The Girls of Button Creek Cabin (Final Edition)

This is Rae'la.

I left Rae'la for last for a reason. She has an interesting story, one that I'm sure I will have trouble expressing fulling over my computer. But I'll try. God taught me so stinkin' much through her.

So, Rae'la was the girl I was most nervous about going into camp. She is... very not-positive. We'll put it that way. On the first night, our speaker, Casey Dunn, talked about how there are three kinds of people in the world. 1) People who don't believe in God. 2) People who believe in God but think He is removed from creation and not personal. And 3) People who believe in God and think He's active and alive and loves us intimately. So at cabin time on the first night we were talking about which category we fell into. I noticed Rae'la had not spoken a word all night so I asked her opinion. She said that she was the first kind of person because her dad died when she was six years old and she didn't understand why a God that loved her and him would do that. I think to myself "Crap. What the heck do I say to that?" I honestly have no recollection of what I said in response but I'm sure it was something to do with God having a plan and whatnot.

So, she had fun  as the week went on. But she was not listening to anything Casey or I said. She wouldn't talk at cabin time. She was just not responsive at all. And I was really upset. I didn't understand why God wasn't working in her heart and why He was not allowing His seed to be planted. 

On day five, the night of the cross talk, we had a two hour break between dinner and club. So all of Lloyd gathered on the green lawn outside of the dining hall to play a few games of viking. About 30 minutes after dinner, I had to go to the bathroom. So naturally, I go to the bathroom in the dining hall, since it's the closest. I went in there and found two work crew girls, one of which had been my server that week. We started chatting as we washed our hands and eventually they asked me if there were any girls that they could pray for tonight. I said Rae'la and gave a very short synopsis of her story and how her week was going spiritually. They said they would pray for her and asked me who my work crew girl was that delivered cookies night two and who would return tonight for her testimony. I said that her name was Haley. And then one of them said something along the lines of, "Oh my. You know, Haley's dad died when she was six years old too."

That's when I lost it. GOD IS SO FAITHFUL. Why the heck did I ever think that God was not going to provide a way for His word to be heard!?

So anyway, I freak out. I tell Ian and Greg and am beyond pumped. I am like crying I am so excited. After the cross talk, we all grab a tiki torch and Rae'la didn't react at all to what she just heard. Then  cabin time rolled around. And Haley, our work crew girl, came in and delivered rice krispie treats and started telling her story. And you know what, RAE'LA LISTENED. For the first time all week, she listened! Oh my gosh, God is glorious! He put us in that cabin for a reason! And He put Haley in that cabin for a reason! Rae'la did not listen to one single word I said all week, or Casey said all week, but she listened to Haley! Why did I ever dare to think that God would not provide?

So, at the end of the week Rae'la didn't accept Christ. She didn't "turn her chair around" and start a relationship with her great creator. But she caught a glimpse. That seed was planted. As she listened to Haley tell her story, I saw something in her eyes that I hadn't yet seen. And it was hope. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. And now, just like I had to be patient with God as He revealed himself to Rae'la at Rockbridge, I have to be patient with how He's working in her heart now that we're home. Patience bears fruit... James 5:7-8

And this is my awesome leader team. 

There's no story about them, though there are many I could tell. I am beyond blessed to labor with these friends.