Messy Bird

Saturday, June 11, 2011

We going CrAzY!

Well, as some of you know, I am working for half of the summer at a Christian camp called Pine Cove. It's alllll the way down in Flint Texas. Yea, there is a good possibility that you've never heard of it and if I asked you to find it on a map, you might need a magnifying glass.
This camp is a new experience for me. There are cheers for every word, number, and activity in the land. This is place where "more Jesus = more sweat" and "salvation = perspiration". Yes those are real cheers. Pine Cove is a place where we jump and we jump and when we are done jumping, we jump some more because of the joy of our salvation.


I should let you know that I am no longer Lacey Jenkins. My camp name is now Hiphopopotomus. Try saying that 6 times fast. Wish I could have heard that. My fiance is not Taylor Jervis, he is Fishface.
one face of fishface





So we're thinking at the reception they could introduce us as "Mr. and Mrs. Fishface Jervis." Just a thought.

 Anyway, this will be Taylor's fourth summer so he is a seasoned veteran. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and after the first two weeks of campers, I still don't. I've never experienced an organization like Pine Cove. An organization truly Gospel focused and solely dependent on the Lord's grace, Pine Cove is a place the Lord is using to refine and chisel me. Due to the jumping, needless to say, the Lord is hard core chiseling my calves.

This past two weeks, I've been blessed to have a cabin of 6th graders and a cabin of 7th graders. Yes, that's 11 and 12 year olds. I have to admit, coming into the summer I was a bit nervous (and by a bit nervous, I mean wet the bed terrified) about middle schoolers. Have no fear mom, no accidents thus far, but I make no promises for the weeks to come. Just to give you a glimpse into the mind of a 7th grade girl, this week I found my cabin having a butter eating contest.... yea. I also walked into a "ok, let's have a singing competition" as they proceeded to sing every Justin Bieber song that they could think of. I just sat and smiled.

Another story to make you laugh... last week I had 6th graders. They asked me, "Hiphop, why people put their hands in the air, or why people get on their knees during worship"? This is a great question. So I asked them how they would worship if they were standing before Christ himself. Would they dance? Would they clap? Would they cry? Or, would they stand there with their hands in the their pockets while yawning? So we got to have a great conversation about personal worship. It's a very intimate thing to come before the Lord and worship.

Well, one of my campers gets on her knees in the middle of worship. It was the last night, so here I am exhausted and watching my prayers be answered as this 11 year old hits her knees before the King. She got down and tears rolled down my face. I thanked the Lord and realized, wow, she's still down there. Okay, this is a 6 minute prayer... I must have really done a great job counseling this week. Man, way to go Hiphop! As this sweet angel stands up she comes up to me and says... "Hiphop, I fell asleep. I drooled and everything. Oops!" Words can't explain how hard I laughed.

It's been the biggest blessing serving along side the staff here. Watching college aged kids give every bit of energy and dying to themselves daily all for His name's sake has challenged and humbled me beyond words. I am more than ready to be changed and transformed to be more like Jesus and less like Hiphop. :) Bring on the fire.