Woah, I feel like it’s been a hot sec since y’all have heard from me but I’m only right here!! So, I’ve been off the grid for quite sometime because I’ve been at Young Life’s Windy Gap, serving on Work Crew for the last month. Since I got back at 2 a.m. last night, I’ve had some time to think about how to put into words my experience at Windy Gap from the last month – so bear with me as I try to encapture how much the Lord widened and stretched my faith in the last month.
So for those of you who don’t know, Young Life summer camp is when I, for the first time felt the Lord’s presence, during my fifteen minutes of quiet time under the North Carolina stars. Sounds dreamy, huh? It really was. Young Life camp is also where I put my faith in Jesus and said “yes” to life with Him. If it weren’t for Young Life I realllllyyy am not sure the kind of person I’d be today. So when people ask “why would you go to camp to serve high schoolers for the first month of summer?” “you just graduated high school and you’re giving up your first month to clean tables, reset them, serve food, just to do it all over again 3 times a day? For what? What are you gaining out of that?” I’d tell you, I owe it to those campers. Young Life camp, for me, changed my life people. I OWE those campers the same experience, and not just that, I want to be apart of that with them, I wanted that for them. The good thing about Young Life camp is that you’ve got so much OPPORTUNITY. Oh so much, especially being on work crew, those campers look up to us, we’ve got the opportunity to INVEST in them, to literally paint a picasso piece of what being joyful in the Lord looks like. That really is a blessing people. It doesn’t take much. Really. All ya gotta do is jump off the diving board fully clothed if a camper is too scared to, all to encourage them. Offer up your testimony to campers that wanna hear it, a simple hug, a silly song involving or a small conversation about rocks — could change everything for those campers. And you know how i know? I saw it happen with my own eyes.
Week one- Georgia, Madison, and Emme were my gals. For some reason all of the encounters I had, sparked up at the craft shack so bless that lil place. But anyways, I’d been in the mood for some jammin, so I had my Ukulele with me and I was singing the most ridONK song about my pal Piper earlier in the day. We headed down to the craft shack uke & all and there were these three girls sitting there making bracelets. When all of a sudden i turn around and go “hey, what’s your name, I’m gonna make a song about you” “Madison” she answers – I go on over and sit at their table with them. We got down to business, I learned favorite colors, favorite foods, birthdays all of it, and there I went — a simple song. 3 simple songs, one about Georgia, one for Emme, and one for Madison. Nothing crazy – just a song. As the week went on I’d see them around camp and it was great – truly was. Seeing their smiling faces, it was all over their faces – they were having the time of their lives. But it wasn’t until Sunday, June 2nd that I knew that their lives had changed. So at Young Life camp each day hits ya, and then the last day everything just makes sense – it clicks. Something special also happens the last day, the campers who’ve really felt the Lord’s presence and wanna give it all up to him stand up and “say so.” Tears filled my eyes so quickly when i scanned the 106 faces who stood that day, these guys and gals wanted to be allll in, and of those 106 faces, to see Emme, Georgia, and Madison all put their faith in Jesus,, man oh man. *que the waterworks* The Lord worked in my heart that week, so well and in ways I wasn’t able to comprehend at first. After the “say so” I went up to my gals and bear hugged the life outta them. Tear stained cheeks, and sweat in our eyes, Georgia looks at me and tells me that the little song that I made up for her was one of the highlights of her week. She made me pinky promise that I’d make up songs for more campers because it meant that much to her. A song people, about the color blue, the craft shack, and tacos???!?/1//11/WLGMSOA[OFIAFsfhwpga;icPIUFap HOW!!!! I only thought i’d be a server, setting up, breaking down, serving, repeat, how in the world did I make the highlights list of their week?!!? ….Opportunity, people.
Think of opportunity as a docked boat with no specific destination, or there is a destination, you just don’t know it. The boat is about to leave, and you’re standing there debating whether or not to board because you don’t know what the trip entails, nonetheless where you’re gonna end up. If you don’t hop on, you’ll never know what that trip consists of, wether it be seeing the stars bright and perfect in the middle of the sea, beautiful beaches and islands, scuba diving with sea turtles, you’ll never know, because you didn’t board. See, the boat of opportunity comes and goes everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. Sometimes you have to just go for it. I could’ve gone over to those girls and they could’ve mad judged me, got up, and walked away, but instead they stayed, laughed, and they’ll never forget about that day, and neither will I. We are presented with opportunity everyday, and I was, especially at camp. Every camper was a boat, they’re all there because they want something deeper out of life, because their best friend invited them, or their mom threatened to take their phone if they didn’t go, and in each camper, there’s opportunity for them to meet Jesus, and if i can play any part at all in guiding them in that way, count me in, whatever that entails. Whether it be 2 hour one on ones, jumping in the pool fully clothed, buying slushies for the girls who sat and waited and waited and waited to catch fish, or making matching necklaces and bracelets, just for funzies. I’m allllll in.
