So before Bev left our team last week, she had told me that I would take over the head coach position for the last week of camp. So right off the bat I tried to get in contact with the pastor who was the coordinator for the camp as well. I did not get a response for a looong time, so on saturday I texted Bev asking what I should do. She gave me the email of another pastor at the church and so I tried to get a hold of him. I didn't get a response until saturday at midnight, and we only got to email each other back and forth a few times on sunday. So already...not a very good start. They didn't let me know how many campers they had, how many volunteers, whether they got the coach's corner material. They only told me they wanted to meet at 6:30.
So on sunday night we finally get there, and they have a few volunteers from last year. We needed someone to replace Kim as Esther in our skit because she was gone, but they said they didn't even get the coach's corner material yet even though Katie said she emailed it to them last month. I asked if they had the u-talk forms, the little information forms that give us a background on the kids faith and their family. They had not printed those either. So there was a lot of stuff that needed to be done. On a brighter note, there were almost 40 kids this year which was much better than last year when they had like 12.
After going to the billets house, I had to start making teams and assigning roles for the week because Kim wasn't there. The week ran surprisingly well, considering nothing was really done. There was a lot more responsibility as head coach, I had to keep the whole day running while dealing with all the original stuff I had to do. Each day after camp I was more exhausted than the day before. I think it was a combination of trying to stay on top of all my new responsibilities, as well as it being the last week, as well as only having 2 other coaches to work with.
Somehow I made it through the week, somehow. It was probably one of the most tiring week of camp I've ever experienced. But it was good, and a great learning experience. A more experienced AIA coach once said after a summer, that being head coach made him a better servant. And that was definitely true for me as well, I realized that so many things needed to be done and there were so many things that I had to do and I didn't even realize it. I was glad I did it this week, after all, I'm supposed to be head coach the next time I coach. Says my boss anyway haha.
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Week 7 Terwiliger
This was a camp I went to last summer and I was pretty excited to be heading back. I missed volunteer orientation because of a wedding, so I didn't get to see who was volunteering until that morning. I knew that it was still the same pastor from last summer who was organizing it though, so I knew that the camp was going to be well setup and organized. On the first day of camp I recognized a few volunteers from last year, and even new volunteers who were campers last year, so that was really cool. Although the camp was slightly smaller this year compared to last year, lots of the same kids from last year came back. I was pleasantly surprised to have so many campers from last summer come up to me and say hi. One little boy told me all summer he was hoping more than anything that I would be at this camp!
The week ran really really well, the church had an amazing setup with tents, snacks, bathrooms, and even in getting volunteers. We also had a volunteer who had helped out for the past 4 soccer camps in terwiliger and told me that he wanted to be a coach next year. So my team and I had a lot of fun "training" him which involves making him doing everything. Just kidding not really haha. I think there were a lot of times when he felt uncomfortable doing something and he asked "really? I have to do this?" But in the end he would do it, and I think he learned a lot and got some good experience out of it. I think that if you ever want to be better at anything, and that includes being a better servant for God, you need to be challenged. I think back to my volunteering experiences at my own church and how I was challenged. If I was never challenged by the coaches to lead a devotion, to run a station, to lead a small group, I never would have had those opportunities to grow. During those times I was asked to do those things, I definitely felt nervous and uncomfortable. But if I was never challenged as a volunteer, I don't think I would be working with AIA right now.
It was an interesting week in regards to where we went after camp ended. The pastor had arranged for us to have supper at different people's houses every night. We would go to some of the camper's houses, some of the volunteers or people from the church. It was really cool to have supper in some of the homes that God was working in through the soccer camp.
It was a pretty emotional end of the week after camp ended. It was Kim's last week of camp with us, she had to go to school early to get settled in. Our whole team was very grateful for what she had brought to the team and we would definitely miss her for the last week of camp! Also saying goodbye to the kids was pretty sad, I connected really well with almost all the kids at camp that week. I dont remember being that close with the kids last summer at this camp! But I definitely will miss them.
The week ran really really well, the church had an amazing setup with tents, snacks, bathrooms, and even in getting volunteers. We also had a volunteer who had helped out for the past 4 soccer camps in terwiliger and told me that he wanted to be a coach next year. So my team and I had a lot of fun "training" him which involves making him doing everything. Just kidding not really haha. I think there were a lot of times when he felt uncomfortable doing something and he asked "really? I have to do this?" But in the end he would do it, and I think he learned a lot and got some good experience out of it. I think that if you ever want to be better at anything, and that includes being a better servant for God, you need to be challenged. I think back to my volunteering experiences at my own church and how I was challenged. If I was never challenged by the coaches to lead a devotion, to run a station, to lead a small group, I never would have had those opportunities to grow. During those times I was asked to do those things, I definitely felt nervous and uncomfortable. But if I was never challenged as a volunteer, I don't think I would be working with AIA right now.
It was an interesting week in regards to where we went after camp ended. The pastor had arranged for us to have supper at different people's houses every night. We would go to some of the camper's houses, some of the volunteers or people from the church. It was really cool to have supper in some of the homes that God was working in through the soccer camp.
It was a pretty emotional end of the week after camp ended. It was Kim's last week of camp with us, she had to go to school early to get settled in. Our whole team was very grateful for what she had brought to the team and we would definitely miss her for the last week of camp! Also saying goodbye to the kids was pretty sad, I connected really well with almost all the kids at camp that week. I dont remember being that close with the kids last summer at this camp! But I definitely will miss them.
Week 6 Calgary
Going into this week, my team and I knew it was going to be a small camp. Although the church we were partnering with had around 900 people in their congregation, they had less than 30 kids registered. Not only that but no one in that 900 congregation was willing to billet to my team so we all stayed at Katie's place which was pretty far from the field. Upon arriving, we knew that this camp was going to be a bit of work even with so little kids. The church hadn't really put much work into the camp, and didn't have very many things prepared, in fact the coordinator was on vacation and not even at camp.
