Maranatha.

Let me try as best as I can to explain the week from heaven we just had.  You may never believe me, because it is too good to be true, but it is true, it really happened and more….I will just give a taste of it here in this space.

As a big family, vacations are a stretch and a strain often times.  It’s an act of God to get our schedules to coordinate, and to get all the basic human needs to be met without breaking our backs and banks in the process.  If you don’t want to do all the work yourself, you’re paying 6 or 7 or 9 or 12 times, depending on who you got to bring.

*this is not a complaint…I wouldn’t change a big family for anything, I’m just setting the stage for you to see the glory I experienced last week*

It’s called Maranatha Bible Camp, and it was family camp week at this camp.

Maranatha is a word that means, “ Come, O Lord.”

I’m pretty sure He came in the form of a little wagon every day last week

 (more about that later).

 Maranatha was a  sweet taste of heaven on earth.  We had 33 people in our family come from California, Texas, Oregon and Montana and we all agreed it was worth every mile and hour of travel to get to Maxwell, Nebraska and spend the week together.

When we signed up, we had no idea what we were signing up for, but my family wanted a place to congregate and spend some time together.  Shauna, my youngest sis, threw this family camp idea out there, her family had come to it last year and they loved it.  Most of us said we could give it a whirl, having no idea what to really expect. 

When we showed up, we arrived with an extra person, our friend Mulondo Patrick, we had made plans for him to join in, but I hadn’t nailed down all the arrangements.  When we checked in and I began my apology for not having given proper notice and funds ahead of time, and the little loves at the reception desk explained that it was all fine and that we had exceeded the family limit and there would be no more charge.

  When I  initially heard "exceeded the family limit," I automatically went into despair because I thought we were being turned away or at the very least reprimanded.

 NO!!!!

 The opposite, they were rewarding us for being many and bringing more.

What?!?!?! 

I got over my shock of that sweet news, and looked around and could see there were many families with many members and nobody seemed upset or bothered by any of it.

THEN!!!!!

At meal time, the food was delicious and plentiful and served to us 3 solid times a day. 

AND!!!!

When we would  inevitably drop food, at least a plate or partial plate every meal, people would look with complete understanding and trip over themselves to help; instead of irritation and fleeing the scene in fear that our messy kid life will rub off on them.

AND!!!

In between meals, we had activities, that were fun and active and messy.
The camp would plan and provide the fun, execute it, and clean it.  

The kids were tired and wild and happy so so so happy.

THEN!!!!!

We would get up, off the beach, from a hard day of playing, and get ready for dinner, and it was, AGAIN,

 served and yummy and healthy.

THEN!!!!!

At 6:20pm, every single night without fail, this chariot from heaven, equipped with angels arrived, and took all our children. 

  This chariot, filled with angels, was what I called the
 magic wagon.
  It showed up from heaven and had all these angels in charge, and they would pick up our tired,
sun-burned kids with no hesitation, no lecture, no guilt, no glare, no charge. 

This is me when the magic wagon would arrive.

They would come happily and take our children, and love them and care for them and teach them about Jesus.
Us parents would stand in AWE and THANKSGIVING.

THEN!!!!!!

When we came out of the shock of that heavenly experience, we would wander into the air-conditioned building and worship and fellowship and pray and hear the Word and laugh and sing and clap, and listen.

  We could just participate to our hearts content.

THEN!!!!!!

We would go back outside after that piece of heaven, and our children would come back in the chariot with angels in charge, and they would bring back our children.

They were tired and excited, but not so tired they were cranky and not so excited they were out of control.  They perfect balance of tired and excited.

THEN!!!!

We happily would go to another evening fun time, or to the sweet shop for a little treat or whatever caps off a perfect day for all to wind down.

THEN!!!!

We would go to bed so tired and wake up the next day and do it all over again.

UNREAL – NO CATCH

We didn’t have to give them our first born (although I would consider it now, knowing what I know).  We didn’t have to sign over all our earthly possessions.
NOTHING!

AND!!!
Best of all, we were encouraged to draw nearer to God and  love Him more and truly enjoy Him and to love and enjoy our family
 (earthly and heavenly)
 and got to enjoy many of God’s beautiful gifts.

Land and water and food and fun and family and friends.

The ending and highlight of our week was that Maezie asked to be “bathtized”.  She said she wanted her sins washed away, and she wanted to follow God and she said she felt it in her heart when she was singing.  That’s all we could ask for.  Jesus never turned away little children and neither will we.  So she may say it wrong, but she got it right in her heart.
 We are so proud of her.

Thanking Jesus for so many many many things.

Psalm 34:8English Standard Version (ESV)

8 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

http://maranathacamp.org/