This week I'll be volunteering again for Champions For Life Kids Camp, a summer camp for the abused, abandoned, and neglected in my surrounding counties.

These weeks are never "easy" but they're rewarding and so very necessary. These children know more than any child should know. They have experienced unimaginable hardship. They have learned how people fail and let others down in very big and heartbreaking ways.

This week I'll be focussed on encouraging one little girl in particular and in a cabin with others around the same age. What would you say to her? What could you tell her that would cause a shift in her heart for the better? How would you encourage her to aim for the stars as she grows?

Please pray for me as I have volunteered to answer these questions. It's a humbling position to be in but I know the importance of being someone of positive, Godly influence. In my own abuse, I can look back and name people who influenced me, unaware of what I was experiencing.

I'll be offline for the week but will return with stories. Also, I've scheduled my facebook page to update you as to what I'll be up to each day and give you things to pray for. Please watch for those updates on facebook or twitter.

In His Care,
~Amy

A Week Of Volunteering! #CFL #Visionhope

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This past Sunday, the family and I scurried into church and got there just in time for the last song during the worship part of service {we've all run late once or twice, right?}. Anyway, the song that was playing was one that I just can't sing without getting choked up.

And it happened again on Sunday.

I had to stop trying to sing and just let the tears fall. The hubster, bless his heart, was trying to comfort me while I could almost see the question marks dancing over his head. To his credit, it doesn't really make sense that a song like this would make me cry. That is, it doesn't make sense unless you've been where I've been.

The first year I volunteered at Champions for Life Kids Camp is a year I will never forget. I learned of the horror of "everyday life" for many foster children in my area and my heart broke all over the place for these kids. They all had experienced so much pain...and yet...

On the last morning I left the little girl I was assigned to in the Sunrise Club, I was surprised to be told that I, and every other camper buddy, needed to go to the front of the room to watch what the children had learned that week before we went off to our activities.

These little faces.

These innocent and hurt faces beamed from ear to ear as they started to do the actions they learned while singing this song.

Holy Is the Lord: Chris Tomlin

We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He

And together we sing

[Chorus]
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He

And together we sing
Everyone sing

[Chorus]
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

It's rising up all around
It's the anthem of the Lord's renown
Repeat

And together we sing,
Everyone sing

[Chorus]

Holy, Holy, is the Lord Almighty
Holy, Holy
[Repeat 2x]

It's mostly the part in bold that broke me and I couldn't hold back the tears when watching the children sing and praise with this song. "It's the anthem of the Lord's renown"...A child who's life has been shattered by someone who was supposed to love them singing these words? Truly that is the anthem of the Lord's renown, is it not?

And here I go again getting all choked up. I guess you really had to be there. I'll just say, seeing the hurt and broken become free and joyful is a beautiful thing.

Nothing has moved me quite as much as the many experiences I now have working with CFL and the children I meet there. My love for those kids is right up there with the love I have for my own family. I only pray that they remember camp the same way and are still singing the songs they've learned with a smile on their faces.

It Gets Me EVERY Time

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It may seem far off for some, but for me, my thoughts and prayers always land in July. Before that month, I have plenty else to think about and pray for and plenty else I'm involved in {believe me}...I just always land in July.

Like past summers, I'm volunteering at the Champions For Life Kids Camp with Vision Hope. I love this camp and all it does for the foster children of my area. More than the camp, though, I love the kids. I love them so much I think about them nonstop when I'm not at camp. Truly, my heart is sold out to this camp and all the children who pass through.

This year is a little different for me. Every year I've gone, I've been a "Camper Buddy" {a counselor}. I've been assigned one or two girls to spend the week with and make sure their memories of camp are wonderful. I never thought I'd take a side-step from that role. Ever. I just love getting to know one of the children personally and really speaking into her life.

I guess God had bigger shoes for me to wear this year. Before I knew it, I was sitting at a Panera Bread with one of the Camp Directors and chatting about my role at camp this year. And after our chat, it seems I have more than clothes and toiletries to pack. I'll also be packing up my camera, laptop with photo editing software, and other photography equipment. Yes. This year, for one week, I'll be the camp photographer.

Can I tell you how BIG this is? No, I don't mean that this is big as in "check me out". I mean this is big as in "I'm willing but I'm totally going to be relying on your help, God". My job is to capture memories for each and every child at camp. {Yes, I'll have help.} About 70 children doing many activities daily and many of them for the very first time. God knows I love to take photos and He knows I love the kids at camp. I guess that's why He knew I wouldn't say "No" when He asked.

