Part of my job on Sunday during registration time is to float around and visit with parents or other guests; I am given no job on Sunday but that. I approached a dad and young daughter yesterday and struck up a conversation, asking where they lived, which spurred the next question of what church they attend in this town; the dad's response was, "We don't attend church." My response was, "OK... we are so glad you are here!"
I am so glad this 5th grade young lady is going to be at camp this week. I am pleased that her parents decided to send her to a Bible camp; it is as if they knew that what she will hear this week would be good for her. Indeed it will... anytime a young person can come and hear the gospel message several times over 5 days is a GREAT thing!
Our speaker for the week is Josh Denhart,(see picture above), children's pastor at Valley EFC in West Des Moines. Josh and his wife Sarah were counselors at Hidden Acres in the 90's; they even met at camp. Josh comes to camp with the passion of an evangelist and the heart of a pastor; he uses his skills as a former chemistry teacher to present the gospel and other Biblical principles through visual chemistry experiments; Josh spoke last year during this same week... he was probably the most powerful speaker we have ever had at camp. And... he was so good that he touched even the counselling staff.
I love Josh's testimony; he grew up in SW Iowa, father was a veterinarian; but Josh grew up thinking more of being in a rock and roll band than anything spiritual; and his lifestyle followed that of the rock and roll mentality. When he enrolled at UNI, through the testimonies of others around him, he was saved. One of his buddies was a counselor here at Hidden Acres and recommended Josh to come and be a counselor. Josh became the best wilderness counselor we have ever had; his letter written to his friends and family is an almost holy document to me. I have told my family that I want that letter to be buried with me... it so exemplifies what we do at camp! Below is the letter that Josh wrote in 1998:
Dear Friends and family:
Camp is going very well. It was very rainy the first two weeks and that was difficult to handle in the army tent, but I was able to maintain a positive attitude and serve God. There are many wonderful stories that I could tell, but I will tell only one. The third week was nearing an end, and Thursday morning at the senior staff meeting, I was at the end of my rope. I almost cried when I shared how distraught I was. I was exhausted physically, mentally and spiritually. I spared them the details, and just shared that I really needed prayer. I had stayed in any army tent for the last three weeks: rain, roaches, more mosquitoes than I had ever experienced, an elusive yet odoriferous nest of dead mice babies, and the kids were rebellious. The staff prayed for me, and I later found out that the staff continued to pray for me. We closed the meeting singing the chorus, "Create in me a clean heart" from Psalms 51, and I became so refreshed, and I had peace.
We had a closing campfire the next night, and the Spirit of God was poured upon the group of kids that I had. Several boys went forward at the campfire and rededicated their lives to Christ. I was very excited, but as God's Word says, "He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine", and He did. We went back to the tent and..........
the formerly rebellious boys began singing praise songs. That night the 16 x 32 foot army tent was transformed into a place of worship. Soon the group was gathered around into a circle, and we spent over an hour in prayer. This was not just prayer, but Spirit filled, physically exhausting, campers crying, hands lifted, - type of prayer. Something like this has never happened in any of the previous groups of campers. WHOA, it was indescribable, and it was a moment of worship that I will never forget. These boys experienced what I hoped they strive for all the days of their lives. One boy said at a break in prayer, "My insides are all tingly, and I never had this before." Oh, to let others taste and see that the Lord is good. Remember that this was the same counselor, one day before who was ready to throw in the towel... God is moved by prayer...your prayers too.
The next day the boys stopped the director of the camp and insisted on telling him about our experience the night before. They were excited about the encounter that they had had with the Almighty. The overflowing joy of the Holy Spirit must be expressed! As soon as their parents came to get their kids, they told them, "we prayed for over an hour and...and....and"
Do you see why I love this letter? Some day I will compile a book of my experiences here at camp and the title will be, "The Hand of the Lord is upon Us... an Encounter with the Almighty".
Now you know why I was excited to see the little unchurched girl sitting on the rock with her dad. I knew that this week she was going to have her Encounter with the Almighty!!! God is moved by prayers... and your prayers too!!!
earldtaylor@yahoo.com
I am so glad this 5th grade young lady is going to be at camp this week. I am pleased that her parents decided to send her to a Bible camp; it is as if they knew that what she will hear this week would be good for her. Indeed it will... anytime a young person can come and hear the gospel message several times over 5 days is a GREAT thing!
