Kupkakez

Believe it or not, that was the nickname of a camper I met last week. She was in the junior high camp, and Linnae was her counselor. We met in the nurse's station when she had a headache and I stubbed my toe pretty bad on the Zorbs, and for some reason we hit it off and hung out for the rest of the week. And it turned out to be the best week of summer tour yet!

On Wednesday during team time, Tommy challenged all of us to find one camper and learn their name and something interesting about them. I really hate challenges like this because I feel like I'm being forced to make a friend. But I gave it a try; I went out to the Zorbs hill where all the junior high girls were hanging out for the afternoon and met a girl whose name I can't even remember now. I felt really relieved that I "fulfilled my requirement" so to speak, and relaxed for the rest of the time just enjoying myself and hanging out with the girls. When it was my turn to ride the Zorb, I stubbed my toe really badly and was bleeding. I probably could have walked to the nurse's station myself, but there was another girl who got ran into by a Zorb and had a horrible headache and needed to get driven up. Andrew, this girl, and I rode up together to the nurse's station. I talked with her on the way up and learned her name, about 5 of her nicknames, and a little bit more about her. She and I both had free time after the nurse fixed us up, so I suggested the two of us go to the water front and chat. Without even planning it, I had made a friend.

We even talked a little bit about spiritual things! She told me about her family and her experience with God and that she wasn't sure if she was a Christian. Before too long I had to leave for a HeartSong responsibility, but I was determined to find her later in the week and lead her to Christ. I prayed hard for a couple of days for an opportunity.

On Friday all the junior highers piled in the Lake Ann bus to go to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I decided to go with them, hoping for an opportunity to talk to Kupkakez again. The entire afternoon we had fun singing silly songs on the bus and running up and down the dunes, but I never got to pull her aside for a chat. Arriving back at camp, I was discouraged, especially after how much I had prayed about it. But we had about an hour until she had to be at dinner, so I invited her to hang out with me until then. I talked to her some more about her experience with God and where she was emotionally, and she began to open up to me about her love for her family and friends who were not Christians. Even though she wasn't entirely sure that she had made this faith her own, her heart was aching for the people that she knew who were misunderstood and just needed someone to love them. She told me about the way she loved on people in her life that needed it, and I could see the fire in her eyes for these people and for God. I told her that I saw that in her and that I was so encouraged by the way she loved these people! I prayed with her, that God would wipe away all of her doubts and use her in the lives of her friends and family.

The rest of the evening was crazy as I raced through dinner, sang for Junior Chapel, and played for the big combined chapel. Afterwards it was time to tear down; we would have to miss the Glory Bowl, a huge bonfire where anyone in junior or senior high could share what God had done in their lives during the week. I was so disappointed to have to miss it! Joellyn was the only one going, to kind of represent HeartSong, and halfway through the Glory Bowl she texted Tommy and asked if I could trade places with her so I could go. I was so excited and thankful as I ran across camp to the big bonfire just in time to see Kupkakez and encourage her to talk about how God had changed her life. I heard from Linnae later that me being there was a great thing for Kupkakez, and afterwards she got to talk with her about the week and Kupkakez told her that she wasn't in doubt anymore; she knew that God was living in her!

I didn't lead Kupkakez to Christ. I only helped her a little to see that her commitment to Him was real. I wasn't expecting that at all; here I was praying for something that had already happened! God ended up using me in a different way, to be a listening and praying friend to help Kupkakez find the truth that she had always known.

Bonus Story:

In the midst of my discouragement Friday afternoon, another counselor named Abby came up to me on the bus and told me that one of her girls accepted Christ DURING our morning worship set. Without even knowing or praying about it, I had been a part of leading someone to Christ through music! Hearing that was a great encouragement to me that God uses me in ways I could never expect. All of week 3 was a great reminder that I don't always have to know what I'm doing as long as I am giving all of me to God to be used in whatever crazy way He wants to use me. I want to keep on repeating the words Isaiah said to God: "Here am I. Send me!"

SOLI DEO GLORIA!!