Melissa

    
At camp I received many blessings from the Lord.  Going to camp I
was drained and didn’t want to go.  The first night after getting
settled in my cabin and meeting a few people I went to service.  That
night the evangelist told us about Jonathan and his armor bearer. 
How there was 600 hundred men to fight the Philistines and only two actually
did because they put there fear behind themselves and focused on God. 
What I thought was really cool was because Jonathan was so strong in God
how when he stood on the mountain men one by one fell and the armor bearer
killed them when they were down.  That night during the alter call
I humbled myself before God and told Him that I wanted to be like Jonathan. 
To be able to put my trust and faith in God and know that the battle will
be won.  By Tuesday night however, everyone was wanting to go home. 

The Senior campers were getting in trouble for doing many pranks on the
Junior campers.  The senior campers also had childish attitudes that
clashed with everyone else.  I remember me and a friend talking to
our cabin counselor saying how we didn’t want to go to the service that
night but that we wanted to go home.  I remember our counselor said
that it was the devil causing strife and the senior camp director said
that the devil didn’t want us to receive a blessing at the service that
night.  That night though the Lord blessed everyone.  The devil
lost that battle.  That night on my knees in prayer and crying out
to God, the Holy Spirit fell on me.  I danced, I cried, I praised
God.  I remember the feeling, my body started shaking and I was praising
God in tongues.  My legs felt like Jell-O and I couldn’t help but
cry out to God.  The Lord had blessed me and I felt great.  I
had once again felt the joy of the Lord.  On the way home from camp
I thought to myself. I knew that once I got home the devil would use many
things that were once part of my life to try to steal my joy away from
me.  Sure enough that evening that devil attacked a weak spot in my
life.  A friend and I got in a fight.  Soon in dawned on me that
this had to be the devil trying to steal my joy.  I got on my knees
and prayed to God asking for forgiveness and strength to stand up to the
devil.  I told the devil that what I received at camp was from God
and wasn’t his and that he couldn’t take it from me.  And with God’s
help I still have my joy.  I thank God for healing the pain also of
my three friends that died this year.  I learned to give it to God
and let go of the pain, knowing that things happen in God’s timing and
for a specific reason.  I thank God for using me and making me a strong
Christian teenager  

God Bless you all,   

Melissa