Mission Camp

Last week was an incredible week. Ten of us spent August 4-8 at George Fox University with the Student Life Mission Camp. It was a great experience, one that far exceeded my expectations.

The theme of the week was The Way. Each morning and evening we were challenged with compelling messages on following in The Way of Jesus. Todd Agnew spoke each morning and Anson McMahon spoke each evening. Both very gifted communicators and used of God in a big way. Along with great messages, the worship each time we met, led by Kristian Stanfill was incredible. It was so awesome to see middle school students raising their hands and losing themselves in worship each day. As good as each session was, it was on Wednesday night, after Anson spoke, that we really celebrated.

On Wednesday night, August 6, we had the joy of seeing many students give their hearts to Jesus for the very first time. The best part, was that two of those students were ours! So cool to see the message of the Gospel begin to make sense, and watch them come to a point of surrender.

Each day after the morning celebration time we headed out to serve the community. It was in these times that the kind of worship spoken of in Romans 12:1 was truly lived out. What a great privilege it was to give of our selves as we served two widows, a church in need, and even spent a day working in a cemetery. To see middle school students sweating in the hot sun serving others, makes ministry to students all worthwhile.


As strange as it may sound, it was spending a day in a cemetery cleaning headstones that was my favorite day. It was a very old cemetery, established in 1899. Many of those buried have been there for over 100 years! It was so great to think about and discuss the stories of those that have gone before us and be reminded that we too all have a story. It is our hope that someday as our stories are recounted that they would be stories of lives well lived. Lives lived for the glory of our Lord. It was also very cool praying for the families represented in that cemetery. We didn't know them, but God does, and God cares.



Such a good week. Here is a video that captures some of what we were a part of.



See all the individual pictures here.