Church Camp is Supposed to be FUN

We had back-to-back trips this summer.  One week on the mission trip to the Navajo Nation was followed by a weekend to do laundry and pack all over again for a week at church camp.

My kids love church camp.  It is a fun get-away, with many outdoor activities that they do not usually get to enjoy.  Rock climbing, zip line, mud pit, to name a few.  Plus, meals are served in a cafeteria, and we bunk in dorm style lodges.  

Our church attends a church camp that is organized for a handful of churches in 3 different states.  It is pretty neat to see the way they come together for a common purpose.  In the two years our family has attended church camp in the past, our church has only had a few folks attend camp each summer.  

This year was quite different.  This year, we had a bigger attendance than ever before.  There were multiple families going, which meant other Moms (ladies from my church) to get to visit with, worship with, and get to know better.  I was really looking forward to it.  I was envisioning a vacation of sorts, with someone else cooking the meals and cleaning up the kitchen.  I would get to kick back, chat with the other Moms and let our kids enjoy the various fun activities.  Plus, I was looking forward to the lessons and bible study that was going to be taught.  It all sounded so relaxing.

I was in for a rude awakening at church camp this summer.  

I was required to grow.

That was not the 'vacation' I was expecting.

Don't get me wrong.  We still had fun.  We still enjoyed the getaway.  The whole experience was really good.

But, the lessons hit me very close to home.  

I was asked to be a sponsor for some very troubled teen girls.  I do not have experience with teens.  My oldest child is 10.  I thought I was out of my league.  Little did I know, those other ladies from my church, who were suppose to be there to fellowship with me on my 'vacation,' ended up being a team with me, as we ministered to these troubled teens.  Each one of us ladies was forced to face our own weaknesses regarding how we minister to children.....and each one of us was forced to watch each other's strengths show us a better way.  It was absolutely wild to 3 of us ladies, who were Moms ourselves, to see just how ineffective our parenting style can be with other people's children.  We each were stretched to our limit.  We each were put in a position to have to speak to each other about our own weaknesses.  It was not in conflict.  It was not in drama.  These are very loving ladies.  But, it was still difficult.  

One woman shared with me at church two weeks later that she felt church camp really humbled her to the point of feeling awful about herself.  One of the young adult ladies we were with summed it up well when she said that she thought we would all be processing the events of our week at church camp for quite a while.  All of us are certain that we were shown just how much we still need to grow.  Ouch!  

To make matters worse, our Pastor announced that his next sermon series was going to be about growing.

I could not contain my thoughts and immediately blurted out, "Oh no!"  

It was quite clear that church camp was a way for God to give us a good look inside our own hearts, and show us where we really are in our walk with Him.  To know that the next step in our learning is right before us is both scary and awesome at the same time.  God is amazing like that.

  

We Had Some Fun Too

Our mission trip was not all work.  We had some fun too.

There was a mechanical bull....

and Native dancers....

...who inspired walking with water bottles on the head...

Creatures were found...

Hiking through a desert canyon...

All the world's a jungle gym...

Granny sent each kid with a bath salt/bubble set.  Jersey #3 had a spider man set that was a "secret lab" with test tubes of bath salts that made the water bubble.  The kids had a blast playing with their sets in the tub.  I was pleased to let them use these items in the hotel bathtub, instead of having to clean up that mess at home!

The fun didn't stop when the mission trip ended.  Just minutes after we returned home, Jersey #3 lost a tooth!

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Sweet memories are made when we go on our church's mission trip to the Navajo Nation.  The Navajo children really enjoy the love and attention.  The smiles in their eyes just light up the room.  

It is humbling to see the conditions where they live, and the distance from our way of life even though we are in the same country.  I learn more history from the missionaries in that area, than I think I have ever learned in school.  

No matter what the situation, everyone should be aware of God's love, and the free gift of salvation.  That is the most important thing. I try to instill that understanding in my own children.  Before dinner the first evening we were there, I was giving the kids a big lecture about the importance of mission work.  I must have gotten a little too serious at some point.  At the end, I went to ask the children some questions to see if they understood what I had been saying. 

I asked, "So, what is the most important thing?"

