Faded Memories Against an Empty Canvas

I just finished a very awesome but tiring week doing another day camp. This one was in Forest Lake. It was a blast.

It started out on Saturday though. I am very happy that I made the trade that I did. We slept in the youth room of the church, all 6 of us. It was a blast, we played Life, Scene It, Guitar Hero, and Singstar Pop. Those games were all amazing. Oddly, that singing game was my favorite and when I go to Eau Claire I will be buying it for me and Krystal to play.

I am actually at home right now, sorry for those of you who did not know and such. It has been a good weekend home, many fun times and many times when I just wanted to stay home and not go back to camp. But I know that I need to go back because that is my place right now. The challenges that I am facing at camp I need in my life, they are causing me to grow in ways that I have never grown. I got to go to that new arcade off of 65 with my family on Thurs night and then again with Mike and Chase last night. I have spent too much money this weekend, ohh well. This break from camp has been nice but I want to go back too.

I am going to be on kitchen crew this next week which will not be nearly as bad as it would have been last week.

So, in Forest Lake, my group was 4-6th graders just like in Fergus Falls. This group was amazing! I had some boys that had a large amount of energy which made it difficult to get them to sit still long enough for even a 30 minute Bible Talk, but that was okay. I had these two girls that were from a foster home and had histories of drugs and prison in their families, they were willing to share this with me. Because of this I was able to relate to them very well and share some of my stories, I think God used me in a large way in their lives through my ability to relate to them. Thank you God for that.

After a talk with a mentorish person yesterday, I feel more at ease about the differences I have in the views between me and most of the other counselors. We are all called to have views on specifics within Christianity but not to let them be stumbling blocks for others. Basically, don't let them get in the way of the bigger picture, which now that I think about it, has existed since the early Christian church. I recall now in Galatians the almost argument that is happening between Paul's teaching and Peter's. Peter is teaching much about the law still while Paul is talking more about grace. Interesting to think about, the challenges I am going through now were faced also by two of the biggest founders of the early church. Humbling...really.

I have one more day at home and it seems that I am going to be doing a lot of things with a lot of people. I must get going.

Bye Friends!

-Dean

The Calm After The Storm

Things are doing a little better now. The debates are getting less and less because we are getting more busy with campers.

I just spent the last week working with my first cabin. They were 7-9th grade boys, conformation. It was a very hard week and I am glad it is over. I learned a lot though. It was a really good experience and I am very happy that I had it.

I forgot to blog last week because I was just really busy. I am rather busy for a little while more today so this post will be shorter. I had a blast in Fergus Falls at the day camp. It was basically like doing VBS which I have never done. I realized that I actually do not hate kids, infact I prefer them to the older campers I guess. Talk about odd.

At our staff meeting yesterday there was somebody who needed to trade for next week, which is womens week. I traded kitchen crew for a day camp in Forest Lake. I'll probably be coming home from Forest Lake that weekend because I have whole Friday and Saturday off, I am excited to come home.

Overall, the experience I am having here is very challenging and it would be very easy for me to just pack my bags and head home but I think that would be the easy way out. I need this growth, I think that Joa was right when she said that this summer would make a very large mark on my life. I have a lot of reform theology and I am in the minority. I am challenged to think about what I believe and defend it to others and myself on a regular basis which is very exciting. I find myself desiring more time in scripture which is really good.

I just got my financial aid information from UWEC. It appears that I will be getting more financial aid then my tuition again. A larger part of it is loans but if things go as planned I will be able to finish school with little debt. My personal goal was under 10k which I think I might be able to do. If not, I will be very close.

Thank you for your prayers guys. I have gotten to talk to most of you at least once since I have been here and it really helps t know that you guys are praying for me. With out those prayers I doubt I would have the strength to go on. Please keep posting encouraging comments, they really help. I have gone a month without seeing Krystal and now we can only talk once a week. I will not see her until August 11th probably which is hard but possible.

Please send me snail mail too guys, I can recieve it and it would be awesome, I'll write back too.

Also, for the next week I CAN take phone calls after about 5 or 6pm so PLEASE call me and if I don't answer then I will probably call you back in a little bit, we have a couple dinners with families of the church that we will be working at.

God Bless all of you!

-Dean

I'm in Fergus having a blast

Worked with the kids on day camp today a bit. We had a pot-luck of sorts(I guess these Lutheran's are famous for them. We got to play some games and some music for some of the 70 kids we will have tomorrow. Right now I am at a Pastors house sleeping in his basement with another counselor. This will be my home for next couple of days. I spent the last 4 hours fixing some computer stuff for him then just jamming with him.

I PLAYED A MANDOLIN! It was awesome.

I am really excited to see what happens tomorrow when we have 70+ kids. It will really be a feat of God for me to walk away from tomorrow with any shred of sanity at all. I feel much better about being here now. Thank you for praying for me everyone at home. Please keep it up I need it. God is testing me in a couple ways out here and I really hope that I can keep it up. Lutherans are a bit different for me and that is something I will just need to get used to. They focus a lot more on Grace than I am used to. I think this experience with a 'foreign' denomination will be very good for me though. I got to talk theology with this pastor tonight a bit, that was really good.

I am going to start reading the book that Crusade gave me called; Don't Waste Your Life. By: John Piper . I think that I am so surrounded with ELCAness that I need some foundational intense strong stuff to chew on and meander over in my head when I am alone to my thoughts.

In talking with Christa now, I have discovered that I am a bit homesick. This is a new feeling for me I think. I love it here and the people are so wonderful, I just miss Krystal and Pedro. Oh, I guess the rest of my family too :-P They came up on Sat and that was really fun. I enjoyed spending the day with them.

All in all, I am doing much better in my walk and am relearning some foundational things that are good to know as a Christian. I just need some more meat to chew on while I am feeding all these campers milk. I think I will find this in some books and of course the Bible. If any of you want to talk to me on the weekends, please call me! I need the deep theologicial conversations, they keep me going!

Good night all and God Bless.

-Dean

Trials and Tribulations

Things have gotten much harder for me this week. Many theological differences here that are getting really hard to deal with. I don't have the time to go too into depth here right now, I need to call ARCC and UWEC about some transcript stuff in 15. I just need to let you all know that I need as much prayer as possible. Please pray for me, not just a kind and easy and quick prayer though please, I need some powerful prayer. If things do not get better I might want to go home.

-Dean