Full Speed Ahead Summer

Hi all! Sorry for the long break in blogging. Summer camp is up and running! I want to share some pictures and stories from this summer so far. However, this will be in no real order since that takes time - something I don't have much of at the moment. :-)

My friend who took this picture thinks it is hilarious. Mostly cuz kids are pushing to be in the picture and you can see one boy's fist! Hahahaha! - just what does he think he's going to do with all that? :-)
One of my summer roles here is to coordinate the adult volunteers who come to camp. Some weeks there are just a handful of volunteers and some weeks there are a bunch - I enjoy meeting them and building relationships with them. Often the experience that the group leader has is as much a part of deciding how camp went as the experience that the campers had. This was Miss Vanessa's first time riding a horse - I think she liked it!

This year I got to participate in staff training as a facilitator. The summer staff is doing an excellent job at building relationships with campers and running activities safely. Last week we had 7 kids recommit their lives to God and 18 kids make decisions for Christ! For the past 8 years I've watched God work in kid's lives through camp, but this year there is just an urgency in the kids - they are hungry for God! At the end of the week the kids write letters to donors who contribute to camper scholarships. One kid wrote:

"It was so amazing of you to do this for me. This has been a life-changing experience for me. And this week was especially good for me because this week was the week that I finally accepted Christ into my life.” – Nathan, age 13

Kids who come to camp are 8-14. These tweens were some drama - but turns out Jesus loves 13 year olds too! :-) Quiana, Alize, Electra, and Velma spent last week together at camp.

I'm not sure how we are going to use this picture .... The oldest 2 cabins go on an off-site bike trip where they drive to a trail and then bike 7 miles to Lake Michigan to have a cook out. This cabin staged this crash.

At the beginning of training we take our summer staff into Chicago to help spread the word about camp in various neighborhoods. I ran into Shayana and Teniah while we were there.

We build cardboard boats during Splash 'n Blast and then see how many kids we can get into them before the boat sinks. Usually not too many.

Taleah - cutest kid ever!

Last week Austin came to camp. When his mom picked him up she told him that she felt bad because she couldn't afford the $10 to buy a T-shirt. As she was talking she began to tear up, and told her son, "I just wanted you to have something to take home from camp." 10-year-old Austin said, "I do mom! I don't need a T-shirt to remember camp, cuz I believed in Jesus this week and I am taking him home with me!"

Praise God for the kids and families who have been impacted this summer! Praise God for the 120 campers here this week. Pray for spiritual impact in their lives. We have 4 weeks of summer camp left - praise God for the last 2 weeks which are full. Please pray for the next 2 weeks - we have many openings that we hope to fill so as many kids as possible can come to camp this summer.

Thank you all for your support and encouragament!

Prayer and Green Eyes

SUMMER CAMP IS STARTING! I have packed my stuff and am on my way to camp for the summer! Moving is officially NOT glamorous. For the next 13 weeks, I will live at camp to help run our summer program. I am feeling equal parts of excited and overwhelmed. Please join me in prayer for the summer:

PRAISE REPORT:
* My landlord has generously allowed me to store my stuff in his attic for no charge. This is a multiple blessing because it means I will be able to save some money and I only have to find a truck and strong friends one time when I move in the fall. Thank you, Nathan!
* I don't know anything about cars, but apparently it's not okay for the steering wheel to shake. I am thankful that God provided an honest and respectful mechanic and the funds to replace parts on my car.
* I was able to see friends from Bible school (DeMarces and Painters) and friends from Idaho this weekend (Jerry and Ouanda Walton - here for Tyler's graduation).

PRAYER REQUESTS:
* We have capacity for 1,000 campers this summer. Pray specifically that God will give favor in overcoming the many challenges of getting kids to camp and that the summer staff would have unity and focus.
* Pray for my transition into this summer. There are a lot of details and dynamics to sort through ... and a few decisions to be made. Pray for my priorities and that I will have insight and perspective.
* Pray from my fall housing needs. I want to move in somewhere and then stay there indefinitely. Pray for clarity, opportunity, and timing to intersect.

