In January, we started Financial Peace University, which is a course on budgeting and financial responsibility. Leading up to the class we were consistently going in the wrong direction financially. It was eye opening, and led us to tighten every area of our budget. Leading up to camp this summer, we had a financial plan and were ready for camp to begin.
Camp season starts mid-May and doesn’t stop until the Beginning of August. It is a time when we get to see many believers working together to share the love of Jesus with campers and staff. It is a time of long hours that stretch into the night and start early in the morning. Summer is a marathon. Towards the end of this year’s marathon, we had fewer volunteers than we would like in several areas, and each week continued to get more difficult. By the last week of camp, we were short on male cabin leaders, which left me in a cabin as a cabin leader for the first time since 2004. It also left me with nobody to join me on program.
I was overwhelmed.
I was tired.
God provided.
When I think of God providing, I usually think of an abundance of volunteers that are amazing Christians, love God, and can’t wait to spend time telling campers about His love for them. In this case, God provided believers to encourage me and pray for me. God provided Pastor David Cooke to call me and tell me that he knew leading was difficult and included difficult decisions. David also said that he had my back no matter what. He provided Dustin Haley to pull me aside and told me that he was praying for me and that he understood administration and was willing to talk if I needed help. He provided Pastor Nick Campagna who listens better than anyone I know and prays for me. He provided Pastor Aaron, who spoke at camp, encouraged me mid-battle, and brought his daughter Charissa to take photos and videos as well as make a video for the end of the week.
After high school camp ended, my wife and I looked at our budget and we were able to end the summer with only our car left in our debt journey. The total remaining was $5300, and we would be debt free. We made a plan to pray and work hard so that we could have it paid off by Christmas. God took us from $19,000 in debt down to $5300 in 8 months, with a take home pay of $2500/month. During our rental the following weekend, God brought a couple into our lives that paid the rest of our debt. We were praying to be debt free by Christmas, and God said, ‘How about August’.
I want to thank God for providing rain in the desert. When things look dry and scary, God controls the rain and blesses us beyond imagination.