Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged after a long week of camp, but God always puts one camper in our path to remind us of our purposes. This year that camper was Sarah. Sarah is always full of joy. She would have a huge smile on her face every time I saw her. She dances with so much energy during chapel. She chatted with me on the walkies-talkies each recreation. Everything she did, she did with so much joy, which in turn brought me so much joy! She was my joy giver this summer. After camp that week, I went home and received a message from her Mom that Sarah was praying for me. Sometimes campers bless us just as much, if not more, than we bless them.

Taylor Davis

The most important gift you can give anyone, whether at Christmas or throughout the year, is to share God’s good gift of salvation with them. Abby Waters had an opportunity, with others at camp, to share God’s gift of eternal life with two campers.
 
The second week of camp, I was very nervous about sharing my testimony with my church group. However, after I shared, two campers came up to me and really opened up to me and shared some difficult situations at their schools. So, I encouraged them, prayed with them, and then they both were saved that very night.

So, who can you share God's good news with this week?

Monica, who is a newlywed, listened to God and is helping us the first part of the summer. She, of course, misses her husband, Ethan Fite, but knew she was called to serve this summer. One day in Bible study, she had the opportunity to share the gospel with a camper and the camper became a Christian. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, she was exactly where she was meant to be.

Gracie is one of our favorite campers. She has been coming to camp since before she was born. She gives the best hugs! In the midst of my hard week with pain and all the exercises, she made my week delightful!

Zach was sharing the gospel in Bible study and notice a camper with tears running down his face. Afterward, Zach asked him why he was crying. The camper answered, “I asked Jesus into my heart.”

Mackenzie and Matt shared their testimonies with their church group and 9 campers had questions about salvation so Matt and Mackenzie shared the gospel with them and they all came to me Thursday night and clearly share their decisions to let Jesus be their Lord and Savior.

Madison’s church group had prayed for a sick girl who didn’t get to come to camp and before the week was over, she was at camp.

Reid and Amanda, during a Bible Study, were asked tons of questions, some from a new girl who had never been to camp before. She told Reid on Thursday night, she didn’t have any more questions because Jesus was in her heart!

We praise the Lord for 36 precious souls who came into the Kingdom the second week of camp.

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Each time you prayed last week, your prayers were powerful and effective and these are the results of your prayers.

Taylor spoke with a small girl at Rec about her Granddaddy dying the day before and as they stopped to pray, the camper prayed, “Please let my Granddaddy have fun playing in heaven.”

Caroline had a moment to talk with a camper about the part she was playing in our play this summer and Caroline chose to steer the conversation to spiritual things. This opportunity led to a discussion that salvation is about Jesus dying on the cross for our sin and not about inheriting your faith from your parents.

Reid shared his testimony, which included details about his Dad, with his Bible study class and how God doesn’t always say “yes’ to our prayers but He always answers. At prayer time, much later in the class, one of the campers specifically asked the class to pray for Reid’s Dad. Reid’s heart was so touched.

Abby, a new staffer, had the opportunity to share her testimony with 7 lost campers!

Danny, again, a new staffer, had the opportunity to share the gospel with a camper and that camper, prayed to receive Christ!

God also brought a harvest of 38 souls into the kingdom and 9 others campers made serious decisions about His Kingdom. Keep praying!

When my church came to camp this past summer, I didn’t know if God would work in my church youth. One night, God told me to go talk to one of my lost campers. So, my Youth Pastor and I talked to him about salvation and shared the gospel with him. And he accepted Christ as his Savior. God is always faithful! I am glad I listened and was faithful to His call.

Cole Travis

One week, I had the privilege to get close to a camper named Malik. From the beginning, I could tell his heart was full of joy. Each day he would share a song with the rest of the campers. He would always be the first kid to talk to me.

Thursday night, I was sitting beside him as the gospel was shared. Tears began to stream down his face as the Holy Spirit began to move his heart. He talked to me downstairs about how he felt like he never had been saved. I was able to talk with him further and encourage him. I asked him if he would be willing to share what he had happened to him and he said, “Yes!” He approached Mischia and shared his full testimony with such eloquence! It was so awesome to see how God worked in his life throughout the week.

Matt Austin

Whenever I was in high school, I felt a calling to ministry; the only problem was, I had no idea in what way or capacity that might be!  I attended South Mountain Baptist Camp from the years 2000 to 2010. I loved camp so much, and I loved getting to experience God in such an unexplainable way that I knew I wanted to serve on staff one day. Following my sophomore year of college in 2013, I served the Lord as a summer staffer at SMBC for the first of four summers that I would serve.  That summer was the summer that I met Ethan , and it was also the first time in my life that I truly felt that I told God: “I will follow wherever you want me to go, no matter what it costs me.”  I would have never predicted that I would be working for SMBC full-time, but I am so glad that God  uses His plan instead of our own. I look forward to getting to know and serving each of you as we further God’s Kingdom together. 
-Sara Cromer 
 
I, too, visited South Mountain as a camper. In fact, this is where I met Jesus. I have always wanted to be a teacher and God allowed me to do that for a year, but He also put me in a place to work with the youth group at my church. After doing this for a short time, I knew that I wanted to be involved in ministry full-time. It never occurred to me that it would be at the place I love most. God is continuing to teach me and work through me everyday, because I am no where near the handy-man type. So please be praying for both Sara and me as we learn and start this new journey. 
-Ethan Cromer 

On the first night of youth week, I had a camper tell her youth group, “I don’t understand why God loves and I refuse to believe it!”

I knew then I just needed to pray for her. She, also, talked to other staffers and they, also, saw she needed prayer. All of the staff were praying for this girl.

I could really see God working in her life over the next four days and on the fourth night she asked could me if we could talk, I said, “Of course!”

So we went downstairs, she broke down, and she told me she wanted to get rid of that void in her heart and let God in. I felt such joy in that moment! I experienced how God worked in the life of this girl as God let me be her staffer and witness His move in her life.

Anna Cotter