Back to camp life....

Sorry that I have not updated at all this summer. Usually the words just flow as soon as my fingers touch the keyboard, but this summer they just have not. I want to thank each one of you for your faithfulness in prayer and encouragement. I truly have been blessed this summer by you all. I currently have an overflowing support account for camp and I have been so relaxed and unstressed this summer compared to the past few summers.

I'm not going to share an update on Haiti right now because I think it's more important to update you on the current ministry I'm in, and my time is very limited with the internet at the moment. I do have lots of stories and pictures to share with you all very very very soon.

Currently, I am serving on the leadership "BASE team" at Camp Good News, a part of the Urban Slingshot Ministries at CEFOntario (Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ontario). This year my job has been a lot more relaxed then the previous two years, and I have had the opportunity to work with an AMAZING staff.

Two weeks ago we had our Leaders in Training Build Week. Our focus was on preparing the LiTS mentally for camp, while also preparing things for the upcoming four weeks of camp. The LiTs blew us AWAY! We actually gave many of them extra weeks of camp because they reached and surpassed the bar we had set for them. To watch them grow and change, seek the Lord, and serve the kids has been my biggest highlight so far this summer. The past two summers I have also directed the LiT team and we have pushed through a lot of struggles and trials. After completely rebuilding the team this spring, I wasn't sure that I could expect as much growth as we saw last summer, but these girls and guys have blown me away. Most are only 12 years old yet they have stepped it up and even in some situations surpassed counselors in their maturity and willingness to serve. Please pray for these 11 young people.

Last week was Jr. Camp, which marked the start of 4 intense weeks of camp. We wondered what God was doing the first day when so many of the kids didn't even show up to the bus stop. But with these extra spots open, we were able to invite another girl last minute to join us for the week. She ended up being in the cabin I was supervising for the week. At first I just had a really hard time connecting with her, but as the week progressed she started to open up more and more. On the last night, an invitation to accept God as their father and believe in Jesus as their Saviour. She came back and just started to cry with me and two of the LiTs for a few minutes. Eventually, I was able to get her to talk and she shared some things about her home life. We explained to her that God was the ultimate father and answered some other questions she had. At the end of the conversation, she asked God to become her father and to forgive her sins. Me and the two LiTs just sat there for a few minutes hugging her, completely amazed at what God had done. I'm not sure about the exact numbers but of the 26ish kids between the ages of 6-10 last week, about 10 of them accepted Jesus as their Saviour. Praise God!!!!

This week is Sr. Girls' Camp. It's the first time we have split up the girls and guys for camp and so far it is going really well. The theme is created with love and the girls really experience God last night in worship. It was truly awesome! Me and my friend Miriam had the chance to share our testimonies so far and they both have impacted the girls greatly. God has been so good to us this week. Especially in the face of such trial to start our week. We learned on Sunday morning just before the kids arrived that one of our CEF summer missionaries had a terrible accident the night before and had not survived her injuries. Needless to say, it shook our team pretty badly, but in the end everyone felt a greater purpose to stay and reach the kids with the Gospel.

I have to go but I will update again soon!

Thank you all!!!!

<3 Ash