Good-Bye, Emily!

We held a farewell party for intern Emily Chupp on Sunday. It seems like only yesterday that she arrived looking like this:

Amazing the changes that can happen in a year!

Emily's family came from Indiana to drive her home.

We will miss you, Emily! There are many teens and children (and adults!) in Phoenix who are so blessed because of the time you invested in their lives.



"remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love...in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Teen Camp 2010

It is a beautiful thing when young people embrace the truth and experience freedom in Christ.

And that beautiful thing happened at Teen Camp last week.
Strongholds broken, sins confessed, joy and peace restored.

In some of the campers' words:

I learned that God will never not love me. It doesn't matter what I have done in the past. He help[ed] me with my stronghold. Also how to overcome it.

One thing I learned that I'll never forget is how to get rid of strongholds. I learned that I am a child of God, and that He accepts me as I am.

I got rid of all the lies and found the way of truth.

I've learned the truth, that nothing in all creation will EVER separate us from the love of God. I am loved, I'm accepted, I'm forgiven, and that in God's eyes He sees me as a holy person.

One camper expressed this in a thank you letter to her sponsor:

Thank you for sponsoring me. I love you for that. If you didn't sponsor me, I would have lost God. You helped me find my God so be proud because you helped someone.

Perhaps that camper's words express quite well what really happens when we begin to believe the lies that the world, the flesh, and the devil hurl at us--we begin to "lose" God. It's not that He's hidden or suddenly out of reach, but our perception of who He is and where He is becomes grossly distorted. We need to hear the truth.

Truth such as:

You are loved.
You are accepted.
While you were a sinner, Christ died for you.
Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
You are a new creation.
Old things have passed away.
You have a new name--a new identity.
You have value.
You are forgiven.

As campers heard and embraced the truth, they were encouraged to express it creatively by painting a verse or two of Scripture on a pillowcase to remind them of a specific truth.

Tubing in the Delores River is always a camp highlight; it just took a bit more perseverance this year because of the low water levels.

Little Miss Sunshine came along for her first camp experience. She played with Grandpa and Grandma Reed (who traveled all the way from Ohio to enjoy their first Colorado camp experience, too) during the day and made sure Mommy and Daddy had some nightly sleep deprivation.

Speaking of Mommy and Daddy, Caleb & Stephanie did an awesome job as Activities Directors, making sure all the counselors and campers got wet, sweaty, tired, and sore (and had so much fun doing it that we kept doing it again and again)!

It's been a longstanding joke that there's a Goatman who sometimes makes appearances around the campground. There were some high-pitched shrieks when this mask peeked through the window of the girls dorm one night.

Learning to work together:

Mama Julie was pharmacist, nurse, and ropes course instructor--and lover and encourager of kids and staff!

The morning and evening chapel sessions were taught by Darrell -- powerful times of seeing God at work in hearts.
We had great times of praise and singing the truth led by Tim, Juan, and Mario. Tim also led morning choir.

Ropes course:

Campers were divided into smaller groups or teams led by a counselor. Emily's group:

Andrea's group:

The two Amy's groups:

Nevin's group:

Matt & Christian's group:

Tim's group:

Brad's group:

We had yummy meals in the great outdoors except for the day or two it was rainy.

Mush ball!

Trail rides (no rodeo this year due to rain):

Archery:

And....finally, if you want a taste of the Teen Camp Talent Show and a few moments of amusement, click here to watch a funny video. I'm still trying to figure out how a mustard-covered balloon qualifies as dessert. All I know is that my clothes would've smelled a lot better if it had been chocolate-covered!

Freedom: Isaiah 61:1-3

Teen Camp is a little over 48 hours away, as a youth happily informed me today. Darrell will be speaking on "Freedom in Christ," and as I prepare to be a counselor, I keep coming back to these verses from Isaiah 61. To me, they show the depths of hopelessness a human being is capable of sinking into, contrasted with the amazing redemptive power of God to transform the hardest of hearts and heaviest of burdens into that which reflects His glory.

Joseph Parker, a theologian and pastor during the 1800's, once told a young minister: "In every pew there is a broken heart. Speak often on suffering and you will never lack for a congregation." For many of the teens who will be attending camp, there is brokenness. Fractured family relationships, friendships soured by hatred and anger, a lack of trust in anyone or anything. And there is a deep, deep brokenness because that which was taken from them at the Fall has not been restored. They are not free in Christ because they have not invited Him to free them yet.

May this be the summer that they experience the contrasts of Isaiah 61!

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to

Preach the Gospel of good tidings

To the meek, the poor, and afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the physical and spiritual captives

And the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor]
And the day of vengeance of our God,

To comfort all who mourn,

To grant consolation and joy to those who mourn in Zion--To give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes,

The oil of joy instead of mourning,

The garment expressive of praise

Instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--

That they may be called oaks of righteousness

Lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God,

The planting of the Lord,

That He may be glorified."

Isaiah 61:1-3 Amplified

VBS: Day 5, Week 2

If there's a reason why the New Yorkers came to Aim Right for their summer missions trip, it's probably because of Troy Moser. A New York native, he came to Phoenix in the fall of 2006 to serve as an intern, and after an extended internship, he continues to be involved in various capacities. Troy was hospitality king when the youth group arrived in Phoenix, showing them around and helping them to get settled in, and he also came to VBS several evenings. Here he is one of those evenings, showing off his bike skills.







Friday's Bible story was about Paul and the shipwreck. As students entered the room and boarded the "boat", they were handcuffed and told they were prisoners, along with Paul.



Prisoners were guarded by a guy with a neon green water gun. Scary, I know.

Paul offered his fellow prisoners some crackers for a bit of nutrition since they had gone without food for a long time.

The water slide made another welcome appearance on Friday.

At the end of the evening, there were a lot of hugs and good-byes. It's amazing how tight of a bond can form in only 5 days!