Greetings From Afar
I am currently sitting 922 miles away from EBC, or as they say in Canadian, 1485 kilometres. And, in fact, I just awoke from a little nap, which will surely help me through the rest of the day. It was Cabin Zzzz’s Time, after all, so I was just doing what I was told:). As most of you are aware, my family and I are currently serving during a week of summer camp at Rock Nest Ranch Bible Camp. And not only the five of us, but there is a team of 20 others from EBC (5 Adults, 15 Teens) who are here serving at the same time. We’ve all joined up with probably 20 or so others who are all here to help make a week of summer camp happen for a group of First Nations kids.
Leanne and I are serving as the team teachers for the chapel time, and our base text is John 14:1-6. We’ve set a challenge for the campers to memorize that whole section, and for all who accomplish it, we will have a pizza party on Friday. There are somewhere around 40 kids, age 9-12, here at camp right now. This morning all the campers set out for a hike to another spot on the other side of the lake, and I got to share about Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Meanwhile, the EBC teens and adults are doing an excellent job serving in their many crucial roles, as well. A few are serving directly in the cabins as camp counselors / junior counselors, while many are serving on the crew who take care of all the dishes and other chores. We have a handful helping to lead both fun songs and worship songs during the chapel time. And then others are serving in the kitchen, making sure there’s good and nutritious food for everyone to eat each day. And we even have one of our team members serving in a nurse’s assistant role, which is a role that specializes in band-aid service:).
Each person serving is doing their part to love the campers with the love of Christ, in both direct and indirect ways. So few of these campers experience the love of Christ as a part of their home life, so the opportunity we have been given to present Christ in word and deed is truly special. So far, there is a real sweet spirit among the kids who are here, and there is a receptivity to at least listening well in the chapel sessions, and I’ve seen some kids working on the memorization, as well.
One of the goals for the week of camp is that this week might be one of the best weeks of these campers’ lives. And I truly believe that is very possible. What a joy that one of the best weeks in their lives might happen in Jesus name! Please do pray for gospel-receptivity. Pray that the campers would hide God’s word in their hearts. Pray that they would understand clearly who Jesus is, and that He is the one and only Way, Truth, and Life, and that they can come to the Father through Him. And pray, also, for the teens who are here serving at camp, that this opportunity to serve the Lord would be a key moment of growth in Christ for each of them.
We all appreciate your prayers so much, and we look forward to reporting further about the work the Lord provides for us to do.
Pastor Ryan Donovan
Categories: Evergreen Connection