Camp Woodside Day 3!

(Update! I had a problem uploading photos last night. They are uploading now. Problem should be fixed for tonights pictures. In fact they should be much earlier.)

Another great day at camp. I thought you would like to hear from our speaker this week Joe Crabb. He will update you on the great things happening in chapel this week.  Here is a link to check out the pictures which will eventually be up tonight. No promise on time tonight since I was late last night. Pictures Click Here.

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Hey, Joe Crabb here!  It was another amazing day at Camp Woodside!  The weather has been fantastic and the campers have been staying cool and having fun.  It has truly been a blessing hanging out with all of them, getting to know them, and laughing it up with them through all the shenanigans that happen while at camp.
It has also been an amazing blessing to teach the campers about God’s unconditional and unchanging love for them.  Tonight we talked about God’s salvation for us through His son Jesus Christ.   We talked about how we our guilty and separated from God because of our sin and that our sin has consequences, eternal separation from God.  As we went on God moved in a mighty way as we talked about His plan to reconcile His creation with Him so that He may have an intimate relationship with us and so that we may know Him, the One True God.  We talked of the culmination of God’s plan when He showed us His great love by sending His son to live amongst us and to die for us as a sacrifice for our sins.  Many hearts were stirred as we talked about how Christ has come to set the captive free, to set us free from our chains, and that now we can have a relationship with God because of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
The time of teaching was closed in prayer including a prayer of salvation.  Afterwards the worship team came up and began playing as the campers filled out sheets of paper from their booklets.  The papers asked if they had accepted Christ as their Savior and there was also a portion on there for any campers to write down any questions they may have about God, salvation, their relationship with Christ or any prayer requests they may have.
We ended chapel singing out to God and there are few things in my life that were as beautiful as 180+ campers and leaders singing about how great our God is.
To type it out does not do it justice to the way that God moved tonight.
Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement for all of us and please  continue to pray for the campers, the counselors and the leadership here as we have 2 ½ more days here to build relationships with them, minister to them, have fun with them, and to show them the love of Christ.
A closing thought, as I got up to close the night in prayer I looked out into the crowd and saw all of these people that God has brought together.  As I looked at their faces I saw some of the people I know well and I thought of the tough trials in life they have been through.   I thought about the campers some who I know have also gone through some tough times in life made even tougher because of their young age.  I then thought of how each and every single person in here will have to go through some dark days and trials and sadness and hurt and so much more in life.  These thoughts did not sadden me or lead me to despair instead these thoughts reminded me of how great and mighty our God is.  Our God never leaves us nor forsakes us and that even in what seems like the darkest of times for us He is there to hold us, to comfort us, and to lead us.
He has led me and many of our leaders and many of our counselors and many of you through some dark times and through those we have seen His goodness, His faithfulness, and His love.  I know the same will be true of many of the campers that were here and how great is it that when these times come that they will not have to go through it alone and they will have the same God leading them and loving them through those times because of the decision they made tonight to accept Christ as their Savior.  Praise God!!!
God is so good and if our God is for us than what could stand against us?