Jersey #2 and Jersey #3 answered in unison, "Never trust a plastic hippo!"

Then, they busted out laughing at the fact that they both had the same thought.  I was completely floored.  They were quoting a recent Veggie Tales movie.  They thought they were hilarious.  I was immediately reminded that 1) I had gotten too serious for their level of understanding, 2) these children clearly belong to The Referee (who also quotes movies in humorous ways), and 3) that response was quite funny!

That became the running joke with the kids for the rest of the week.  We had a good time, and they learned a lot about serving others and sharing the Good News about God's Love.

I learned a lot that week too.  Most of the time, my lessons are about patience and control.

I like control.  I do not like to be patient.

Unfortunately, the series of crisis and tragedies and such in my life through the years has left me with a lack of desire for control, and a lack of luster for trying to get my way, which I liken to patience.  

With the current state of my life this year, I am pretty much resolved that I am not in control.  Since I can't plan a moment of my life right now, I am completely patient and waiting for God's next move.  I don't necessarily like it this way, but I accept it for what it is.

While we were on this mission trip, I tried to be mindful of patience and control.  I was working with other adults, some I had just met, and most of us were new to each other and each other's styles.  This mission trip itself is usually full of adventure, so going with the flow is a helpful way to be.

I was trying so hard to not try to control things, that I almost missed a time when I needed to take control.  I had a doubt about one of the crafts that was planned for the week.  Initially I tried to tell myself that I should not say anything, so that I did not come across as trying to be in charge of the crafts, and did not hurt anyone's feelings.  I was so unsettled about it, that I finally just took the example to the group and asked their opinion about my concerns.  The other adults immediately set me straight about why my concerns were valid.  They also offered up a list of relevant craft ideas that would better replace it.  The mission director went so far as to tell me that he would not want that craft on the van with him when he was driving the kids home, because it would be unsafe.  It was eye-opening to me to realize that I was spending so much time trying to show that I was not trying to control the situation, that I almost failed to advocate for safety.  

I took a step back, and let my mission teammate put her craft ideas into place and lead the kids during craft time.  The day she had to handle everything solo (because I had to take care of my ill Jersey #4), my friend clued in on some other areas of weakness in our mission program.  Some of the folks had different expectations.  Others were fatigued.  Others needed some direction.  She and I chatted about these things, I explained how such situations were handled on past trips, and we brainstormed some solutions for this trip.  Still, I let her take the lead in bringing up suggestions or making changes.  I was being extremely careful to not be controlling whatsoever.   

In my past, I have been so controlling in my take-charge approach to things, that I just bowled through folks, knocking them out of my way along the way.  I have enough experience now to know that is not a good way to work with others.  But, apparently, I have been taking things to the opposite extreme, and failing to lead for fear of being too controlling.  I had no idea I had gone so far.  I thought I was being a good team player, and not making waves.

On the last day of our trip, I made waves.

When push came to shove, I had to stand up for what was right.  

One of the teen girls brought her 1-year old nephew with her to class.  She was given instructions to leave her own class and help him participate with the youngest class group.  She was willing to follow these instructions.

I overheard her being told that the baby could not stay.  I moved closer to learn more about what was going on.  Her teacher approached me and asked me what I would do in that situation.  At first, I tried to gently explain that the little boy could either go to the younger class, and the teen girl could join him, or vice versa, and he could attend her class with her.  This is how we handled such things in the past.  When I was told what the teacher of the younger class had already stated that he was too young for her class, I no longer held my tongue.  I remarked that it was an unfortunate response, and that we never turn children away.  When I saw teen teacher's eyes go wide, I knew I was being too forceful, so I tried to ease up.  I offered the solution that I would keep the baby with me, so that the teen girl could go to her class.  I would let him work on crafts, and see what other activities he was interested in.  If the baby had any trouble, I would bring him to her.  The teen and her teacher were very pleased with that solution.  I scooped that little guy in my arms, and braced myself for any confrontation about him being too young for the program.  No one dared to challenge me.  I made it quite clear to anyone who would listen, that we do not turn away children! 

