you are now entering your mission field

Going to a Bible college with a missions emphasis, I have often heard the phrase "You are now entering your mission field" (mostly thanks to Mr. Trainer). Though I have heard that phrase hundreds of times, I never let it become real to me.

Until this week.

I guess I should start at the beginning.

Monday was a repeat of the past two weeks—breakfast, choir practice, accountability groups, lunch, then—CAMPERS! Like every week, I was a little apprehensive of meeting my new campers (I know I seem really out going, but there is a shy side to me . . . I promise). This week was a smaller week (4-5 campers per cabin & 4 guy counselors without cabins at all) & I was selfishly looking forward to getting a little rest. I mean, how hard can it be? Four junior campers. I had 7 teens!


Boy, was I wrong.


My four campers were FULL of life. I know what you’re thinking, “Well, Lynnae, you got campers just like you!” But that’s not true! If you would have known me as a junior camper, you would never have thought I would be as outgoing as I am now!


Anyway, we had tons of fun this week (as we should, after all, it is camp!). I had prayed before the week began that God would (1) teach me where to change & (2) that I would be able to lead someone to the Lord.


He granted one of my requests.


The one that reminded me to “be careful what you wish for.”


Early in the week all of my girls gave clear salvation testimonies, so I knew that my second request would have to wait for the next camp week. But my desire to change? Yeah, God granted me that one.


My full of energy, hyper girls tried my patience. My fuse was short & sometimes, before they even started making noise, I was ready for them to be quiet. By Tuesday night it became very apparent where I needed to change—I needed patience.


But I didn’t learn my lesson right away. In fact, it took most of the week for me to open my eyes & see where I needed to change.


The week was filled with a variety of interesting, trying, & hilarious experiences. “Nap time” was filled with giggling girls & ‘Aunt Nae Nae’ would have them cover their mouths & face the wall. Jaw breaker suckers & coffee gave the girls extra energy (& subsequently more giggles), but overall, we had tons of fun, but Aunt Nae Nae was tired & short tempered.


Thursday & Friday were filled with small trials, adding to my irritant spirit. By Friday night, sadly, I just wanted to make it through.


That’s when God grabbed me & showed me the lesson He had been trying to teach me all week.


As the choir returned to their seats, Mike led the congregation in a song. The words cut me to the heart:

Let me see my mission field,
All around each day,

Fill my heart with Jesus’ love,

Use me, Lord, I pray.

As I sang I finally opened my eyes and looked around me. Those four hyper, bubbly girls were my mission field & I had missed it all week. Rather than focusing on how I could be an encouragement to them, I had been consumed with making sure they were conforming to my satisfaction.


My heart changed at that moment. My focus altered & I was ashamed. After 3 years of Bible college, I had missed one of the most important messages: “You are now entering your mission field.” This was the ministry I prayed for & that God so graciously gave me. And I let Him down.


Now on the wall next to my bed, where I can see it as soon as I wake up, is a little 3x5 card that says “You Are Now Entering Your Mission Field” to remind me each day that God has given me the mission field I asked for.

the man of my life

Across America children from 3 to 103 are celebrating one important man. The man has a thousand different faces, comes in a variety of shapes & sizes, & may or may not have hair present on the top of his head. He is the man of a thousand faces, yet one thing can be agreed upon: he is the greatest man on earth. No one is faster, no one is stronger, & no one else can do what he does.

Have you figured out who he is?

It shouldn’t be hard considering today’s date. He’s your father. And whether you call him Dad, Pops, Daddyo, or Father, he is the most important man of your life.

I have been influenced by a multitude of men in the past 21 years, but one man stands above the rest. He’s the man of my life—he’s my dad. In my eyes, he can do no wrong (ok, so he does mess up sometimes, but I tend to overlook that), he can lift anything (including my 40 gallon tub filled to the brim with books), build anything, & you had better believe that my dad is faster, better, and stronger than your dad!

In church this morning, Pastor Wood took us to the Psalm for Fathers. Do you know what it is? Think a second . . . still can’t guess? Psalm 23.

The LORD is my shepherd: I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in still waters: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

 I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;

thy rod & thy staff they comfort me.

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

Thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

& I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Pastor Wood compared our earthly fathers to our heavenly Father. He pointed out that our fathers provide for our needs, protect us from a variety of areas, comforts me in times of need, & disciplines me when I need it most.

This summer the staff choir is singing From Everlasting to Everlasting. The first line grabbed my attention today & reminded me of the love that God has for me:

As a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on His own . . .

I can rest confidently in my heavenly Father, just as Psalm 23 says. God the Father provides for my every need, protects me from all harm, comforts me in times of need, & disciplines me when I need it most.

He is the man of my life.

kurango did WHAT??

For those of you who are interested, this is my cabin cheer:

Kurango Did WHAT??

There once was a cabin

Of mighty reknown
All the wanted posters said,
"The Coolest Girls in Town".

