Finally, the time has come to reflect on how God worked this summer in Crandon, WI. It is hard to believe that he was able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time, but nothing is too great for our Father who always has outstanding plans! In the final week, visiting students from Michigan shared some of their feelings coming into the trip. Several struggled with the idea of being in ministry situations where they wouldn’t know the words to say or have the knowledge of how to act. However, throughout the week, we witnessed firsthand a Biblical principal that God uses ordinary people- ANYONE willing to surrender to him!- to do extraordinary things. Students and leaders left expectations behind only to hold firmly to the truth that God would do what he wanted in the week if we gave him the room to move and put all our faith in his greatness.
Each week, we would watch for ministry hurdles- challenges where we would depend on the Lord to help us overcome. In this last week, we faced some of our greatest problems as the electric box that exploded at the Dewing camp started an oil fire in the woods and left the entire camp and homeless shelter without power for several hours. Additionally, a stomach virus was going around, taking new victims about every 12 hours for the duration of the week! We also wondered how many local students would be interested in joining us with many of them traveling with their families that week to the Indigenous Games nearby in Milwaukee http://www.milwaukee2011.com/ However, in each of these situations, we saw God provide as the electrical problem was fixed, students overcame sickness and were not held back, and 17 local people were able to camp with us from Benjamin and Ashley’s youth program!!! (The largest group of the summer)!
Benjamin and Ashley’s local kids were a mixture of old faces and new- some of the students had been on all of the campouts while others were camping and taking part in a youth activity for the first time. It was neat to see how quickly students came together to develop new friendships. Then we started to see things we would never have imagined possible at the start of the summer, but God has been working in such a big way! Kids from Michigan and Crandon were watching for God and many excitedly shared their “God Sightings” while we sat around the campfire during the evenings. Many of them had experienced Him through creation, as our setting was on the most beautiful lake almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. But more students experienced Him through the friendships they were making. Christ’s love was being reflected though these friendships and a hunger for Him that had been growing all summer became stronger!
The second night at camp, we sat together around the fire and sang song after song to praise Him. Though some were worshiping for the first time in this way, no one grew tired, everyone was engaged and there was a sense of peacefulness that was beyond anything we had experienced all summer. Several discussed later how it was as though we were suspended in the moment- just us and the Holy Spirit, working in the hearts of every single person around that campfire. It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever been privileged to witness.
During these summer campouts, the groups were united in Christ in a way that was so awesome! Students were included and engaged, sharing stories, and asking questions. One local student shared that they loved camp because you had the freedom to be who you wanted to be and not worry about anyone judging you. Another shared that she couldn’t believe people had the heart to come all the way from Michigan, Illinois, and even Arkansas to camp and visit during the weeks!
