back in nash

I've been back in Nash for a week and life has been different. Ain't in Branson or Dallas anymore. It almost feels like I never left, but at the same time, I find myself walking around campus seeing 1,400 new little freshman faces, not eating at the caf half as much, and living in a new dorm without blood on the shower curtains.

Besides that, there's not really much to report on. Getting back into the groove. When I have something interesting to write about, I'll come back...

anne

kanakuk: part 2

Let's just say that going back to be a counselor was one of the best decisions I made.

Those who know me well can tell you that I hate babysitting. After a couple of bad experiences (one of them involving the kids shooting me with air-soft guns), I quit trying that whole "taking care of kids" thing. That being said, I was a bit nervous that being a counselor would be like babysitting... it wasn't.

I had Cabin 13 - aka Excellent Deal - aka the oldest two-weekers in camp - aka 12 and 13 year olds. My co-counselor was none other than Michaela Prince (a veteran counselor that I had heard nothing but fabulous things about).

If the job description for being a counselor had to be reduced to three adjectives, those three adjectives would be fun, exhausting, and worthwhile. That was my experience to the tee.

The twelve girls in my cabin were spectacular and my co-counselor showed me what it takes to be a counselor by setting a great example. We all had fun, but we also got serious at devos and tuck-ins. And while kamp is for the kids, working at kamp, whether you're an office girl, photographer, maintenance man, or counselor, is always just as beneficial for you. I learned a ton not only through the Matthew Bible study, but also via my girls, via late nights and early mornings, and via all the staff that surrounded me. And I had a blast!

Callie, my Bible Study leader, mentioned Psalm 16:11 in my final evaluation and it really hit home with me:

You make known to me the path of life;
In your presence is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

As I head back to school, my prayer is to not only remember that verse, but continue living life as Paul advised Timothy to:

Shun the cravings of youth, but pursue righteousness, faith, peace, and love along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.

The girls in my cabin were striving to live out that verse. When I finally had the chance to crawl into bed late at night, I would look around and see flashlights glowing on the pages of Bibles. Left and right girls were serving our cabin in the dining hall or comforting others when they weren't feeling well or were feeling homesick. Not only do I miss their pure hearts, but I miss sweating myself to sleep, helping them make their beds for honor cabin, being a proud parent when they performed in their plays, and watching them do improv skits. Thanks for sending your kids to kamp, parents... I had the best cabin a 19-year-old college kid could ask for!

BML.
Anne

P.S. My level of maturity has returned to that of my 12-year-old self. I don't mind.