Repost: I Believe in Youth Camp

It's summer time and that means a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me it will always mean Youth Camp time!  I'm combining parts of two posts that I wrote in 2008.  "I Believe in Youth Camp" and "Our Anniversary, kinda, in a way..."

In June of 1974, a little blond haired, blue eyed girl attended Youth Camp at Bethel in the Hills in California. On the first night, June 18th, after hearing camp evangelist Bro. Randy Keyes preach, she received the gift of the Holy Ghost for the first time. I am so thankful for that initial outpouring and so glad that God keeps filling me with His Spirit time and time again.

This was my second year to attend Youth Camp and I became a regular. I never missed a camp (Junior or Senior) and some years went to Junior Camp as a counselor and Senior Camp as a camper. I am always to touched when I see children praying - I know that God is a keeping God, and seeing them get touched at a young age is beautiful to me.

Meanwhile, at a Youth Camp in Tennessee, a brown haired, blue eyed boy received the Holy Ghost on a Thursday night in June 1974...

August 18, 1989 was the final night of Camp Meeting in Santa Maria. I had gone for the week and was planning on staying for Senior Camp which started the next day. This was my final year of eligibility as a camper, having turned 25 the previous April.

After service, my friend Yvonne and I were talking to Ruby Wilson when we spotted "him". His name was Les McElhaney and I had been introduced (briefly) to him at Youth Convention the previous March. At Youth Convention I was already going out with someone else, so I wasn't extremely friendly to Les - much to Yvonne and Ruby's dismay! This time, I was "free" and decided to thank God for second chances! When Les didn't even remember meeting me, I was happy to start over! This night was the beginning of something very special that eventually led to our marriage on May 25, 1991.

We spent all week of Senior Camp getting acquainted and finding out our common likes and dislikes. Because I had been a Senior Camp fixture for so many years, and Les was actually on the staff, the rest of the staff was very kind to let us stay out later than usual getting to know each other. I remember Bro. Harvey Cantrell coming by, shining his giant flashlight on us, smiling and letting us continue sitting there!! And the Hoppers helped me out when a certain pest from Fresno wanted to sit in on all our conversations!

So now you know what happened to those two 10 year olds from those long ago camps in California and Tennessee. I could go on and on about this wonderful man I married, but for now I'll just say "I Believe in Youth Camp!" 

About 30 young people and children from Victory Tabernacle are currently in Ventura for Pacific Coast Camp.  Les and I are on our way to Hawaii tomorrow so we won't get to be there, but I'm praying that God will do great things in the hearts and lives of all in attendance!