day 91: camp 3 @ mzamomhle

God continues to do big things in cape town!! is it really any surprise??

today was the clearest day we've had thus far, although it drizzled off & on. as we pulled up to the school & lined the road waiting for the gate to be unlocked, students already started arriving. we ended up with 161 campers in attendance!

so much to process as we continue to get to know the students as well as the nationals who are stepping in to translate, share their own stories & bring hope to the xhosa youth of each community. HUGE praise = i got to work alongside of 2 high school students who are extremely interested in potentially meeting once a week to work with young people. one even mentioned gathering other friends who would be interested in doing the same. PRAY that we would be seeking the Lord's guidance in this!

so many stories that could be shared from today, but the gist of it is this: the Lord is using very difficult circumstances to draw students to Himself.

a few quick stories:
- a fight broke out between 2 boys during one activity. but, because of bruce's connection with the boys there in after-school club, he knew a little background from each of their home lives. both have been through a great deal in the last year & yet there, today, stood pastor "k" (who wasn't even originially supposed to be there today) who has been present at some crucial moments in one of the boy's lives. in the absence of family, pastor "k"has been a constant. what an incredible connection!

- when one student was asked how she was feeling today, her eyes welled up with tears. she responded that her day was much better now. her shack was flooded & she had been very cold. but, for the last few hours she'd been warm...& she was much happier. PRAY for students like her who need to know the warmth & love of a Savior who meets all their needs.

- net-ball was a HIT today!
- (top 2nd from left) flooding in the community
- (bottom left) national helper who shared her testimony today during snack time
& CAPTIVATED the girls' attention as she challenged them by talking about the music they listen to.
they could have stayed in the room with her for hours!
PRAY for "V" who is excited about getting more involved w/ the youth!

i'm so overwhelmed at the end of each camp day by how the Lord works in my own heart. at each school i'm reminded continually that the students who act out the most are the ones who seem to be the most hungry for love & Truth. today was no exception. all day long i struggled to maintain the attention & focus of a small group of girls & there was clearly a "ring-leader." at the end of the day, she was the very one who stepped out to say she wanted to make a change. i pulled her aside & talked about how much of a leader she was...& how leadership carried with it great responsibility. she has the potential to lead others down the wrong road or the right one. her eyes lit up. man, how easy it would have been to simply have gotten frustrated with her & written her off. PRAY as we enter the last day of camp we see these students with HIS EYES & respond with HIS HEART!

by the end of today, 68 students indicated making decisions for Christ & 49 wanted more information on how to belong to Him...all desire home visits. the task before us is far greater than anything we can accomplish on our own!