Hey Blog Pals,

How are you all? I suppose that by now many of you are knee deep in summer. The team was realizing recently that we are already half way through the summer.  I have been thinking lately about what it means to have a purposeful life, especially when times seems to fly by too fast to let you accomplish something substantial. This has stemmed from reading Genesis and Proverbs during my devotions. In 50 chapters, Genesis sums up hundreds of years of history. In 31 chapters, Proverbs tells a person how to live out the details of life. But it seems like often, no one sees the details, no one sees the struggle and perseverance it takes to live a godly life. I am not sure how to put it, but I want to encourage you all to live out the details not just in the things that are easier for other people to see. Jesus did many amazing things that were recorded in the Gospels, but He also lived every moment in such a way that the people following Him found reason to pay attention to what He said. The details matched the recorded events.

Please continue to pray for our team, that we would live lives of integrity especially in the details. We are beginning the longest tour of our summer tomorrow. This could be a tiring time, which may tempt us to take a break in the details. Please pray that we would always rely on the Lord in all circumstances and not on ourselves. Tomorrow we head to David Thompson Bible Camp, followed by Riverside Bible Camp, and Luseland Bible Camp, Camp Evergreen and Shiloh Youth Ranch (in no particular order because I can't find my schedule).
May God bless you all as you live out the joy of the Truth of God in the details of your life as well as the 'big' things.
-Kendra for Kimmie, Heather and Andrew.

We are at Joy Camp

JOY CAMP has been so much fun. We as a team have been at Bear Lake Bible Camp for a total of two weeks helping cabin lead a group of amazing people from the Grande Prairie area. Joy Camp is a camp for the disabled that allows them to not only get to experience camp but also to encounter God in new and fresh ways. Last week was the overnight camp and this week is day camp. Both weeks in my opinion have been a lot of fun. We have gained experience in areas we never really had before and were stretched many times. However I think that everyone should gain this type of experience. I have heard it said many times before that the disabled tend to give more to us then we think we will give to us.They blessed us greatly this week. Plus the staff we have served with are amazing. Special thanks to Corney and Evangeline Thiessen for making these two weeks possible. If you want to find out more about Joy camp or how you can help out next year follow this link! (Also look into volunteering at Joy Chapel...from my experience it is a lot of fun)
  http://cssm.ca/ab/CSSMJoyCamp.htm

I think that I can speak for everyone when I say that it was really hard for us all to leave Circle Square Ranch. To know that we were going back to the school for some time of rest was reassuring but also caused us to want to stay longer. However, as I have been reminded time and time again God puts us in the places that we go for a reason. We were at Circle Square Ranch for a time and we are so thankful for that, but now we need to have peace knowing that God knows we need the rest that we are experiencing now! I am really going to miss the time that we spent at Circle Square. We bring home to Sexsmith a lot of great memories. Our Next stop is Joy Camp at Bear Lake. I am really excited to get to be with friend I have met through Joy Chapel and to serve along side my brother who is a staff member that Bear Lake. We head out on Sunday and would appreciate your prayers as we do! 

Heather

We went on a 'centipede' hike, where we were tied together and had to make it back to the front of the main building, and we ended up falling in the creek because a log broke as we tried to cross on it, but we had a blast!

Kendra serving lunch

Heather showing off her new skills with the horses

Kendra and Heather chilling out at the back of the kitchen

Kimmie and May, a girl from Germany who is at Circle Square to help out for a while.

Heather and a girl from one of the retreats.

Showing off our aprons in the kitchen.

The girls wing of the main building (the hotel) at Circle Square.

Kendra rocking the ride on mower

Andrew keeping busy with the weed whacker

Andrew having fun with the horn that signals seconds at meal times

Kimmie and a girl from one of the retreats after a fun trail ride.

Hey everyone! We have been at Circle Square Ranch (near Stettler) for about a week and a half. We leave on Wednesday, and it will be hard to leave the staff. During our time here, we have helped with various retreat groups (disabled adults, Grade five groups,staff training, kindergarten class coming tomorrow), done some lawn maintenance, worked in the kitchen, worked with horses, helped lead skills, and more.
At the staff training weekend, I realized that I felt the need to be perfect at the camps we go to. I've been at college for a few years and am representing PRBI. Shouldn't I know more than I do? I feel like I often have to go back to the basics. Like right now I'm studying what grace actually is, and I keep finding myself in awe over the things I've known for a long time. Things that I feel I should have mastered. I realized that sometimes I put on a put-together-face, but that's not how I feel inside. I am learning to allow people at camps to see the real me. It's been a challenge for most of our team, but I'm so thankful for the accountability to be myself; flaws and all. Despite how I often feel, people do want realness.
Praise and Prayer:
- Praise God for how our team is getting along so far. We were a little concerned about Andrew being the only guy with three girls, but it's been a blessing. Please continue to pray that this will continue, and that we will strive for unity, even in the hard times.
- Heather has been having pain in her knee. Please pray that she will be able to get it checked out and figure out the problem
- Prayer for the staff at Circle Square Ranch as they have more groups in the next few weeks, and barely have enough staff to make things run smoothly.
- Prayer for rest as we head back to PRBI on Wednesday for a few days.
Thank you so much for your prayer and support!
Kimmie