The Final Night

Hello friends and family, this is Cade. As our team was preparing to head to Romania the biggest fear that I had was that I would send a second straight year not making good connections with Romanians. I was nervous for camp because it’s the reason we’re here and I felt like I was bound to waste my time there being awkward. Now that camp is over and we’re on our way out of Romania I can see that God answered my prayers and made those worries seem silly. Thinking back, the final day of camp was predictably the most memorable day. I was a part of the drama team which put together a short skit about the power of faith set to the song “What Faith Can Do”. I had never participated in something like this throughout my whole life and didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I volunteered. I felt like I was in way over my head when practicing for the performance on the final night of camp, watching teammates both American and Romanian who regularly participate in drama made me second guess being a part of that team. But again, God proved that these worries that I was having were unnecessary. Those who had experience and knew what they were doing were patient and quick to help those of us who were knew to this sort of thing. Before long dinner time came and there was still much to do to be prepared for the final evening session of camp. Many of us ate our dinner quickly and rushed back upstairs to continue preparing in our various roles. This short time we had to finish getting ready was one of the most enjoyable times of the whole trip. I think it had something to with the incredible teamwork that took place that could only be achieved by a team that was put together by God and knows and loves each other as much as we do. Every single person had a part to play in the night and I felt that it was easy to see what everyone’s role was and how they were being used.

From motions to worship to the drama to the message every part of the night had its own unique impact on the campers and prepared them for the discussions that night. The atmosphere of our small group on the final night was noticeably different than that of the other nights of camp. Not to say our small group was not productive on other nights, we had incredible conversation throughout the week, but it was easy to see that this night was different. The campers were actually quieter than they had been the whole week but that was not discouraging, it was clear that there was internal processing of the events of the night going on inside of everyone. I can’t think of many times in my life that I’ve been able to so clearly see God working, and even saying that I know he was doing so much more than what was visible to me. Thank you so much for reading and I ask that you pray for our time in debrief and that we can effectively process our time at camp and in Romania while still amongst our teammates.

5 thoughts on “The Final Night

  1. Hi team! Sounds like you have all been intentional to step out of your comfort zone during this trip. Inspiring! Thanks for sharing about your camp and Romanian experiences. I’ll be praying for your debrief — that you can reflect on some highlights, prepare to share about it all with your friends and family, and explore how to integrate this experience when you get back. 🙂

    But first — don’t forget to pack some Joe!!!
    -Kristen Emerson
    Leader ’11

  2. Cade, thanks for the great post:) Now I miss you even more! I hope you can all enjoy your extra time together. Sometimes the unexpected time is the most fun. See you soon. I hope someone will give you a hug for me!

  3. Thanks for the inspiring post! Can’t wait to see the team and hear more about your experiences.
    Praying for safe travels!

  4. Love this post Cade. I’m so glad to hear about God’s work in you and the team! We look forward to hearing more when you all return home.

  5. Cade, that was an awesome post! I love hearing about God working in each one of you. All of you are so inspiring!

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