Something you should know about me ..... my eyes are turning green! When I was little I had blonde curly hair and chocolate brown eyes. Now I have dark brown hair and green eyes. For some reason I am happy to have green eyes. My mom's eyes have turned blue but she is in denial. While I was looking for a brown-eyed me, I found these other great childhood memories:

We used to collect caterpillars. When they hatch into butterflies they need a minute to dry their wings before they can fly.

We used to build giant tents in the front room. All we needed was every blanket in the house, every chair in the house, and a pile of rubber bands. We would have multiple room tents, slumber parties, a lot of help from dad, and a lot of patience from mom.

Grandpa's always been a good sport.

Um.... why is no one holding onto me?!?!?! Ya'll know I do not like animals.

Look at that tan.... and cute little brother!

This is a truck full of beans. We used to get to climb up in them during harvest - it's like a giant sand box. Filthy.
Sarah in dad's gear to move wheel lines. Who would have thought that I'd go from this fairy tale childhood in a small town in Idaho to living in inner-city Chicago? It helps that I go out to camp throughout the year. Michigan doesn't exactly have "wide open spaces" but at least I get to be in the country for a minute.

Overwhelmed by God's goodness!

I am moving to Michigan next week for summer camp! To help you feel the excitement I made a summer camp slide show!!!

So many things have happened over the past few weeks that I am officially behind in telling you about it. I will try to be concise .....

2 weekends ago we had Purity Retreat at camp. Campers must have an adult chaperone to come to the weekend. Kids between the ages of 10 and 19, parents, grandparents, uncles and mentors came - this year we hosted 90 participants and had 3 levels of curriculum.

The purpose of the weekend is to teach kids the biblical perspective on relationships and sex. We unashamedly teach abstinence as God's desire for the life of anyone unmarried.

The adults who come as mentors attend sessions with the kids. It is our prayer that the weekend extends in the lives of kids (and adults) as they make decisions - and that it gives parents a platform to speak with their child about sex.

One adult who attended said, "I wish someone had told me this years ago. I need to make changes. I plan to keep my purity ring on and return to my church to repent."

The weekend includes a couple of great activities .... but Glow-In-The-Dark-Volleyball was my favorite. All the kids got glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces. And then we put glow bracelets on the nets and inside clear beach balls..... Mom - you could do this!

The weekend had 2 big events: a banquet and commitment ceremony. Everyone dressed up and we decorated the chapel formally. (I am using the word "we" very liberaly. I did what I was told, but don't actually have skill in this area! Wow.) We think purity is important enough to make a big deal about it!

This is me and Ms. Parker - a long time Beechpoint advocate and volunteer. The longer I work here the more every event becomes a chance to spend time with my friends!

"Because of Purity Retreat I feel more mature and will be able to make wise decisions." girl, age 11

"Purity Retreat helped me because people at my school treat girls wrong and if I tell them what I learned they might listen. This really helped me a lot." boy, age 12

"My eyes were opened and I realized how wonderful it is to save my virginity for my wife. A lot of people my age need to hear this. I thought this would be lame and awkward, but I really enjoyed it." boy, age 14

Last weekend we had Beechpoint's 5th Annual Steak Fry and Auction. About 300 people atteneded and $42,000 was raised! Praise God for his provision for the ministry! Because of matching grants we will receive another $30,000. The most poignant moment of the evening was when we "sold" camper scholarships. A few people sponsored an entire cabin - $3,000! In less than 10 minutes, $22,000 was given toward camper scholarships! To give you an idea of Beechpoint's financial needs .... each summer we give approximately $120,000 in camper scholarships, and need around $300,000 to finish our new dining hall. Many contributors invest in eternity through Beechpoint.

My Daddy Came To Chicago!

