My Summer at King's Domain

Hello friends! For the purpose of sharing my posts from this summer with my support team, I have created a new blog devoted solely to my summer at King's Domain. If you're interested in checking it out visit http://summeratkd.blogspot.com. The posts are all the same, but more photos are included :)

catching up on the last 2 weeks!

7 weeks of Summer Project have already come and gone.....weird. I'm currently sitting in Port City Java (a local favorite here in Wilmington) and thinking back on the last 2 months that I spent in Oregonia, Ohio..a place that probably doesn't come to your mind when you first think "summer missions project". Well, it wasn't on my list of places to travel this summer either, but that's where I ended up and I don't regret it one bit.

I don't think I could really write about everything that happened in the last 2 weeks, so I hope a summary list suffices!

The last 2 weeks consisted of:

FUN

kids

challenges

learning & growing

hugs [lots and lots :)]

camp songs

paintball (I have 2 battle scars to prove it)

rafting

30 ft. power pole (climbed it, stood on top, jumped off...nbd)

ice cream

time with new friends & old friends

cows (hello free Chick-fil-a!)

Euchre

fun car rides

tears

dancing

goodbyes :(

I think I can officially say that this summer at King's Domain was the best I've experienced. I learned so much about myself, others, and my relationship with Christ. I got to hang out with kids at CAMP (one of my favorite things ever!). Most importantly, I made friends with some amazing people who I miss very much!

Thank you so much to everyone who made this summer possible for me...King's Domain will always have a very special place in my heart. Who knows? Maybe I'll return in the future..... :)

I love you all very much!

Kayla

coming soon: "favorite memories of the summer"

some of the girls before our banquet

2 of my campers from Week 4!

with Andrea and Jenn at Graeter's

eat more chicken!

on top of the power pole!

Week One of camp!

Week 3 of Summer Project is coming to a close, which means I have just completed Week 1 of being a camp counselor at King's Domain! I was a counselor in Cabin 2 with my wonderful friend Chelsey and we had a blast. There were 7 girls in our cabin all around the ages of 8 and 9 and they were some of the sweetest girls I could have asked for. The campers this week were part of Whiz Kids, an inner-city tutoring program, and a lot of them came from poverty backgrounds and broken homes. This was a very humbling experience for sure.

This is a kind of long post because I want you all to know what goes on during a week at camp! The other ones won't be so long :)

Before I start talking about camp, let me share a hilarious and super fun experience from Monday. Our group volunteered at an Anthony Munoz Foundation celebrity golf outing event. We worked as forecaddies, which meant we were divided among the 18 holes of a golf course, and when the celebs hit their tee shots, we collected all of the balls and placed them next to the best shot out of the group. Most of the celebs who played were pro football players/coaches (I'll post all of the names later). Nick Lachey was also there...I spent probably about 15-20 minutes of my day with him. No big deal :)

The kids arrived Tuesday morning on buses and were greeted with cheers and a tunnel to run through. Just seeing their little arms waving and their excitement as they shouted out of the windows as they pulled up made my heart jump. Coming to camp will probably be the highlight of their summer as they are able to get away from home and just be loved on constantly. Once the campers were all settled into their cabins and we had lunch, my cabin went rafting on the Little Miami River! The girls loved it and I had a lot of fun getting to know my campers a little better. One of my girls cried quite a bit on the river, but inside she really did have fun haha. That night after FOB (Flat on Bunk, aka nap time!) we had our evening program called Domainia. At Domainia we learned songs and dances, played games, had mail call (any counselor who received mail had to go on stage and sing a song or interpretive dance...I've had to do that probably 3 times now which is fun because the kids love seeing their counselors act silly), introduced the 3 judges for the week, and watched a skit. Because our theme for the summer is "shine", the judges were a Star, a Rockstar, and an astronomer named Ms. Dipper. They were judging the kids all week and gave out awards based on service, cleanliness, and spirit. The skit was performed in 3 parts, one each day, and after each part we divided into our cabin small groups and talked about what we learned and how it applies to shining for Jesus in our own lives.

