Dean Fig Week 2014

I am a few days removed now from a wonderful week of being "Dean Fig" at Howell's Mill once again for High School Week 2.  The week that I dean was dubbed a few years back by a group of campers as "Dean Fig Week" but I know it's God's Week, not mine.  As I look back at this very emotional and inspiring week, I can't help but know that God showed up and in a mighty way.  As you all know, I am a big ol baby, and I found myself crying a whole bunch this week.  Whether seeing campers open their hearts to each other and confessing their weaknesses, or just arming each other up and praying for each other or just having campers come up to me and giving me a simple hug and thanking me for the time spent given to them.  Those times are all special...as are times when a camper comes to you and says, "I want to give my life to the Lord and be baptized."

Yes, we have our fun times too.  One look at our camp photo will tell you we do things a bit unorthodox as far as the norm is concerned.  

Yes, we are IN the camp pool.  Yes, that is silly and crazy and nuts, but that is what we are all about.  Christians can certainly be all of those things and still be children of God.  Can't we?  We did several things this week that were not the "norm" for church camp.  We watched the World Cup on Tuesday afternoon and ate our supper in the gym so we could finish the game.  We duct taped 2 king size sheets together, strung them together between 2 extension ladders and showed "Frozen"on them in a make shift outdoor "Drive In" theater.  We even played "Glow in the Dark" Soccer!  (Pics didn't turn out very well for that)

 

But more importantly, we worshiped God!!  We sang, we preached, we taught, we learned, we dug deep, we challenged, we studied, we served, we praised!

        

       

Was it a successful week?  Well, you would have to ask our campers that.  Maybe they will reply to this somewhere and let you know.  I am not big on numbers, but here are some.  3 young ladies were baptized into Christ.  15 young people rededicated themselves to God's service.  1 young man accepted God's call to full time vocational ministry.  Over 20 young men and women shared their testimony of what God has done or is doing in their lives along with opening their hearts to their individual weaknesses and asking for prayer.  One scene will never leave my mind.  One lady opened her life to the camp and every camper and staff  member just gathered around her in a huge circle and prayed for her, then everyone of them (at least it seemed) gave her a hug and told her they loved her and was proud of her for sharing.  That is what makes the long nights and many hours of preparation worth it.  

I have an absolutely wonderful staff who makes this week even more special.  Men and women who give of their time and resources to come to HMCA and spend a week with kids they don't know on Sunday, but who become their "kids" by Friday.  What we try to do is simply get out of God's way and let Him do His thing and hope we don't mess it up in the process.  

This group of wonderful people, campers and faculty alike, became a family this week.  There is no doubt in my mind that I could contact anyone of them for any reason and they would be there for me and I know they are certain that I am always there for them.  As I told them many times this week, I am not a dean for a week, I am dean for a lifetime.

Campers, as I ended every day of camp, so I end this message, with prayer and the following, "Always remember and don't ever forget....Dean Fig loves YOU!!!!!"