T-Minus 3 Days

It's hard to believe that in 3 short days, I'll be leaving for Louisiana. I have such mixed emotions about it. I'm super excited to get to go serve, doing my favorite ministry, camp ministry. And I'm excited that I'm getting to serve the Lord in a new place, and be able to reach new kids. But then again, I'm nervous as heck. I'm going to a new place, where I don't know ANYONE, and no one knows me. I'm the outsider. Heck, I'll probably sound like a northerner to them. Lord knows I don't want them thinking I'm some Yankee. I'm nervous I won't like it, or they won't like me, or I'm going to such at it because it isn't Ba-Yo-Ca, that I'm so comfortable with. I'm nervous that I'll be so far from home that I can't just drive home and back in 2 hours. But through all of this, I know everything will be okay. When I first applied to Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, I thought, hey, this would be funny if I worked at a camp with almost the same name as the one I work at now. I wasn't even going to apply, I just mentioned it jokingly. Then I started thinking more and more about it, and finally decided to go for it. Come to find out, I had 1 week before my application had to be in. So I'm running around getting references, and mailing everything in. And then I waited. I honestly was surprised when I got the call. They sounded like they really liked what they were reading about me. But, from all my camp experience, I sounded good on paper, just hoped I did in person too. And then I played the waiting game again. I was told I'd know within a week. 3 and a half weeks later, I still hadn't heard. Daddy kept telling me to just stop waiting on it because it obviously wasn't going to happen. I let me hopes gets down, and I was starting to agree with him. Then I got the call one night. I was expecting them to tell me they decided they didn't want me. But when I heard. "We would like to have you this summer." I thought my heart was going to burst out of my mouth. I think it's just now starting to really hit me, that I'm going 10 hours away to work at a camp for a month..and then the day I get back, headed up to Ba-Yo-Ca for the rest of the summer. This summer, I even thought about not working at camp much so that I could have some time off...but then it was like God slammed me in the face and said "Hey! it's not all about you! Go do what you do best!" And that is what I'm going to try and do..my best. While I'm gone, I ask a few things of ya'll. Pray for all of us. Pray for Camp Ch-Yo-Ca and all the staff and counselors and camper that will be there this summer. Pray that we reach those kids and leave lasting, godly impression upon them. Pray for our safety and health, as we endure hot Louisiana summertime. Pray that our hearts are in the condition they need to be to be used as fully as possible, and that we all grow this summer. Pray also for Camp Ba-Yo-Ca. They have already begun some summer stuff, and I ask prayer for all of the staff, counselors and campers. It's going to be a jam packed summer for them, and I know how stressful it can get. I pray for them. I also ask prayer for myself. that I can handle everything, I can grow as a Christian and rely on God a lot more. That I do my best at whatever job I'm given. I have no idea what I'll be at Ch-Yo-Ca until I get there. Ba-Yo-Ca I'll be cooking, being a counselor and a staff member. I'm just going to be everywhere. I ask for strength. I will try and update as much as I can this summer. If I can't get on here, I'll send out mass texts. Here's to a summer for the Lord! -Alisha.

Creeping Timeline.

In just 39 days, I'll be in Louisiana. It's so hard to believe that I'm actually getting to go. when I applied for it, I didn't think they would actually hire me. But now, my timeline is creeping upon me. I have 38 days to get my bedroom clean, and get packed. Normally, packing for camp isn't that hard for me, but this time I'm going to be 10 hours from home, not an hours away. I can't just run home and get something I forgot, so I have to really over-think my packing. We spent over 300 dollars yesterday, on stuff for camp. Air mattress, small fan, plastic boxes and drawers, bug spray, sunscreen, and so much more. The fun part is going to be packing all of it. I'm so excited about all of this. The downer about it though, I won't get to see Ethan for a month, barely get to talk to him, and then come home and go straight up to Ba-Yo-Ca. It's going to be a crazy summer, one in which I'm planning on growing closer to God. Man, it's been a busy school year, and for my summer break, instead of vactioning, I'm going to work 2 other jobs, and coming straight back to my job at the school. But, it's going to be SO worth it. I won't be able to update much while I am there. I've been told there is no wifi, but maybe internet in one room in the whole camp. At least I can have my phone and use my phone. :-)

New Adventures

Camp Ba-Yo-Ca has been my life since i was 9 years old. I looked forward to camp every year, and just waited all year for it. Last year, I only got to be at camp for 2 days, and that really hurt. It felt like part of me was missing. Because of the job i had, it was impossible for me to go work. However, now I have a job that I'm off during the summer because I work in the school system. The Lord put me in an awesome job for sure. It's just what I wanted. This year I get to work at camp again. :-)

However, this year things are different. Not only am i working at Ba-Yo-Ca, I'm working at Camp Ch-Yo-Ca. This is what is going to be interesting this summer. I've never known any other camp besides bayoca. Now, I'm going to be 10 hours away, in Calhoun, Louisiana. I don't know anyone, and I will have a fresh start, where no one knows me. I'm really going to have to turn to God a lot this summer. Being so far away from home, and not knowing anyone, I'm really going to need him. Tonight at bible study, Maston was talking about influence, and how we influence people. Like all of us at bible study are influenced by him, and his teachings. And he was telling us how we could do that with other people. It got me thinking about camp. Every year at bayoca, I have multiple campers tell me stories they remember from a few years before, or even a year before, about things they remember me doing, I rarely remember it, or after they tell it, the memory sparks. But it amazes me how much they remember about me. It kinda blows my mind. And then I think about going to ChYoCa, and I hope I can have the same thing happen, because if I keep up a good example, which I try my hardest to do, then I'm leaving a good influence on these kids. Maybe one day I'll have a kid come up to be and tell me about a time at camp i did something that influenced them in a positive way, and helped them grow in their Christian walk. I really want to be that kinda influence for the kids this summer. I know i have been one before, but I don't think I'm really thought about just how much I was before, till tonight.

The verse Maston gave us to go with the lesson, was this.

 "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." -Proverbs 27:17



I'm hoping to post more throughout the summer, about my new Camp adventures.