We only had a few volunteers but they were really good for the most part. The camp ran really well too, the challenge I usually find with smaller camps is there's a lack of energy. Kids feed off each others energy, so when there are a lot of kids, camps are usually more exciting. Having said that, this camp was pretty good, the kids really got into the stuff we were doing. Small groups went great too, it was nice having some volunteers that week that actually participated in the small groups. We had a few kids in the group that decided they want to be on God's team and thats always really exciting. Overall the week went great, I think the volunteers were really happy with how the camp went and they wanted to do it again, hopefully they'll have another camp in the future with more kids.
We only had a few volunteers but they were really good for the most part. The camp ran really well too, the challenge I usually find with smaller camps is there's a lack of energy. Kids feed off each others energy, so when there are a lot of kids, camps are usually more exciting. Having said that, this camp was pretty good, the kids really got into the stuff we were doing. Small groups went great too, it was nice having some volunteers that week that actually participated in the small groups. We had a few kids in the group that decided they want to be on God's team and thats always really exciting. Overall the week went great, I think the volunteers were really happy with how the camp went and they wanted to do it again, hopefully they'll have another camp in the future with more kids.
Monday, 5 August 2013
Week 5 Camrose
Camrose was my favorite camp last summer so I was very excited to be a part of it again this year too. However, the coordinator from last year was unable to organize it due to a family emergency, so it was actually a different church doing it this year. We still had the same group of kids mostly and used the same field and everything but we had a completely new group of volunteers. We had a few volunteers who were from edmonton and came over to volunteer.
That night when we were making small groups, my head coach told me that my boss wanted Erik and Anders in my small group. I was in complete shock because I didn't even know these 2 boys were going to be at camp. A few blog posts ago ("God is faithful") I mentioned how Anders and his brother Erik were not going to be able to attend soccer camp because they are from Sweden. They usually only come to Camrose in the summer, and they stay in Sweden for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, Phyllis' husband was in a horrific lawnmower accident a few weeks ago, the lawnmower exploded leaving 70% of his body burned. He is still currently in critical condition, and awaiting skin grafts and surgery. Because of this accident, Anders and his family came back to Camrose to visit their grandfather, which also allowed them to attend this camp.
I mean if God was ever going to speak to me, this was it wasn't it? It was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with Anders and Erik. I knew that God had planned this, and he was going to use me in a special way that week to influence these 2 kids.
The whole week went by great, I saw a lot of the same kids from last year and they remembered me as well! The kids there were also the most well-behaved usually and most skilled so the camp ran smoothly. I found that my small groups went great too. I prayed all week that the holy spirit fill me up with what to say in my small groups and God did indeed provide me with the words. At times I went on and on and the right words and ideas just came out of my mouth, and the kids listened intently. I would ask discussion questions which made them think about what they really believe in. On day 3 I asked them all to close their eyes and I asked them to raise their hand if they are on God's team. Everyone raised up their hands but Erik. Then I asked who would like to join God's team for the first time, Anders and Erik both put up their hand. Then I prayed for the whole group, I asked those who decided to be on God's team today to come find me at lunch. Hardly any kid ever comes up to find me at lunch but, I like to say that so it gives them time to think about their choice. I tell them it's the most important decision that they will ever make in their life, and if you choose to be on God's team, you have to be committed for life. But yea, no one came up to me at lunch on wednesday or thursday, so I felt like I was sort of letting the opportunity slip away. So on the last day after small groups, I sent everyone off to lunch except Anders and Erik. I asked them where they stood, because they raised their hands on wednesday but never came to find me. I said I understood it was a hard decision for them, because they weren't from a Christian home and the idea of God was not well accepted at home either. Both Anders and Erik told me they were sitting on the fence, "half in and half out" they had said. Erik told me that it was really getting at him, but he was conflicted. So I told them that I really did want to see them on God's team but ultimately it was their decision because I can't force them to believe anything. I said if you feel ready to be on God's team now, I can pray with you here right now, if not thats ok too. In the end both of them felt like they weren't quite ready yet, but I told them if they were ever ready, all they have to do is ask God, and they also have their grandmother Phyllis and auntie Bev to talk to about it.
So yea I didn't get to see these 2 boys accept Christ this week but it was still encouraging. I think both of them took a huge step in their spiritual journey. They both acknowledge that there's a God that loves them very much and that Jesus had to die for us because we were sinful. But I don't think they were ready to make a commitment yet, so that's something I'm going to continue to pray for.
Camp at Camrose this year was another blast, it was definitely great seeing all the kids from last year, it made it such a special camp for me. Although the kids I was focused on didn't end up making a decision, many other kids in camp decided to accept Jesus last week. It was also encouraging to hear that the kids that made a decision were going to be followed up on. A lot of the volunteers knew parents of the kids and so on. Perks of a small town I guess, everybody knows everybody, so that definitely helps with outreach and staying connected with the community. Great week with great kids, I sincerely hope that God has it in his plan for me to interact with some of them again.
That night when we were making small groups, my head coach told me that my boss wanted Erik and Anders in my small group. I was in complete shock because I didn't even know these 2 boys were going to be at camp. A few blog posts ago ("God is faithful") I mentioned how Anders and his brother Erik were not going to be able to attend soccer camp because they are from Sweden. They usually only come to Camrose in the summer, and they stay in Sweden for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, Phyllis' husband was in a horrific lawnmower accident a few weeks ago, the lawnmower exploded leaving 70% of his body burned. He is still currently in critical condition, and awaiting skin grafts and surgery. Because of this accident, Anders and his family came back to Camrose to visit their grandfather, which also allowed them to attend this camp.
