What to expect from Adventure Camp?

Dear World,

Ok, if I'm being totally honest, I am completely not looking forward to Adventure Camp next week for the LITs. I have compiled a list of reasons for this rash statement.

1. I don't like camping.
2. I'll miss everyone at Sambica for the week.
3. I'd miss my BFF's testimony on Thursday night.
4. I'm a little nervous of what's going to come of the trip. What type of spiritual experiences are going to come out of it. I've never been nervous to experience God. Sometimes though, there are things you are scared to feel, and you try your hardest not to, but God will just get it out anyway.

So yeah. But there are some good things that will come of this trip, that I'm excited about. I have compiled another list of these things.

1. It's going to be a lot of fun.
2. I'll get to spend a week with a couple people that I know, as well as several that I don't, and that I'll get to know a lot better.
3. I won't have to work when the day and resident campers are at camp. :)
4. Event though I'm scared and nervous for what God wants to pull out of me, I'm a hopeful for what's going to happen and how I'll change and grow.

So yea. Pros and cons. But I know it's going to be a good time. I just have to wait and see it through. :) I'll post on Friday afternoon after I get back about how it was.

In Him,
Maddie

Analyzing Camp

Dear World,

I'm at a bit of a loss for words about camp this week. It's all made me so confused as to how the rest of these 5 weeks is going to go. There have been some pretty awesome times, followed by an equal amount of difficult and hard times, as well as irritating and frustrating times. Everyone from last year is great. Having them around, and hanging out with them all the time, just brings back some amazing memories, and in the process, we create ones that are even better. Meeting new people has been a bit of a tight spot for me because I'm in a work group with guys I already knew from last year, and I just haven't had the chance. We've had fun together though, and I wouldn't given that up. It was too priceless.

As for the new mentors. . . . . sub-par.

Don't worry. I'm totally joking. I actually like them more than I thought I would. A lot of them are very interesting, fun, and seem to be totally cool with the big man in the clouds. Yesterday, because I was totally convinced that 3 of them didn't like me, I brought them some McDonald's, and I think I hit the gold. :)

If I was asked my favorite station this week, and mentor to work with, I think it'd be a tie between Pez and Scuba. Scuba was a looot of fun, and there is something about her that is a little intriguing to me. She seems much more normal than I thought she would be after I first met her. And I loved our Bible study time with Pez. That was the only one where we talked about stuff that didn't have to do with the questions, and it was great. And we wrote the dish washing song, which is going to be legendary from now on.

My absolute favorite part about this first week. . . . was spending time with my fellow Elites from last year. There was a lot of catching up to do, and we'd had some pretty great talks. It has just been a really awesome time that I got to spend with them.

Anyways, I'm moments away from crashing, so I think I'll climb into my warm bed now. I will post more tomorrow on the stimulating topic of, 'Camp: First Week'.

In Him,
Maddie Rose

A Change

Dear World,

I choose to trust God with my life.

In Him,
Maddie

First Day. Good or not good. That is the question.

Dear World,

The fist day is over, and honestly, I'm a little relieved. Sambica is so different this year. I mean, there are a lot of Elites that aren't coming till next session, and that's fine, but I just miss them. I am excited to get to know the mentors better. The camp has changed a lot. The work is different and so were the people. Sometimes it's just hard when there was something you loved so much, and you set very high standards, and then you may even make them higher, just because of excitement and expectation, and when things fall short, it's a little disappointing. But the good thing is it's just the first day, and there is so much to do from here. So much to experience, so much to learn, and so much to love.

I must say, Elites never fail to try to have a good time. When one is down, the others try to pick them back up. And there were others who felt the same way I did, but even amongst us who were a little disappointed was a lot of encouragement, and now we're all excited for the rest of this session and the summer.

It never ceases to surprise me how instantaneously we are all there for each other. I can't wait to see how my relationship with the Elites grows and matures this year.

So the theme of this post, not a great first day, but definitely excited for all the days to come.

In Him,
Maddie Rose

Reunions

Dear World,

I was waiting 9 months for tonight, and I'm so happy to be back! When I was driving up to camp, I was so excited, so nervous, and a little scared. So much changes in all that time. I already knew there were going to be different mentors, and I knew there would be some new ELITEs, and they would have probably made some changes to the camp, and heck, some people were probably going to not even look the same! So, yes. I was very nervous.

But you know what changed that? Hearing my name being screamed from inside the building, and having my mentor from last year, flat out running to get to me. Remember L4D? Yep, it was her. And then, being knocked over, and rolling around on the ground with my friend Delaney. Being snuck up on by some, and ridiculed by others for walking by them and not noticing them, but I didn't care, I was so happy to see them all.

Whatever happens this year, whether good or bad, whether I like it or not, it was good to know I've already got people who love me and have accepted me. I could care less what these new people think... Ok, maybe I care a little bit. ;)

In Him,
Maddie

Churches vs. The Church

Dear World,

The thing about the church I go to, well, it freakin rules. I love the teaching, the worship is pretty legit, and the people there are like my family. I call it my church. But then again, I've called many churches in the past "my church". One from a long time ago, I call my home church. I always return to it. It's always been a part of the picture. But then there is my childhood church, that I haven't been back to since I was probably 8 or 9, and I called it "my church". Basically what I'm trying to get at is, what does it mean to claim a church as your own?

Well, it's not yours. It's God's.

But what about the fact that I'm trying to re-adjust to a different church here in Washington. Just the fact that I need to 're-adjust' has something wrong in and of itself. I do acknowledge the retorts to this that, yes, people tend to go to one church and claim it as theirs because it's the one that they go to every week and the one that has people they know, music they love, and preaching that strikes them. But what I think is wrong and what people should realize is, there isn't anything wrong with other churches. Just because you choose not to go to them doesn't mean that they are bad because of that. Other people go to them, and that's good enough.

But also, there is no such thing as other churches, or my church, or their church. We are ALL the church. A community of believers spreading the gospel. Together, we make up the church. Not separately. It would just be a little chaotic if we all tried to gather in the same place at the same time.

At the end of the day, we're just people who meet in a structure with 4 walls to talk about the one we love the most. And that's all it should ever be.

In Him,
Maddie Rose

Back to the Same-old

Dear World,


I'm back in Washington! And this time, it's for SAMBICA as well. I'm so excited. Especially when I walk into the kitchen where I made Cap'n Crunch every morning before I left. And when I walk up the staircase I descended dozens of times, sleepy eyed, ready for another day at camp. But nothing got to me like seeing the room where I was broken, encouraged, desperate, hurting, and where I spent hundreds of hours reading my Bible, preparing for camp, and writing these posts.


To see the ghost of my past summer has made me so ready and excited for this summer. These last 10 months have been torture. Waiting and waiting and waiting to come back. To see everyone. To hug them. To smell the flowers as I walk up to the upper forum. To feel the itchy grass when I lie on my back at the water front. And to hear the screams of excited kids, ready for the greatest time of their lives. It's been hard to wait, but here I am. So close. And I only have a few more days to get through, and then it'll all start again. But it's not going to be the same. It can't. Because everything is different now. The same thing never happens twice, but maybe, this time it'll be even more of an adventure. This time, my summer will be marked by experiences and memories of it's own, making it another summer to remember for the rest of my life.


With excitement and love,
In Him,
Maddie Rose