That night, cabins 1, 2 and 3 had a princess party! My favorite moment of the week: the girls piled onto the bus with their blankets and pillows, David Crowder Band was blaring in the speakers, and the girls were all smiles as we arrived at the camp site where a huge white tent was set up with Christmas lights surrounding the inside. Their eyes lit up when they saw it and little did they know that they were here to learn about how much God loves them and that they are His little princess. We made s'mores around a camp fire, watched Snoodlerella (yay Veggie Tales!), read a bedtime princess story about a girl named Gigi who learned she was God's princess, and then snuggled up in our sleeping bags after about 4 bathroom trips (the norm with little girls here at camp haha). We awoke to the smell of pancakes cooking over the fire, finished up our princess book, and then did a craft where they each wrote down talents and traits about themselves that God gave them.

Wednesday was just a normal day at camp. The kids had workshops and they could choose which one they attended. I helped lead the Journalism one and it was so cute reading what the kids wrote about camp. Here's the newspaper from Week One! It rained that day so we had a lot of fun hanging out in the Dining Hall playing games and having a dance party. That night we had dinner, Domainia, and then watched Kung Fu Panda which was so good!

Thursday we had breakfast, storying (each cabin performed a skit about the things they had learned), workshops, lunch, testimony time, and then water games! During testimony time, myself and the other counselors shared our testimonies with our cabin and then were able to talk to each of them and ask about their story/family/school, etc. It was crazy the kinds of questions they asked us. A few of them had really thought a lot about Jesus and the stories they had learned from the Bible and I could see that God was really working hard in their lives. The girls had Crud Wars that afternoon: counselors vs. campers, water balloons, flour, shaving cream, and oatmeal. Funny story....there was a camper here named Kayla, and because we were name twins, she told the person videotaping that she was coming straight for me, which she did. I may have lost that round of Crud Wars. Getting oatmeal out of hair is super fun! :) At Domainia that night, the third part of the skit was performed and then Leeann (Ms. Dipper) shared the gospel with the kids. After small groups, anyone who accepted Christ or re-dedicated their life was able to ring the bell that we used all week to signal meal times. We heard lots of bell-ringing that night which was so awesome!

Friday was a sad day. I had to say goodbye to a lot of sweet children who didn't want to go home. They loved camp so much, and the worse part was that I didn't really know a lot about the homes they were going back to. A lot of tears were shed and I hugged probably 30 kids that day, but that just proved how much the lives of those kids were impacted and that God was doing amazing work in their lives.

I've been challenged a lot this week with realizing that God has a special plan for these kids and I can't change the kind of home they are in or the life that they are living. It breaks my heart to hear some of the stories the kids are telling or even just how much they have been exposed to at such a young age, but God has control and all I can do is show them His love.

Thanks so much for reading! I know this was a long one...I cannot wait to see all of you and tell you about Camp in person :) Enjoy the pictures below!

Love, Kayla

pre-campers!

Having some fun in Cabin 2

my friend Kayla and I after Crud Wars

Last day with my girls

my new friend Destiny :)

after a week of camp

summer is off to such a wonderful start!

I have been at King's Domain now for approximately 12 days and 2 hours. I've been having so much fun these last two weeks getting to know my Summer Project family and preparing for the madness that arrives on Sunday called campers. The Momentum campers (high school age) come on Sunday and then Whiz Kids (kids from an urban ministry) come on Tuesday. I'm especially excited for Tuesday because those are the kids who I'll be spending my week and most of my summer with. I'll be a counselor for a group of girls most likely between the ages of 7 and 12 with another Summer Project-er which means I'll be hanging out with them, eating with them, taking them to various activities, and sharing our theme of "Shine" with them throughout the week. They'll also be attending "Workshops" and I'll be leading the Journalism one (we'll be making a camp newsletter woootwooot!).