Admittedly, it's going to be hard to watch the Camper Buddies with their campers and know that I'm missing that one-on-one time with someone. But the true gift? I get a chance to encounter every single child who is attending camp. Wow. I will see how each of them arrive and will see how each of them leave a little changed. That's amazing stuff.

Now, I'm very excited for this opportunity to stretch my wings a bit and do something new but can I ask a favor of you? Would you please pray that God would help my hands and heart prepare for this? I have a lot of organizing to do and a lot of faith to practice. I'm also in need of a few extra things to add to my equipment but I know God can and will provide that. I could really use a new lens with a little more "zoom" than I have, a nice flash that doesn't pop-up, and a few smaller things. God is so able to provide these but I still covet your prayers for my peace of mind.

Thanks!  I'll try and keep you posted as I get closer to "go time". I'm SOOO SOOO excited!!!!!

Already Thinking Ahead To July...

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I've been going through a lot of emotions since I arrived home from camp. Today, my feeling is that of frustration.

But before I get into all of that, let me share a little bit about Vision Hope and its Champions For Life Kids Camp for those of you who are not familiar with it. Vision Hope and Champions For Life Kids Camp were founded as a way to bring summer camp to foster children. This camp is not just your ordinary camp, though. There are camp Grandparents and an Aunt and Uncle who visit with the children to give them more of a family feel while at camp. The meals are served family style as well which gives great opportunity to chat with the children there about the day and any other topic that comes up.

Champions For Life Kids Camp also offers many opportunities for the children attending to try something new. The camp schedules technical tree climbing, a mud walk, archery, swimming, a carnival, a camp birthday party, a day of beauty shop where special photographs are taken, and more. These are ways to bring new experiences and show the children what they're good at to help build confidence.

The camp takes place two weeks a year. Each week, a different group of children and staff come up to the campground. This makes it possible for even more children to have an opportunity to attend summer camp. There are volunteers who go both weeks. I've considered it, but one week is really exhausting on its own so I really respect those who go up both weeks.

Need more info? Just visit VisionHope.org to get your questions answered or find out who you can contact should you want to volunteer or make a donation.

Alright, back to the thoughts on my week there.

I met some tremendous children while at camp and I heard some horrific stories. And while their stories have moved me to tears over and over again, my frustration is not stemmed from a feeling of hopelessness. Rather, my frustration is rooted in the desire to do more. I just don't know what that means yet.

For me, I feel like volunteering at camp once a year is just a small way I can be helping these little ones.

So, I'm praying. I'm asking for guidance on how I can do and be more for the children I've met and others like them. I'm considering being a mentor at a group home while I wish I had more room in my home to take in and adopt a foster child. All I know is that my heart is broken for these children and I have to find a way to do more...whatever that means.

 

Vision Hope: The Call Is Great

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I'm home from camp with VisionHope.org and I'm trying to get back to "normal" as I try to pick up where I left off. This is extremely difficult so please hang in there with me. LOL


Anyway, I wanted to share some of my initial thoughts from camp so you can hear a bit about my experience as a "Camper Buddy".

Here's my first chat on the subject:

 

My Initial Thoughts From Camp

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Life has been absolutely nutso over here. I've been trying to maintain the day to day stuff around here while getting ready to head to Champions For Life Kids Camp on Sunday. This is a huge undertaking.

Not only do I want my house to be in order, but I also have blogging obligations and last minute loose ends to tie up before I go.

The WONDERFUL news is that some companies have decided to stand behind me and help me gift the girls in my cabin with some high quality items.  When I return from camp, I'll be posting pictures and stories for each company separately. For now, though, I want to share who they are and what they've donated. Perhaps you have a few things that you need to buy and you can support these companies who give so freely.


*Kerusso* This company sells Christian T-shrits and accessories for everyone in the family. They have baby items to adult items. Each thing they sell has a message and their designs are always on the cutting edge.

Kerusso has donated this shirt for the girls in my cabin

and this shirt for the boys in my Dad's cabin.

These shirts go perfectly with the themes of our cabins and the children will be SO excited to have something like this to take home and remember their week at summer camp.

*The Jewelry Vine* This company sells beautiful jewelry for babies up to teenage girls. When I say "beautiful", I mean it.

