Welcome to Alaska

We made it! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we had a long night of travel Tuesday/Wednesday of this week. We spent the day on Wednesday recovering from travel as well as visiting friends and meeting some of the new summer staff. It really is good to be back in this beautiful place. As we settled into our place for the summer, we reflected on how blessed we are to be here again, working side-by-side with the same focus.

Yesterday we were able to walk around camp with the Doulos coordinator and start to see what projects we will be working on this summer. Before I tell you about any of the physical work projects we will tackle this summer, it is important to know the goal of the groups we will have this summer. Emphasis is placed on the importance of who they are, not just what they are here to do. While we have much that could be accomplished this summer, we are fully aware that each of the youth and leaders that come through camp are in a different stage of their journey with the Lord. We want to be able to meet them where they are and hopefully be able to walk alongside them in learning what it means to be a servant leader who leads like Jesus. The physical work that they do here at camp won’t last forever. Someone else will still need to wash the dishes next week, cut the firewood next summer, and clear more trees in a few years, but how they grow with the Lord, can shape the impact that they have on the world for generations to come.

All that being said, there is work to be done! During staff training this coming week, we will be working with the first group to serve food and wash the dishes after meals. We also have plans to clear a mountain bike trail around Shallow Lake to provide more activities for future summer camps and also weekend retreats. Future expansion plans for camp include a new maintenance building so we will begin to clear trees and split large amounts of firewood to keep camp warm in the coming winter months. As the camp expands and the directors look into the future, it will be helpful to clear out some of the things that are no longer in use, or never have been used. Scrape piles will be sorted and removed as well as consolidating contents from various locations so in the future it will be easier to see what resources the camp has available without going through each and every building.

The views around camp each have their own charm and I am often left in awe of our Creator as I see his handiwork everywhere I look. One of the first things Doulos will be doing this summer is to clear some of the trees to open up more opportunities to enjoy the scenery. There is also a restoration project in mind to prevent further erosion from one of the most frequented overlooks at camp.

As we prepare for the first group, please be in prayer that our hearts would be softened to hear what the Lord is teaching us. Pray that we would take the time to be like Mary and sit at Jesus’s feet especially during the long and busy days. During the next week as we get to know the youth, please be praying that we can serve and lead as Jesus would.

I also want to challenge you this week to look at where God has you. During this week what are you doing? The things of this life will fade, everything we do here will need to be done again, but the relationships that you invest in – with family, friends, and with the Lord – are the things that have a lasting impact. What is a way to show that you care about the lasting things? How can you reflect Christ this week? For some, that may mean spending time meditating on Scripture, remembering who Christ is to you.