Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Jumping Back In

Reconnecting with friends on Facebook has brought back incredible memories about Camp Spearhead. It’s a good thing. My two years serving on a weekend ministry during my college semesters and then as a summer camp counselor were filled with immeasurable joy. It was hard work, back-breaking at times, but it was well worth the effort, and I am forever grateful for my experiences there. Camp Spearhead will always have a special place in my heart.

But all this reminiscing--recounting old stories and sharing pictures--has made me miss the experience even more. So much so that I decided it was high time I got back into serving those with special needs again. I’ve been thinking about it for years, but I hadn’t done anything about it until now. Shame on me! So recently I made a few calls and jumped back in with both feet.

It’s official now. I am now a volunteer with Lutheran Disability Ministries Inc. (LDM), an interdenominational ministry with a mission of “equipping the Church to minister with people who have developmental disabilities.” I will be serving as a camp counselor on a few upcoming SonRise Weekend Retreats, and I’m rather excited (perhaps elated is a better term) about this opportunity--interacting and bonding with new faces, meeting others in my area who have a heart for those with special needs, sharing GOD’s love, exploring the great outdoors, etc. I’m psyched.

I confess that I’m a bit nervous, too, since I am going into this blindly. My last summer at Spearhead was in 1996, and if you can do math, you can see that it has been a LONG time, a REALLY LONG time. So I feel a bit rusty now 13 years later, but I think I can work through it with GOD’s help. I’ll miss the familiar faces and dear souls that I was privileged to call my friends in South Carolina, but I’m optimistically hoping to gain new friends, stories and experiences along the way. It’s all an adventure, and I’m holding onto HIS hand with all my might.

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