They sent this necklace for the girls in my cabin! I can't wait to see their faces when they see this.

There is a day when the girls get to dress up and have their hair and makeup done before the big camp birthday party. I'm thinking this would be the perfect day to give each girl her necklace to wear as a finishing touch.

*Company Kids* This is an extension of The Company Store where you can find everything from clothing to bedding to furniture and more. They have things for children to teens, boys and girls, and the quality is amazing!

Company Kids generously donated this bedding for each girl in the cabin.

They will each get a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, 2 pillow cases, and a comforter. Unbelievable, right?

I'll tell you all about camp and the girl's reactions to their gifts when I get back.

Thanks to my awesome sponsors for making this years camp VERY special and blessing these young girls who have so little. I have honestly been moved to tears when I think of how much this will bless the girls I meet. Their stories are so hard to listen to and they have had everything taken away from them. In my eyes, nothing is too good for them. If I could rope the moon or catch the stars for them, I would. But since I can't, I'm proud to be backed by such giving companies to give them a smile and let them know that they are loved and treasured.

...and now I'm crying again...

**The mentioned items are all donations made strictly for the children attending CFL camp through Vision Hope. I was not compensated for this posting nor was I given anything. Any opinions shared are my own and may not be the same as others. 

...and God gets the glory.

Packing My Things & Preparing My Heart (Camp Sponsors Shared)

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So many people are traveling, visiting, or resting this weekend.

What are we doing here in our home?

We're organizing, changing things a bit, visiting with friends and family, and trying to take advantage of every minute we have together. We're busy for sure.

I'm still getting things together before I leave for camp. Some wonderful sponsors have stepped up to help out and I'll be sharing about them soon.

Also, I have some GREAT giveaways coming up. So, stick around for those.

But for now, dear Coffee Lovers, I'm off to family, friends, and busyness.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Holiday Weekend!!

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Photo credit: VisionHope.org I
just happen to be in the
background.:)

In a little less than 2 weeks, I will be heading to CFL camp to work with foster children and love on them like crazy for one week. Right now, my mind is spinning. I'm trying to get everything in place for my cabin.


This past Sunday, I was given the name of the girl I'll be partnered with. I also found out who else I would be sharing a cabin with and we agreed on a cabin theme.

If you've ever been to a summer camp, you may recall how much fun the themed cabins were. Well, we want our cabin to be fun and we want the girls in our cabin to enjoy it and, for lack of a better term, be spoiled. The foster children coming to camp have had to leave their things behind when they were removed from their home and many have never had anything new.

So, our cabin theme is "Butterfly Garden". We're going to have butterflies and flowers all over the place! More importantly, we're basing the cabin on the scripture..

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 


What a wonderful thing to send the girls home with. To teach them that God can wipe the slate clean and give them a new beginning is so important. As someone who has learned that with my own past of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, I can't think of anything more important to stitch on their hearts.


Here's what I would love, though. I would love it if I could get a few companies with "butterfly" or "garden" items to sponsor my cabin with decor and gifts for the girls. We have only 2 girls (around 9/10 years old) but we're planning for 3 just in case someone else is added at the last minute. If you have anything you'd like to contribute, I would be happy to share about that here. I can't take any pictures of the girls as they are wards of the court and it isn't allowed (for their own safety). But I can probably use my phone to snap a picture of the cabin before the children arrive at camp and I can definitely share about each product and how it was accepted here. 


Feel free to e-mail me or fill out my Review Request Form and I'll get back to you A.S.A.P.


Here are things I've thought of as cabin decor/gift ideas for the girls: (Butterfly Garden Theme)

• Bedding (wouldn't it be awesome to send them home with brand new bedding in the butterfly garden theme?)
• T-Shirts
• Toys
• Young Girl's Jewelry
• Accessories
• Any decoration that stands on its own or can be hung on the wall or from the ceiling with sticky tack or thumb tacks (that's all we're allowed to use in the cabin)

Maybe you'd like to sponsor the camp as a whole? Awesome! Please see the Vision Hope website to find out how to do that. 


 

Vision Hope: Camp Prep. 2010: Want To Be A Sponsor?

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In less than four weeks I'm leaving.

I'm packing up my things and going to camp.

Few of you may be familiar with the camp I volunteer for. It's called Champions For Life Kids Camp and it's directed by Vision Hope.  (Pssst. Type the word "camp" in the search bar at the top of my page to see all the posts I wrote about my past experiences.)


