Thank you so much for your continued prayers this last week! God has moved mightily here at Pleasant Island Youth Camp. It has been an absolute pleasure serving here these last two weeks and we are leaving behind many friends tomorrow. We must be moving on, however. We won't forget the memories we've made, though.
At the beginning of this week, we had the opportunity to serve in the Church that supports this ministry, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. Joel taught in the Teens Sunday School class and Matt worked with the younger kids in a Children's service. The people of the church have been extremely warm and open to us. They have certainly done their best to make us feel very much at home. We had a great time serving the Lord there!
Monday was registration and arrival day. We got up and helped with the final preparations for the campers, including picking up trash, cleaning up the dorms, and moving supplies. Around 2:30pm, the campers began to arrive. By the end of the day, over 40 children, 3rd-6th grade had registered. Our first chapel that day was conducted by Bro. Vince Button, a local pastor who has a heart for young children. He also has a knack for keeping their attention. We definitely learned a lot from him throughout the week.
Throughout the week we played games with the kids, ate with them, and helped them with their devotions and memory verse goals. We got to know a lot of them and were able to help some of them with different struggles. We also were able to get to know the other counselors, who were teens that had attended the camp the week before. It was wonderful to talk to them and encourage them about college. They also were an encouragement to us. By the end of the week, we had developed a great sense of brotherhood with all of the other staff members.
We had a great opportunity this week. We were in chapel on Thursday, and two little girls came forward during the salvation invitation. We both had the privileged of leading one of them to the Lord! It was so exciting to see God's hand moving over the camp! It was truly an answer to prayer and nothing less.
Friday was the toughest day of the week. That was when everyone said their goodbyes. It was a bittersweet parting. The hugs that the kids gave out made it all the harder. The night before, all of the counselors stayed up late, telling stories, showing pictures of the week, and eating junk food. Lots of memories made there. We won't soon forget it.
Saturday, we headed north toward Fayetteville, WV. We had made plans earlier in the week to go Whitewater rafting and that was what we were set on doing. By 2:30pm, we were on the Lower New river, on a crash course for excitement. It was a wild ride, and hopefully the pictures will develop well. Waterproof cameras are worth every penny...
Today, we were able to teach in the Teen Sunday School class yet again, this time with Matt preaching. Unfortunately, he went a little over his time limit... Afterward, we both assisted in the children's program again and then went out to eat with all of the counselors and Bro. Messenger. Tonight, we were able to work with the children again, this time showing Jonah and the Whale with balloons. It was a great time, for us and the kids.
Tomorrow, we will be making our way to Bland, VA, to meet with Bro. Matt French. We will be helping him for a week with many things, as he has just started a fellowship there, not even a month ago. It will be a very different environment, but it will be an excellent learning experience as well. We can not wait to see what The Lord has in store and covet your prayers.
Thanks in advance! Also, below are just a few snapshots from the last week of camp. Enjoy!
Your brothers in Christ,
-Matt and Joel
This is Bro. Vince Button, conducting one of the chapel services held everyday.
Bro. Nathanael Messenger is head of the camp staff and coordinates everything that is going on. He also has a really neat loudspeaker.
What would we do without the faithful registration table staff?
Here, Matt gets to put to use some of those old maintenance skills in the cafeteria.
Joel was able to give Evin, one of the other counselors, a hand putting the finishing touches on the rock climbing wall.
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