And, then I enjoyed some time with this little cutie who could not yet talk, but who could point and squeal with delight over everything.  He loved stickers, applesauce, and the balls that dipped into the water for game time.  He had a blast during his very first day of Vacation Bible School.

        

My Pastor made a point to share with me that the baby's father thanked him for us allowing the child to be part of our program that day.  I felt validated that I had taken a stand, and it ended well.

But, I still carried guilt about the 'conflict' I perceived with the mission team member who initially wanted to turn him away.  I was trying so hard to get along with everyone and not cause drama.  It did not take me long to revert to my bossy ways, like in my past.  Granted, there was no argument or anything like that.  We did not even discuss the matter with each other at all, but I was poised for an argument, if one came up.  I did not insist the child be in her class if she was uncomfortable with it, but I totally took control and made sure he was not turned away....and made sure that his teen Aunt could continue in her class that was making such an impact on her life this summer.  I was really unsettled with myself in how I handled the situation, because I am trying so hard to love others with the love of Christ, and I felt I had failed in this area when I became bossy and dominate in my solution. 

In church that following Sunday, my Pastor preached a sermon about the importance of children's ministries.  He made an example out of me.  He shared the Bible stories about how Jesus encouraged the children to be brought to Him, when the disciples wanted to turn them away.  Then, Pastor shared the story about how I refused to let this toddler boy be turned away from our Vacation Bible School program in the Navajo Nation.

I was so preoccupied with whether or not my response was disagreeable and causing drama with other members of our mission team, that I completely missed the fact that my stance that no child should be turned away from our program, followed biblical teaching, and was honoring to God.  Here I thought I was burdening my Pastor with conflict on a mission trip, and it turned out he supported me.   

New lesson learned.  But, I am still wrapping my mind around it.  The take-charge-with-a-passion personality trait I possess can be a good thing.  It should not be used to make everyone do what I think is best.  But, it is not the shameful burden that I have come to view it.  

There are times and places where I am going to be called to take a stand and advocate for another, un-apologetically, for God's purpose.  I was given this trait for a reason, and God doesn't make mistakes. 

Whoa!  I did not see that one coming.

I was spending so much time, giving all of my effort, trying to make sure that I was not showing any level of controlling behavior, yet I was falling short.  I had my eyes on myself, and not on God.  

I've got a lot to learn.        

Growing

I do not know what happened to my sense of time.

I have 3 weeks of wonderful pictures and stories to share.

But, I just could not find a minute to stop and put them into a blog post.

Life has been a whirlwind lately.

At one point, I was walking across a yard and I looked up at the sky, and specifically spoke to God to make sure he understood that I did not think I was equipped to handle all that was on my plate right now.  I suggested a more relaxing time instead.  I was pretty sure I had nothing left to give.  

And that was when the growing started.

Growing closer to God.

Growing stronger in my Faith.

Growing more confident in myself.

Growing more patient in my purpose.

The outcome of growth is so wonderful, but the process is so challenging.

In the past 3 weeks, I took the kids on a mission trip to the Navajo Nation.  We spent the following week at church camp.  We made a visit to Granny & PawPaw's house over the weekend, and also visited my sister's house to attend a swim party to celebrate my nephew's birthdays.  The 3rd week was spent in various acts of service to others, a little fun for ourselves, and a giant leap into a new career for me.  We made one final summer visit to Granny & PawPaw's house for the weekend.  Now, we are safely home again.

Yes, I am tired.  Fatigued is a good word for it.  But, the good news is that I am not drained.  I am physically tired from all that travel and service.  But, I am also rejuvenated deep within.  It is an odd response for such a busy time.

I have a houseful of clutter....laundry, dishes, suitcases, oh my! Spoiled-tired kids, and we are completely off our routine.  

But, for the first time in years, I have a strong sense of priority in life, WITHOUT being in the midst of a crisis, allowing me to see with such clarity.  

   

This is NOT a vacation!

The kids and I are on a mission trip.

The running joke on this trip is for the adults to remind each other that This is NOT a Vacation!  It comes from a line in the mission handbook that explains that we are here to work and to serve, and should conduct ourselves accordingly.  We are not on vacation.