After a few weeks of uncertainty due to Idaho's spring weather, my Dad was able at the (very) last minute to fly out for 3 1/2 busy days with me in Chicago! He's going to need to come back because we weren't able to see it all - but we sure made the rounds.

I made him take about 30 pictures with me so we could be sure we got a good one, even though he thought the first one was just fine. But he did it any way ..... cuz he LOVES me!

Megan and Wayne, April 18 2009

This is an anti-climactic view from the top of the Sears Tower, it has 103 stories. It was a little overcast the day we went, but nice just the same. We walked through downtown - a new experience for both of us, really. My job doesn't have me downtown much .... and 3 blisters later I can't say that I am sad about that.

This is the entryway to the Sears Tower. Chicago is a bid-city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, along with Madrid, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro. I don't know when they decide, but this is a big topic here right now. It mostly comes down to an economic question (will this help Chicago or create a new/big debt for Chicago?), a social justice issue (the buildings that will be built have the potential to displace people, and it won't be weathly people moving), and a practicality issue (is Chicago safe enough to host an international event?).

We went to the Field Museum for a day. These are the man-eating lions from the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness". They would have been bigger in real life because the person who killed them made them into rugs. Then when they were sold to the Field Museum and stuffed the rugs wouldn't cover them at their original sizes.

You could go the this museum every day for a month and still not see/read everything. This was a display on the country of Benin, Africa. My friend Laura Ziulkowski is a missionary in Benin with Mercy Ships and she writes an incredible blog. We grew up together, did ministry together, went to camp together, and dreamed of being missionaries together. Well, we never really saw ourselves together in the same place, just together in ministry. I was commissioned by Paul Baptist Church on the same Sunday as Laura and for me, it was "picture perfect" to start full time ministry the same moment as my childhood friend!

p.s. Did you know that a thirsty camel can drink 30 gallons of water in 6 minutes?! Seems like he would have to hold his breath. Or that his tongue would get tired.

This was from a display showing various mammals. It is funny to me that they felt they needed to label this doll as "model: not life-size". In case what? A jelly fish reading the display assumes people are 4 inches tall?

Last night I was driving back to Chicago from camp in a torrential downpour. I have decided I don't love driving in rain because even with my wipers on high I can still only half see. There are these electronic signs on the expressway that typically tell you how many minutes to downtown, etc. But last night, through the blur of the water on my windshield, I read "Caution: Wet Pavement". Hmm.

Perhaps the guy who labels exhibits at the museum also works nights for the department of transportation?

While my Dad was here we walked around my neighborhood and drove around various neighborhoods that I do ministry in. My mom would have loved it because there are lots of old buildings, but she wasn't able to come because she's teaching classes at CSI. This picture is from Sunshine Gospel - we helped out with their after school program for part of an afternoon. I can send home all the pictures I want but it's still not the same as being here and getting to see places in the city. He didn't make me fly home with him (although I suspect part of him wanted to), so I guess that means it get to stay. ;-)

The highlight of the trip for me was that my Dad got to meet my Jabri and Jabari. These children are beautiful and sweet and I love them! God always gives me people, and living here is no exception!

We also went to a coin dealer - dad's new hobby is coin collecting. It was .... interesting. Some really little coins sure do cost a lot. The dealer had a penny for $4000. Imagine putting that in your pocket and then accidentally spending it to make tax for a hamburger. Probably not the hobby for me, eh?

Dear Daddy,

Thank you for coming to see me! Thank you for finding a way to make it work, even at the last minute! Thanks for being a good sport about taking so many pictures. Thank you for giving me a reason to have ice cream at the house. :-) And remember - St. Joseph, MI is right down the street and Money Magazine called it one of the 6 best places to retire.

Love you, Megan

My new church in Chicagoland!

