Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly

Wellllll  ………    The tunnel still looms … not quite finished … need more warm lights!  These kids have stayed the course, admittedly at times so tired and frustrated with lights not working or running out, however, they did not stop. We believe by lunch time tomorrow we’ll get them finished … if … more lights show up in the morning.

As a team we have corrected work done by other teams and added more lights in the kids swing area!

It’s pretty amazing when you think about it, how Tejas trusts their ‘first impression’ to Summit’s 8^th grade class!  What an honor.

These kids are so fun! Another afternoon of ‘The Hub’, the zip line and the giant swing!  These workers stop their day and give our kids an hour and half of fun! What a blessing to us!

Okay… I know it may be crazy weird but the FOOD ROCKED AGAIN TODAY!  LOL    Dinner was chicken fajitas!   Mmm mmm mmm!

Tonight we debriefed and everyone shared a fun/funny moment and something about the trip that is meaningful.

The zip line is a favorite closely followed by the swing, then just fun being together.

Many shared about how they felt the class was really growing closer together and how good it felt to be a part of Tejas’ sharing the gospel.

To finish our devotional time we broke into 2 groups – guys and gals

We discussed what we needed to do personally and as a group to become a stronger group that honored each other.

He has shown you, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.   Micah 6:8

Having spent 17 years on 8^th grade trips, it is usually the focus on how we can be a class that honors one another as we honor God.  To do that we have to look upward first (who is God in my life and who am I in him) inward second (what is God saying to me, outward (how to I honor God by honoring others)  then how do we walk this out.

This is not an easy thing, but as this is a time when they are truly stepping into being full on teens and all the emotions etc. that brings, we must challenge and encourage our precious young ladies and young men that they can make good decisions for themselves and stand up and help each other to make good decisions and the end result can be team unity that is glorifying to God.

Kindness –  our goal –  kind to ourselves –  kind to each other – prefer other over ourselves.

A goal that is hard for all of us.  We have to check our hearts daily.

Our prayer time was sweet  –  we took our papers where we wrote honestly about ourselves and what we knew we needed to change about ourselves and what we hoped God would do in and through us and we threw them into the s’mores fire pit  (of course after we had our s’mores  : D)    I promised no one would read their thought … it’s between them and God!

After a couple of our students prayed and the leaders closed in prayer we headed to the tunnel. The overhead lights are on and one panel of lights are on.  We prayed.   Then we walked it silently each of us praying our own prayers for the things we felt God wanted to accomplish within the hearts of those that will come to ‘The lights of Tejas’.

We’re at the game room – our nightly ending of each day.

It’s not supposed to rain until after we leave tomorrow. Please pray we are able to finish our task – the tunnel.  AND….  Anything else Tejas needs us to accomplish before we leave.

We’ll be calling the SCA office when we leave to give you an estimated time of arrival. We’ll have the front office send an email when we leave Camp Tejas!

If we’re there early and your student doesn’t have athletics or practice that they have to stay for. You may pick them up.  We will be there before dismissal.

Thank you again for allowing us to partner with you.  It is an honor. Your children are A.Maz.Zing!

See you tomorrow

Mrs. G

 

They Just Didn’t Give UP!

What a hard working group of students … and leaders!

Our work project supervisor confirmed to us before we started the day that they had particularly left the tunnel for Summit. We started off strong but quickly had many setbacks. The team that worked the trees and the poles over by the game room and basketball court did AMAZING! ! ! !   When they finished they joined the tunnel teams. The Tunnel teams … oh… my… word!  So many of the strands had faulty wiring so instead of getting halfway done – we barely got one fourth of the tunnel done.  The kids would get so frustrated to check a set of lights, put up the strand, recheck it and half the lights weren’t working.  Over and over that happened.  The kids hung in there and kept working. They Just Didn’t Give UP! I am so proud of them.  Tejas is going to go get new lights so we can hopefully have a successful day tomorrow.

The food STILL is a favorite!  LOL!

Before dinner the staff treated us with 1.5 hours of zip line and the BIG SWING! The Hub (coffee/smoothie/gift shop was open and the kids certainly always enjoy it.  It is amazing how the staff here serves our kids … who are serving them.  Great example!

I challenged the kids last night to try to speak to the workers here and bless them or thank them.  Quite a few reported tonight that they had done that.   It’s the beginning of asking God to give them courage to eventually ask if there is anything they can pray for them or to have conversations with people about the hope we all have in Christ.

Tonight we had a crazy team building game… get your whole team across the room, using 2 metal chairs, not touching the floor, and not talking. (You would have to start over if either of those things happened) let’s just say there were many ‘start overs’.

We continued our devotional conversation!

Personally:

Inn – Where in our lives are we not making room for God

Stable – In what areas of our lives do we allow God to be involved

Heart – What is God asking us to do about the answers above? – make a heart change about an attitude, behavior, relationships, etc.

As a class:

What words describe a caring person? (Make a list )

Why is it difficult at times to care for another person? What does that tell us about ourselves?

When it comes to caring, what differences are there between you and God? (Make a list. Make two columns, label one “Me” and the other one “God.”)

What keeps us from caring?

 

Bottom line – As we serve others, they watch how we serve each other as we work together.

So being a ‘unified team’ is very important.

This class is a great class. Such amazing young men and ladies.

To bed … and then … tomorrow morning … hit the ground running!

 

Mrs. G

 

 

Sunday Night – He is Our Hope

We arrived safely, settled into our dorms and started off our evening with a quick orientation / reminders and then headed to the game room, basketball court and gigantic slides before the infamous Tejas meal … BBQ, mac n cheese, salad and chocolate cake …  YUMMMMMM ! ! ! !   Tejas does not disappoint!

After dinner a little more free time then devo.

We read Luke 2:1-12

Jesus was the hoped for longed for Savior.  He showed us he was no respecter or people coming first to the shepherds … he came for all of us! It maybe be easy to believe in the story but what do we actually do with his story? Do we allow Jesus – the hope he brings to touch every part of our lives?  What part in our lives are we like the inn keeper – there’s no room? Or where in our lives are we feeling there is no hope?

We each privately wrote in our devo those areas we need him to touch, to bring hope to what might feel like a hopeless situation.

I then put the challenge out that if we do believe in him we carry that Good News with us, so tomorrow and the next 3 days, we’re going to practice sharing that hope and speaking blessings – to each other and to the staff here.

There will be some that it will be no big deal.  For others, it will be tough having the courage to say, “Thank you, bless you for serving us!”  It’s a first step to becoming agents of sharing the Good News of His Great Love!

We broke into small groups and shared and prayed!

We had a great game of ‘CUP’ – Lyla won!  Now back to the game room … (thanks a lot daylight savings time … LOL)

Pray for us to have a great night’s sleep!  That tunnel looks like it’s ready for some lights!

Each evening, or the next morning just log on to www.gingersjournal.wordpress.com  and I’ll have a new update!

This is a great class.  What amazing talent and great hearts!  Please join me in prayer as we work to see value in each other, honor one another and become carriers of His Hope to everyone we encounter.

Be blessed!

 

Mrs g