I mean if God was ever going to speak to me, this was it wasn't it? It was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with Anders and Erik. I knew that God had planned this, and he was going to use me in a special way that week to influence these 2 kids.
The whole week went by great, I saw a lot of the same kids from last year and they remembered me as well! The kids there were also the most well-behaved usually and most skilled so the camp ran smoothly. I found that my small groups went great too. I prayed all week that the holy spirit fill me up with what to say in my small groups and God did indeed provide me with the words. At times I went on and on and the right words and ideas just came out of my mouth, and the kids listened intently. I would ask discussion questions which made them think about what they really believe in. On day 3 I asked them all to close their eyes and I asked them to raise their hand if they are on God's team. Everyone raised up their hands but Erik. Then I asked who would like to join God's team for the first time, Anders and Erik both put up their hand. Then I prayed for the whole group, I asked those who decided to be on God's team today to come find me at lunch. Hardly any kid ever comes up to find me at lunch but, I like to say that so it gives them time to think about their choice. I tell them it's the most important decision that they will ever make in their life, and if you choose to be on God's team, you have to be committed for life. But yea, no one came up to me at lunch on wednesday or thursday, so I felt like I was sort of letting the opportunity slip away. So on the last day after small groups, I sent everyone off to lunch except Anders and Erik. I asked them where they stood, because they raised their hands on wednesday but never came to find me. I said I understood it was a hard decision for them, because they weren't from a Christian home and the idea of God was not well accepted at home either. Both Anders and Erik told me they were sitting on the fence, "half in and half out" they had said. Erik told me that it was really getting at him, but he was conflicted. So I told them that I really did want to see them on God's team but ultimately it was their decision because I can't force them to believe anything. I said if you feel ready to be on God's team now, I can pray with you here right now, if not thats ok too. In the end both of them felt like they weren't quite ready yet, but I told them if they were ever ready, all they have to do is ask God, and they also have their grandmother Phyllis and auntie Bev to talk to about it.
So yea I didn't get to see these 2 boys accept Christ this week but it was still encouraging. I think both of them took a huge step in their spiritual journey. They both acknowledge that there's a God that loves them very much and that Jesus had to die for us because we were sinful. But I don't think they were ready to make a commitment yet, so that's something I'm going to continue to pray for.
Camp at Camrose this year was another blast, it was definitely great seeing all the kids from last year, it made it such a special camp for me. Although the kids I was focused on didn't end up making a decision, many other kids in camp decided to accept Jesus last week. It was also encouraging to hear that the kids that made a decision were going to be followed up on. A lot of the volunteers knew parents of the kids and so on. Perks of a small town I guess, everybody knows everybody, so that definitely helps with outreach and staying connected with the community. Great week with great kids, I sincerely hope that God has it in his plan for me to interact with some of them again.
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Week 4 Airdrie
Going into this week our team knew it was going to be a big camp, around 75 campers. Kim was also not going to be with us this week, she was joining the other team in Coaldale. Instead we had another female coach from SEAC called Steph. She had volunteered last year at her own church but has never coached before so my team and I had to brief her on a lot of stuff the night before camp. Just planning for the week was a bit of a challenge for this camp simply because it was so big. Our camps are designed for 60 kids and it usually gets pretty messy after that. Throughout the week we had to adjust a lot of our games and had to do a lot of extra work because of the size of the camp. The week went by quickly but the days seemed long if that makes any sense. Camp was still a blast but yea, just a lot more tiring and exhausting.
One of the highlights of my week was in my small groups. I had a boy called Dustin in my group who told me he went to church. It was pretty confusing because I found out later that his mom and his grandma go to a mormon church, but his mom also goes to the Airdrie baptist church sometimes too. So I wasn't really sure on where he stood in his faith. But I found Dustin different from all the other Christian kids in my group, because he actually liked to pray. Everyday I would ask if anyone wanted to pray and only Dustin raised up his hand. Not only was he excited to pray but he was excited to share with me all the things he remembered from coach's corner. On the day I presented the gospel, I drew a picture. We tell the kids that we are all on the wrong team because we have sinned against God, and that means we are separated from him. But because God loved us so much he sent down Jesus to die for us to we didn't have to, and if we choose to we can now be on God's team. I explained that to the kids, and most of them were probably already hearing it for the millionth time. I told all the kids in my small group to close their eyes, and to raise their hand if they have already chosen to be on God's team, and everyone but Dustin raises their hand. I then asked them if anyone would be willing to be on God's team, and once again everyone raised their hand up again, including Dustin this time. So I prayed for lunch and then I told the kids, if they were serious about their decision to come find me at lunch. I've done this for 3 weeks, and no kid has ever stayed behind to talk to me or talk to me at lunch as soon as I tell them they can go eat. Halfway through lunch this wednesday though, Dustin taps me on the shoulder and says, "Coach crunch, I want to be on God's team". So I took him aside, and I had him explain to me, the gospel essentially, and he did. I made sure that he understood what he was about to commit too and what he was believing in. After going through all that, it was still a step he wanted to take, so I prayed with him and Dustin accepted the Lord that day!
So it would be awesome if you guys could pray for Dustin! Pray that God will nurture the seed that has been planted in him and that he will continue to grow!That he will continue to have this passion to learn more and to be on God's team!
