Getting Ready and Nervous!!!

So.... I leave for camp tomorrow!! I am getting really excited, but I'm also getting very nervous.
For those of you who don't know, this summer I will be the Team Pastor at Warren W. Willis, United Methodist Camp in Fruitland Park, Florida. This means that I am the pastor/counselor to the 100+ counselors who are giving up their summers to share the love of Christ with the kids in Florida. I will get to lead small groups, prepare worship services for the counselors once a week, do one on one counseling, hang out, look at different aspects of camping ministry (mainly administration), look at curriculum for the Florida Annual Conference Camping ministries, tour different camp settings in Florida (from Tampa, to Orlando, to Miami), and many other things. But mainly, my job is to be there for the counselors so that they can share the love of Christ with the campers.

Why am I nervous? Because there are 100 counselors or so... I am used to working with 12-16 counselors. I love camping ministry and I have done it for 5 summers, but this is a new experience, in a new state, with a new camp, and people I don't know...

With this year being one of the craziest years of my life, I was nervous leaving North Carolina and all my friends that I love and cherish, but I realize that this opportunity will allow me to be away from durham, I will be out of my comfort zone, and it is usually in these situations where I grow most.

So my prayer is that God will use in me in such a way, that the counselors will know I am there for them. That they will know they can come to me for anything and share anything with me and I will not cast judgment. I also hope that I can be Christ to these counselors so they can be Christ to the campers, because camp, is for the campers! I also pray that the peace of God and the Love of Christ, through the power of the Spirit would transcend all the distractions, all the nervousness, all the extra crap in my life so that I can be God's vessel. So, I cherish your prayers, your comments, and your love...

Peace, Justin...

PS. the name of this blog is a bit ridiculous, but thank you Ashley Lloyd for giving it to me... we all know why you love Tator Gator. (For those of you who do not know why Ashley calls me this, don't ask because I won't tell!) ;)