Being a Counselor at Camp Daniel

My first experience around people with disabilities was at Camp Daniel. At first, I was really overwhelmed. Those feelings are a normal part of the process. A person is usually overwhelmed when they immerse themselves in a new culture and it takes time to adjust. Five years ago I was a counselor for a week. That was the first time I had immersed myself in disability culture. That week changed my life forever. Camp Daniel is my favorite place to be. Everyone there has become my family. I keep going back because there is something real and genuine there. There is a love and acceptance that flows from everyone. You are free to be yourself.

At camp, Christianity and the body of Christ are lived out as they should be. God always challenges you and pushes you to the next level in your walk with him. He draws you closer to himself. I go to be challenged and stretched, and it never fails. When you first start going, you go to make a difference in your camper’s life. Your camper ends up teaching you a thing or two and loving you more than you thought possible. In the end, it is you that is changed.

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Breaking from Tradition

I always thought Christianity had to look and be a certain way, and then I moved to Georgia. I have changed a lot in the past few years, especially during my time in Georgia. I met people from all over the world. Many of them have ministered to people from different nations and cultures. During my time in Georgia I experienced God in new ways. I learned to worship and pray in new ways. I learned about doing many things differently.

How have we gotten so caught up in the traditions? We have mixed a lot of our culture and traditions with Christianity. Can we distinguish between them? I still believe some of those things are important, but for me, my salvation breaks down to a few basic truths. Do the other things really matter? We will never agree on them. How can we let them divide us? It is time for me to step outside of the box. I am breaking from tradition.

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Encourage Them to be Leaders

For so long, people with disabilities have been used to getting pushed aside. That is how our society has treated them. Many of the people who come to Camp Daniel and Able have experienced much pain and rejection. For many this is the first time that they are told they are loved, and that their life has meaning and value. God has such a special purpose for them. Our society has put them in this box and pushed it aside. People with disabilities are used to living inside this box. It is time for them to step outside of the box.

If someone encourages and believes in you, you are much more likely to succeed. It is time for us to step up and show people with disabilities that we believe in them. If we did this, they would be capable of doing great things for the kingdom. They could rise up and be leaders and teachers of the word. That is why I love Camp Daniel and Able because they have the opportunity to be a part of the body of Christ. They get to use their gifts that God has given them. Some people have the opportunity to preach the word of God. There are always greeters at the door. Many have gotten to lead us in worship, and others are prayer warriors. There are also those that serve and help around camp and do whatever they can.

I hope that more people catch onto this vision because it is amazing and powerful to see them doing ministry. We need to mentor them and show them how to use their gifts. Once we start doing this, great things will happen because we will be including the whole body of Christ.

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Breakthrough

There is one song I have been playing on my iPod a lot lately. Before you read the lyrics, I want to give you a little background. This song is written by Peder Eide. He leads worship at big youth events and conferences mainly in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He is one of the most amazing worship leaders I have ever experienced. He can get everyone and I mean EVERYONE in that conference to do fun motions to the songs. Then during the next song we are on our knees in worship and the presence of the Lord is in that place. Every time I listen to this song I am convicted to do more, to be more. I want to get all of the junk out of my life. I want there to be nothing between me and Jesus.

Breakthrough by Peder Eide

I sing all the songs
I read all about you
I know right from wrong
What does it amount to
If my life doesn't show
How much I love you

I need you to breakthrough
Tear down the walls
Let everything fall
'cus I want to praise you
Nothing between you and me
I need you to breakthrough

I know there is more
I've yet to discover
so many things
you want to uncover
I've been scratching the surface
I want to go deeper

break through the pride
break throuh the shame
I've had enough
of staying the same
break through the fear
open the gate
I'm getting tired
of playing it safe

I need you to breakthrough
tear down the walls
let everything fall
'cus I want to praise you
Nothing between you and me
I need you to breakthrough

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You Are Loved

People with disabilities are used to being ignored and pushed aside. Many experience a lot of pain and suffering. Some of them even experience abuse and neglect. At Camp Daniel, they are told that their life has meaning and purpose. For some, this is the first time they are told that they are loved. That just breaks my heart. Some have not been loved as God intended. I have come to realize that this is the most important thing you can speak into anyone, especially to people with disabilities because this is not how the world views them.

You are loved

You are such a gift from God

You are a unique masterpiece that God has created for a special purpose

Your life has meaning and value, your life has a purpose

YOU ARE LOVED

This is such an important thing that EVERYONE needs to hear. From now on, I want to speak this into the hurting people around me.

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Camp Daniel

I want to share a little bit about Camp Daniel. I will refer to it a lot because camp has become a huge part of my life. Camp Daniel is a Christian camp for people with disabilities in Athelstane, WI. I have spent the last five summers of my life there and it has forever changed my life. Camp Daniel was started twelve years ago by the Piantine family.