Week two, the Olivia Maria’s – So for a little bit of a back story, I’ve got 5 sisters; two step, two half, and one full, Gia and Gabby, Frankie and Olivia, and Bella. Love each and everyone of them to BITs, in their own special way. Now, not to get so heavy so quickly but bear with me; Olivia, passed away 4 years ago, she was premature and only a month old when she passed, so the name Olivia in itself has a significant meaning to me, and every Olivia I meet is special to me in their own way, now fast forward. Im at the craft shack with my pal Isabela, when all of a sudden these gals come up to me and we just start chatting, after some time i get their names, both being Olivia. Woaaahhh, my heart jumps a little at their names and we continue talking all things. I look at my watch and next thing you know, i’m 20 minutes late to my job. So I have to stop mid conversation and sprint to change. With a quick see ya later, I start runnin’. The night goes on, and before I know it, it’s the next day and we’re done setting tables so we’ve got some free time. Where else would I go but the craft shack?? That’s my pLACEE! So I head on over to chat with my gal Tara when all of a sudden I see Olivia walkin up the steps. When she gets up to me I noticed that she was crying, after some pressing she began to open up to me about what was bothering her. The beautiful thing about transparency is once you become transparent and vulnerable, the other person can use their transparency with you, and by sharing similar experiences and advice from the other side, it just makes ya feel a whole lot less lonely, someone else can relate; making what you’re going through already that much better. And that’s what happened that day at the craft shack, she learned from me, and I learned right back from her. At the end of the week, everyone who wanted to “say so” stood, searching the faces in the crowd, I couldn’t find her’s, They give one more opportunity to the guys and gals to stand after everyone else has just in case, and up she went, again; *cue the waterworks.* There’s just something about developing a friendship with someone that runs deep, for me it’s one of the most important thing to do on this earth. Invest in people. And something even more special than that, to watch them grow so much in the span of a week, to the point that they jump into a relationship headfirst with the big guy….. nothing like it.
Week 3 – Bethany, maaaahhh gal. I met her day one week three, the second she arrived because I carried her bags to her room. Incredibly smart gal, and super giggly, loved to laugh. One day, mid week, I’m walkin by the pool when I see her standing on the diving board, freaking out about jumping off. I started cheering her on “come on gal, you got it” and then, the brilliant idea popped in my head, “BEtHANY!! IF YOU JUMP, I’LL jUMp – FULLY CLOTHED SHOES AND ALL!!” her face lit up. She kept hesitating but after a solid 3 minutes she jumped, so there I went. Fully clothed. A couple days later, the day campers left, I was sitting on the island under the willow tree doing my morning devo when a gal walks up to me. “Hey are you that girl that jumped off the diving board in her clothes the other day?” I answered with a chuckle and a shy “yeah,” because it really wasn’t that big of a deal, I just did what I could. “Well, I just thought I’d let you know that Bethany put her faith in Jesus the other day. And after a sermon Fred (the camp speaker) gave on what following Jesus looks like and how to live it out, he invited campers to stay for any questions they have. Bethany was one of the only ones to stay after so she and Fred had a 2 hour conversation about faith, and how to live it out. It just didn’t click for her, she didn’t really understand. To put it into perspective, he unknowingly asked her ‘have you ever jumped off of the diving board before,’ she told him the story, and he was able to use what you did and how she finally jumped after so much hesitation, as some insight as to what following Jesus looks like. I just thought i’d let you know because, it was so special to her what you did.” Again, it wasn’t all but a simple jump and she was able to have better understanding because of a stinkin diving board, and I was able to be apart of that. HOW NUTZZZ. “Woah, thats so so special” I thanked her for sharing “And what’s your name?” she answered with “Olivia,” and there she went. My eyes filled with tears because what. Are. the. Odds. really…
This last month was special to me in so many ways, not only because of all the encounters I had with the Lord through people, but also because a friend once explained all “young life camps to be “thin places” places where heaven is so close to earth, it’s hard to distinguish the two.” And boy oh boy was Tara Mortell right. I saw a lot of Heaven on earth at Windy Gap the last few weeks, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my first bit of summer, any. Other. Way.
UpDATE!!!!!!!!
I am 45% FUNDED!!! Meaning IM ALMOST HALFWAY THERE!!!!!!!!!! WAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! JUMP, SCREAM, HUG YOUR MOM, EAT SOME CANDY, PULL A LION KING ON YOUR DOg *que AHHHH SABENA MAMA LECCE MAMA* idk that whole thing, but you’re pickin up what I’m putting down. I’m so stoked guys, and again i cant thank yall enough – it’s allll because of you people I’ll be able to leave in September and I really truly wish there were words bigger than thank you, but i’m sending you hugs if that helps any. I’ve met my first deadline and my second one is early August – and that deadline in 10,000! Only $3,210 from where I’m at now… HOW CRAZZZYYY!!! Eat some ice cream, paint your nails, go to the beach people, it’s a gooooood day. And I’m so thankful for you, and the sky, and my family, and friends, im thankful for dogs, and hamsters, i’m thankful for sonic ice, and in n out burger, the list goes on and on and on, but hey BE THANKFUL FOR TODAY
Much love, xx Dasia
