Tomorrow is the start of our Ambassador training camp, our high school participants going out for a month. We have about 120 high school kids going out at two different times. There are over 60 coming in tomorrow and will be heading out to Swaziland, Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Ireland. The second group comes in on June 30 and will be out for 2 weeks to Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
So Vicki and I will be involved in this camp beginning tomorrow, but then Josh and Jeremy will be working with a youth group trip coming to Atlanta starting on Saturday, where the two of them plus two of their friends will be leading the group in worship each evening. So we’ll be with the camp during the day and then drive to Atlanta for the evening (about an hour’s drive).
After that camp leaves on June 24, we have volunteered to go with the church youth group to the Forward Conference at the Gwinett Arena from the evening of the 24th to the 27th. Josh and Jeremy are both looking forward to it as there will be great music and great speakers (David Crowder Band, Fee, Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, and others). So for the next 9 days we’ll be with teenagers all day long! I don’t know if I had a stretch that long when I was in youth ministry full-time!
But it doesn’t stop there, because a couple days later on June 30 our next high school group comes in (that’s also our 25th anniversary) for a 3 day camp. Then Josh and Jeremy leave for a mission trip their own to New Orleans (we’re not going on that one), followed by Marching Band camp July 16 – 22 in which Vicki and I will be chaperoning (I know we’re crazy!).
Crazy or not, we’re thankful for the opportunities we can have in influencing these kids for Christ. We’ll have opportunities to influence kids in all stages of their walk with the Lord. Some are very solid and some will have no relationship with Christ. We have an opportunity to influence all of them whether they are going on a mission trip or coming in as a lost freshman trying to find his way around, we want to be Jesus to them. That’s our responsibility and our privilege.
Oh and by the way, during the week that Josh and Jeremy on gone on their mission trip, we’re going to take some time to get away and celebrate our anniversary.