One of the highlights of my week was in my small groups. I had a boy called Dustin in my group who told me he went to church. It was pretty confusing because I found out later that his mom and his grandma go to a mormon church, but his mom also goes to the Airdrie baptist church sometimes too. So I wasn't really sure on where he stood in his faith. But I found Dustin different from all the other Christian kids in my group, because he actually liked to pray. Everyday I would ask if anyone wanted to pray and only Dustin raised up his hand. Not only was he excited to pray but he was excited to share with me all the things he remembered from coach's corner. On the day I presented the gospel, I drew a picture. We tell the kids that we are all on the wrong team because we have sinned against God, and that means we are separated from him. But because God loved us so much he sent down Jesus to die for us to we didn't have to, and if we choose to we can now be on God's team. I explained that to the kids, and most of them were probably already hearing it for the millionth time. I told all the kids in my small group to close their eyes, and to raise their hand if they have already chosen to be on God's team, and everyone but Dustin raises their hand. I then asked them if anyone would be willing to be on God's team, and once again everyone raised their hand up again, including Dustin this time. So I prayed for lunch and then I told the kids, if they were serious about their decision to come find me at lunch. I've done this for 3 weeks, and no kid has ever stayed behind to talk to me or talk to me at lunch as soon as I tell them they can go eat. Halfway through lunch this wednesday though, Dustin taps me on the shoulder and says, "Coach crunch, I want to be on God's team". So I took him aside, and I had him explain to me, the gospel essentially, and he did. I made sure that he understood what he was about to commit too and what he was believing in. After going through all that, it was still a step he wanted to take, so I prayed with him and Dustin accepted the Lord that day!
So it would be awesome if you guys could pray for Dustin! Pray that God will nurture the seed that has been planted in him and that he will continue to grow!That he will continue to have this passion to learn more and to be on God's team!
Week 3 Whitecourt
So volunteer orientation started a lot earlier this week because the pastor there wanted a whole service/potluck for the orientation. We got there early and had dinner and met up with lots of the volunteers and church members there. Afterwards they prepared a mini worship service there and the whole church prayed for the coaches and the camp in general. It was really something I enjoyed and appreciated. Our AIA ministry is more than us coaches coming in and doing the work and leaving. It's about partnering up with the church and working together to help reach the community, and the churches that understand that are far more effective with their camps. So it was really encouraging to see lots of church members at the service just to pray with us, even if they weren't volunteering at camp. That night I found out I would be separated from Ty again, I'd be staying with pastor clay*(coordinator) and his family.
*Actually met pastor clay in edmonton once when I was asked to share my summer with AIA at a church
First day it rained HARD. Before camps even started it was already raining, but it started to clear up as the day went on. The rest of the week was beautiful and we had great weather. We had about 50 some campers this week which was good, especially for a church that was doing it for the first time. Everything ran pretty smoothly this week. (Except thursday where I was sick and had zero energy all day) But we had some great volunteers and one of the best volunteer appreciations I've ever been to. We had a pizza party with the volunteers and had a pickup soccer game with them and some people from the community which was really fun. I found that this week our team connected really well with the volunteers. Us coaches try make it our goal to really build into the volunteers that we work with as well. I found that the younger volunteers in this camp really seemed to look up to me so I tried my best to be a good example. It was sort of interesting because I never really remember how old I am until I talk to the volunteers. I never really feel like I'm that much older until I realize some of them are just starting high school or something. Then I start to realize I have some bits of wisdom that I can offer, and that a lot of the will actually listen to what I have to say. So it was pretty cool week, I felt like God was using me in more than one way. Not only was I reaching out to the kids but also to the volunteers. I felt like I really made an impact in whitecourt this week, and I'm really happy with how camp went.
I found it quite interesting because just a few weeks ago my boss was telling me that one of the qualities that I've improved on and one that I need to continue to improve on is my leadership skills. And so far this summer I've had many many opportunities to step into leadership roles. Mainly because I'm the only other coach besides the head coach on my team that has had any experience so I've been sharing a lot of head coach duties. It's been great so far and I'm excited for the rest of the summer.
I found it quite interesting because just a few weeks ago my boss was telling me that one of the qualities that I've improved on and one that I need to continue to improve on is my leadership skills. And so far this summer I've had many many opportunities to step into leadership roles. Mainly because I'm the only other coach besides the head coach on my team that has had any experience so I've been sharing a lot of head coach duties. It's been great so far and I'm excited for the rest of the summer.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Week 2 Crossfield/Edmonton
First of all I'd like to thank you guys who read and comment on this blog. It's good to know that I'm not just typing this out to nobody! It's encouraging for me to know that some of you genuinely care about what I'm doing in this ministry and hopefully this blog inspires and encourages YOU as well!
So after Cochrane Ty and I stayed at Kim's house over the weekend because the next camp was at her home church while Katie went back to Calgary. We actually had volunteer orientation this week in crossfield, yay! I got to see Louie (from last year) again, love that guy haha. We had several young volunteers but most of them had done it before so they knew what they had to do. That night Bev (my boss) was also there and told me that she might be moving one of the coaches to edmonton to help run a AIA soccer clinic. My team decided that I would go if it ever came down to it. That night Ty and I headed to our billets house. We discovered that we would be staying inside an old trailer, which made it pretty inconvenient. We had to go in the house to shower, and use the bathroom and stuff like that. The beds weren't the most comfortable, and that night I was freezing and really hoping I'd be moved to Edmonton LOL.
So day 1 at crossfield we had just under 30 kids with lots of volunteers, which included my head coach from last year. (so 5 AIA coaches) We ran the typical day of camp while Bev was on the phone with the big boss deciding my fate for the week. After a while it started raining REALLY hard and we had to pack it up. We drove the kids to the church and actually managed to have lots of fun still with random games. Just before lunch Bev told me that I would be heading to Edmonton not for the soccer clinic (fell through) but to join the other Alberta team. It was a bitter sweet moment I guess. It sucked that I would have to ditch Ty in that terrible trailer and that I would have to leave my team for the week. It was also kind of disappointing for me because I was really starting to making a lot of connections with the kids at camp already. On the other hand I'd get to head back to Edmonton, and work with my old teammate Lane, who is now head coach.
