Back From Camp

What an absolutely amazing week! It was only by the Lord's strength that I persevered.


Camp Friedenswald ended Saturday morning.  We arrived back to ICI around Noon with the kids.  We were all worn out, but I know that I was sad to see that day come. We said our good-byes and then had a Summer Staff good-bye dinner that evening.

Alisha and I had a great time counseling with each other and wouldn't have traded it for anything.  I saw God work through us and He revealed areas where I need to grow.  This was all by God's grace and mercy. 
We had 8 beautiful precious young ladies in our cabin.  It was a joy to get to know each one of them seeing their strengths and weaknesses.  They asked wonderful questions during Cabin Time, where we would review the Bible lesson that was taught and answer questions that they might have. 

I look forward to sharing further what God did at camp...

Thank you for your continued prayer for these kids! 

 

Camp Friedenswald!!

I know it has been a long time and I do HOPE to get better at posting.  It should be easier once summer is over.  Though I certainly have not been lacking on things to say :-)

Just wanted to give a quick update.  We are putting the finishing touches on our preparations today for Camp Friedenswald.  We head to camp tomorrow and get back on Saturday.  There will be 88 3-5 Graders there. The theme for camp this year is The Battleground.  Our cabin name is Amazons, Women Warriors Armed with Truth.  Alisha, my co-counselor, and I will have 8 girls in our cabin.  It has been fun figuring out how to decorate our cabin.  We will have animal printed fabric hanging on the walls and green streamers hanging from the ceiling to create the jungle feel.  The girls will have armbands and headbands out of animal print too.  I've loved working on this, but it has also been exhausting trying to do it on top of everything else. There has been a lot of internal warfare over what I want and envision and learning to realize what is really important.  That has meant letting go of things.  It has been wearing me down but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  It is a wonderful learning experience. 

This is just the beginning of a high energy, wonderful, exciting week!



Please be praying:

• For safe travels
• The Lord to prepare hearts to hear the Gospel
• That deep conversations would take place
• The Lord to renew me each day

Training and First Week Down

I know, I know, “Why haven’t we heard from you yet?”  Sorry guys.

 They have been keeping us very busy. The training last week went really well.  It was a lot of information and I am looking forward to start putting it into action this week. 

During the training we covered many different topics.  Here are a few of them: Evangelism, discipleship, discipline, and home visitations.  We have each been given a visitation route.  The visitations are a huge component to building relationships with the kids outside of club.  I have loved getting to meet the kids!  Visitation is something I will be looking forward to each week.  We are to try to see the kids on our route at least once a week outside of ICI club times.  I have a lot of siblings/relatives on my route.  The route consists of about 30-40 kids.  That will grow throughout the summer too.  

                On Thursday we went to Camp Friedenswald where we will be taking the kids at the end of summer.  After walking around and being shown everything we hiked about a mile to our camping spot for the night.  We will take the kids tent camping one of those nights during the week of camp.  We then set up camp and enjoyed a couple of team building games.  Next we sat around the fire around 5 and went over the rules and guidelines while at camp.  Once that was done they put Bekah (one of the summer interns) in charge.  Bekah was an intern last summer so knew what was coming.  The rest of us did not.  The staff then began to act like unruly kids who would not listen and just did whatever.  All the while we are trying to enforce the rules, try to keep them away from the fire, throwing things into the fire, etc…  Just imagine chaos.  There were lots of things said too.  Thankfully we were able to keep the rope away from them. :-) I was faced with a dilemma while following 2 of them down the path back to camp, because one of the rules is you must keep them in your sight, and one decided to go back to the campsite and the other kept walking away.  I had to stop and way the options.  I continued to follow the one walking towards the actual camp area (not the campsite).  He did try to ditch me a couple of times and thankfully I avoided getting any poison ivy or oak.  Over all it was very challenging, exhausting, fun, and a great learning experience.  It was a fun camp-out getting to know and bond with some of the staff too.

                Friday evening we went over to one of the staff’s house.  I have since spent an evening with them and am enjoying the bond that is forming.  I love the family atmosphere that is here at ICI.  Also every Sunday night we go to B.J.’s (Program Director) house.  His wife makes a meal for us and then we have a time of debriefing about the past week, it is a nice time of reflection.  Plus we have time with our supervisor during the week.

It is going to be a crazy exhausting summer but well worth it! God has opened this door and will give each of us the strength and renewal if we are seeking after Him. I look forward to further sharing with you what, and how, God is working. I’m thrilled with this opportunity to be serving with ICI!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!

Hello!

Welcome to my first blog.  Please bear with me as I learn how everything works.  I received many requests to blog in the past and more came in with this upcoming trip to Chicago.  So after spending some time in prayer and considering it I have made the leap and joined the blogging world.

This will be taking the place of my semi-regular emails that I send out, but not of the monthly prayer letters that will be sent out via email. 

Thank you for joining with me on this amazing journey that the Lord has called me on.  Your support means so much to me that I can never fully express it!

Here is a brief overview for anyone just joining:  I have been accepted for a year internship as a missionary with Inner City Impact serving inner city Chicago working with K-5 graders.  I will have the opportunity to lead Bible studies, tutor, disciple, do home visitations, and etc... The year internship begins May 28, 2011. 

As I write this I have less than a week away until arriving in Chicago.  Am I nervous? Yes I am.  There are so many things that I have no idea what to expect.  This is where I have to trust in the Lord to equip me for what He has called me to do.  This journey will be about revealing more of Christ and less of me and it is going to be very tough but well worth it. 

Please join in prayer with me as I prepare to leave this weekend.  I will have 4 room-mates and ask that you pray for unity not just among us but for the whole staff.  This is not something that can be produced except through Christ and it proclaims the Gospel.  Please also pray that I would not become overwhelmed by everything but rest in God's presence and quiet.  This whole process is all new to me and it is very easy to loose sight of how big God is and begin to worry.

And so begins a year in Chicago serving with Inner City Impact reaching out to the little ones!

Love,
Rachel

P.S. If you would like to help financially you can give online at http://www.innercityimpact.org/g_4.html Select Short Term Missions and enter it is for Rachel Massingill :-)

Matthew 18:5 "And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;"