What We’re Doing
For several years now I’ve taken a week every summer to fly up to New Jersey and direct a camp for inner-city Angel Tree children. It’s always a stretching experience because most of the kids have discipline and authority issues, but it’s also very rewarding because many of them have never seen stars before or a horse in real life. Even more importantly, many of them have never heard of Christ or experienced any kind of appropriate love and attention. It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get these children off the streets and offer them a different perspective on life right before they make choices that lead to drugs, gangs and prostitution.

Who’s Going
Dana and I are taking nine students from my youth group to help serve as counselors for the week. They’ll be sharing their testimonies, teaching Bible studies, leading songs and games, performing skits and mostly loving on kids. Please pray for us this week and next as we exemplify Christ’s love and give these kids the time of their lives.

Trip Updates
I’ll be text messaging updates to the front page of my youth group’s website throughout each day, so if you want the play-by-play of what’s happening on the trip, just keep your eye on www.AlexandriaYouth.com or add me as a friend on Twitter. I’m also going to do my best to upload pictures to our online photo album every night.

Vacation
Immediately following camp, Dana and I are going back to Texas and Oklahoma for her family reunion and to take some vacation time visiting old friends. So, this blog may be quieter than usual for a couple weeks except for a couple posts I have queued up to go, but, Lord willing, I’ll be back. Pray for us!

Here’s the camp team from my church, minus one girl.

[tags]Angel Tree, camp, youth group[/tags]

Posted on June 20, 2007