Camp Barnabas

As featured on Extreme Home Makeover:

For 14 years now our church has been sending our youth kids to serve at Camp Barnabas, a camp for kids with special needs. The past 2 years our son has had the privilege of being a part of this amazing camp and has talked about it steadily throughout the year. We decided that if Barnabas was so important to him, we really wanted to make the trip to see the camp in person. So Sunday we made the trip down to the middle-of-nowhere, Missouri, and we were so glad we did!  

It was great to see our son in his "element". We love seeing how these times away really refresh him. He even graced us with conversation from the heart 'til the wee hours the night he got home. Makes a momma's heart smile!

Cam Man was thrilled we were there & loved having us meet some of his friends, both old & new.

I think we will have 3 more who will want to help at camp in the near future!

As we entered the "Bless the Mess Hall" dining hall, I was overwhelmed by the number of families who are touched by Camp Barnabas. In the sea of faces, I saw such joy in the eyes of the campers. You could tell that this week means the world to them. It is their safe haven, their place of refuge. I also noticed the eyes of the parents. They were tired eyes, knowing eyes. They looked weary, yet grateful. I can't help but think how much it must mean to them to have a week to recharge & know that their children are in safe, loving hands. Pictured above is the Barnabas "standing O" - their version of a standing ovation.

I was so grateful for the chance to see what God is doing in this place, through His people. I loved hearing the founder of the camp pray in the closing ceremony. His words were so sweet,

 "Thanks, Lord, for giving us such a great week together and for blessing us with this corner of your back yard where we can play."

What a beautiful place it is - in every way.

The Five Month Mark

Tigrai was so pleased to have her mom braid her hair.  

It meant the world to her!

With each month that goes by we tend to stop and reflect on all that has happened and we, in a sense, evaluate how "settled" Tigrai seems. We have talked a lot about what that means to be settled in our home and how that involves trust - on both sides of the equation. This summer has been spent exercising our "trust" muscles.

Our first few months of having our daughter home we harder than we imagined in every way. But now, at the five month mark, we are experiencing some sweet fruit in our family. We have spent our summer months together in a low-key, unhurried way and that has been a huge blessing for all of us. I feel like our family relationships have been strengthened and there is a sense of being on the same team. Tigrai is learning to come to us with the good & the bad and we are so privileged to be her parents. We are grateful to God for His kindness and grace, which has seen us through each day.