So after almost 3 hours of driving with my boss (and her trying to convince me to be head coach haha) we finally get to Edmonton. I wasn't able to be billeted with Lane and Esteban (the other male coach) so I stayed with Bev's good friend in the south side. I was told the camp was near taylor seminary and the church partnership was with Renessiance church.
So I started camps in Edmonton on a tuesday because I did monday at Crossfield. Right away there were a few diferences, the field had no nets, the field was also in pretty poor condition. When I arrived on the second day, I gelled really well with coaches and volunteers but felt like I couldn't gel with the kids. It was a really weird experience for me because that's never happened to me before at a camp and I always connect really well with kids. I asked a few kids if they wanted to play pass before camp started and they pretty much all said no. I felt like the camp was lacking energy, and a lot of the kids didn't really want to be there. My small group was pretty difficult to handle too, mainly because i had a group of 5-6 year old girls who either wouldn't be listening or would be chatting away. At the end of the day I shared a bit of my frustration with my team and my boss, and we prayed about it. Throughout the week I continued to try to find one kid to connect with but without much luck. Usually kids come up to me at lunch or while I'm setting up stations just to talk to me and bond but there wasn't much of that this week, and I must admit I was a bit discouraged. I just convinced myself that some camps were harder to work in than others, and this must have been one of those camps. But to be fair it wasn't like the camp was terrible, everything ran smoothly and the kids weren't bad. A lot of the younger ones just didn't want to be at camp, so it was like pulling teeth to get them to participate.
I was so excited on friday that it was the last day. Surprisingly on this day, some of the kids started opening up finally and it was great to finally be able to connect with them. When camp was over, a lot of them even came over to give me hugs and say their goodbyes, which was something I didn't expect. I was pretty sad to see them go too, as I am at the end of every camp. Of course you do get pretty attached to the kids you spend a week with no matter who they are, the weird ones, the cute ones, the good ones, and even the too cool to talk to you ones.
So after Cochrane Ty and I stayed at Kim's house over the weekend because the next camp was at her home church while Katie went back to Calgary. We actually had volunteer orientation this week in crossfield, yay! I got to see Louie (from last year) again, love that guy haha. We had several young volunteers but most of them had done it before so they knew what they had to do. That night Bev (my boss) was also there and told me that she might be moving one of the coaches to edmonton to help run a AIA soccer clinic. My team decided that I would go if it ever came down to it. That night Ty and I headed to our billets house. We discovered that we would be staying inside an old trailer, which made it pretty inconvenient. We had to go in the house to shower, and use the bathroom and stuff like that. The beds weren't the most comfortable, and that night I was freezing and really hoping I'd be moved to Edmonton LOL.
So day 1 at crossfield we had just under 30 kids with lots of volunteers, which included my head coach from last year. (so 5 AIA coaches) We ran the typical day of camp while Bev was on the phone with the big boss deciding my fate for the week. After a while it started raining REALLY hard and we had to pack it up. We drove the kids to the church and actually managed to have lots of fun still with random games. Just before lunch Bev told me that I would be heading to Edmonton not for the soccer clinic (fell through) but to join the other Alberta team. It was a bitter sweet moment I guess. It sucked that I would have to ditch Ty in that terrible trailer and that I would have to leave my team for the week. It was also kind of disappointing for me because I was really starting to making a lot of connections with the kids at camp already. On the other hand I'd get to head back to Edmonton, and work with my old teammate Lane, who is now head coach.
So after almost 3 hours of driving with my boss (and her trying to convince me to be head coach haha) we finally get to Edmonton. I wasn't able to be billeted with Lane and Esteban (the other male coach) so I stayed with Bev's good friend in the south side. I was told the camp was near taylor seminary and the church partnership was with Renessiance church.
So I started camps in Edmonton on a tuesday because I did monday at Crossfield. Right away there were a few diferences, the field had no nets, the field was also in pretty poor condition. When I arrived on the second day, I gelled really well with coaches and volunteers but felt like I couldn't gel with the kids. It was a really weird experience for me because that's never happened to me before at a camp and I always connect really well with kids. I asked a few kids if they wanted to play pass before camp started and they pretty much all said no. I felt like the camp was lacking energy, and a lot of the kids didn't really want to be there. My small group was pretty difficult to handle too, mainly because i had a group of 5-6 year old girls who either wouldn't be listening or would be chatting away. At the end of the day I shared a bit of my frustration with my team and my boss, and we prayed about it. Throughout the week I continued to try to find one kid to connect with but without much luck. Usually kids come up to me at lunch or while I'm setting up stations just to talk to me and bond but there wasn't much of that this week, and I must admit I was a bit discouraged. I just convinced myself that some camps were harder to work in than others, and this must have been one of those camps. But to be fair it wasn't like the camp was terrible, everything ran smoothly and the kids weren't bad. A lot of the younger ones just didn't want to be at camp, so it was like pulling teeth to get them to participate.
I was so excited on friday that it was the last day. Surprisingly on this day, some of the kids started opening up finally and it was great to finally be able to connect with them. When camp was over, a lot of them even came over to give me hugs and say their goodbyes, which was something I didn't expect. I was pretty sad to see them go too, as I am at the end of every camp. Of course you do get pretty attached to the kids you spend a week with no matter who they are, the weird ones, the cute ones, the good ones, and even the too cool to talk to you ones.
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Week 1 Cochrane
Our first week started off a little rough. This camp had about 60 kids registered (which is a lot), but the coordinator did not want to do a volunteer orientation. She said that because the orientation would fall on July 1st, that no one would come anyways. So basically we had a whole bunch of volunteers who did not know what they were doing on the first day of camp.
Another challenge we faced at this camp was that there were so many younger kids and not many older kids. We had to split out groups into 5-6 year olds, 7 year olds in their own group, and 8-12 in one group. (which is a huge range) Another thing about this camp was that it was only 4 days because they didn't want camp on July 1st, so we couldn't run our normal 5 day camp. We had to combine some of our lessons and rush some of the skills that were supposed to be taught.
