Facebook doesn't allow for great blog posts. Or if it does, I haven't found that feature yet. But what do I care? I don't blog enough to notice! However I do feel like I need to spend just one post on something that happened this past week.
It's a little thing called Falls Creek.
Some of you may be completely unaware, but Falls Creek is nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma, less than 30 miles from Ardmore and 10 miles from Davis. If you've heard of Turner Falls, it's in the same general area. Falls Creek was begun in 1917 by two men who wanted to create a Baptist youth camp for Oklahoma. There were so many little "falls" in the creeks that they named the camp, "Falls Creek" and thus 100 years of incredible, life-changing summers was begun. It's a special and unique place, because every church has to bring their own food and supplies and cook their own meals. Most camps you go to provide your food for you cafeteria style, but not Falls Creek. No, it's very different. You feel very isolated, yet you don't have to go far to reach a busy interstate (I-35). It's THE largest Baptist youth camp in the world and if I'm not mistaken, THE largest Christian youth camp in the world. THE WORLD. How incredible is that? For 8 weeks during the summer (this excludes their children's camps, Indian Falls Creek, and any other camps or gatherings they may have), they see upwards of 6,000 people PER WEEK. It blows my mind every year I go and see how many people flock to the Creek for camp. And the week we go is only a small part of the entire summer.
But why is it so special? It's all of the things above: the atmosphere, the people, the legacy, and the history. But for me, it's special in another couple of ways. First, I literally grew up going to Falls Creek every year, starting when I was about 5. My family and I have been part of Falls Creek for a whopping 1/5 of its existence (20 years for all you math majors out there!). We've been really an insignificant part of its existence if you think about it. But we've been part of it! I remember when I was little, or at least a little younger, going to the old tabernacle every day for worship services. When I say old, I mean: no air conditioning, hard wooden benches, flooding down the aisles any time it rained. These kids think they're roughing it with it being so hot during the day? It's nothing compared to sweating it out during the evening services in the Tabernacle, or having to take a pillow to sit on because the benches were so uncomfortable. I remember the swimming pool that was always ice cold, and not being allowed in the creek(s) because it wasn't safe. I vaguely remember the old horseshoe pits and the old meeting areas where we'd have Bible studies. Just in the last 11 years (2006 was the end of Texas Week at Falls Creek, which was made up of exclusively Texas churches for several years), I've seen a lot of changes. The old tabernacle was torn down to make way for a larger, air-conditioned, modern tabernacle (which by the way, is super nice and I'm not complaining about having AC!), the swimming pool was also removed to make way for the tabernacle's expansion. The BB McKinney chapel no longer exists, as it was torn down to make way for a new Missions Village and Plaza. The volleyball courts and softball field were removed so that a new World Missions Center, Event Center, and amphitheater could be built in its place. And now, just this past year, the old concessions stands were taken out to make way for Centennial Plaza, that has new (and in my eyes improved) icee hut as well as a new 1917 Cafe/Gift Shop. The old gift shop that was one of my favorite places to go in camp has been converted into public restrooms. Even the ice house, where you would buy bags of ice, is no longer there. New cabins are even being built, some as large as a hotel (First Ada, I'm looking at you!). Within the last few years they even built a new lodge for visiting speakers/personnel as well as for any conferences/retreats they may have.
Falls Creek may have changed or be changing, but the purpose has never changed. The purpose has been and always will be the same: giving glory to Christ. The whole purpose of the 8 weeks (and beyond) is to point people to the Savior and to win those people to Jesus. This was never more evident than this past week in our group. We had the privilege and blessing of taking 15 young students, ranging from 7th grade to 12th grade, 10 girls and 5 guys with 6 sponsors. Monday night was Monday night, the Mike Romero band had a hard time getting everyone in the mood to worship because it's the first night of camp; it's hard to focus around the excitement. An invitation is never held on Monday night; I believe Andy Harrison (program director) explained at one time that they feel that an invitation on Monday night has too much emotion attached to it. They want decisions to be genuine, and they feel that a Monday invitation is too emotional what with all the excitement that comes with Day 1 of camp. Anyway. Tuesday-Friday were the invitation nights. I've had the privilege the last few years to serve as an Adult Encourager on the decision team; basically what they do is after a Decision Team member finishes counseling with a student or adult, they bring that person to me. As an Encourager I check the information, including the decision they're making, I literally encourage them, pray for them, then dismiss them and their DT member. Sometimes, in overwhelming response, they call on encouragers to act as those DT members to counsel someone. That was me on Tuesday night; I counseled two girls making rededication decisions. I had no idea how God was working in our own group that night. FOUR of our group made salvation decisions that night; 3 were siblings! Two brothers and one sister gave their lives over to Jesus that night. Another girl in our group also rededicated her life to Jesus. The siblings that followed Jesus, I have to say I don't think I've ever seen teenagers more hungry for the Word of God than they are/were. Their honesty at saying, "I don't understand this, can you help me understand it?" was so refreshing. We as adults need to be more open and honest about things in the Bible we don't understand.
The week went well, everyone pretty much got along with everyone else. We had a lot of first timers going, and they adapted to camp very well. We had primarily middle school students, but I so enjoyed getting to know all of our kids over the week; I didn't know most of them very well and was afraid I wouldn't be able to develop any kind of relationship with them.
We all thought that God had done something amazing in our cabin that week, something we rarely see with 4 salvations in one night. But He wasn't done at all! Friday night, our last night, I went down to the front as usual during the invitation. And I spotted a young girl from our group come down. She wasn't even a camper; her mom was one of our sponsors and this girl's sister was one of our campers. She (the girl making a decision) came with her little brother for the day, and she accepted Jesus as Lord. Needless to say I could NOT hold back my tears of joy! And to top it off, I had the privilege of being her encourager!
Falls Creek 2017 was one of the best years at camp. I can't fully explain why FC is so special to me. You go excited and come back exhausted. But it's a good kind of exhausted, especially when you have this kind of week to reflect back on. When you know that the entire purpose was to bring those 6 people to camp, what else do you need? God works all things in advance, and He's working even when we don't realize it. That was very evident this past week. God put all of us where He wanted us this week.
If you ever have a chance to go to Falls Creek yourself, I highly encourage you to. It will be a place you will not easily forget.