Our speaker for the week is Josh Denhart,(see picture above), children's pastor at Valley EFC in West Des Moines. Josh and his wife Sarah were counselors at Hidden Acres in the 90's; they even met at camp. Josh comes to camp with the passion of an evangelist and the heart of a pastor; he uses his skills as a former chemistry teacher to present the gospel and other Biblical principles through visual chemistry experiments; Josh spoke last year during this same week... he was probably the most powerful speaker we have ever had at camp. And... he was so good that he touched even the counselling staff.
I love Josh's testimony; he grew up in SW Iowa, father was a veterinarian; but Josh grew up thinking more of being in a rock and roll band than anything spiritual; and his lifestyle followed that of the rock and roll mentality. When he enrolled at UNI, through the testimonies of others around him, he was saved. One of his buddies was a counselor here at Hidden Acres and recommended Josh to come and be a counselor. Josh became the best wilderness counselor we have ever had; his letter written to his friends and family is an almost holy document to me. I have told my family that I want that letter to be buried with me... it so exemplifies what we do at camp! Below is the letter that Josh wrote in 1998:
Dear Friends and family:
Camp is going very well. It was very rainy the first two weeks and that was difficult to handle in the army tent, but I was able to maintain a positive attitude and serve God. There are many wonderful stories that I could tell, but I will tell only one. The third week was nearing an end, and Thursday morning at the senior staff meeting, I was at the end of my rope. I almost cried when I shared how distraught I was. I was exhausted physically, mentally and spiritually. I spared them the details, and just shared that I really needed prayer. I had stayed in any army tent for the last three weeks: rain, roaches, more mosquitoes than I had ever experienced, an elusive yet odoriferous nest of dead mice babies, and the kids were rebellious. The staff prayed for me, and I later found out that the staff continued to pray for me. We closed the meeting singing the chorus, "Create in me a clean heart" from Psalms 51, and I became so refreshed, and I had peace.
We had a closing campfire the next night, and the Spirit of God was poured upon the group of kids that I had. Several boys went forward at the campfire and rededicated their lives to Christ. I was very excited, but as God's Word says, "He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine", and He did. We went back to the tent and..........
the formerly rebellious boys began singing praise songs. That night the 16 x 32 foot army tent was transformed into a place of worship. Soon the group was gathered around into a circle, and we spent over an hour in prayer. This was not just prayer, but Spirit filled, physically exhausting, campers crying, hands lifted, - type of prayer. Something like this has never happened in any of the previous groups of campers. WHOA, it was indescribable, and it was a moment of worship that I will never forget. These boys experienced what I hoped they strive for all the days of their lives. One boy said at a break in prayer, "My insides are all tingly, and I never had this before." Oh, to let others taste and see that the Lord is good. Remember that this was the same counselor, one day before who was ready to throw in the towel... God is moved by prayer...your prayers too.The next day the boys stopped the director of the camp and insisted on telling him about our experience the night before. They were excited about the encounter that they had had with the Almighty. The overflowing joy of the Holy Spirit must be expressed! As soon as their parents came to get their kids, they told them, "we prayed for over an hour and...and....and"
Do you see why I love this letter? Some day I will compile a book of my experiences here at camp and the title will be, "The Hand of the Lord is upon Us... an Encounter with the Almighty".
Now you know why I was excited to see the little unchurched girl sitting on the rock with her dad. I knew that this week she was going to have her Encounter with the Almighty!!! God is moved by prayers... and your prayers too!!!
earldtaylor@yahoo.com
2 comments:
It's so true! Camp touches everyone, even if it's little. But I was like that girl when I first came, and Chapel was my first church environment and Hidden Acres was my first true Christian environment. My counselor last year was so wonderful, she kept in touch and encouraged me to ask my parents if we could go to church, and now I do! Every Sunday! And I'm counting down the days until camp this year!!
Earl, thanks for sharing this letter from Josh. Although Josh was a good friend of mine and was actually the guy that brought me to camp to be a counselor for the first time back in '99, I don't remember hearing that story. However, I remember experiences like that; one imparticular. It involved a stormy night at Turkey Ridge (is that what it's called?), some leaky tents and a counselor at the end of his rope (me). Many failed attempts to start a fire for breakfast ended in a slow, hungry walk back to camp. Josh (he was the wilderness coordinator that summer), greeted us with that big smile and a encouraging hugs all around. And cinnamon rolls. The grace he showed me and my campers that day along with the work God did in my campers' lives throughout the rest of the week taught me first-hand lessons about trials and perseverence (James 1) and grace that I've remembered to this day.
Earl, thanks again for sharing. Give my greetings to Josh. You guys at Hidden Acres are in my prayers!
-Andy Stern
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