erinoleary's Xanga

End of the summer

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:53:23 GMT

We made it, 8 weeks, 80 kids, no injuries, didn't lose anyone, success. Now for the big day...we are doing a dress rehearsal this year on Saturday evening just as we get back into town from music camp. And Sunday is the day when the kids parents come to church, to see them perform their Christian hip hops (2), jr band, devotion in motion, rhythm for the little boys who couldn't blow a horn yet, jr praise and worship, Teen Drama(everything), and two songs from VBS. Praying that the parents eyes and hearts will be open to the Love of Christ. And above all that God will get the glory.

Arrived to camp this evening at about 9. Another crazy day today, but I am so relaxed right now, just seeing the fam, and seeing the Corps in the rear view mirror for a couple of days... I love camp, the smells, the laughs, not so much the food this year though. God is so good to me.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:32:44 GMT

It is amazing how much one can get done in a day with the strength of God (I prayed for it first thing this am, knowing how bad I needed it)

went to the office at 7:45am
handled a phone out of state court plea for someone
prepared home made mac and cheese for 100 for the last official lunch of day camp
did 4 interviews for the janitor position
dealt with lice issues and day campers
answered some e-mails
prepared camper choice awards
prepared staff awards for chapel
made gift bags for the volunteers and staff of day camp
had a staff meeting while the kids watched their weekly movie
called to check on various corps members
ordered a spotlight, and discussed dry ice, strobe light needs for Sundays gala day-camp graduation in the gym
had chapel, sang songs, did awards, etc
printed out sermon, put in my little black book
watched our pine-wood derby guard programs race in the gym
went and preached at the ARC
came home, ate dinner
went to hospital for an emergeny visit as staff had a car accident
am home now.

Not in my power, but Gods.

So much for resting this week while the kids and husband were gone, maybe next week. Tomorrow is the big finale for the kids, a bus is coming to pick them up and take them to the famous Breakers water park for the day.

I will leave for music camp after day camp to see my husband and girls, and spend two nights up there. Can not beleive how badly I ache for my girls....

Quiet house

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:27:41 GMT

Nice service today, great week for 24/7 prayer. David is teaching at Music camp, and both of my girls are also attending. Very quiet house. David drove home last night to be in church today, he has really been gone too many Sundays lately, so that was nice. I finally have downloaded a few pictures. Here are fotos of our vacation back in April. It was the best vacation I have ever took, and the girls had a ball. Too bad my husband didn't like the whole boat thing.....

Cabo....

The famous Los Arcos....

The Cathedral in Mazatlan....

after a wonderful dinner of escargot and beef wellington...even the girls loved the fancy food....their favorite was frog legs...

You can barely see the seals in the background...

24/7 Prayer

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:27:57 GMT

What a blessing. I would encourage everyone to do this. We have 14 stations, and it only cost us $100. I am sure that everyone has the stuff laying around the corps for this. People have come out of the chapel area in tears, joyful, filled up, whatever they needed, they received from their time with the Lord. He is so Good.

Our candidates are back, staying with us for awhile. Sure is nice.They will be staying in a little house behind the temple corps, but it needs some minor repairs, so it is nice to stay up and felloship with them.

Cadets are great, also really enjoying their family. Can not beleive that we only have six days of day camp left. Where has the summer gone? We will be welcoming three sets of officers at a meet and greet on Thursday. Looking forward to meeting the family coming from Liverpool, Ohio. They have a daughter the same age as mine, hope they hit it off.

Hope you have a blessed week, erin

VBS Fun

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:10:55 GMT

VBS is over, and was a wonderful week. I love VBS, I love it when kids make decisions, or recommit their lives. They went on their field trip, which was good for the older kids but a little too much for the young group that is 5 and 6. It is hard to make everyone happy. We added a group for VBS, the teenagers. They sure don't want to go home. We started jr praise and worship and 25 teenagers show up. Go figure, they are at the corps three nights a week now with YPL, and we replaced corps cadets with a Bible Study/Life skills/relationship class. Our daycamp is geared for the 5-12 year olds, but we have made the teens jr. volunteers becaue they have nothing to do for the summer. Sometimes it would be easier witout them with all the drama they bring, but cannot see them roaming the streets all summer.

Really excited for our 24/7 prayer week. Know that God will bless those that get involved with the prayer stations, and the prayer throughout the week. Cannot wait to see what God is going to do next at our little corps.