So many things go wrong.  Yet so many other things go right.  So, it becomes this huge character building experience.  Patience.  Grace.  Self control.  Kindness.  Love.  All are needed at a time like this.

The goal of a mission trip is to spread the love of Christ to folks who may not have the opportunity to experience it often, if at all.  But, other wonderful things happen in addition to that main goal.  I find that I am affected greatly as well.  

Six years ago, when Jersey #3 was just a baby, The Referee and I took our family on this same mission trip.  It is neat to have the ability to do this with a young family.  So many things went outside of the plan.  One of the vehicles in our caravan broke down part way there, throwing our schedule completely off for the day.  The 2nd day, elections removed our ability to use the building we were scheduled to use.  Then, a truck got stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out.  It was a wild, adventurous time.  

I learned a very valuable lesson, during that trip, about how Christians handle adversity.  Regardless of the level of stress and mess that occurred during that trip, the folks we were with had the most amazing attitudes.  They were not angry, or cussing, or complaining about the circumstances.  They were joking, and brainstorming ways to get through it and keep moving forward.  

So, when things started to go awry during this mission trip, I was reminded to keep a good humor about things, brainstorm new solutions, and to keep moving forward, with the top priority in mind.

15 miles outside our destination, the interstate traffic came to a dead halt.  While we sat around, Jersey #5 needed to use the restroom.  He exited the van with determination, dropped his shorts to his ankles, mooned an entire fleet of semi trucks, and watered the asphalt.  According to my friend in the vehicle behind me, the semi truck driver in the lane beside her, started laughing so hard she thought he would have a heart attack.  Jersey #5 was a sight to see, and he entertained a crowd of stalled travelers.  

  I had assumed that the traffic halt was caused by a terrible accident.  When traffic finally moved forward, we discovered that the road was actually blocked due to a flash flood that caused a mud slide across the interstate.  The area was still pretty muddy and wet as we drove through it, even though the rain had passed.  

We made it to our destination.  The kids were pretty excited because we were staying at a hotel with a swimming pool.

Then, we learned that the hotel was doing some remodeling.  The pool was broken.  The lobby restrooms were out of order.  The washing machine was out of order.  Most of the vending machines were unplugged.  Plus, our mission team was spread out in hotel rooms at all sides and levels of the hotel.

Clearly, this was NOT a vacation.

The mission work itself has been a wonderful experience.  We are enjoying meeting and reaching many, many folks every day.  I have been looking forward to what each day will bring when we arrive at the mission field.

I was not prepared for what came my way today.

We were driving toward our mission destination, when Jersey #4 announced she had to throw up, followed by two seconds, and then a huge puking episode.

She is not one to complain about feeling sick, so I had no clue that she was ill.  I was caught completely off guard.

As my mind raced to figure out what to do next, I realized that God had it all under control already.  My mission trip teammate had decided to drive her vehicle today, just in case she needed to return to town before the group.  I was able to contact her to pull over on the side of the road.  We moved my older kids and all the craft supplies to her van, and she continued on her way to the location.  I took my youngest two kids and returned to the hotel to get Jersey #4 cleaned up.

I had originally planned to return as soon as I had her all cleaned up and on her feet again.  

Instead, I returned to the hotel to discover that the room key had been deactivated.  I had to go to the front lobby to get it re-keyed.  By the time I returned to the room, Jersey #4 ended up emptying the rest of the contents of her belly onto the rock landscaping in front of the room.  We just did not have time to get inside to the bathroom, and the lobby restrooms were out of order.

Clearly, this is NOT a vacation!

I got her all cleaned up in the bathtub, and resting on the bed (where the maid had removed the sheets, but had not made up the beds yet).  Then, I went to work getting my van cleaned out and getting her booster seat cleaned up.  

This is when I was reminded that the hotel washing machine was out of order.

This is NOT a vacation!

I hand-washed her vomit clothes and her car seat cover in the bathtub, and set them outside the room door to dry.

Instead of returning to the mission program to "serve," I hung out in the hotel room, watching my sick princess sleep.

Thankfully, she woke up in the early evening, feeling much better.  She was able to hold down apple juice, and later eat some simple foods.  We re-joined our group for a brief fellowship, and Jersey #4 was able to wander around outdoors and play a little.  She is on the mend.

