One pastor takes up the challenge
Have you ever seen the wonder, or perhaps terror, in a kid's eyes as they touch a reptile for the first time? That is a feeling that I was privileged to experience this past summer. I used to be scared of snakes. It was a fear that I inherited from my father, and one that I was always okay with keeping.
As I drove along the endless highways, pass the vast cornfields of Central Illinois, my thoughts turned to the hidden gem that has changed my life immeasurably. Ever since I was a junior camper some 10 years ago, I discovered the extraordinary outreach possibilities of Camp Akita.
Zachery, his brother, Timothy, and his dad, Ethyn Vassar, have been regulars attending Timber Ridge Camp for many years. Zachery has been diagnosed with a developmental disability that makes it very difficult to interact with others around him. As a result, he is mostly nonverbal; when he does communicate, he is hard to understand. In frustration, he exhibits outbursts and moments of anger.
During staff orientation of my first summer working at camp, I remember being amazed every evening as I watched the sun set over Lake Shellenbarger. As I continued to explore Camp Au Sable, I began to love the beautiful pine trees, walks around the boardwalk and the quietness of the Northwoods. I etched in my journal that first week, “Could this place be any more beautiful?”
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Picture if you will, four angels holding fabric that slips ever so slightly from their hands as the weight of the world bears down in the center of a sheet-like cloth which they are grasping as tightly as they can. The muscles in their arms, hands, and especially their fingers, begin to burn as they attempt to keep the sheet from slipping.
It’s early morning as the alarm clock goes off, much later than it usually would on a school day. Patrice Jenkins, Hinsdale Adventist Academy 3rd and 4th grade teacher, gets up and goes through her new morning routine of reviewing her lesson plans and preparing for her Zoom class at 10 a.m. with her students. This is the new normal for the Chicago-area teacher, as well as other educators across the Lake Union, after the abrupt closure of schools as the nation confronts the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jamie Fisher prayed for God’s leading in her life and He led her to evangelism. She wanted to share the love of Jesus by acts of service to the community, but was unsure of what the community needs were. After doing some research, Jamie and her pastor, Tom Michalski, found the resounding answer was that children in the community needed essentials.
Take a quick moment and ask yourself how much time, on average, you spend sitting throughout the day. Now think about how much of that time you spend sitting in one stretch. What did you come up with?