This is my 4th year volunteering and my second time leaving behind my stay-at-home duties. Yah, I'm a bit nervous about leaving both of my children behind for a week. But I always take heart and remember the reason I love working with this camp in the first place. (Plus, they will be with the hubster and their grandparents. Can you say "spoiled"?)

I've been through a lot in my life. A LOT. But what sticks out to me now is not the people who hurt me, it's the people who helped me. There were many who came beside me and supported me, prayed for me, and helped me heal. And GOD gets the glory! Because of this, I want to help. I want to do whatever I can to show someone else God's love.

So, Champions for Life Kids Camp it is.

My heart has been breaking lately. As I pray for these children...foster children...wards of the court, I can't keep myself from crying most times. These precious, little lives have known way too much. They've seen and heard and even felt things that they should not have had to. As I pray, I see the faces of the children I've met at past camps. I remember the stories of the girls in my cabin. I remember the fear and the pain in their eyes. My life is forever changed by them and I pray that I make an impact on their lives as well.

So, if you think of me, please say a prayer for the safety of my children and for the children who will be coming to camp this year. They need your prayers more than I do.

On My Heart Lately

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*If the hubster's reading this. I'm half-way done with today's work and I'm taking a "brain break" OK?*

I had to share this with you. I've had this song singing in my head all day long and went over to YouTube to find a video. While I was unable to find an "official" video for the song, the one I did find is pretty moving all on it's own.

Watch and enjoy. I hope you'll find yourself a little encouraged today. I know I was.
(p.s. the lyrics for the song are below so you can read along if you want.)

Lyrics to It Might Be Hope by Sara Groves:
You do your work the best that you can
you put one foot in front of the other
life comes in waves and makes it's demands
you hold on as well as your able

You've been here for a long long time

Hope has a way of turning it's face to you
just when you least expect it
you walk in a room
you look out a window
and something there leaves you breathless
you say to yourself
it's been a while since I felt this
but it feels like it might be hope

It's hard to recall what blew out the flame
it's been dark since you can remember
you talk it all through to find it a name
as days go on by without number

You've been here for a long long time

Hope has a way of turning it's face to you
just when you least expect it
you walk in a room
you look out a window
and something there leaves you breathless
you say to yourself
it's been a while since I felt this
but it feels like it might be hop
[ It Might Be Hope Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

I Should Be Doing Homework

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...I would give to Vision Hope. 

I've had the blessed opportunity to be a part of this camp for 3 summers. I've seen this organization change lives and inspire hope in many, many children. Every summer, the children leave the camp different; they hold their heads a little higher and believe they are valuable.

This camp not only changes the lives of the children who attend; it also changes the lives of the adults who volunteer.

My own story goes a little like this. Although I grew up in a loving home with Christian parents, I've experienced different types of abuse throughout my life from people I knew and trusted (not family...just to be clear). I learned from the age of 5 that people should never be trusted and had that confirmed in my life over and over as I grew into an adult. I suffered the hand of physical abuse as well as the voice of verbal abuse in relationships and had no sense of self-value. Things started to change for me when I met the hubster. I think even my mom can testify to that. He was amazing and trustworthy.

I decided shortly after I was married to the marvelous hubster to go through a 12 step study. I had to face the demons of my past if I were ever to be healed from my experience. Halfway through my 12 steps, I volunteered for CFL Kids Camp for the very first time. I learned very quickly that I had a lot in common with the children I met. I understood their actions a little more than the volunteers who had never gone through what I had. Because of that understanding, I was able to speak into those little lives with words of hope and love.

This camp changed MY life...as an adult. I learned that no matter how ugly my past is, I can use my experience in a positive way. I can help those little ones who are going through the same thing or are healing from their own ugly past.

This is the kind of hope that Vision Hope inspires. For this reason, I would give HUGE to them if I could. There are things the people behind the organization need. However, if they ever had the money to buy the things they need, they would put it towards the children first and always.  These people are so giving...that's why I would want to give to them. 

I've entered a contest that would help them imensley. Please pray. I would love to win this for them as a way for me to give back. If anyone deserves it, they do.

My most recent experience at camp is here on the blog.  Just go to the top of the page and type "Camp" into the search field. That will bring up a page of entries. :) Thanks!

If I Could Give HUGE to One Organization...

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