Despite not having orientation, the volunteers were really helpful. We even had a man in his mid 70s help us out. He had a pacemaker done a few weeks ago, so obviously he couldn't play the games with us. Instead he sat in his lawn chair under the tree and took care of any injured kids, any kids who needed rest, and lead a small group. Great example of how God can use you no matter what, you just have to be willing to serve.
The week went pretty smooth besides the first day. The kids were well behaved, and good thing too because 60 kids are quite a handful. I met a lot of kids from camp last summer as well, and it made me glad to know that they remembered me too! My small group this week was pretty chatty but I would like you guys to pray for 2 boys in particular.
Thomas. Great kid, very strong soccer player in his age group. He was very confident in everything he did and said. But when it came to our gospel presentation, and I explained how we were all on the "wrong team" because of sin and I think that really troubled him. I said that people who have decided to follow Jesus (Christians) become on God's team because we decide to follow his master plan. He then told me he was not a Christian, he was a mormon. In fact he said his dad was the "priest" or I guess one of the leaders in their mormon church. When I asked what was the one true way to heaven, Thomas told me that we had to do good things. When I told him that the only way through Jesus, he told me that he agreed. When I talked to him on the last day, he seemed really conflicted. I think he was conflicted with the beliefs he was brought up with and the message that us coaches were telling him. Pray that the Lord will work in his heart, and help him realize that Jesus Christ is his true savior, and only by believing him can he truly be saved. Pray for the desire for truth in Thomas' heart. He may continue to ask questions and question his mormon faith. That he will not be deterred in his quest for truth even when his parents of the mormon community teach him lies. And finally pray that in the pursuit for truth, Thomas will find Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matthew. He was at camp last year and he was not a believer. His family does not go to church, but him and his sister always go to the soccer camps. Both siblings have extensive knowledge about the bible and about the gospel, especially for non church kids. To me, Matthew had a better grasp of what Jesus did for us and why he did it for us than any of the church kids in my group. Yet when I asked Matthew if he was a follower of Jesus Christ he said not yet. But you can sense that they have a hunger for the word of God. Especially his sister who goes around at lunch asking coaches to read out of the bible to her and goes around asking questions. Pray for these two siblings that as they seek, God will reveal himself to them. Pray that whatever it is that is standing between them and God be taken away. Pray that these two kids will just be a light in their family, that because of their curosity and thirst for the truth, that they will bring family members to the Lord.
Another challenge we faced at this camp was that there were so many younger kids and not many older kids. We had to split out groups into 5-6 year olds, 7 year olds in their own group, and 8-12 in one group. (which is a huge range) Another thing about this camp was that it was only 4 days because they didn't want camp on July 1st, so we couldn't run our normal 5 day camp. We had to combine some of our lessons and rush some of the skills that were supposed to be taught.
Despite not having orientation, the volunteers were really helpful. We even had a man in his mid 70s help us out. He had a pacemaker done a few weeks ago, so obviously he couldn't play the games with us. Instead he sat in his lawn chair under the tree and took care of any injured kids, any kids who needed rest, and lead a small group. Great example of how God can use you no matter what, you just have to be willing to serve.
The week went pretty smooth besides the first day. The kids were well behaved, and good thing too because 60 kids are quite a handful. I met a lot of kids from camp last summer as well, and it made me glad to know that they remembered me too! My small group this week was pretty chatty but I would like you guys to pray for 2 boys in particular.
Thomas. Great kid, very strong soccer player in his age group. He was very confident in everything he did and said. But when it came to our gospel presentation, and I explained how we were all on the "wrong team" because of sin and I think that really troubled him. I said that people who have decided to follow Jesus (Christians) become on God's team because we decide to follow his master plan. He then told me he was not a Christian, he was a mormon. In fact he said his dad was the "priest" or I guess one of the leaders in their mormon church. When I asked what was the one true way to heaven, Thomas told me that we had to do good things. When I told him that the only way through Jesus, he told me that he agreed. When I talked to him on the last day, he seemed really conflicted. I think he was conflicted with the beliefs he was brought up with and the message that us coaches were telling him. Pray that the Lord will work in his heart, and help him realize that Jesus Christ is his true savior, and only by believing him can he truly be saved. Pray for the desire for truth in Thomas' heart. He may continue to ask questions and question his mormon faith. That he will not be deterred in his quest for truth even when his parents of the mormon community teach him lies. And finally pray that in the pursuit for truth, Thomas will find Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matthew. He was at camp last year and he was not a believer. His family does not go to church, but him and his sister always go to the soccer camps. Both siblings have extensive knowledge about the bible and about the gospel, especially for non church kids. To me, Matthew had a better grasp of what Jesus did for us and why he did it for us than any of the church kids in my group. Yet when I asked Matthew if he was a follower of Jesus Christ he said not yet. But you can sense that they have a hunger for the word of God. Especially his sister who goes around at lunch asking coaches to read out of the bible to her and goes around asking questions. Pray for these two siblings that as they seek, God will reveal himself to them. Pray that whatever it is that is standing between them and God be taken away. Pray that these two kids will just be a light in their family, that because of their curosity and thirst for the truth, that they will bring family members to the Lord.
Saturday, 29 June 2013
God is faithful
My boss Bev, had told me an encouraging story at training camp which happened last summer. If you read my blog from last summer, you might have remembered that there was a kid called Anders at my Camrose camp. He is actually the grandson of Phyllis (Bev's sister). Anders grew up in a non-Christian home despite his grandparents being Christian. Bev and Phyllis would always try to reach out to them but Anders father was strongly opposed to it. He told his kids that the Bible and all its stories were just like fairy tales, and that they didn't actually exist.
