And they are still here!

These are just a few of our new neighbors!














And this is why they are sticking around instead of going out into the wild! Please people! Stop feeding the pigs! They can get food themselves, I promise you, they know how to dig, just check out my back yard!

They're Back And Bigger!

A few people have thought that my Polish friends were making up their attack pig story. Well, I have all of the summer interns to verify that the story is true! As we were leaving for last week's camp, we all saw 9 wild pigs, 3 momas and 6 piglets. When I was coming home I saw the same group of pigs on the other side of the road. This morning I heard some commotion in my back yard and thought is was the dreaded cats who love my porch. I looked out and saw some figures jumping through my my bushes. I now have pigs digging up roots to eat in my backyard and using my wonderful grass as their bathroom! Yuck!

People here have been feeding these wild animals and so I am afraid they are here to stay. I just hope that we don't have anymore wild encounters like my friends had a few weeks ago.

His Ways and Thoughts Are Not Mine . . .

This past week has been about remembering God's timing and never ending love for the Polish youth. I have been blown away by how God's Spirit moves and how He changes the hearts of young people, even those who we wonder if they will ever turn to Him. Isaiah 55 was a constant theme in my mind this week.

Four years ago a young man came to camp with the Zielona Gora youth group. He was filled with anger and thought camp would be where he could be "free". He brought drugs to camp and stole some cell phones on the last day. Mariusz, the director of camp showed mercy and did not call the police, but told this young man to never come back to camp. Many of our team were heavily burdened for this lost soul and our hearts broke as we returned to the US. We later lost all contact with him but always wondered what happen to him. (Tori Loomis, Mickey Lang and I were at this camp four years ago.)

Yesterday, Łukasz walked into camp. There was joy on his face and love in his eyes! He sat down and told us the rest of his story. He came to Christ two years ago and decided to pay reparations to everyone who he has wronged. Łukasz was on the internet the other day and found our camp. He saw that there was just a few days left and wanted to apologize to Mariusz for the trouble caused. So, he jumped on a train, found us and and we rejoiced!


Today, Łukasz is a worship leader in his church in Opole (just an hour West from Katowice) and is training to become a youth pastor! He lives in the largest "block" neighborhood which is filled with young people struggling with drugs and violence. He wants to reach them for Christ and share with them how he was truly set free! "My new life is because of camp! You make a difference! Thank you for coming!" He told us.

God has used these camps to show young people HIS LOVE! He worked on Łukasz in his timing, even as we wondered what God was up to. This has been a HUGE week of how God works in HIS TIME!

God Moves in His Own Time!

Camp has been filled with wonderful surprises for me! My Church group from the States has been doing camp with the Baptist Church from Zielona Gora for 7 years now. The youth group was unable to come this year, but several former youth group members come for this camp. ZG's faithful pastor, Mariusz, decided to train someone to take his place in the future. I would have NEVER guessed this one a few years ago!

Let me introduce you to a young man who has made a 180 degree turn in life.

This is Alex. I met him 7 years ago. He was in my English class and we hit it off right away. His English was very good and his sarcasm was fun. I also saw pain and emptiness in his eyes as we spoke about more serious subjects. Alex was also a bit of a problem at camp. He loved his humor (which was very cutting at times) and loved charming the ladies. He came to several camps and each year left the same way he came, empty. Each time I left camp, it is was with a heavy heart for this young man's soul.

A few years ago, I received an email from him stating that he had turned his life over to Jesus. I was amazed and moved by this declaration. Last year he entered Josiah Venture’s 9 month internship program where students learn about the Theology, Bible Doctrine, Leadership, Serving and Soul Care. I spoke with him a few months into it and wondered if it was a mistake to have him in it, because it seemed that he had not changed very much. (Oh ye of little faith!) He stayed and finished the program. God worked on Alex's heart! There was a softness and compassion in his eyes that I had never seen before. Tears came to my eyes when I saw him open the Bible and read it in May and then again as I heard him passionately pray for the campers today.

Today, Alex is the one whom Mariusz is training to lead. Last night, Alex spoke on love and did a great job. I am praying that God will continue to grow this young man into a man after His own heart! I sit here as I am typing amazed by how God reaches those who we think are unreachable. Alex has shown me that NO ONE is too far from God, if they open their hearts to Him! And that it takes people who are willing to enter into relationships no matter what the outcome. We are to love others, period! Thank you, Lord for bringing Alex to Yourself!

P.S. We have 4 more days of camp! Please pray that God will move in others and that our team will be able to love well!

How will they Know, if No one tells them?

The latest statistic is that only 1% of Eastern European youth know and follow Jesus! That is 1 out of 100! We had 80 at camp, so that means that statistically no one there should have known Jesus. Our camp beat the stats, though! We had a great group of Canadian and Polish believers loving on the non-believers!

Some campers made the step to follow Jesus. A few made the step to come back after walking their own path for a while. Others came, had a good time, but still want to be master of their lives. No matter what group the campers were in, God's Spirit was there!

I will show you more "fun" pictures, but first I want you to see the faces of camp and ask that you will continue to pray for them. These are kids from my city, so I will be seeing them throughout the year!



Tomorrow I rest and then hit it again on Wednesday for camp number 2!