Dear Spectrum Church,
I appreciate all of you who prayed for us, the other counselors, staff members and campers. It was a great week at camp, but it would not have been that way without all of you praying for us. Other people praying for everyone at camp is crucial to Camp Alandale running and seeing God move in the hearts of the people there.
One of the ways in which I saw God work is in my camper, Timophay. It was his first time being at Camp Alandale, but he was super excited to be there and really enjoyed each activity at camp. As we talked more as the week progressed, Timophay talked about how he didn’t feel like God could forgive him because of some bad things that he’s done. He talked about how he felt so guilty and couldn’t imagine God forgiving him. Earlier in the day, we had watched a skit on how Saul became Paul. I asked him if he remembered the skit we had watched earlier, and he said he did. I told him that Paul had murdered hundreds of Christians and hurt a lot of people. “If God forgave Paul for all the people he had murdered, then He could definitely forgive you.” To see God work in Timophay’s heart and help him see that he isn’t beyond God’s forgiveness and that he could be free from his guilt was absolutely amazing.
It is often only in stories from missionaries working in other countries that we hear God do incredible and transformative work. However, God is doing similar work in the foster system in Orange County and Riverside. He’s moving mightily to show these kids how much they are loved and that He’s offering them a chance to be part of a family that’s completely different from the ones they’ve experienced growing up. And God wants to do the same work in our lives. He wants to move in the hearts of the people we come in contact with in our everyday lives. We don’t need to go away to a five-day camp or a month-long missions trip to another country to see God transform people’s lives. Our chance to be missionaries is right in front of us in our neighborhoods and workplaces. We just need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and present in the moment to see the opportunities that God has given us now in our daily routines. Thank you again, Spectrum Church, for all your prayers and support!
In Christ,
Luke Woods
Spectrum family,
I wish I could take all of you with me to that last week of June in order that you might see for your own eyes the beauty, wonder, and miracles that happened at Camp. Imagine a crisp and cold bubbling stream, trees so tall they make your eyes scan the sky, nights by a fire under a scattering of stars, afternoons spent splashing and laughing in the pool, and children experiencing Jesus for the first time.
I spent the week with a precious gem of a girl aptly named “Jewls” or Julianna. Early on, I could tell we’d be fast friends as I shared my interests over lunch and she replied to each one with, “Me too!” During our time together, she told me about the dream she had that brought her to Jesus. She said she was trapped in a dark room, and that she couldn’t find her way out. Door after door brought her to another dead end until someone came alongside and guided her. Slowly but surely, each new door she entered brought her closer until she made it into the light. She proceeded to tell me about her realization that Jesus is the Way, how He is the Door by which we may enter, and that He is the light of the world. At twelve years old, she is recently adopted and though she spent time with a rude foster mom prior, she declared that all along, “God was planning something better for me.”
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” Matthew 21:16. Her childlike faith inspired me throughout the week, and she rejoiced to see other campers give their hearts to Jesus. We spent time praying for her biological mom to come to church and understand Jesus’ love for her. I came away encouraged to believe ever more deeply the promises and power of God as lived out in the life of this young daughter of His.
A few more highlights include: Cheryl forgiving her biological father and accepting God as her heavenly Father, Lana giving her heart to Jesus and sharing the good news with two other campers who proceeded to do the same, Raoul praying to God for the first time in spite of claiming to worship Satan, Kalani opening up and beginning to heal from his mother’s death and setting an example of leadership for the others, and…
“Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25. Thanks for fighting for these children of God through prayer, family! It made all the difference.
Love,
Bekah Woods