Fast forward to the first day of camp at Camrose. Anders was one of the kids in my small group who didn't acknowledge God or his existence. But through out that week I could see a gradual opening of his heart. He really enjoyed coaches corner. He loved the Bible skits that we did, and most of all he was genuinely intrigued by all the coach testimonies. He must have wondered why did this Jesus character have such a big impact on all of these coaches lives. When it was near the end of camp, he had told me he felt like he could trust God. He must be real, how else could he have impacted so many people.
Well fast forward again, after camp was over (and I had left town already) he went home and told his dad. Bev was actually there at the time of the exchange and it went something like this:
Anders: "Dad, God is real"
Dad: "what? No he doesn't Anders, God is something your grandparents believe in, not us"
Anders: "Well you're wrong dad, Coach crunch (that was my name at camp) told me at camp, and I believe him"
And since then Bev says he's been asking his parents to read him Bible stories every night. He's also been bugging his dad for a Bible for months, and I think he finally got one for Christmas this year. His hunger for the word was so contagious, his parents started questioning and they started reading the Bible to see what it was all about too.
Bev told me that Anders was crying a few weeks ago when he was told he couldn't go back to soccer camp this summer. (he had to go back to sweden for the summer) She said Anders told her "I wanted to go back and see coach crunch, and tell him I still believe in God"
After that, my heart just melted, I sorta wanted to cry..from all the happy feels. It was just such a great example for me personally, of God's faithfulness. That the holy spirit continues to work.
I'll be praying for you Anders, maybe I'll see you next summer bud.
Fast forward to the first day of camp at Camrose. Anders was one of the kids in my small group who didn't acknowledge God or his existence. But through out that week I could see a gradual opening of his heart. He really enjoyed coaches corner. He loved the Bible skits that we did, and most of all he was genuinely intrigued by all the coach testimonies. He must have wondered why did this Jesus character have such a big impact on all of these coaches lives. When it was near the end of camp, he had told me he felt like he could trust God. He must be real, how else could he have impacted so many people.
Well fast forward again, after camp was over (and I had left town already) he went home and told his dad. Bev was actually there at the time of the exchange and it went something like this:
Anders: "Dad, God is real"
Dad: "what? No he doesn't Anders, God is something your grandparents believe in, not us"
Anders: "Well you're wrong dad, Coach crunch (that was my name at camp) told me at camp, and I believe him"
And since then Bev says he's been asking his parents to read him Bible stories every night. He's also been bugging his dad for a Bible for months, and I think he finally got one for Christmas this year. His hunger for the word was so contagious, his parents started questioning and they started reading the Bible to see what it was all about too.
Bev told me that Anders was crying a few weeks ago when he was told he couldn't go back to soccer camp this summer. (he had to go back to sweden for the summer) She said Anders told her "I wanted to go back and see coach crunch, and tell him I still believe in God"
After that, my heart just melted, I sorta wanted to cry..from all the happy feels. It was just such a great example for me personally, of God's faithfulness. That the holy spirit continues to work.
I'll be praying for you Anders, maybe I'll see you next summer bud.
Some of the ways you can pray for my team!
My team consists of 4 people (myself included). My team members this year are Ty (first year coach), Kim (first year coach) and Katie (head coach).
Some of the things you guys can pray for is:
-tremendous spiritual growth, in terms of our walk with Jesus and living as children of light
-total surrender to the Lord so that he may pour into us and in turn we can pour out into the
communities we go to
-open hearts from campers, volunteers, and billets
- the courage and the boldness to take every opportunity to share the love of Jesus
- wisdom and discernment
- safe travels
-energy and rest
-weather
- the mosquitos
I truly believe in the power of prayer. I was greatly encouraged by a great prayer and support team I had last year and I realized the importance of prayer in any ministry. From the bottom of my heart, I really am thankful for every one of you who supports and prays for me.
Training camp (June 23rd -27th)
So I had coach training this week in Alix. Once again I was amazed by the sense of community and unity that the body of Christ brings. This year we had coaches from BC, AB, and SK. We had about 18 coaches in total compared to 8 last summer. I was able to meet and chat a bit with most coaches and find out what they were all about.
Training was led by head coaches and returning coaches. Since I was a returning coach, I was put in charge of leading stuff like devotions as well as on field training. Even through just a few days there is a TON of stuff to go over and it can be overwhelming, but the group of coaches we had were pretty good and learned pretty fast. Actually they did pretty much everything really well.
A typical day would start at around 8 am for break fast. That's a double negative for me as i mentioned on twitter. Waking up early and eating breakfast are two things I do not enjoy. After that we would have worship (lots of musically talented coaches this year too), followed by a devotion. After that we would usually have a head coach or returning coach go over stuff we need to do in small groups or volunteer orientations...basically the important spiritual aspects of camp. That would usually go to lunch.. mmmm my favorite part, and I must say the meals there were delicious. Home cooked meals kinda thing there ya know? At this time I usually had to make a very difficult choice. On field training was after lunch and usually having a second or third helping was usually not the best idea. But....sometimes the food was too good to pass up on. So yea after lunch we'd head out onto the field (we got pretty lucky with no rain for the most part) and run some drills, teach some skills and go over a typical day of camp. After the first day we let the first year coaches to run it like the real thing and we give them some feed back. On field is the best because we actually get to play the games or stations we're running sometimes and I don't always get to play during actual camps so...yea! We usually fit some team time after that right before dinner. That's usually just to go over which coach would be teaching what skill or running what station/game on what day or what day they're doing their testimony...etc etc. Then comes dinner and dinner is great because I can eat as much as I want without worrying about throwing up all over the field! After dinner its usually some more worship time and we go over more coaches corner (our 5 day gospel presentation to the kids). Usually that goes until 9pm ish and we just get free time for the rest of the evening. That usually results in a large game of mafia with all the coaches which is pretty fun, and then bed time! On the second last day/last day we have communion and we pray for hours in preparation for the summer and sending out coaches.
