The One About CHWC

I'm doing it. It's been over a week since I left, but I'm finally sitting down to write about my experience with Catholic Heart Work Camp. I served with CHWC for 4 weeks and it has done wonders for my heart. I am full, in a way I never have been before. I am focused on the heart of Christ. I am beyond amazed by the Lord. And I am ecstatic to get the chance to live in Him for the rest of my life.

CHWC has changed me once before, no, more like 7 times before. It has the ability to make you rethink everything, look at priorities, and bond with amazing servants of Christ. This changed me when I did it for one week each summer, so you can imagine what 5 weeks in this atmosphere did to me.

My favorite thing about being on staff was how much we focused on Christ and prayer. No decision was made without consulting Him. No skit or talk was given without prayer. Centering our lives on Jesus made such an exhausting job possible and worth it. Focusing on our purpose to love Him and show Him to campers, residents, and cities, kept me grounded on even the roughest of days. My life is forever changed by this. Everything works out with Jesus in mind. No disaster is truly the end of the world, no mistake ruins the camp, no issue cannot be solved. Jesus has a plan and it's great and works out way better than anything my minuscule mind can come up with.

Not only did I learn to consult Jesus every second of every day, but I also learned to be patient when things didn't go as I planned. Patience is a virtue, a very difficult virtue that is almost impossible to master. But thanks to the Lord's trusting plan and beautiful disciples He surrounded me with, I was able to become a little more patient, at least I think. If you remember, at the start of this whole experience I blogged about being stuck on a standstill plane for 2 hours on my way to Orlando and having absolutely no control over the situation. Jesus taught me about patience from the start of my trip and every single day He continued to do so.

I could never begin to describe every single thing I learned on this trip, but I think this about sums up the gist of it. Rely on Jesus and be patient while you're waiting. You've heard this a million times before, but take it to the extreme. I mean really rely on Him, really be patient in your waiting. Nothing is a coincidence, everything is meant to point you to His beautiful plan for you. Jesus wants to be with you. He wants to romance you every single day, which is one of the most incredible things in the world. The ruler, creator of the world seeks you, as if you were His only child. Ahhhh, amazing.

Thank you Jesus for this beautiful experience and for CHWC. I pray that it is your plan for me to continue serving with them in years to come. Thank you for the beautiful brothers and sisters in Christ that you planted in my life on Team 7bAe; words can't describe how seeing their hearts helped me to see yours as well. And thank you for the gift of your son, so that all of this is even possible. Your majesty, grace, and love overwhelm me; I love you <3