Friday Night

The sun is setting on Hume Lake. We all piled into the dining hall for a final meal and shared stories from the day. I can tell immediately that it was a great week by all the sunburned and tired faces. The staff here really stepped it up on the last day in order to make our exit a memorable one. This morning’s chapel service kicked our day off with some really inspiring worship. It was amazing to see the students who were hardest and most reserved singing and dancing. God has delivered transformation to many of our kids. Even I have opened up and joined the kids in dancing. For rec(reation) time today we participated in one of the craziest games I have ever been apart of. This year’s great race included blowing up balloons with a snorkel, singing love songs, and eating a curry-mayonnaise brownie. No matter how bizarre the tasks were, we all were quick to scream, roll, jump, run, or eat. All the students took their last chance to challenge themselves on the ropes course, shoot a few friends with paintballs, or enjoy time on the lake. Kyle Sigler and I whooped a couple of staff members on the beach volleyball court.
It will be difficult for everyone to leave tomorrow. So many of us have experienced God’s love more intimately then we ever have. We’ve made friends that will last a lifetime. We’ve stepped out of our comfort zones day after day. Our speaker Darrin McWatters has challenged us to base our lives on the relationship with God that we’ve committed to as we leave this place. His message has helped us to say “I know what a Christian is” and then to decide if we are one or not.
Even though the temperature is dropping and the sun is setting, our hearts are on fire.
Lookin’ up,
Pastor Ralph