I'm usually pretty tired after training, its an intense few days. But I'm glad I have this weekend to rest before my first camp on tuesday. I'm super excited for this summer and know God will do great things.
Training was led by head coaches and returning coaches. Since I was a returning coach, I was put in charge of leading stuff like devotions as well as on field training. Even through just a few days there is a TON of stuff to go over and it can be overwhelming, but the group of coaches we had were pretty good and learned pretty fast. Actually they did pretty much everything really well.
A typical day would start at around 8 am for break fast. That's a double negative for me as i mentioned on twitter. Waking up early and eating breakfast are two things I do not enjoy. After that we would have worship (lots of musically talented coaches this year too), followed by a devotion. After that we would usually have a head coach or returning coach go over stuff we need to do in small groups or volunteer orientations...basically the important spiritual aspects of camp. That would usually go to lunch.. mmmm my favorite part, and I must say the meals there were delicious. Home cooked meals kinda thing there ya know? At this time I usually had to make a very difficult choice. On field training was after lunch and usually having a second or third helping was usually not the best idea. But....sometimes the food was too good to pass up on. So yea after lunch we'd head out onto the field (we got pretty lucky with no rain for the most part) and run some drills, teach some skills and go over a typical day of camp. After the first day we let the first year coaches to run it like the real thing and we give them some feed back. On field is the best because we actually get to play the games or stations we're running sometimes and I don't always get to play during actual camps so...yea! We usually fit some team time after that right before dinner. That's usually just to go over which coach would be teaching what skill or running what station/game on what day or what day they're doing their testimony...etc etc. Then comes dinner and dinner is great because I can eat as much as I want without worrying about throwing up all over the field! After dinner its usually some more worship time and we go over more coaches corner (our 5 day gospel presentation to the kids). Usually that goes until 9pm ish and we just get free time for the rest of the evening. That usually results in a large game of mafia with all the coaches which is pretty fun, and then bed time! On the second last day/last day we have communion and we pray for hours in preparation for the summer and sending out coaches.
I'm usually pretty tired after training, its an intense few days. But I'm glad I have this weekend to rest before my first camp on tuesday. I'm super excited for this summer and know God will do great things.
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Day made
My head coach from last summer came to training this week to share a bit of her wisdom. Before she left, she left me a package which looked like this:
Item #1
Item # 2
Last summer we got lots of starbucks gift cards from churches. Lane and I never went to starbucks and we never had much use for them. We said that it was probably way more popular with girls than guys and that we would probably just give them away. Coach told us to hold onto them so we could use them when we got girlfriends. Which according to her....wouldn't happen for a while haha.
Item #3
Item # 4
Lane just bought a $20 frisbee prior to volunteer orientation. We waited in the church parking lot in Camrose and decided to toss it around while we waited for the female coaches to arrive. As soon as coach arrives she sees the frisbee and wants to throw it. Lane gives it to her and we both warn her "DO NOT THROW IT ONTO THE ROOF" After several minutes of warning and of coach reassuring us that she wouldn't, she finally decides to make her first throw. As soon as the frisbee left her hand we knew it was bad, and of course....it landed onto the roof. We didn't get it back until the last day of camp almost and it was a lot of trouble to ask someone to climb the church roof to get it for us. I guess this paper airplane WILL be less trouble.
Item #5
This comes back to the point of Lane and I always eating junk food. Every time the team was deciding where to eat Lane and I would always say McDonalds. We would always go on Mcdonalds runs in between camps and at midnight much to the horror of coach. She never took us up on any of our invitations because as I said earlier, she's a health nut! Also she goes to sleep at like 9. Despite the many warnings from coach that my heart was going to explode, Lane and I always went and it looks like she's finally come around.
:D
Last summer my teammate Lane and I would always eat junk food and skip our veggies. Our head coach Kaitlyn (coach) on the other hand, was a health nut and ate as healthy as possible. She would cringe every time she saw the things we ate, she would always try to sneak something healthy into our meals or snacks. She worried about us...sort of like a mother hah.
Last summer we got lots of starbucks gift cards from churches. Lane and I never went to starbucks and we never had much use for them. We said that it was probably way more popular with girls than guys and that we would probably just give them away. Coach told us to hold onto them so we could use them when we got girlfriends. Which according to her....wouldn't happen for a while haha.
Item #3
This verse refers to an adventure we had at our rocky mountain house camp. There's a video on facebook of coach attempting to scale a wall which took her 10-15 minutes. Through perseverance and amazing coaching from Lane and I she was finally able to do it. We had a good time laughing at her earlier attempts.
Item # 4
Lane just bought a $20 frisbee prior to volunteer orientation. We waited in the church parking lot in Camrose and decided to toss it around while we waited for the female coaches to arrive. As soon as coach arrives she sees the frisbee and wants to throw it. Lane gives it to her and we both warn her "DO NOT THROW IT ONTO THE ROOF" After several minutes of warning and of coach reassuring us that she wouldn't, she finally decides to make her first throw. As soon as the frisbee left her hand we knew it was bad, and of course....it landed onto the roof. We didn't get it back until the last day of camp almost and it was a lot of trouble to ask someone to climb the church roof to get it for us. I guess this paper airplane WILL be less trouble.
Item #5
This comes back to the point of Lane and I always eating junk food. Every time the team was deciding where to eat Lane and I would always say McDonalds. We would always go on Mcdonalds runs in between camps and at midnight much to the horror of coach. She never took us up on any of our invitations because as I said earlier, she's a health nut! Also she goes to sleep at like 9. Despite the many warnings from coach that my heart was going to explode, Lane and I always went and it looks like she's finally come around.
:D
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