Youth Camp 2 was much different than I had expected. For starters, I was exhausted. I kept praying that God would give me strength, but the thing I looked forward to the most was taking a nap. I think my body was just telling me that it had had enough. Tuesday night rolled around, and I was flat-out angry with God. I was mad that I had been praying for strength and he didn't give it to me. I was mad that I was missing the wedding of someone who is very important to me. (Which made me realize that I was still mad that I had missed another good friend's wedding when I was in Haiti.) And I was just mad that I was there. This was the camp I was looking forward to the most, and I couldn't even enjoy it or be a part of things because I was so exhausted. So I sat in my room that night, praying and wrestling with God. I didn't want to be there anymore. I seriously considered figuring out how I could leave and get to my friend's wedding in time. As I was sitting there, my good friend, Jami walked in, and she was such an encouragement to me. I shared with her how mad I was and I saw that I had a few things I needed to give over to God. Jami encouraged me with the passages where Paul talks about his thorn in his side. Then Jesus says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I didn't know how God was going to use this, but I knew that He was going to. I finally said, "God, I have nothing left. Please work through my weakness."
That next day, I had planned on going home to get some rest instead of going on the ten-mile hike. But when I woke up, I knew God had other plans. I had more strength that day than I could have ever imagined. So I changed my plans and went on the hike, and the whole way there, I was able to talk with my friend Julie. Pause the story for a second, because I have to fill you in a little bit. (She's in the middle in the picture, and my friend Alča is on the right.) I met Julie last year at camp when she was in my English class. Throughout the year, God laid two people on my heart to be praying for, Julie and Jitka. Before camp, I had the opportunity to request who my roommates would be, and I requested Julie. (And because I was so exhausted and in my room all the time, Julie and I had many opportunities to talk.) Last year, Julie was in the same position that Hanka is in this year. She thought she wanted to accept Christ, but didn't want to make a decision like that at camp. So on the hike, Julie and I had a long time to be able to talk. Later that afternoon, I walked into our room and Julie was reading a Bible. So I asked her what she was reading. In that conversation, Julie told me that she wanted to give her life to God, and she and I were able to pray together. Praise God that He worked and I didn't! I was so weak, and I had nothing to give. But God was able to work though that, and through my exhaustion.
God is at work all around us. These are just a couple of the stories of how He worked at the camps, and there are many others. I can't help but praise Him for how He works through us...and through our weaknesses.
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