I have no idea what to expect for tomorrow.

Because, this is NOT a Vacation!

Swimming Videos

Much to my absolute shock, my 3-year old showed me that he can swim backstroke.

We were at the pool for Jersey #1's final swim team practice.  I was having Jersey #2 practice swimming backstroke, because she is preparing to swim in her first meet, a meet where family members can swim too.  Jersey #5 tells me, "I can swim on my back too."  And he was serious.

Not to be outdone, Jersey #4 showed me that she can swim backstroke, and she can swim on her front (doggie paddle).  We started at one end of the pool, and she swam approximately 18 meters on her own. She almost reached the end of the 25 meter lane.  She did this with backstroke and doggie paddle (on separate occasions, of course).  I had no idea she could swim that far.

I am completely amazed by the swimming progress of my children this summer.

I realize there are kids who learn to swim at very young ages.  But, I just never expected that of my own children.  I am seeing how spending a lot of time at the pool really helps develop swimming skills and comfort quickly.

Jersey #1 progressed at an alarming rate in just 2 months of swim team.  Her siblings really progressed too, because they had more opportunity to be in the water during some of her practices.  Jersey #2 and Jersey #3 picked up their swimming skills fast enough that I registered them for their first swim meet.  They will swim backstroke in a meet with Jersey #1's team, where family can swim as well.  It will be neat to see.  And, then, Jersey #4 and Jersey #5 both learned to swim on their own this summer.  I am just in awe.  I suppose this is one of those areas where it is a benefit to have older siblings in a sport, and all that extra time to practice and imitate them.

Jersey #2 has made a point to work on the skills that her big sister struggles with.  It started with the dive-starts.  Jersey #1 often dove into the pool knees first, because she was too nervous to bend her body to go head first into the water.  The night that she actually figured out how to go in hands/head first, Jersey #2 asked if she could try too.  Jersey #2 immediately entered head first,  on her first attempt.  She has not had any trouble going into the water knees first.  She was mighty proud of herself for that.

The next skill that Jersey #1 has been working on is flip turns.  I told her to practice doing front flips underwater, to practice.  Jersey #2 took that to heart, and started working on flips in the water.  She was mighty proud when she figured out how to flip herself, before her big sister learned that skill.

Then, she learned how to flip turn.  It happened to be the same night that Jersey #1 also learned to flip turn in practice, so she didn't get to show up her big sister fully.

I am a forward thinker, so I am already considering the idea of putting all 5 kids on the swim team next summer.  I may try them out in practice in May, and see how they do, and which ones take to it.  But, I have stars in my eyes about the idea that they could all participate in a sport at the same time....and at the same location.  That is a big deal when there are multiple kids in activities in the same family.  We will see what the future brings.

Swimmer

When Jersey #1 was only 7 months old, I enrolled her in a parent/infant swimming class.  It was held in a therapy pool, which was nice and warm.  She loved it.

My Mom teased me, saying that I just could not wait to get my child signed up for activities.  

There was some truth to that.  I love sports and activities.

Jersey #1 is real social like her mother, and she always seems to enjoy the sports and activities too.

Unfortunately, as much as I love to play sports, I am not a natural athlete.  I am the player with "heart" (but not talent).  

After watching Jersey #1 participate in gymnastics, dance, soccer, and various other activities, I joked that she got her athletic prowess from her mother.  She really enjoyed herself, but she was not a natural athlete.  She does not run very fast, she is not very flexible or coordinated, and she is not bursting with energy.

When she first joined this competitive swim team, she was quite a beginner swimmer.  Her dive-start included her entering the water knees first.  She finished each race in last place.  It was a struggle for her to swim continuously during practice.  

I always encourage her to do her best, and to keep working to improve herself and not worry about how fast the other swimmers were swimming.  I remind her that everyone is blessed with strengths, but we are not all blessed with the same strengths.  It is good to be challenged and humbled, and to not always be great at everything we do.  We also talked about how important it was to remain active to be healthy and fit.  She enjoyed swimming and was really improving quickly.

