PD: The Staff

Life as Project Destiny Director continues... today, I'm sitting in my office editing 22 prayer support letters. It's exciting to read everyone's reasons for why they are volunteering. When I think about how we're never sure if we're going to have staff, and then how God just provides every time, I'm humbled. From reading their letters I can get a glimpse of how each writer's life has been planned by God to criss-cross with each other at this time. Not only has God answered PD's prayer requests for staff before we even prayed; He's also leading every one of these writers on a journey to know and serve him more in love.

We have 10 Senior Counselors and 11 Junior Counselors, as well as one Intern. The staff comes from all over Massachusetts (nobody from Japan this year, sadly... though we've got one Chinese citizen!). They regularly attend churches at Boston Chinese Evangelical Church in Chinatown, BCEC-Newton, Chinese Bible Church of Greater Lowell, Chinese Gospel Church of Massachusetts, Boston Vineyard Church, Highrock-Arlington, Amherst Koinonia Church. They range in age from 16 to 21 (their age-range is smaller than my age-gap from them!). More than half of them are too young to vote. All but two of them are too young to drink. It's a good thing we don't have to do either of those this summer! 

I'm reminded of 1 Timothy 4:12--  "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." -- and of a recent sermon where our pastor explained that it is those who are younger who must set an example for the older. Perhaps that is one theme verse for me as I look to see what God's plan is for our staff. When older believers look at the younger believers in this group, I hope they will see something inspiring and praise God for them.

Moving into Office

I finished my spring semester at Gordon-Conwell two weeks ago. By far, it has been the smoothest end of semester I've had. In the past, I would have multiple nights of all-night paper-writing. This year, I only stayed up half of the night!

In any case, I've moved out of GCTS and have set up back closer to Boston. During the summers when I direct Project Destiny, I have a summer office on the third floor of my church. There are pictures of our English pastor and his children staring down at me from above, since it is his old office; but it's nice to have space for books, studying, doing work, and having meetings. 

I've fully picked up the PD director hat now, with full work hours each day. The camp staff is fully assembled: we met together two weeks ago for orientation. The planning team is plugging away at licensing, enrolling campers, and designing the staff training. Our intern (how did we ever do without one?) has been here every day booking field trips and preparing documents. Counselors are calling, e-mailing, and meeting with me to design their Labs. It's an exciting time in the life-cycle of our camp, like spring-time before summer. Things aren't fully bloomed yet, but they're budding and full of color.

Amidst all this, I need to remember that although so much work flows around me, I am not in control. Our God is; and if we do not pray, we lose that perspective. I've moved into my office for the season, but what we really want is for the Holy Spirit to move into his.