Camps Revisted: Week 4 - Youth Force

Week 4: Youth Force - This was the camp that I was the most anxious about because I felt the most unprepared for it. Perhaps it was because I had never been or again, perhaps it was because I was not in charge. My role this week however was a familiar one - feed 200 students. I consider myself a pseudo-expert on feeding large quantities of people especially in lieu of my inability to cook properly for myself. But oh, when it comes to purchasing mass quantities of lunch meat and pizza, I order without hesitation. My other anxiety came from the fact that we were to be in Lawton for an entire week. Since 2002 I have developed a rather unhealthy hatred for Lawton and there I was to be living in Lawton, eating food from Lawton, and breathing Lawton air for an entire week. ( I just realized that while writing this that I was making a horrible scrunched up nose face.) I have no real reason for my disgust of this town except for what is hearsay. To my surprise, I actually kind of liked Lawton, or at least tolerated it. I learned to humble myself this week. And to do that meant not only serving in a town I didn't particularly care for, but it also meant loving strangers who made their homes there. I was amazed as I visited the 14 job sites where teams of junior high and high school students worked in the hot sun to re-roof and re-side the homes of Lawton families. And we got to know some of the homeowners too. Their stories were even more humbling. All in all, Youth Force Lawton taught me a great deal about serving the needy and loving the poor. Other highlights from the week include getting to be the shower cheerleader, the super awkward hugging man at Pizza Hut, the amazing 30-foot long ice cream sundae, and the best dance party of the summer.