A couple of weekends ago I attended a conference for urban ministry leaders called RELOAD. It was nice to be with people who love what I love - and to attend sessions specifically geared toward what I am doing and want to do. The conference also highlighted the violence in Chicago. Last school year, 26 Chicago Public School students died violently. A slide show commemorating the now 32 Chicago Public School students who have been killed this school year - with 3 months to go until summer break - was shown at the conference. This video cuts out part way through, but you can read the article as well. More than 500 students have been shot in the last 18 months, and this number does not include teens who have dropped out from school. This article is about a month old, but definitely makes you stop and think. It is jarring to see how extreme the violence in this city is. Please pray for the families, neighborhoods, and schools affected by violence.

This is my shirt from the conference. I love it! And I wore it to my new church home in Chicagoland! (Sidenote: Chicago and it's suburbs is referred to as 'Chicagoland'. Someone told me this is because people who live actually in the city scoff at people who live in the suburbs but try to say they are from Chicago. Funny to me, since there is no Boiseland. Or Rupertland.)

I have been praying, really even before I moved, that God would lead me to a church in Chicago. I've never really had the experience of looking for a church before. I grew up at Paul Baptist, and I think St. Paul Baptist was the second church I visited in Boise. So the past 7 months have been, well - long. I am both excited and overwhelmed to begin to develop relationships within my new church home.

I've been praying that God would make it clear where I am supposed to fellowship. Specifically, that I would walk in and feel like it was my church, like this was where I was supposed to be. On Sunday I went to Christian Life Center in Tinley Park, Illinois (this is a suburb of Chicago - hence my new church is in 'Chicagoland'). I've been there before and I have visited about 4 times.... because I like it! But it is 34 miles from my house! 34 miles in Chicago ain't no punk - especially in traffic. I can make it there in 45 minutes on a Sunday and in about 2 hours on a weekday evening. The distance had been my big concern - but last Sunday God was like "Really, you don't think you can drive to hear the Word? Really?" My preacher in Michigan taught me that when God talks to you like that He's not really looking for a reply. The good news: once I move in the fall I will be potentially 18 miles closer to church!

The moment that really confirmed it for me this past Sunday was the baptism service. The preacher preached on water baptism and then said (this is a definite paraphrase) 'If you heard the Word today and want to walk in obedience in response to God - then you can be baptized today! Some of you are thinking that you didn't come prepared. But we are prepared for you. We have dark colored shirts and dark colored shorts and flip flops and private changing rooms and make up remover and make up and blow driers and curling irons and boxers for the men and underwear and sports bras for the women and the children's ministry will keep your child after service. Maybe you are thinking that you want your family to see you be baptized. We are going to take a picture of everyone who is baptized today and next week we will give it to you and you can give it to your family. So, you could be baptized today!"

About 12 people left to be baptized. Now, presumably some of those were already planning to be baptized this Sunday. But as the baptism service continued more people decided to be baptized. One man didn't even change clothes - just got in the baptismal with his church clothes on. It was a beautiful half hour of praise and worship as people were baptized. Now, not everyone's hair gets wet easily. And to see people abandon appearance in favor of obedience made me want to be home at this church. I love that they thought ahead to create an atmosphere of instant response!

So, when YOU come to visit me in Chicago ...... you can come to my church!

Hawaii: Are you brave enough?!

I spent last week in Hawaii with my family. Thanks to the generosity of my parents we were all able to fly to Hawaii and spend the week together. Here are some pics from the trip!
This is the view from where we were staying - let's all move!

Okay. Um. Yeah. This is me snorkeling :-) If you smile you break the seal on the mask and water comes in, so no smiling! (p.s. the ocean tastes terrible)

One of the few things we all like to do: playing Settlers of Catan. Okay, Sarah doesn't like it - but I think she's coming around. This is the best game ever - you should play it!




This video is from snorkeling with manta rays. Mom, Sarah, and I went on a boat at night to somewhere in the ocean. I'm pretty sure we were fairly close to shore though, the water was only like 50 feet deep. They have put weighted lights on the ocean floor and everyone had a flashlight. Manta rays are just like sting rays - except without the stinger. They eat plankton, which were attracted to our flashlights. We had 11 manta rays, from size 6 feet to 15 feet! The biggest one was bigger than my living room! And weighed 1500 pounds!