Throughout this past week in our Bible studies we've been studying Matthew 18 and what it means to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus addresses his disciples in this passage with the answer that people who are humble with childlike faith, those who chase after lost believers who have strayed, and those who forgive and show mercy are the greatest in the Kingdom. Going off of that, we've also been learning about what it means to be the Kingdom, the Temple, and the Nation as a body of believers here on SP together this summer. Things like loving one another, being a light to each other by pursuing Christ as our first love, showing humility, forgiving one another, and using our time, talents, and treasures to further His kingdom have been the topics of our discussions and I am learning tons about this every day. Being here 24/7 with 30ish people around me makes it easy to put this into practice :)

and now list mode begins...

my top 10 favorite things from this past week:

1. climbing the Power Pole (a 30 ft. telephone pole; I was in a harness and then got to jump off and fly down!)

2. playing Euchre with Andrea, Jenn, and Bryan. So far we're tied 2-2 and the competition is

going to continue throughout the summer.

3. the Amazing Race team building competition. We did some crazy awesome activities in small

groups including climbing a small mountain while holding onto a rope.

4. our Walmart trip today when we got free ice cream!

5. car rides (aka jam sesh) with my SP family

6. our reoccurring dance parties

7. girl talk at night while avoiding the plethora of spiders that have set up their homes in our cabin.

8. playing with all of the little kiddos who are here for the summer with their parents :)

9. hearing testimonies during meals

10. spending time with my Project "family" at night

Thanks for reading everyone! I've loved all of the letters and encouragement that have been sent my way. I have had to dance in front of everyone to get each letter, but it's always worth it :) Please keep me up to date on what's happening in all of your lives! Y'all are awesome!

Love you lots, Kayla

Here are a few pictures of camp courtesy of my friend Andrea!

[welcome to King's Domain!]

[the Selah rock at the entrance of camp]

[power pole]

[obstacle course]

More pictures to come very soon!

dance parties, bananagrams, camp songs, and Jesus!

Week one of Summer Project at King's Domain is coming to a close. I'm currently sitting in the DH (Dining Hall) surrounded by a ton of my new friends/family for the summer and loving every single minute of it. Can't believe it's only been 6 days...I feel like I've known these people forever! Apparently it's obvious that I'm from the south...saying "y'all" probably gives it away when I'm only around people from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, etc.

When I arrived at camp on Monday I was immediately greeted by my Project family and the leadership staff...I had to stand on a pink fuzzy rug and let them all "welcome" me by singing - a little overwhelming, but I quickly adjusted, seeing as stuff like that is going to happen almost everyday here :) I've already had to interpretive dance to be able to have a letter that a friend sent me...yep, that's normal here. That night, the leadership team danced into the DH to "Forever" and we were all officially "married" into the KD fam. Since then, it has all just been tons of fun and a lot of learning.

My week has been full of touring the camp, clearing the trails, testing out the obstacle course (not one of my finest moments here haha), campfires, camp songs, a crazy wonderful bonding time turned into a dance party, climbing up and down hills, "testing" games (think water, flour, and oatmeal all at one time), teaching the mid-westerners how to shag dance, Bible study, cleaning, Nerts, Bananagrams, Carpet Ball, training before the campers arrive, visiting the University of Cincinnati's Cru meeting, early morning basketball, a personality test, and lots of spiritual learning/training. (According to the personality test, I'm a "gold" and therefore love lists, so I hope you just enjoyed that long one).

[the team after Crud Wars]

This summer, the campers and SP people will be focusing on the Kingdom, Temple, and Nation and shining for Jesus! Our Bible studies so far have all taken place in Matthew 6 and we've discussed being free from the "law", living by the Spirit, prayer, and worry. Friday night, our discussion focussed on our identity in Christ and how we are just visitors on this earth, awaiting and living for our Heavenly dwelling place. That's pretty much our challenge for this summer, so I'll probably be spending a lot of time learning about this :)

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and made it possible for me to be at King's Domain this summer! I am anxiously awaiting the campers who will be arriving soon and am loving my time here and getting to know my Project family.

Watch this video to catch a glimpse of what this week has looked like!

Thanks for reading! I have enjoyed the letters I've received and hearing about everyone else's summer! Love y'all tons, Kayla

Summer Project has arrived!

