Working Together = Success Achieved

It’s been another amazing day of YOUR amazing children doing AMAZING teamwork!

Your kiddos were complimented from morning till evening!  Most of the time they didn’t know it, but we shared with them each time we got the chance just to encourage them and to spur them on to the finish line!

An elderly gentleman that comes to Tejas to serve and help build the ‘nativity walk’ sets came over to me at lunch and said, “I have been working with a Tejas employee for the past two days.  He really bragged on your students. He said of all the teams that come here to serve, your team is their favorite. Your students work hard, they are respectful, they stay focused and get the job done. And they get the job done right. No one has to come behind them and redo it. I just wanted to let you know.  That your kids make a good impression. It’s obvious they are taught how to serve.”

Wow!  I know the guy he was working with.  We hardly ever work with that guy because of the nature of his job at the camp. But at their team meetings they share with each other.

Our team leaders are as impressed as I am. Our kids have taken on every job and done it … with excellence.

Half of our day we spent re-doing work others had done before us.  Unwrapping trees, and then rewrapping them correctly.  It’s tedious but our kids got the vision of ‘let’s do this with excellence to help make the name of Jesus known and glorified’.

Tonight after dinner we stood in the light tunnel and prayed for everyone that comes this year. We then met in our meeting room and refocused on our first evening’s devotional and then headed out with our jackets and flashlights to the ‘Meadows Campfire’.  It’s the most amazing grove of trees that look like they came out of a movie. There’s a fire in the middle – lanterns on posts under the large canopy of trees – tables and benches.  Mr. Linam told the story of the shepherds and their response to the news of the Savior and how we can parallel our lives to them … if we choose, our response to the story of the nativity can be just like theirs.   We each took time to reflect and wrote our thoughts and what we desired in our hearts, on to our devotional papers.  Each student then took their papers and we tossed them in to the fire.  (The first night the kids wrote their feelings, we asked them to be truthful and we promised no one would read them … ever… and tonight we made sure) Those thoughts, fears, dreams  and desires are between them and God.

We then had a great time having s’mores and laughing!  And then the fun walk back!

The boys have (snuck) over to the basketball court and the girls are dancing around and singing Christmas Carols in our cabin.

Tomorrow morning we’ll see what Tejas has for us to do.  At this point, most of the students are saying they would like to stay here and not come back yet. That’s how you want to end a trip, with your kiddos wanting more!

Your students are a treasure and we are so proud of them and have had a BLAST with them!

We’ll see you tomorrow at the end of the school day!

 

Mrs. G

 

 

Every Encounter with Him – Requires a Decision

We had a very productive day.  Two of Camp Tejas’ ‘light coordinators’ met with us to line out the day.  It was so encouraging to me and challenging to the class to hear them talk about Summit, our relationship with them and how they depend upon us to help them accomplish their task of sharing the gospel with 14,000+ people over the Christmas Holiday.

This 8^th grade class did not disappoint!  They worked so hard and their precise work was so impressive, Tejas decided to change the light design on the tunnel.  We don’t have to do two layers.  One will be sufficient. That probably doesn’t mean a lot to you… but to us… WOOHOO! ! ! !

Mr. Dare joined us for our afternoon light wrapping of the trees around the lake, dinner and then he shared in our evening devotional. He talked about the different phases of a relationship with Christ that the people in the room could be in.

1. Truly love God and want to pursue a deeper understanding and relationship with Him
2. Believe God is real but don’t really have a relationship … interested
3. Not sure what I believe about Him, not sure I even believe in Him

Pray for us as leaders. Tomorrow we will have moments with the students as they work in small groups continuing to hang lights in the tunnel, stuff flamingo’s (truth – but they are plastic) and wrap trees.  This gives us non pressure moments to discuss what’s on the student’s  hearts and questions they have about God.

I know, that in my group today we had a great conversation about God and who he is, what we think about him, etc.   Things we talked about and said were brought up in the evening devotional and Mr. Dare didn’t know we had discussed them.  That’s what God does when we get away from our daily distractions and devote our time and service to God.  We get to encounter Him in a real way, and when we do, we have decisions we make, in our heart, soul and minds.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that we each grow closer in our relationship with Christ.

mrs. g

Sunday night – Camp Tejas

Sunday night – Camp Tejas

We are off to a great start.  Had a GREAT dinner (too much really) and then free time in the game room and the basketball court.

A trivia Christmas game began our evening devotional.  Since we are here for the Lights of Tejas Christmas Outreach we focus on the story of Christmas and our personal response to every part of ‘HIS’tory!

• The hope prophesied– Isaiah 9:6- 7  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
•  Our hope – Luke 2:1-20
  • Is our hope in him?
• The Inn –
  • Where have we said there is no room for Jesus here in this part of my life?
• The Stable –
  • This is where we come to him – What do we need to bring to him?  What do we need to lay at his feet?
• Our hearts –
  • Are they fully his?

Our mornings start early and Camp Tejas has been waiting for us. In fact this is a week earlier than we usually come.  Camp Tejas asked if we could come earlier to help them get their lights hung so they can practice all of their light shows, etc.

We thank God for a safe trip here and for the opportunity to serve.

We pray for:

• Good weather
• Safety
• Great attitudes
• Team work
• Everyone stay healthy
• The students to take the devotional time seriously and allow the Holy Spirit to touch their hearts and draw them closer to OUR hope – our Savior – Jesus!

 

Mrs. G