After recovering from my sleep induced coma… I’m finally at a point where I can think again!
What a week it was. I had the incredible privilege this past week to serve as Camp Pastor at Centrifuge in New Mexico. As soon as we arrived it was clear that satan was doing everything in his power to see to it that we wouldn’t succeed. We had such a great staff, folks who have been around Fuge and know the drill… we all dug down deep inside ourselves and made sure satan wouldn’t get the win. Having been around Fuge for many many summers, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen God move in such a powerful way. From night number one, the Spirit of God fell on the place.
The theme word for the week was “rustic.” I’m not sure words can do justice, but we were out in the middle of nowhere. We had none of the comforts of home – no cell service, no tv, and no food (ok, not really – but the food was terrible! I lived off of zebra cakes and cheez-its!) Each night before worship I took a broom and swept bat turds off of the stage. Each night as I spoke I could hear the bats up in the roof chirping away. I told the students that if they saw me suddenly drop my Bible and run for the hills, I would be back (just as soon as I changed my pants and regained my sanity!) The bats behaved themselves – and they stayed where they were supposed to.
I was floored by how much junk these students were dealing with at such a young age. The days of entertaining teenagers are over – they are dealing with adult issues at such a young age. Just watching the Word of God address those things was breathtaking. I spent months praying about what I was supposed to talk about during my messages. To hear students say things like “I thought you were speaking right to me” that’s crazy! The word of God is living and active…
Besides working with Bernice, one of the coolest moments of the week came when I got to lead a Lord’s Supper time with our staff in the ruins of an old spanish mission. We took a trip to the Quarai Ruins which have been around since at least the 1300’s. To sit in that old church and think about how many sermons were preached, how many people offered up their prayers to God – it blew my mind. I can honestly say that I have never had the Lord’s Supper with stale saltine crackers and grape juice out of red dixie cups… what a memory!
We weren’t completely sure of the numbers, but we think there were somewhere between 25-30 students who made the decision to trust Christ as Savior and Lord and probably 150 who made decisions during the week. When you realize that we probably only had 230 people at the camp… Most of us couldn’t find this place on the map, but it didn’t keep God from showing up! What a powerful week. Rumors were already flying of keeping this team together for the Pacific Rim Fuge tour next summer. Seattle, Hawaii, and Korea?? Yeah… I’m in!!
Me and the Mrs. ordered pizza last night and tore it up! I don’t think that I have had my tummy full in over a week! Man was it good to be back in my own bed… Until next time sports fans!