Well, despite being a complete airport newbie, I made it to Ohio! I even found my checked luggage with no hassle AND I was able to lift it by myself haha. I'm currently sitting in the airport awaiting the shuttle that should come in a few hours, so I figured I might as well write a quick little update (not sure if anyone actually reads this, but it gives me a way to entertain myself, so I'll just keep writing :). Unfortunately, I'm running on less than 4 hours of sleep...it has become a trend that anytime I go on a long(ish) trip that involves flying (this trip to Ohio being my 3rd) I fail at sleeping the night before. I'm not sure exactly why, perhaps a slight case of the nerves, but I do enjoy flying so I don't really know what that's about. I'd say it's more excitement because I'm about to spend 7 weeks in a foreign place meeting tons of new people (one of my fave things ever!) and hanging out with kids. Add Jesus on top of that and this summer is probably going to be one of the best ever.

(Just saw 2 birds flying around inside the airport...I'm pretty sure that's not normal)

And a big shout out to my not-so-little sister who turned the big one-eight today!! Time sure has flown by...we are getting so old.

I hope everyone is enjoying your summer no matter where you might be!

Love from Ohio, Kayla

2 weeks

In exactly 2 weeks I will be in Ohio at King's Domain!!! The excitement is building, but it still doesn't feel real. I've been a pro these last few days at just enjoying summer and being lazy. I should probably finish organizing all of my school stuff and unpacking (and then re-packing).....

With Summer Project only 14 days away, I still need to raise about $400. I am trusting the Lord that He has this covered and knows exactly how and when the support will come in, but I am asking you to prayerfully consider joining my ministry team and giving whatever you feel led to give, even if it's just a couple of dollars. It all adds up, and anything helps! :) PRAYERS are the most important thing you can give, and those are appreciated as well!

Follow this link to give (I know it looks like I've only raised $50, but it's just not updated :)

I love you all and am so excited to share this summer adventure with you!

Love, Kayla

17 days.

Only 17 days until I'm on a plane (by myself, ahhh!) to Ohio. 17 days to buy everything I need (I should probably start making a list...) and pack it all up. 17 days to finish raising support. It kind of sounds like a long time, but I know it's going to fly by.

I've been home for about a week now and since not much has happened so far, I have had plenty of time to "stalk" camp pictures from the last 2 summers and actually start getting excited about spending 6 weeks hanging out with kids and sharing Jesus with them! I'm going into this kind of in the dark - most of the people I've talked to have been to King's Domain for the last one or two summers and I'm coming in as what feels like one of the few newbies (and one of the few southerners ha). While I don't know much about what a summer at camp looks like, I really feel the Lord preparing my heart to learn from those who have been before and to be open to the friends I am confident He has waiting for me there. Ahhh the excitement is building!

Other than mentally preparing for Summer Project, I've been spending time at my friend's lake house in Virginia (hellooo sunburn), hanging out with my family, going to the movies (go see John

Krasinski in Something Borrowed - so adorable), catching up with Wilmy friends, catching up on a significant number of TV shows, and picking out books to get me through three months of summer (everyone go read Radical by David Platt...amazing). I have been loving every minute of it, but am still baffled by the fact that I am a junior in college. I've been missing Chapel Hill a bit and all of my friends there, which just gives me so much more reason to look forward to moving back in August!

I guess this post kind of starts off my summer of blogging about my adventures on Summer Project in Ohio! I'm going to try and keep everyone updated on what's going on in my life and at King's Domain while I'm there, but if that fails, I'll definitely be updating the blog when I get back in July :)

Much love!

Kayla

Together we are a force for good

Hello friends! I am so blessed to have been given a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord and his children at a camp in Ohio called King's Domain this summer! This trip is a Summer Project through Campus Crusade for Christ and has a large focus on ministering to inner-city kids. I am beyond excited about being at a camp again this summer, and I love Campus Crusade's focus on sending people out into the world, both in the US and abroad, so I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this. In order for this to happen, I must develop a team of ministry partners who will support be both in prayer and financially. $2500 must be raised in the next few months and I have fully trusted God that he will provide. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, visit my online fundraising page to make a donation of any amount.

God bless,

Kayla

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20