He's got the whole world in His hands

Things have been crazy at camp the past few days...more like the past week. If you do not know Colorado has been on fire. There has been an arsonist going around starting forest fires. The one the affected us the most was the Waldo Canyon Fire. It only got within 10 miles of camp but last week we got a wind shift and smelt the smoke. Later that night there were ashes falling around camp. We got close to evacuating but we ended up not having to.
We had a camp here last week and we got them evacuated before things go too close and we decided not to have next weeks camp up here to not risk having to evacuate 300 kids from Michigan. God had his hand over this camp. The other day the girls got together to pray for the firefighters and people who were affected more than us.
Some of the people affected were many of my friends in Colorado Springs. One of my close friends her house was really close to the fire and many of my friends were forced to evacuate. Being at camp and seeing pictures and hearing about all my friends having to leave was so scary.

I spent four months in Colorado Springs last spring and that place is my home. One of my roommates blogged about it a lil and I feel the same when she wrote: "Everyone has that perfect place. That place where nothing goes wrong, that place where things just work. Colorado Springs is my home away from home. I only lived there for four months, but the bonds I forged there and the friends I made are countless and timeless. Colorado Springs will be a part of me forever."  That's where my heart is. And my heart was breaking for what my friends were going through.
Prayer is a powerful thing and that's what me and a lot of my friends spent the past few days doing. Praying for the people who lost their homes, their belongings, for the people working hard to help and for the people opening their homes and giving what they could to the people without anything. There are still fires all over the state but the one close to us has gotten better. We are at 30% containment and my friends are getting let back into their homes. I thank God for wrapping His arms around us and keeping the fire away from our camp.
Please continue to pray for those who lost their homes and for those still fighting the fires all over the state. Feel free to help too, by getting a cool t-shirt http://www.wildfiretees.com/ where 100% of the profits go to Colorado wildfire victims.
I am so glad we are safe but the fight is far from over and so much damage has been done. Prayer goes a long way. God's hands are bigger than ours.

I can be western

Young Life just left this morning from camp. it was bittersweet to see all the staff leave who we have been working with the past month or so. We had a combined worship night last night and got a chance to toast (with sparkling apple cider of course) all the joys and ways we saw God's hand in the past month of camp.
This past friday was our last hoedown with the kids. We all get a chance to dress up in western gear and have some good bbq. A few weeks ago I taught a bunch of the leaders the cotton eyed joe and I have learned a few line dances myself. This week a few of the campers requested the song Hoedown Throwdown by Miley Cyrus from the Hannah Montana movie. And this song comes with some dance moves...which I happen to know. So one of the wranglers and myself started to do the dance to the side and then they told us to go on the basketball court in front of all the kids. So that is what we did. I felt a bit like Miley in the movie and it was really fun. They played it again later and I got the chance to teach a bunch of the campers the dance. So successful night! And it proves I have some southern girl still in me from when I lived in South Carolina the first 5 years of my life :)

Life working at a summer camp

Colorado.
What better place to be at a summer camp?!? My bedroom window has an amazing view of pikes peak and there is no humidity! I see all the posts on facebook of friends back east complaining about the insane heat and I feel slightly bad. I am closer to the sun too which makes me actually have to put on suncreen. I have never really worn sunscreen before because I don't ever really burn I just tan. (I thank my Italian heritage for the darker skin tone) But closer to the sun up here...it does not really matter. I already have a really good tan on my shoulders and my nose. I feel like the stereotypical lifeguard when I put a huge amount of white sunscreen on my nose to start the day.
Days off have been the best too! The other day I spent the morning on top of Soldier's Mountain. Hiked to the top and got a chance to tan :) and just relax. Everyone else was still working so I had some great God time on top of the mountain. Called a few people and got to sing and no one could hear me :) I got reprimanded by my mom, grandmother, and great aunt by going by myself but it was really nice to get away. Here are some pics I took at the top.

Later that day a bunch of the staff went into Manitou Springs, which is a little town about 20 min away, and got a chance to walk around and explore all the little shops and meet some new friends and take some fun pictures! We ended the night at the penny arcade and had a blast!! I do not have to save quarters anymore for laundry at college (because I graduated a month ago) so all the coins I had went into the various games (mostly skee-ball)
And now back to work. Young Life has been here the past month and this week is there last week here at camp. The campers have been great! It is fun to have some people around camp. They are quite entertaining and I have gotten a chance to talk to a bunch of them. Tonight we have the ho down for dinner and everyone gets to dress up all western and do some two steppin' and two weeks ago I got to teach everyone how to do the cotton eye joe. And I am from New Jersey! Well off to lunch soon then to the pool to continue on my tan :)