A Letter From Me To You About Summer

In case you are wondering, do not already know, or are but a poor stranger that has happened upon my blog, I would like to tell you that I am working at Look Up Lodge again this summer.

I can’t really think of anything in my life (so far) that has in such a short time been used by Jesus to radically transform my life and my very existence like Look Up has. For two years now, I have been able to have community that some people may never experience, participate in various and sundry shenanigans, be used by God as a tool to move and shape lives, and be challenged in ways it’s hard to emulate outside of the summer camp environment. My summers have included extreme distress, true heartbreak, and overwhelming joy. I have seen God use Look Up to move powerfully in campers, leaders, youth groups, and, perhaps most apparently to me, summer staffers.

I have personally been fortunate to have two sweet sisters that are beautiful women in every respect, a brother that has for decades (wow we’re old!) been a man that I have no problem emulating as he emulates Jesus, and a mamma and dad that have supported me, trained me, and loved me in ways I cannot even begin to thank them for. I will forever love my family and until I am married one day (if I am), I will be primarily a member of that family. Bar none.

This year, we welcome 17 new staffers into our Look Up family. By that I do not mean the kind of family that you have grown up in. I am not saying that it is superior, but that it serves a different purpose. This summer, 17 new people will be introduced to a culture of extreme challenge, extreme hardship, extreme discipleship, extreme support, and extremely silly off-day decisions. No matter what you try to do to prepare, you won’t be prepared. No matter what you think will happen this summer, you will leave a different person than the one that arrived. It’ll be my third summer and I am not prepared. It’ll be my third summer and I’m going to leave different.

All this is to say, I need to ask you a favor, reader. The thing we need this summer is for Jesus to be our focus, our prize, and our only source of life. If you follow Jesus, please consider praying consistently and powerfully for this summer. Implore Father to guide me and the eleven other guys to be men after His own heart, and for the 12 gals to be women that would love and serve faithfully. Please beg Him to use us despite our weaknesses and keep and protect us. Pray that Father would rebuke the enemy’s attacks, and that, above all, He would lead us to lay down everything we are to sacrificially love kids this summer. That, in the end, is all we are there for.

Andrew