Soul Sisters

I bit off way more than I could chew taking a 6 month old to camp! What was I thinking? It was my adventurous spirit, I guess. That same adventurous spirit didn't help me pack very well to accommodate these ridiculous surroundings for a baby. I had been at camp all of 6 hours and was exhausted and ready to pack it up. My 2 1/2 foot clearance on my bunk bed didn't lend itself to feeding Birdie on it nor did the community sinks provide a very sanitary place to make the bottles. My need for help, however, wasn't lacking...definitely, not lacking. I was bombarded by 3rd-6th graders vying for a chance to hold Birdie, burp Birdie, feed Birdie, etc. It was a little more than both of us could handle. As for Beatle, she's in her element. I went to BR at dinner and told him I was ready to pack it up when he told me that the camp directors already thought I was nuts and had offered a room separate from the cabin for me and the girls to stay in. Yay! I felt guilty but at least I was able to stay and for good reason...

Beatle became a Christian on Tuesday night!!! With all of her little heart, she believes! Let me preface this by noting some of the things the Spirit has been doing in her life before camp. This summer, she has been to two Vacation Bible Schools and learned the ABCs of the faith. Then, her grandpa was preparing to preach a funeral her last few days with them in Oklahoma. She came home with lots of questions about heaven. I looked up some scripture about what John tells us heaven will be like from his accounting in Revelations and shared it with her. We looked the stones we couldn't identify up on the Internet and that got her asking lots of questions about how certain people in our family died and then she kept talking about how she just couldn't wait to go to heaven. Then, this previous weekend, she kept breaking down and getting all upset and emotional. I couldn't figure it out; that's just not like her. When BR or I would ask her why, she'd just say that she was a bad person and "kept feeling like everything was her fault." BR was sensitive enough to realize that he thought the Spirit was unveiling her eyes to the fact that she sins. He shared some scripture with her to help her understand that everyone sins but God still loves us. Then on Sunday, her best friend's big brother and sister got baptized. She normally doesn't go to big church with us but did this week because grandparents were in town and she wanted to stick with them so she got to witness the baptism. Charley told me later that Beatle came up to her that day and said, "I saw you get baptized." Then Charley asked, "Have you made the decision to be a Christian yet?" And Beatle said, "Not yet but I'm really, really thinking about it." :)

On Tuesday night, when it was time for invitation at camp, BR had several boys approach him so I stood up with Birdie in my arms just to be available and as I went to take his place, Beatle came to the back of the sanctuary. I got to lead her to the Lord. It was an awesome experience!!! She was ready. She knew in her head these stories but now she's feeling them in her heart. I had never really heard of anyone accepting the Lord at 5 but one of our dear friends who is an amazing example of a Godly wife and mother shared with us that she did too. Beatle may question her decision when she gets older but already I see proof of the Spirit at work in her heart and she's changing from being me-centered to God-centered. I love this!!! One of the best years at camp for that very reason--our daughter came to know the Lord in a very personal way.

Tomorrow, we go to Oklahoma. I haven't been home in 6 months. I'm ready. :)

Also, we registered Beatle for Kindergarten today--it was a trip to do all of this paperwork to enroll my child into a school in Hot Springs, AR of all places. I know it's not Bangkok, Thailand or anything but compared to the rest of my family, this is pretty far out there. We got a bus number (should we need it), an account with the cafeteria and found out who her teacher is. It is the one and only Mrs. Bettis! She's not in the same class with her best friend but we've prayed about who she should get and have had such delightful conversations with Mrs. Bettis that I think it will be an excellent fit. God puts us in certain places for a reason and I think it will be a wonderful year of growth for Beatle.