I’ve heard of Christmas in July, but I’ve never heard of a Christmas in October..?
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After dousing ourselves in bug spray, we gathered around the blazing campfire. Three students played their violin, djembe, and guitar while we sang worship songs and toasted marshmallows. The fire flickered and cast shadows all around us. The stars twinkled above. Wind rustled in the trees, whisking our chatter and songs away with the autumn leaves.Once the fire burned down enough that we could form a tight circle around it, our four leaders shared their testimonies. Besides sharing what God has done in their lives, their goal was to show us testimonies are all different and unique.They finished telling their stories, and then a handful of us headed back to the cabin to sleep while the rest stayed around the fire and talked.
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Saturday morning dawned rainy and chilly. I ate a breakfast taco and sipped orange juice while two guys taught me how to play Risk. I allied with an other girl who was playing, and we did quite well and had an awesome strategy…until we lost.It stopped raining, and all of the girls gathered on the front porch to paint rocks. The guys couldn’t understand what was so appealing about painting rocks, so they went into the field and played ladder ball and washers. Us girls chitchatted and giggled as we designed our rocks and waited for the base coats to dry.Lunchtime came along, and we fixed ourselves sandwiches. As we ate, our leaders introduced us to our next organized activity. Once we finished eating, we were to divide ourselves into three groups and share our testimonies. They explained this was so we could become comfortable with sharing our testimonies with people we meet and do life with.After we shared our testimonies, six of us girls decided to go exploring. We wandered down to the river near the cabin and walked along a gravel path for a few minutes. Then we explored the rest of the gorgeous woods surrounding our cabin.
We came back and spent a few hours doing card tricks and other mind games. We had so much fun confusing each other.One of our leaders prepared chili and vegetable soup for supper. It was delicious. We squeezed as many of the seventeen of us as possible around the dining room table, and enjoyed fellowship and laughter.A little while after dinner, we gathered in our living room area for a Bible study. We read about how Paul discipled Timothy, and learned how we can apply his methods of discipleship to our lives. In order to be a disciple maker, we need to know Jesus, know ourselves, and then know others. In addition, to make disciples, we not only need to direct, but we also need to be able to take directions. Lastly, we discussed how Paul encouraged Timothy, and how we need to encourage people as well.Once Bible study ended, we remained in the living room to play group games. We played several rounds of Mafia, Murder in the Dark, and Four on the Couch. It was a blast, and very hysterical. By the time we finished playing all of these games, it was midnight. Exhausted, we collapsed on the couches and did what everyone in their sleepy minds do after midnight: tell corny jokes/puns. Eventually, we mustered up the energy to clean up the cabin (so we wouldn’t have to do it Sunday morning). Finally, around one or two, we went to sleep.
On Sunday morning, we woke up and gathered up the rest of our belongings. We got dressed and ready for church and then loaded up the cars and headed back to church for Sunday School
I loved this weekend. It was relaxing, and adventurous, and filled with fellowship. I got to know the upperclassmen in the college group better, and I got to know some of the freshmen girls better as well.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25
