California, Colorado and Dirt.

CALIFORNIA

I spent this last week directing a High School camp at a different camp in Ventura County, California. The camp was called Forest Home: Ojai Valley and that area is wonderful. Its located about an hour and a half or two hours north of LA and its a beautiful area.

The camp went really well and it was a great group of students and sponsors to and out with.

COLORADO

The speaker for the week was named Jim Burgen from Flatirons Community Church near Boulder, CO. If you ever get a chance to check out their church you should.

DIRT

One of the main points that we are talking about at high school camps is to serve others. So one of the days we go and volunteer at different organizations and get the kids an idea of what can be done in their communities.

One of the groups went to a homeless mission called Turning Point. It is a place for people that are rejected from the homeless shelters.

While at Turning Point some students cleaned and organized closets full of clothes and supplies, some kids cleaned windows and scrubbed floors and some other kids did something that will stick with them for a long time. Every night the mission fills up so the lady who runs it has people sleep on the floor and on couches, when those fill up so has them sleep on a dirt patch out behind the main living area. The kids had the job of pulling weeds and tilling up some of the dirt to make it a softer place to sleep. After the day of service the kids talked about how they couldn't believe that people were sleeping out behind this building on dirt. I think it really put their lives into perspective and opened their eyes to how some other people live life. Hopefully they will have a greater appreciation for serving those in need in their communities. Cheers.

Chris