Joel goes to Kids Camp!

After about 16 years of my family attending this same Kids Camp together, Joel finally got his turn to tag along! I've been looking forward to him going up there and getting to see and experience everything firsthand as opposed to just hearing all of the stories and names. It's hard to put into words everything this camp has meant to me and my family. I know without a doubt that growing up and going back year after year after year played a vital role in developing my relationship with God, attitude towards community and friendship, and sense of what it means to be living life to its fullest. It's definitely been a long time overdue for him to get up there and be a part of this. As I mentioned we've been going to this same exact camp with pretty much the same exact group of people for about 16 years, so needless to say Joel had quite the impression to make on all of them. Kidding, sort of, but I must say it was a bit of the worlds colliding up there this past week as I introduced my fiance to some of the Kids Camp crew. Everyone was so excited to meet him and welcome him on board for the week and I was so proud at how well he did! He jumped right in there and stepped up as if he was the one who grew up going there. It was so fun watching him interact with the kids all week and see how special this place really is.

This year we were lucky enough to bring along some of The Bridge kids. They had an absolute blast and it was so fun watching them enjoy the camp. This was one loveable bunch, always climbing & loving on "Mr. Joel"... I just about died and went to heaven every time they came running up to me yelling my name about something. By the way, 9 times out of 10 it was something related to Mr. Joel & I getting married.

<--- hot counselor alert.

Kids Camp is such a great way to serve because it's probably the most fun week out of the entire year, which makes it rarely feel like you're serving. There is nothing better than watching a bunch of kids understand who God really is, create lifelong relationships, experience so many new things, and laughing at just about everything they say & do. I kidd you not when I tell you that the kids and staff are laughing 92% of the time up there, we all just have so much fun together. Really, ask Joel, he knows ; )