I am so thankful to have an assistant!

This morning, I am truly amazed. It is 9:33 am. Choice classes are beginning... origami (taught by my older sister, San!), volleyball, and cooking (taught by my Mom, graham cracker pie!)... and I have a spare moment to organize my thoughts about camp. This means that neither do I have a list 10 or 15 activities long nor am I "putting out fires" as they crop up.

But how can this be?

For the past full month, I have eaten, slept, prayed, thought about, and in all other ways shaped my life around camps and the summer camping season. This has mostly consisted of waking between 6 and 7, first thought on camp and what to do to be fully prepared. My original list was single spaced and 2 pages... if I don't write it down, it won't happen. Of course, there was lots of answering e-mails, phone calls, etc... making my list grow as I tried to make it shrink! Generally, sleep came between 11 pm and 1 am. I am thankful for the uplift of youth and prayer to get through a month of this as I generally require much more sleep.

Well, the list shrank as our first camp, Jr. High/Sr. High camp approached. That meant I was closer to ready for campers and staff to arrive. 4 trips to Camp Winni later, everything had been delivered, and I and the staff were ready for campers.

As the week progressed, I quickly realized that this camp would be an amazing blessing for my outlook on directing camps and "coordinating'' a youth program. I have to say that it truly was one of the funnest weeks of my entire 27 years. I laughed and smiled so much during this camp! BUT... sleep still seemed to elude me. Midnight, 1 am, 2 am to bed... 6 am to rise.

So, how, back in the midst of another camp, JUNIOR Camp, do I all of a sudden have a few spare moments to collect some thoughts. The answer is clear and can be described in two words.

Cassy Billings

The Youth Ministry Coordinator Summer Assistant... My Summer Assistant

I cannot tell you all how great she has been. Reporting for "duty" on night one, before campers, she appeared poised, mature, and ready to act. First question was, "What can I do to get started?" Next, "So, how can I help?" And that type of question has been repeated over and over again for the past 4 days. I speak, or we brainstorm together, and Cassy makes it happen. I am so thankful to have an assistant! And the opportunity for Cassy is pretty tremendous as well, I dare say.

My level of appreciation for Life, camp, God, Love, family, and friends is running extremely high.
Cassy rocks.

In the send-off of C.S.... God is Love.
Peace and Hope, Trish