Well I’m off, or I should say WE’RE off! Every year for the past five years I have trekked off with our kids’ youth group to the annual Snow Camp winter retreat. I don’t go looking for a whole lot of sleep (ROFLOL!), I just go looking for the Lord to point me in the direction of a girl who needs help. And every year, He has sent one girl to me. This year my friend Lisa and I are leading a cabin of high school girls together, one of whom will most likely be my 16 year old daughter P. We’re all looking forward to having some fun and really getting into the Word together this weekend. The worship band is one I’ve not heard of before, so that will be fun! We’ve had Canvas, whom I dearly love and will miss this year, for the past four years in a row.

This year has been one of changes, hasn’t it? A new president was elected, the economy is different, and children’s books will be considered toxic waste in about three weeks. Our youth ministry decided that rather than doing our usual all-Assemblies of God youth Snow Camp, they banded together with 9 other youth ministries from our area (otherwise known as United Youth Church) and we are all going together. Then, because our city basically shut down due to four feet of snow and youth groups were cancelled for safety several times, promotion didn’t go so well. We normally bring around 275-350 students to Snow Camp. This year we have 97 registered, total. Three churches had to drop out completely.

But God has a plan. I feel this strongly, and in my past experience with this retreat, every single student who goes, goes because there is a reason for them to be there. One the one hand, some of the leaders were concerned, anxious about the low registration. But on the other hand, maybe the Lord has something really special planned, just for an intimate group of kids. Maybe he wants some comfort zones to be overcome, some cliques to be broken up, and some new friendships established? New relationships with leaders and others whom they hadn’t made efforts to get to know? I don’t know God’s plan for this camp, but I know one thing: He’s not concerned about low registration. He will be there no matter what, and every student who is coming, is coming for a reason.

We leave tonight at 5:00pm. If you think about us, please pray for God’s hand to be clearly seen this weekend!