So after our long northern tour, we were able to rest for a few days before playing a Sunday service in Topeka at Cornerstone Community Church. Another day of break and we were off to Florence, KS to Morning Star Ranch for a weeklong camp for highschoolers. Now these highschoolers came from the inner cities of Dallas, Chicago, and Wichita. There were about 120 students attending the camp this week--the largest camp Morning Star has ever seen! We learned when we arrived that the unusually large amount of students would require us to counsel as well as lead worship. I must admit that I was not prepared for task of counseling and really was quite terrified.

But God is good. He's proven that over and over this summer and this week was no exception. We saw many hearts changed and we got to connect with the students on a deeper level: God was truly at work! Much of the work God was able to do can be credited to the awesome speaker, Dave Gass. Dave challenged the kids and pushed them to search for their own faith and to live it out. I would classify the transformation of many students from the beginning of the week to the end as nothing other than a miracle.

Our week was not without its trials, however. The major one we encountered was the consequence of a little "friendly competition." Yeah, right. Everyone was way too into this team competition (yellow, you know!). At the beginning of the week, students were split into three teams (red, blue, yellow), which competed against one another for points. Points could be earned through games and memory verses. I don't quite remember which of us where on which teams, but what's important is that Joanna was on red and they were losing (ha, ha), so they needed to win one of the late night games called The Amazing Race. Teams went to different stations and did different tasks, first team finished wins, you get it. So the red team reaches the task at the baseball field where they have to carry fellow team members on their backs or be carried around all of the bases. So Joanna, hurriedly and without thought (tisk, tisk), puts a kid on her back and begins running. Yes, and well, that extra weight needs to be taken into consideration when running, Joanna. In short, she hyperextended her left knee and fell to the ground in pain. She was taken to the nearest hospital and, through many hoops and much prayer, we have learned that her posterior something ligament is partially torn (that's the PCL, I'm trying my hardest here) and that she does not need surgery. An answer to prayer.

All in all, it was an awesome week. More posts will be coming soon (hopefully)!

Kayla