This has been the hardest week of the summer. From day camp, we have had to send two campers home. Both because they were too violent and uncontrolled. One of my counselors that has been the counselor over both of these kids has witnessed both of the situations up close and personally. She has broken down multiple times because her loving heart is hurting for these kids and their families. I am learning better and better how to objectively be discerning and how to be the mediator to parents for my counselors because the counselors are too emotional. So, it has been a very trying week, but God is faithful in all that He does to sanctify His children even when they seem like they are in the pit of dispair.

Thanks for all of the prayers...

This week I have made a mental list of some of the things that have happened to me. They are as follows:
1. while swimming with the four and five year olds (the hilltoppers), they were told to go get their towels, and one girl went and took of her swimming suit instead of getting her towel. luckily, none of the other campers saw anything out of the ordinary.
2. i got the opportunity of talking with a mother who said that her seven year old son was bored at camp, and the next morning she signed her kids up for another week of camp.
3. i was told a joke by an eight year old that goes: "Have you seen the movie constipated?" ..... Answer- "Because it hasn't come out yet." (Hysterical laughter following)
4. as i walked a four year old down to horses, i suddenly realized that he was no longer beside me so i looked back to see what he was doing just as he had stopped to do a somersault.
5. i received a drawing from Max. Thanks so much for your prayers, Gerlt family!

Dead tired.."already?" you ask on the first day of camp. "Why yes!" I reply, "do you not realize how long I have been here already?" I feel as if I have already had a month of camp under my belt, and today (the first day of camp) doubled the energy drain percentage because it put kids into the mix. So, yes, it was a little rough today, but it went well for a first day. I was not as prepared as I thought I was. Never overestimate the preparedness for any situation. The situation itself cannot be fully experienced until it is experienced. Maybe this is why God chooses to put some people through hard experiences...