Session six started with a spectacular sunset over Lake Pleasant as Miss Joy shared the gospel. It was a beautiful time of worship and celebration of God’s wonderful redemption story, surrounded by the beauty and peace of creation.
The week has been marked by celebration ever since, with the theme of carnival week meaning that the cabins are decorated with colorful streamers, signs, and strings of colorful balloons. The campers have been no less festive! For Tuesday’s event hour the girls turned up in clown noses, colorful wigs, and joyful spirits for a fun (if a bit chaotic) game of “Capture the Clown”. The girls have been having a lot of fun with the day-to-day activities of Tap as well. The activities, from banana boating to archery to Bible to wildlife, have all been filled with enthusiastic participants learning new skills. There also have been a lot of laughs, from funny stories during mealtimes to a canoe mysteriously showing up inside a cabin!
On Monday, Miss Shelby spoke on John 21 at the evening vespers. She brought home to the girls the idea of a God who desires to meet with us where we are and “have breakfast” with us even in unexpected moments. She encouraged all of us to spend time with God and to take time to intentionally rest in his presence. Tuesday’s vespers were taught by Miss Isi. She was led to speak on beauty; she gave a compelling image from scripture of a woman who is beautiful not because of the temporary light that reflects off her clothes and her body but is instead beautiful because of the unfailing light that shines from within.
As we look forward to the second half of the week, we thank God for the ways we have already seen him working in the hearts of staff and campers. Please join us in our prayers that we would be able to help these campers leave this island safe, confident and on fire for Christ! For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
-Ephesians 3:14-19
