MSA Training & A Surprise

It has been three weeks now of intensive training with Mountain and Sea Adventures, the camp I will be working at on Catalina Island this spring. This company obviously cares deeply about the development of not only the campers that come to their programs, but also their staff. I've never heard of a camp devoting a month of training to their staff! We've now been taken through an exorbitant amount of personality quizzes, prayer sessions, and teachings on everything from "the Father's Love" to "Brave Communications" to the healing of root problems in our lives. Soon, this will actually be morphed into a DTS (Discipleship Training School) with YWAM, hence the major focus on knowing God better and finding healing in Him for our own personal lives. I've really appreciated the hearts of the leadership in this organization and how much they want to focus on us as individuals. However, to be honest, I'm getting rather antsy to start working on the island and am finding it rather hard to focus as we sit for hours each day hearing lectures. Fortunately, this is our last week and we're scheduled to travel to the beaches of Cabrio to get certified in CPR, 1st Aid, and Waterfront Lifeguarding! So the action should pick up soon.

Our team is a wonderful mix of individuals and I so look forward to working with all of them. I've made some great starts to friendships that promise to grow deeper as we continue to work with each other. And through them I am learning new things about myself that I was never aware of before and definitely growing in new ways. Living in such a close environment doing everything together 24/7 really jump starts relationships!

One of a few of my most meaningful experiences during training so far happened two weeks ago when we actually had a group of middle-schoolers come up to the mountain for a week of science camp where we watched and observed how classes are taught and the program runs. They were from a Christian school, and so on the last night at their campfire service they all were asked to open up about what they learned about God during the week. It turned into an incredibly powerful time where each student shared some amazingly deep things. One boy in particular caught my heart as he confessed that he was suicidal. I was able to pray with him and see him praying for some of the other kids. It was quite emotional. And when they were about to leave, he hugged me goodbye. He definitely continues in my prayers and thoughts.

And this is just one example that thrills my heart to have work again doing something that matters, as apposed to office work where I just feel bad about all the seemingly unnecessary paper waste.

One more week, and then we move to the Island!

ATT: In other news...

I just got the call that I have been accepted into the masters program at APU for their College Counseling and Student Development degree! I start this fall and in two years I should have my masters in Student Affairs and hopefully looking into Residence Life positions! I might still be in shock. :) Thank you God for such clear direction!