't have a driver's license.)

It was great to see S.A.C.'s Got Talent and we laughed until we cried as the counselors participated in "America's Next Top Model.) I could share about awesome times of team devotions and workshops like Bible Quizzing and Sharing your faith to Just for Guys and Just for Girls to drama and learning how to build biblical boundaries into our lives. I could share about our theme verses from Proverbs 1:1-6 or share about our themes each night.

I could share how Monday night we talked about being "ink'd" by God and being pierced for ministry. I could share about how Tuesday night we talked about developing spiritual disciplines into our life or Wednesday night how we discovered that we each had spiritual gifts and talents. I could share how Thursday night we entered "The Real World". I could share about the most awesome praise and worship I have experienced in a very long time. How I thought the walls were going to come down on Thursday night as we sang "Battle Cry".

I could share how God used our group to minister to other groups at the camp and to the camp personnel. How we invited a group to join us in worship and were able to pray with one of the kitchen workers in our evening service. I could tell you about how every camp personnel from Lakewood including the director came to us to tell us that they had never experienced a group like ours and tried to figure out "how we did it". How people from the camp were asking where the nearest Free Methodist church was.

I could share that we had over 90 campers and about 30 counselors from churches from St Pete, Tampa, Miami, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, West Palm, and Nassau Bahamas. I could share about the low ropes course and the trust fall. Where in an hour and a half with your team more tears were shed and more walls broken down - than anything else we could do. I could share of the 35-40 of the teens that Tim & I spent individual time with - some lasting 5-10 minutes and others lasting hours. I could share how camp didn't end on Friday at 1pm but that the rest of this weekend has been spent on the phone and e-mail counseling campers and counselors alike.

I could share of the many that got saved - I prayed with at least 15 campers myself. I could tell you of the 2 girls that were called into missions. I could share about the Timothy track and how teens that were identified by their youth pastors as being spiritually mature and exhibiting leadership qualities were able to take part in a special workshop and assigned personal mentors that spent individual time with them each day. I could tell you that every one on the Timothy track came to me personally to tell me that it was the best experience they had ever had. I could tell you that our 15 minutes scheduled for individual mentoring turned into an hour or more each day. I could tell you how proud you should be of Donna Blanton and Brandi Costa who joined with Tim & I and Eddie from our Tampa church as Timothy track mentors. I could tell you of the 3 guys that are off to college to prepare for the ministry. I could tell how one of them came to me to thank me for teaching me this week how to disciple others.

I could tell you that over 3000 "Character Counts" points were awarded this year. I could share that dozens came to know Christ and dozens more rededicated their life to Him. I could tell you all that and it would be true and it would be good. But it wouldn't be all. To be real means to tell you the rest of the story. It means to tell you things that were hard to hear. It is to tell you that the camp flag I am holding doesn't bear 120 names - which means that teens were real enough with themselves and God to acknowledge that their lives aren't "ink'd" by Christ - they aren't Christians. I could tell you that the cross didn't hold 120 nails because there were teens unwilling to let God use the things that pierce them.

I would have to share that although Tim and I have the job of directing - our week was spent counseling and that logistically things fell apart because we couldn't leave the teens we were ministering to. I would have to share that there were teens that aren't there yet - and one cried out Thursday night, "I'm not there yet - but Jesus, I'm coming!" I pray she has the chance.

I would have to share that teens confessed to promiscuity, to alcohol abuse, to drug abuse, to cutting, to violence including some very serious stuff. I would have to share that teens shared their real life and many times that included stories of physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse. I would have to share that we had to stage a full blown intervention and we sent teens home with constant supervision until we can get them into rehab. I would have to share that I had to stay on the phone with a camper as she walked into her house because that is the only way she could do it.

I would have to share that a guy camper came to me Thursday morning with tears and said, "I can't go home - Please don't make me, I'm just too scared." I would have to share that we have a rule that things are kept confidential unless they are life threatening or illegal - and we had to break confidence this week. I would have to share that most mornings began well before dawn and most didn't end till then. I would have to share that teens that "look the part" aren't always who you think they are. That they can hide deep hurt and bad choices.

I would have to share that there are teens in our own church that don't know Christ. I would have to share that it's time to get real. Real with ourselves, real with each other, most importantly - real with God. Tim and I spent months preparing and praying for camp. And this week there were so many times when I cried out to God, "I'm not able". And He only responded, "Are you willing?"

To be real means that we can't think "glad that's not our kids" - because it is. It means saying like I had to this week, "I'm willing for you to hate me - to save your life, to save your soul." To be real means to stop telling people what they want to hear and sharing with them straight talk - right from God's word. It means getting phone calls like I did - when I am emotionally, physically, and spiritually depleted and answering it anyway. Because lives hang in the balance. It means getting real about discipleship. To be real means saying that our teens are too valuable to God and to valuable to us to risk losing them. This IS our great mission field.

To be real means acknowledging for all the successes we had - we failed too. So I stand here - not jubilant. I stand here used up. I stand here unable - but I don't stand here unwilling. I'm asking you to do the same. Pray for our teens like you never have before. Be strong enough to look and look closely and ask and ask deeply and pray without ceasing. I guess this is our reality check!