survival west

Going into this week, I didn't know what to expect. And coming out of it, I am still trying to figure out what God was teaching me. I know I am learning that God will do as He knows is best, even when it doesn't make sense to us. Crazy that after this entire year, I'm still learning that lesson. 

From the beginning, I knew that coming back to Survival after last year's camp would be hard. And it was. There were so many memories from 2011, things done with Jimmy, poignant things said and realized. I expected God to use this week as another time to heal, to use my developing story as a way to help others how I long to do. But God doesn't always work the way I think is best, though I know what He does is best. I long to look back on this week from eternity. 

Go Navy Seals!

I worked with an amazing staff team. Curtis and Jenna Whatley, Serena Walker, Clay Gibson, Grayson Allen, Christian Edmonds, Norman Woods, Adam McDaniels, John Childers, Rachael Speas, and Lydia Spaun are incredible people I am privileged to know. As Serena often reminded us, each person was placed there this week for a very specific purpose, and I can already see what many of those purposes were. 

I also staffed a fantastic team of 10 students. We were the "navy" team, and so called ourselves the Navy Seals. Joe, Isaac, Josh, Nate, Isaac, Sarah, Alyssa, Katy, Melody, and Tyler, I am so glad that God threw us all together this week. I am continuing to pray for you all! 

There were so many great memories. Sunrise airport runs, having a snowball fight in August, seeing old friends, yelling our team cheer at the top of our lungs, debriefing with my cabin girls, nutella and tea during staff meetings, hunting parents in the woods, being scared out of my wits by blow darts,  singing "Never Once" on the mountaintop, getting the nickname "Stalker," losing the game (I lost), drawing a topographical map on my hand, seeing two bull moose (mooses? meese?), deep quiet times, making breakfast at 5:45 am, teaching my team "Fill Up My Cup," learning "how to avoid pests" from Grayson, and so much more. 

Ultimately, the goal of Survival West was to answer the question plastered to the backs of our t-shirts: "What are you surviving for?" In a world where living for Jesus is a constant battle, we have to be intentional about our purpose here. We are surviving for the glory of God, for the expansion of the gospel that has revolutionized our hearts and lives. Though it will be difficult, we will use every resource available to survive in this perishing world in order to bring to others the hope of rescue that we have in us. 

What are you surviving for?