The Gathering

I attended the camp conference last week. People of all ranks, including serfs and peasants, knights, and lords, all get to attend the conference. Students got to attend for free this year; Being that we are the poorest of the poor, this would be the only way that most of us could attend. It was lovely, attending a conference full of knights and lords, making connections with people that may help me move up the hierarchy, and of course, learning a great deal that will help me when my time comes to venture out.

The entire conference was full of value, but the most exciting aspect was the last session, in which I had to choose between two classes that I wanted to take. There was the fundraising session, which I felt would be wise to take for the sake of my thesis, and a leadership session, which I really felt would help my long-term goals. I chose to attend the leadership session. I sat down, and was waiting for the speaker to come in. The woman next to me commented that he was late. A couple seconds later, I stood up to leave for the other session. The woman looked confused, and I felt confused, wondering why I had decided to leave, but I was already walking out, so I figured I might as well go with it.

After the fundraising session, I introduced myself to the speaker, referring to my thesis. She told me that a leader within the camp association had mentioned that he would like someone to do a broad study on the marketing structures of camps- almost exactly what I'm doing on a much smaller scale for my thesis. I followed-up, but at this time, the funding isn't there... but I'm curious: will I somehow be involved in that, somewhere down the line? That would absolutely fit what I believe God told me last summer: "Help camps...." Plural. And one of my questions had been, "Well, should it be Christian camps?" (after-all, it was God talking, so maybe he'd have such specifics). The answer I sensed (though without any certainty) was along the lines of 'no; just camps.... no other specifications.' And I found that odd- that there wouldn't be any specifics, since some camps contradict others. But if I'm to be involved in such a study, it makes sense. If I were involved in this, I would be helping camps, in general.

But that is, at this point, out of my control, and up in the air. So in the meantime, I really don't know where I'm going next. I know I am aiming for the camp realm; God doesn't seem to be opposed to that; But beyond that, I don't know, so I tell God, "Well, I'm working on my thesis now. And when that's done, I want to do 'x' and 'y'  if I can, but then I need direction or I'm just going to start looking for camp management jobs, or any jobs at camps that have year-round programs- starting with Oregon, Humboldt County (northern Ca), and the L.A. area....not that that will hurt, cause you can just make it not work- like the donkey in the Bible, that stopped and refused to move, at God's direction."