Italian Church Camp- Camp Counselor

Ciao Friends & Family,

Just dropping a line to let you all know I am still alive over here in Italy. I spent the first two weeks of August working at a christian church camp in south Italy. We didn't have any phone or Internet access so I have been MIA for quite some time now. We were in the very toe of the country in the region of Calabria. The landscape there is very different from Tuscany but I loved it. Each morning, I got to see the rugged mountains, hear or see the daily wildfires, or enjoy the beautiful ocean. The goal of the first week of camp was for the four of us Agape staff to serve the church and camp in whatever ways they needed. Turns out that I got assigned to be a camp counselor with two of my friends, Magdi and Paolo. So I moved up the hill away from the rest of the Americans and into my little Bungalow for the week. I was really excited about the week but anticipated that it would be a real challenge for me. I started out being the counselor for 6 girls then we increased to 9. My mornings started at 6:20 with personal time then a counselor meeting and prayer time at 7:30. That's when my Italian speaking began and continued throughout the day until we went to bed around 3:00 a.m each night. I spoke a max of about 10 mins. of English each day so between rounding up 12-15 yr. old crazy girls and speaking a second language I was tired. But the Lord provided some great girls to help me and good support from the other counselors. I knew the Lord placed me in this environment to teach me some things and to strip me of my comforts. I had to swallow my pride and humble myself before the others to ask for help with the language, the girls,etc. every two minutes. I saw that I need to trust God more to provide for me. I need to see that He always has my best interest in mind even when I think He's given me something crazy to do. But in the end I LOVED the camp and the girls. My Italian improved rapidly and so did my ability to understand different dialects and accents. I wish it could have lasted longer than a week. I was blessed beyond measure in ministering to the girls, praying with them, crying with them, and living daily life alongside them. My vision for Italy youth has increased ten fold and I was encouraged by what God is doing in South Italy. We saw 3 students receive Christ that week and many more begin to let down walls to wrestle with God about the things going on inside them. Please pray for the students that attended the camp that their experience wouldn't just last for a couple weeks but that their relationship with Christ would be their rock for eternity. Pray specifically for my camper Samuela who accepted Christ. It is a baby step for her and she has much growing to do. Pray that she would fervently seek Christ as her supplier and fulfiller rather than the things the world has to offer.

Thank you thank you thank you for allowing me to be a part of something so huge going on in S. Italy. Without you some 40 junior high Italian boys and girls wouldn't know about the possibility of a personal relationship with Christ, the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, God's unconditional love for them, or the freedom that he comes to offer the captives. Thank you for helping me to be a part of the spiritual journey of Italian youth and pour out God's love on them daily. May God richly bless each one of you.


Below this post are pictures of the girls in my Bungalow for the week. They were so much fun!!!