Farwelling two sets of ARC officers this weekend, sad to see them both leave....hope the next set of officers are supportive of Corps ministries....

Home for a while

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:48:53 GMT

Great to be home. Western Bible Conference was a great week. We were working with the teenagers so our week was really productive. Had some rewarding fellowship, and spent time with some new friends. The girls really had a good time too. We had a couple of long afternoons, and we were really blessed to go whale watching. After making reservations, it ended up just being us and our friends and their two children, the same age as our girls. We went out in the ocean, and followed two whales for about an hour, awesome. We all fell asleep on the boat, yes all 8 of us, on the way back to shore. Really a highlight. We had about 8 hours to kill on the last day, so we drove to San Francisco and had dinner in Chinatown, and drove around to see some sights. We are exhausted, as our days were from 8am-10pm, but it was worth it.

So we are now into VBS. Also week 6 of daycamp. Going great, 89 yesterday, did not have the energy to count today. The kids are going to the Biosphere tomorrow, I will stay back and work on the prayer stations for the 24/7 prayer next week. Hoping for nothing on Friday.....Couples fellowship on Saturday, and love going to church on Sunday....sure are blessed with sooo many opportunities to witness, and worship.

WBC

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:33:56 GMT

Am in Monterey for WBC, working with the teens and middle school kids. Really good group of kids, reallly miss my Corps though. They had an open air on Sunday night, everyone was blessed. It was our first one, and it looks like it will be a monthly event in the summer, maybe more often the rest of the year. Our website is up..

www.tucsonamphicorps.com/News.html

it is still a work in progress, but you can see what has been happening lately. Some of the tabs are still empty, one of our employees/soldiers is doing it in his spare time. Day camp is in its fifth week, and next week is VBS, and i am really looking forward to the 24/7 prayer week, starting on the 13th. And we will be in our final week of daycamp before we know it.

Fellowship sure is great here at WBS, have not been to any of the meetings, but hear that the National Commander is doing a great job. My kids are having a ball, and we are privileged to spend some quality time with them. Would love to hear some comments about the website, and any ideas that you may have to make it more efficient, interesting, etc...

Finished week three

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:05:51 GMT

Had a great weekend at commissioning, always nice to see everyone, and to see long service awards, 45 years, amazing!!! Reminds me why and who I serve....still a privilege.

Cadets arrived safely, really nice family, and our kids hit it off really well. Sent kids to camp on Thursday. Tomorrow is our monthly couples fellowship, really love it. Everyone that can comes to the house, we send the kids to the pool, we eat, talk, eat, and sing....don't know how to explain it when 30 adults come to your house and sing praises and worship God, really binds us together.

Busy summer ahead, DHQ chapel this week, WBC next weekend, VBS when we get back, 24/7 prayer the next week. Music camp, Day camp graduation, and than the summer is over and school starts early this year, August 8th, I think....

I am going to enjoy the moments this summer, and enjoy the extra sets of hands. Our soon to be cadets will be coming back home for a month too, so I will also enjoy spending time with them.....really craving the fellowship of other believers, and God is blessing me with that right now.

Week Two

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:54:57 GMT

All is well in day camp world. Transportation continues to be our problem. 100 people and field trips, and the big problem is that camp days have been changed to Thursday- Tuesday....our swim and field trip days, the days that we use all our vehicles....and we need to scrounge up two more 15 passengers to take kids to camp twice, and loan a van to the cadets for the summer.....I am sure thing will work out, they always do...just a little short sited at the moment...

Leaving early Thursday morning to head to Cali....will be nice to see everyone. Not much else to say, hot here in Tucson.....

Day Camp has begun

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:34:20 GMT

I love DAY CAMP. Started today, and no bumps. Had almost 100 today with jr volunteers, and staff and kids. Will have more tomorrow, as Tuesday is swimming day. We are really blessed with a wonderful summer program. We have done two new things this summer, added a music elective (hip hop, beginning band, devotion in motion, cheer/drill, jr praise and worship) and instituted a daily reading program. Both went well, surprised how much they liked the reading program, we have incentives for them, just like the Library...

It is a lot of work, 8 weeks straight, from 8:30-5:00, but we really get to know the kids, and really have the opportunity to introduce them to our Savior, all his many wonderful qualities...

Busy summer for us, with commissioning weekend, cadets coming, and WBC, and an end of the summer trip to visit our mentors in Seattle. All good trips, and all family trips.....I know I keep promising pictures, but will try to get some in...