A real update!

Hello everyone!

So, the first week of camp has come to an end. Camp has been outstanding. I love my campers and really enjoy getting to know them, but the best part is I get another week with them! Yes!

We have gone through lessons about leadership. We have not been taking a typical approach to this. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I got to write my own curriculum. I decided that, rather than focus our lessons on certain bible characters and how to emulate them, we would focus on our relationship with Christ and what it takes to make that stronger. When our relationship with Christ is strong, we no longer lead out of our own strength, but out of the overflow from that relationship.

There have been many wonderful things to report on about this past week. I now have a little experience under my belt. My campers were all 15ish, and when there are 16 fifteen year olds, it can be hard to motivate them to work. But not with this group! This group rolled up their sleeves and got right into the business of cleaning up! There were precious few complaints and they even were encouraging each other. They accepted tasks with grace (for the most part) and worked until the job was done.

They also got to play hard. At the end of our week we played a game of dodge ball. This was no ordinary game of dodge ball. We 23 (my 16 campers, 3 counselors and myself, plus 3 people from the A/V team) took on all the other camps (about 100 people) and won!! Not just once, but twice! Woot woot!!

Wow! This has been quite the week. I will continue to update you as we move forward.
Prayer requests: 1. Tuesday was "decision night." On that night, one of my campers accepted Christ. She had been living like a Christian most her life, but that night she accepted Him! Prayer that she is able to stand in that decision and that her relationship with the Savior continues to grow and mature. 2. My campers have another week here, but already they are starting to wonder what their lives are going to look like when they return home for the remainder of the summer. Friday night was another "decision night" and while many of the campers from other camps were deciding to follow Christ, my campers were praying for the strength to continue to follow Christ when they get back home. Many of them were crying, and when asked what was on their minds, they told me they just feel so close to God right now and don't want to lose that. I am praising God that they are feeling close to Him, but I would ask that YOU would pray for them that they will continue to seek God even when He doesn't "feel" close and that YOU would pray for my counselors and myself as we lead these young people and teach them. One of the things we have talked about is how God is not far away, but is living right inside of every believer. Pray for them that they would remember that.

Thank you so much for you prayers! If you are supporting this mission trip financially, thank you! If you would like to support financially, it would be appreciated. As you can see, this ministry is touching the lives of young people and growing them to be the future leaders of the Church. Bless you!

In Christ Jesus,
Laura Jean

Letters can be sent to:
Laura Jean Fesler (or "Snaps", my camp name)
c/o Victory Ministries
64741 S. Victory Road
Sutton, AK 99674

Support can be sent to:
Victory Ministries
64741 S. Victory Road
Sutton, AK 99674

Please Do Not write my name anywhere on a check. Instead, include a separate slip of paper with my name on it. Thank you again!