There are a wide range of campers. We can have a person with Down syndrome who is completely self sufficient, to someone in a wheelchair who needs full time care. There are also a wide range of ages. The campers are anywhere from 8-70. Most of the camper and counselor ratios are one to one. Some of the guys have two campers because we always seem to have a shortage of guys. We need more counselors! If you are interested, let me know. If you are willing to give up a week of your life, you definitely won’t regret it. That week will change your life forever.

All you have to do is love someone for a week. How hard is that?

Most of the camp weeks are around 100 people all together. They are small enough so there is still that family atmosphere and you get to know everyone really well. There are a lot of fun activities to sign up for. You can go fishing, swimming, bowling, play bocce ball, do crafts and many other things. We also have big group activities like volleyball, kickball, relay games, messy games and the talent show. You get to build relationships with lots of amazing people. And most importantly, you get to share the love of Jesus with the campers.

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No Child is a Mistake

After working with people with disabilities for the last five years, I have come to view them differently. A few years ago, God gave me this epiphany.

Who are we to say that they are disabled? We all have areas and things that we struggle with. We are all disabled in some way. We all have challenges that we face. I have seen them flourish in areas where I am disabled. I continue to be in awe of how God uses them.

No child is a mistake.

God created each person for a reason. He has a purpose and plan for each one of us. Some people don’t know how to act around people with disabilities. Some may feel sorry for them and others think it is someone’s fault. Each one of them is a gift, a unique masterpiece from God. Not one of them is a mistake. There are some truly special people that God has touched, and I believe they are people with disabilities. God put them on this earth to teach us something. There may be more struggles and challenges that they have to overcome, but out of that comes this amazing love for people and life. I soak up every moment I can with them.

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No More of this Sugar Coated Junk

What is wrong with today’s churches?? We have made Christianity convenient for our lifestyle. If we truly believed in salvation, things would be drastically different. We go to church on Sunday morning, have a good time of praise, and then what?? How am I living my life? How can I love the hurting people around me to Jesus?

We have gotten used to going to church on Sunday morning and hearing a message that makes us feel good. This is the kind of message that goes in one ear and out the other. Did I learn anything? Was I convicted? We don’t want to hear the truth, we want a softened message. How did we fall into this trap? Preachers and pastors know they are softening the truth, and yet they continue to do it. This is something that I don’t understand. I have had enough of this sugar coated junk. When I go to church, I want to be convicted with the truth, the word of God. I want to be convicted to go to the feet of Jesus and to weep over my sins and ask for forgiveness. I want to be changed and renewed. Now if that happened every Sunday, that would be something I would remember.

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Stay Faithful

Stay faithful. These are two simple words.

I have never had anything so simple penetrate right to my heart. Almost a whole year ago a pastor said these two words to me. So much time has passed since he said those words and I still think about them a lot. They convict me daily. How did he know that is what I needed to hear? He saw right through me, to the deepest part of my heart. Interestingly enough, this is the biggest thing I have struggled with this year. I have had attacks and temptations that have hit me from many different angles this year. I have struggled emotionally and spiritually this year. I don’t think I have ever had so many personal attacks before. I must be headed in the right direction with this disability ministry thing. There is a war for souls going on. That is why it is so important to stay faithful. I need to stay in the word and keep soaking it up. That is why these two words continue to be so convicting. The more attacks I have, the more important it is that I need to guard myself with the word. I need to cling to Jesus.

I want to challenge you with these two words. I hope that they will convict you and penetrate your heart as they have mine. Stay faithful.

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What is Revolutionary Love?

Revolutionary love is a love that is life changing. This kind of love can only come from one place: the cross. I have experienced the love from the cross and it has changed me. Now how am I going to live this changed life of mine? How am I going to show that I am truly changed or that this love is the real deal?

The closest I have ever come to experiencing this revolutionary love outside of the cross is from people with disabilities. There is this pure love, joy and acceptance that flows from them. This revolutionary love that flows from them is unlike anything else I have ever experienced. I have spent the last five years of my life around people with disabilities. The more time I spend with them, the more I crave it.

This pure love comes from a life of pain and suffering, a life of brokenness. If anyone has a right to complain, it is them. Yet they are some of the happiest people I know and they find joy in the simple things. I have much to learn from them. Out of their brokenness comes something so pure and real, and it has changed my life forever.

These are the people that Jesus hung around with. I want to be like Jesus. He understood the value they brought to this world and to his life. There are only a few people who get it, who truly understand what a gift they are to us and how much we have to learn from them. I don't want to miss out on anything.

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