Shut Down Again

We got shut down this morning by the city, 30 minutes before we were going to open up camp again. I was so ready with a sermon for chapel and with plans to move all operations into the Quincy Upper School. We had gotten a verbal understanding and ok from the city and the Boston Public Schools. Then I took the phone call from Inspection Services which gave the order to shut down. After the discouraging call, I entered the sanctuary to deliver the news to the team, which had been praying about the phone call. I could sense a lot of disappointment and frustration. The staff spent the morning welcoming campers into a room and keeping them there until we could contact their parents to send them home. 

I spent the day at 1010 Mass. Ave. with Emily shuttling from office to office, trying to get camp opened up again. They would like us to start over again, as if we were planning a brand new day camp-- a process that took us a month or so to do for our original site. 

I went through many different emotions throughout this day. I was really psyched to get back to serving campers and having counselors work with kids, as well as delivering my sermon. Then I felt frustrated and stung by my unfulfilled expectations and the inconsistency of the authorities I had spoken to. After that, I was energized by the task of getting campers safely home. At some point, when I was at the ISD, I was hopeful we could have camp tomorrow. Then as the hours passed and inspectors started ending the work day, I was deflated to know that we'd have no camp the next day.

I'm still confident that God is in control and that my disappointments are only because I don't see things the way that God sees them in the grand scheme of eternity. But right now, I'm pretty tired out by the roller coaster ride. We've been a camp without campers for almost a week. I covet and appreciate your prayers.