My Summer at Ponca Bible Camp

As I left from Inman, KS on Wednesday June 15, a lot of things were on my mind about what was going to happen this summer down in the good ole camp of Ponca. I knew that God was at work there, but little did I know how much work He was doing.

My internship went quite well down there. We left Whitewater, Kansas around 6:30am on June 16th, and we began our leadership training. The leadership team, consisting of about 12 of us, had to do several days in training in first aid, CPR, and the works. I got about half-way through the first aid, and then I fainted (still don't know why) so I became the test dummy during the training. But 
other than all that commotion, our training went quite well.

The Saturday before the campers arrived, the team had to clean everything, including mowing, trimming, stocking shelves, and the sort. This was an ALL DAY WORK (notice it's in all caps, that's cause it was very strenuous). Campers arrived that Sunday afternoon, about 2pm. The age group of the campers varied from just graduated, to going into sophomore year of high school. The camp can usually hold about 85 kids: we had 84. Praise the LORD!

My job for the first week, (and including the second week as well) was to lead worship. I was put in charge of organizing songs, getting people to help out with chapel, and getting the computer ready to worship God through songs. It was really spiritually filling to see the Holy Spirit move through out the chapel times, and seeing kids in high school pour their hearts out to God. It was also encouraging to hear the kids sing the chorus to the song "Jesus Paid It All" while they were doing their daily chores for the day (also known as KP Duties).

The Lord was very good to not only me, but to the rest of the leadership team and most importantly the kids' lives. A lot of kids rededicated their lives during the course of the week, which was really powerful to see! A theme verse that ran through my mind through out the week comes out of Matthew 7:24-27, which talks about building our lives on the solid rock, which is Jesus Christ. It was (and is) our job as the PBC Staff to help the kids to "know Christ personally, and to make Him known".

After my first two weeks of worship leading, I was put in charge as a head counselor for one week, and a co-counselor the next. For the first part of both weeks, it was really hard to try and connect with the boys in my cabin, but once things got settled in, and they started to realize that I was the one in power, not them, they began to open their hearts and share their lives.

During my second week of counseling, (which happened to be my fourth week down in Arkansas) I had the privilege of leading one of my campers to Christ! Praise the LORD! Two of my other campers got saved and baptized! Once again, praise the LORD!

The fifth week down in Arkansas was probably the hardest. At this time in the summer, I began to feel very attacked by the devil. He obviously didn’t want us there, and there are many different stories to tell about that. I was worship leader again that week, and I started to feel worn out. Spiritually and mentally, I was doing better than ever, I could feel the LORD giving me strength to carry on, but my body was a different story. Physically, I couldn’t handle to be down there anymore, and I was unable to finish out my time at camp. Due to health concerns, I had to leave Ponca Bible Camp early.

I was absolutely devastated, and I was so angry at myself for not being able to finish. But what I didn’t know, is what the LORD wanted from me. He wanted me to come home early so that I could pray: pray for the camp, pray for the counselors, and pray for myself. He wanted me to communicate with Him more, and I feel that’s why He wanted me to come home. I still don’t know exactly why I had to come home early, but I feel that was a big part of it.

I would like to thank all of you who helped me with support in all sorts of ways, it really means a lot to me. I enjoyed my time investing into kid’s lives down in the heart of the Ozark Mountains of Ponca Bible Camp. I continue to pray for the camp every day, and because I was down there, I grew spiritually. I feel a lot stronger than when I left, which will help equip me as I go back to Tabor, or into the world. Investing into God’s kingdom will never steer you wrong, even when you think it does. Once again, I thank you so much.

Spiritual Warfare: What I experienced at Ponca Bible Camp (from Facebook)

Written on August 12, 2010:

Before I begin my story, I would like to say that Ponca Bible Camp transformed and shaped my life this summer. I learned a great deal alot, sometimes as much as the campers, and I greatly appreciate Ponca and everything that they have done in my life, and the investment that they have made.

My story is about when I first got to Ponca. Immediately I felt like that the devil didn't want us to be there, but I didn't really think about it until I saw it first hand. What I saw was the devil try and discourage us and throw stuff at us, and then be overcome and defeated by the power of Jesus Christ. After the third week, I was sleeping on the weekend, and all of a sudden I woke up about 12:00am, and I couldn't see a thing. Those cabins up at camp get pretty dark, but this wasn’t just any dark, this was cave dark. I couldn’t see a thing!

The room went ice cold, and I kept hearing voices, and I was starting to freak out. I scrambled around for my shoes, and found them, slipped them on, and ran out of the cabin. I ran up to the dining hall, which was quite a ways away, and the whole way, I felt like something was following me. I got to the dining hall, and all the lights were on, and I kept hearing voices again in the dining hall, but no one was there. I freaked out so I ran over to the staff house, which wasn’t too far away. I got up to Seth’s room in the staff house, and I told him what was going on. The last thing I remember, was I was freaking out, and he prayed for me, and that’s where it ends. I forgot everything, and the only thing I remember from that moment, was that I had a calm, soothing presence fill myself; like someone kept telling me that they loved me, and was holding me. I felt the presence of God strongly that night, I literally felt like God was holding me, protecting me in the midst of a spiritual war.

This kind of war is going on all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The devil and his followers are doing everything in their might to try and bring us down, nd to destroy us. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” I hope by this experience that I can understand power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of us take that power for granted, but it’s so amazing and powerful in the ways that it works. I hope that this testimony can be an example, and show the true power of Christ.