Her competitive nature came alive the day she told me she was going to try to swim fast enough so that she did not finish in last place.  She reached that goal, and finished second-to-last in most of her events.  She was thrilled with that accomplishment.  I was thrilled right along with her.  She put her mind to something, and accomplished it.

A week later, she informed me that she was going to swim the individual medley event.  I was surprised.  I told her that event included swimming the butterfly stroke.  She nodded in agreement.  I asked, "Can you swim the fly?"  She nodded yes, and gave me a sly smile.  I could not contain my surprise,

"When did you learn to swim the fly?  I have taken you to every swim lesson you have ever had, and you  were not taught the butterfly stroke yet."

Jersey #1 just laughed at my surprise and my comment.  She explained that she had been practicing the dolphin kick during swim team practice, and was getting quite good at it.  She then just had to learn how to pull her arms up out of the water, in rhythm with the kick.  It all made sense to her, but it left me speechless.

Sure enough, she swam the butterfly in that meet.

      

And then there was talk about moving her up a lane in practice.  The way the swim team works, the kids practice in a specific lane, with a specific coach, based on swimming ability.  They compete in meets  based on age category.  Jersey #1 was in the 2nd lane for practice, and the coach of the 3rd lane thought it was time to move her up now that she could swim the fly.

And then, she finally figured out how to dive start from the side of the pool...

And then, she won first place in her heat for the 50 Freestyle.  She even swam faster than another swimmer on her team who had much more experience.  It was quite a shock to me, as well as to that other swimmer.  

She moved up to the next lane in practice, even though there were only a few weeks left of the swim season.  Jersey #1 was quite pleased and started working even harder.

The following meet, the head coach caught sight of her swimming, and went running over to the side of the pool near her lane.  I overheard his conversation with her new lane coach.

Head Coach:  "Is that Jersey #1?"

Lane Coach:  (with a chuckle) "Yes."

Head Coach:  "She can swim the fly?"  (He could not contain his excitement at this discovery).

Lane Coach:  "Yes.  And, I just got her in my lane this week and haven't even started working on her fly yet."  They both looked at each other with huge smiles on their faces.  They were seeing stars.  

Their conversation ended right there, as the head coach followed Jersey #1 up and down the pool, as she swam her event.  He cheered her on the entire time, and then praised her highly at the end.

I was taking pictures nearby.  Her Lane Coach approached me and explained that she moved Jersey #1 up a lane for practices because she thought she needed more of a challenge.  I was speechless.  All I could say was that she has really come a long way, in such a short amount of time.

I kept saying that she was really strong-minded.  She has such determination to keep working diligently in practice, and giving her best, to improve her times.  Considering she is a pretty compliant child, and not strong-willed, I have been impressed with the strength of her determination with swim team.  

Another swim team parent pointed out to me that Jersey #1 was also showing great physical strength.  She was training her muscles, and developing the body of a swimmer.  Her strokes looked good, and her body was streamlined in the pool.  I had not really considered that she had such physical ability.  I was thinking she was just putting her mind to doing something, and so she was accomplishing it.

During last weekend's meet, she won 1st place in her heat, for 3 separate events.  She was so proud of herself that she was walking on air!  

She had a moment of disappointment when she realized she was in heat 2, and that the faster swimmers are placed in heat 1 even before the meet begins.  So, she was the fastest swimmer in heat 2, but not the fastest swimmer in those events.  

Then, I reminded her that in 2 months time, she has gone from being the last place swimmer in heat 2, to being the first place swimmer in heat 2!  That is quite an accomplishment for such a short amount of time.  As she ran through that math, she swelled with pride all over again.   

That other swim team parent approached her during that meet and praised her highly for the way she swam an event.  That parent was a former swimmer, and she really had a lot of complements about Jersey #1's form, speed, and ability.  I stood there with my jaw dropped open, and Jersey #1 was quite stunned too.  Those were some serious compliments being bestowed upon my daughter.

That was when I realized that I could no longer joke that my daughter has the athletic prowess of her mother.

Apparently, my daughter actually has some athletic prowess.  

She is a swimmer.

She has passion, determination, and physical ability.

She is an athlete.

She has found her sport.

And, she trains to win.