Some people were screaming through their snorkels and one lady kept saying "I want to go back to the boat". It was hilarious, but remember- if you smile while snorkeling you get water in your mask and if you laugh then you choke. Miss LaVerna - I don't think this event would work out for you! :-) They were definitely close enough to touch, but we weren't allowed to touch them. So.... what do you think? Are you brave enough?

Jabri said "You would take a picture of that" - Hawaii is flip flop heaven! Mr. Rick - let's make Beechpoint a franchise and work the Hawaii branch.

We brought our own pack mule.

Family picture. Matt (22), Wayne, Alice, Me (26), Sarah (20)

You can mail a coconut as a postcard! It comes in the mail just like that - no box necessary. Ever since Daniel got a boxless beach ball in the mail at camp I've been mailing odd items. So far I've mailed beach balls, a cookie sheet, a bedpan, a rubber duck, a coconut, and a plunger. It would take too long to tell why for each of those, but if it won't come apart then you can just write on it and the post office will stick the stamp to it. Try it!

I got a sno-cone bigger than my head! The pink side tasted like perfume, but otherwise it was great. At least the 1/5 of it I ate.

These are the golf carts we need at Camp Beechpoint!!! If anyone has one of these in their backyard just looking for a home we would be willing to utilize it at camp! ;-)

You know you're from the city when .....

Welcome to February Winter Blast! I'll try to do short captions so that I can include more PICTURES! Ah, this reminds me - I'm mailing out a newsletter to all (maybe the endish of this month?). For those of you who read my blog there are some repeat pictures in the newsletter. Like this first picture - definitely deserves to be seen by all.

You know you're from the city when you would rather take your purse sledding in the blowing snow than set it down somewhere! This is 13-year-old Shawneesha and she's crackin me up with this picture!!!

Okay, turns out this picture is in the newsletter too. But I love it because I diddn't tell these boys to snuggle. But look at the 2 sweet boys in the back! I again spent most of the winter blast weekend with boy campers, and LOVED it!

This is the funniest winter blast dessert ever! My friend Jess took this picture and takes a lot of great pictures for Beechpoint. You can check out her pictures at her website.

I know 5 of the girls in this picture from years past. It's great to continue relationships with kids - pray for creative opportunities to get together with kids in the city.

This is my friend LeTaraJoy. She goes by Tara but I love her name, so I saved it in my cell phone as the whole thing and then I can never find it to call her cuz I'm always looking for Tara. She goes to my Michigan church and volunteers at camp, so I get to see her often. I love her heart, her son Micah, her amazing ability to braid her own hair!, and her friendship. I always look forward to seeing her... and I got to spend a whole winter blast near her!

Sometimes kids at camp come across as hard. But there's a sweetness inside of them just waiting for an excuse to come through. When I saw these 2 pictures it was like seeing a visual of that experience - that you can't react to a kid based on the facade they put up. 8 children made spiritual decisions between the 2 winter blast weekends. Praise God with us! You can read quotes from campers thank you letters at www.beechpoint.com

More sledding pictures! One perk of my new job is that I have access to more Beechpoint photos to use to communicate the ministry of camp. I didn't get to go sledding at all, so this is not my photo, but look how much fun it is! This picture was taken my friend Jess (a different Jess, it gets confusing here too :-) who is an amazing photographer, check out her pictures!

This camper needs your prayers. His name is JayShawn. Pray for a soft heart and that he will realize his potential.

The oldest boys doing a team building task during the Great Klondike Derby. They have to get the tire off the pole (it stops pretty much where the picture cuts it off at the top) without the tire touching the pole. Then they have to get it back on without touching the pole. It teaches communication, patience, and team work. And it's tricky.

Going home.

Going home.