We are the mighty outlaws

Of the Wagon Wheeler team

And being number one

Is our number one dream

Kurango Did WHAT??

Wore bright blue!
Kurango Did WHAT??

The Wagon Wheeler crew!

who is the King of glory?

Junior Camp 1: Ron DeGarde

Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong & mighty; the Lord mighty in battle.
(Psalm 24:8)

This week started with a little bit of apprehensive anticipation. After all, it was my first week of counseling! The counselors congregated in the chapel at 2 o'clock as we waited for the junior campers to flood in & begin the first week of Frontier Frenzy 2010. I'll admit, I was shakin' in my boots! God is good, though and it was an awesome week. I met my five junior campers, Ashleyn, Jennifer, Evelyn, Rachell, & Leslie, & we settled in for the exciting week to come. I couldn't wait to see how God would change each of us over the next 5 days.

During the evening service, Brother DeGarde introduced his theme for the week: Psalm 24:8. At each service he would say, "Who is the King of glory?" & the campers would reply, "The Lord strong & mighty; the Lord mighty in battle." That simple verse put my heart in check for the week--my God is the King of glory, He can do anything!

My apprehensiveness wore off as I got more comfortable with the girls & just enjoyed being a counselor at camp. Sometimes it was hard to get on to the girls (some of them are just so cute!), but overall they were well behaved & enthusiastic. Several times throughout the week my cabin could be heard reciting all the blue team cheers as well as screaming our cabin cheer at the the top of their lungs!

One thing God taught me this week was to praise Him even through difficult (or just plain interesting) situations. At the beginning of the week my shower began leaking into my closet. I thanked the Lord that I had a shower, closet, & a good supply of towels. On Wednesday, the plug in the tank of my toilet corroded to the point that the toilet would no longer flush. I thanked the Lord that I knew how to take care of the problem & theat Cody Bill would soon take care of the situation. Wednesday afternoon, after the watergame & swimming, we were blessed with an hour & a half of torrential downpours. I praised the Lord for the hour to get to know my girls (we were stranded in the cabin) & getting to know Rebecca, but I had a hard time praising Him for the leak that appeared above my bed. All in all, I learned to thank the Lord for what He has given me, especially maintainance men like Cody Bill who fixed all of my leaks & issues on Friday afternoon!

The Friday evening service is still ringing in my ears. I dedicated my life to full-time Christian service not long after being saved, but Brother DeGarde's message on surrendering reminded me that I must be continually living in dedication to God's will. Yes, I am still on the right track, but sometimes I have been a little distracted by selfish desires.

At the invitation, one of my campers went forward to dedicate her life to missions. It was so exciting to walk through the verses of how God has a plan for our lives with her! Afterwards, we went & talked with Tina, the lead counselor. She explained that we must keep our lives clean & ready to be used by the Lord.

What a rebuke! Am I an empty vessle, fit for the Master's use?

I hope so.

But there is one thing I know. When I am asked, "Who is the King of glory?" I will proudly answer, "the Lord strong & mighty; the Lord mighty in battle!" Through Him, I can do anything!

impossible is possible

Counseling at a Christian camp is something I have always wanted to do, but with the cost of college rising and the amount of decent paying jobs dwindling, I just never thought it would be possible.


I never should have doubted my God, He can do the impossible.

During the fall semester, Dave Keck, program director at Southland Christian Camp, visited Maranatha to recruit college students for the summer. I have always wanted to counsel at a camp while in college. And counseling at Southland would be a dream come true!


My brother, Craig, & I sat and talked with him for a couple hours, but we just didn’t think it would be possible. All four of us siblings were in college that semester & money was tight. God had been faithful to provide for my school bill in the past, but I was hesitant to ask Him to provide for even more. The only way camp would be possible would be if the Lord gave Craig & I the military scholarship we were waiting for.


Looking back, I can see that I doubted that God could do the impossible. I had forgotten His promise from Luke1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Without completely understanding why, knowing now that it was the Lord’s will, I filled out an application to work at Southland.


And soon forgot about it.

In January, the Lord provided the military scholarship Craig & I had been waiting on. The finances appropriated were enough to cover the spring and next fall semester. With finances for school taken care of, I began praying that the Lord would give me an opportunity to minister this summer. Camp still seemed impossible, so I applied to go on a missions trip with the college. Soon after being accepted, I felt the Lord leading me to decline attending the trip.


“What’s going on, Lord?” I thought. “I want to minister for you this summer in some capacity!”


I had no reason to worry or doubt God’s providence. He knew exactly what He was doing.


A few weeks after declining the ministry I thought I had been praying for, the Lord opened a door I wasn’t expecting & fulfilled one of my life-long dreams.


Mike Herbster, director of Southland, emailed me one afternoon asking if I was still interested in working at the camp in Louisiana for the summer. The excuse that I had given Dave in the fall was invalid: I didn’t need to spend my summer working at home to make my down payment, God had already supplied that.


The door was wide open. The dream I thought impossible was a possibility.


God truly can do the impossible.