The Last Day of Camp

Our summer is nearly over.
How can it be?

Thinking way back to the beginning as staff pulled up, milled around awkwardly and tried to get to know each other, there is always this moment for me (Marci) where I wonder, are we going to be able to do this thing, together, for God's glory?
Usually a few hours, days or weeks later a moment happens when I sigh and think, ok, we will be ok...
It is usally when a staff member does something silly and we laugh and bond, or a crisis occures and we all have to pull together and meet each others needs.

This year it all happened. Week one hit and we were left grasping, both onto God and on each other! It was sweet. It was good. And it was God!

This summer has been an amazing display of God's goodness, will, provision and plan in the lives of His people.

This summer we have had over 40 children make a personally motivated profession of faith.
This summer we have walk along side several hundred youth as they live life and learn and grow.
This summer we have lived as the Body of Christ with anywhere from 18-28 other people as we serve, live and learn as staff people here at Cross Bar X.

It has been a summer of challenges and amazing grace.

We give all the glory to God for getting us through.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.   And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate  the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:17-18


We (the full time staff) are so thankful to God for granting the priviledge of working with our 2012 summer staff. It is always hard to say good bye! You all did this thing well. You gave it all and you participated in what the Lord brought to you!!! You loved kids, brought them to HIM and served us all like you would serve the very Lord Jesus! We love you all!!!

JennyJenny Walker - Program Assistant and Intern


Counselors
Hillary Olson - Head Girl's Counselor
Jonathan Helvoit - Head Guy's Counselor, SALT Director and Asstant Program

Keith Winchester
Tyler Haege
Andy Parker
Brady Hammil
Chris Talleri

Maddie Walsh
Krista Brandt
Carley Krammer
Maria Leon

Support Staff
Kristy and Riley Alderton
Matt Conn
Caily Wilbanks
Nicole Barrington
Laura Brothers

Boy's Eagle... Middle School

Please be in prayer for our middle school boys.

Tomorrow they all leave on an other night camping trip.

Pray for dry weather, safety, fun and learning.

Pray that this trip allows campers and our staff to bond and be real with one another.

Pray for our boys to continue to hear the hope and restoration they have through Jesus, our Lord!

Girl's Eagle (Middle School) and Boy's Condor

Please pray for our middle school girls and our staff!
We are in our last day of this camp.
It is our female staff's last day counseling for the entire summer!
Pray for minds and hearts to continue to hear the Gospel.

Additionally, we sent off our Boy's Condor (older highschoolers) back packing trip.
We are just going to pick them up this morning!!!
Through rain and not ideal weather they made it through parts of the Colorado Trail!!!
We thank God for helping them and getting them through!

Healing of the Heart

Written by Hillary

The power of God is huge. Throughout the New Testament we see how Jesus has the ability to completely heal the crippled, the diseased, and the hopeless sinners. This past girls Red Hawk, I saw how Jesus can miraculously heal the brokenhearted. Last year I got to know a lot of the high school girls that come to Cross Bar X, and many of them shared their story with me. These girls’ stories are not easy to hear—they are full of brokenness and hurt. Their stories are a testimony to how dark and unfair this world is, but many of them are also a testimony to how powerful and active the Spirit of God is when we cast our burdens onto Him.

Last year I met a camper who was so crippled by her anger, she barely spoke to anyone. This young lady was very reserved; it was difficult for anyone to form a relationship with her because her intimidating character was hard to approach. She seemed untouchable. Yet this did not stop the counselors from talking to her and praying with and for her. Throughout the year, she continued to keep in touch with many of us.

I was blown away by how much this girl had changed in just a year.  Unlike last summer, she became friends with nearly every girl at camp. She was talkative, and laughed often. She was a major leader in her cabin. When I asked her why she was so different than the girl I remembered from last year, she told me that it was because God has helped her to forgive her father for the permanent hurt he caused she and her family. Later she asked me to help her find scripture to help her learn to forgive.

This girl’s drastic change in character is a major example to me of how Jesus is still mending and healing lives, just like He did while He was walking on earth. What anyone would consider to be a permanent crippling on a girl’s heart has been lifted and restored. Although she will always be working towards forgiving her earthly father, God is showing her that her new identity is found in her perfect, Holy and Heavenly Father—a Father who is full of grace, and fully capable of giving her His Spirit of grace and forgiveness.

As I and the other counselors continue to talk to this young girl, we realize that she still goes in and out of suffering, and succumbing to the pain her father has caused. Pray that God will continue to pull her out of that pit of self-doubt and self-pity. When I think of what God can do through this young lady, I get so excited. God can do so much through her and her story. Pray that she continues to give God all of her heart and all of her life.