Day Two
Day two started much the same as day one, except we were a lot more tired than we were the previous day! We had a "Praise Rally" session, which was just a morning worship session except no sermon. All the posters that the kids had made the day before were hung up in the auditorium, so during the Praise Rally, the Bible study leaders put red crosses on all the "ruined" creations and the kids came and wrote their names on thecrosses. After that, the kids went to different things, some to Bible study, some to the swimming pool, some to activities, and then they rotated out. We had morning Bible study for about an hour. This was where we got to spend the most time with the kids.
Today's question was, "Am I New?" To delve into this, we went to the Gospel of John, chapter 9 where Jesus heals the blind man with mud. To begin with, we had the kids (all of the things we had them do, were Tracy and Wendy's, another Bible study leader, ideas btw) split into two groups and then they had to sculpt from play dough different things. The objects were on cards and one person drew a card and without saying anything they had to make whatever the card said. This was to get them thinking about being a new creation.
Next, we discussed yesterday and what it meant to be a new creation (2 Corinth. 5:17). Then, we had a couple of them do an activity. They had to put a popsicle stick in their mouth and stack 6 dice on it in a single vertical stack. This was to show something that was nearly impossible to do. When they did that, or tried to, the leader (I was helping someone lead Bible studies, not actually leading them until the last two days) asked what could have made it easier and the answer she was looking for was for the rules to be changed. Those rules can't be changed, just like God's can't change. If we want to be the person He wants us to be, we cannot stay the same. This was to show that ultimately we need to change because we are not holy and righteous as we were created to be and that only God can do it. What is impossible with man is possible with God.
We then had them read John 9:1-12 in their journals and draw a sun over every word that referenced Jesus ie, Jesus, He, Rabbi, me, I, etc. This was to try to get the campers to see Jesus as the light of the world. Now about this time, I really began to be burdened with whether or not these kids were really getting this in their hearts and not just being the good "Sunday School" students that many have been taught to be. While that was going on in my spirit, they were reading where Jesus healed the blind man. This account showed them that Jesus had the power to make them new and thats where the morning Bible study ended.
We went on with the day and the kids came back for the afternoon Bible study. The afternoon studies were only about 30 minutes long. During this time, the two Bible study leaders did a "commentary/discussion" between themselves on the events of Jesus healing the blind man. This got the campers to see that the man was born blind simply so that Jesus would be able to heal him and glorify God.
After that, I went to go lead my birdhouse builders (we had different kids each day, they finished their houses in about 45 minutes). Ever since that morning, I was still so burdened for these kids and whether or not they were getting it. I was a few minutes late and the guy who was helping me had already started with the kids. I got there and started helping a kid and he asked me about my cleft lip. I told him that I was born with it and that it was called a cleft lip and so on. At first he goes back to his birdhouse, but then he looks up at me with the most sincere/serious face I've ever seen on a kid and says, "You were born with that for a reason. God's gonna use that later in your life." I didn't realize what just happened until a little while later and I was floored!!! I mean, how much plainer could it be that they, at least some of them, were getting it! That was the story of the blind man's life. Born blind solely to glorify God through it! I was completely speechless when I realized how God used Drew to answer my burden.
Here is Drew presenting his birdhouse to Mrs. Tracy:
He gave his birdhouse to Tall Timbers, the camp we were at, in memory of us, the OneWay team. This was his third year at a OneWay camp
Worship was again centered on John 9 and the healing of the blind man. During the music, I got the sense of walls and the enemy attacking, but I didn't heed it because I was focusing on God at that moment, emphasis on I. I was too busy worshiping to open my eyes and realize the oppression that was around me, how selfish! Anyways, Bro. Andrew preached, and he also referenced the story of the woman with the flow of blood for 12 yrs in Mark 5 to show that God has the power to make us new and that only He can do it. But for us today what needs to change is our hearts. God has the power to change those as well 🙂
Late Night this night was the "Extreme Team Challenge!" All the campers were divided up into 10 different colored teams for the duration of camp. This was the time where they could earn a lot of point for their team by competing in different tasks and challenges. They also could earn points by taking notes and paying attention in worship and by being attentive in Bible study. This was a lot of fun and that's how Day Two ended… for the campers.
I fought it, I didn't wanna do it, but God told me to go and prayer walk after the Late Night that night. I sure wanted to go to bed. I mean, it was already past 11pm. Anyways, I started and was my night turned upside down! I started praying over the different buildings and I realized just how much the enemy wanted a foothold in those children's lives. It seemed like around every corner was a demonic presence. I don't know how many demons I rebuked on that campus, but it was a lot. I completely understood what Mrs. Tracy had told me earlier, that she could almost see the daggers flying at her and the walls up from the campers. As I prayed, I prayed for freedom and light to flood their hearts and that the walls would come down. I was then prompted by the Spirit to take a stand for those kids, and this is where my heart completely changed. I chose to stand in the gap for these kids and not let the enemy have any say over them. After that the battle just got harder. I was walking around and ended up on the rec field…. I walked out onto it and I could feel hundreds of demons watching me. Its hard to explain, but I know some of you know what I mean when I say, I just knew there were hundreds of them surrounding me. The rec field is encircled by trees and I could feel them in each and every tree, all keeping watch, waiting for my next move. Again, prompted by the Spirit, I made the next move. I said out loud, and it took a little for me to make such a bold statement, but I said, "Come on! Lets have it out right now!" Of course nothing happened, and I then said, "Thats right! You don't dare show yourself to me because you know the power I have. I know you're there and IN JESUS' NAME, YOU GET OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!" I'm some people would have thought me crazy if they would have heard/seen me…. After that, I realized just how much satan wants these kids and made a stand that night to not let that happen if I could do anything about it. I don't know what may have come from me taking a stand and standing in the gap and I may never know, but this I do know: satan will not have dominion over God's people; every single person was created to be like Him and that is what I wanna see. I wanna see a world changed for Christ; a world in which we are who we were created to be and we have no doubts about it. I could keep going, so I shall stop with this: we have been called to bring His kingdom here, to the lost and dying of this world so that they might see Him; are we ready to answer that call? Honestly, I don't know that I feel like I'm ready, but God is moving in hearts all over the world and He has called me to go, so I go. As my pastor said once in a sermon, "It doesn't matter what you feel like, this is what the Word of God says!" So I say this, It doesn't matter whether or not you feel like you're ready to go, you just answer His call!
Wow, I have no idea where that came from….. So ended day two….
