It’s that time of year again… A summer for an apostolic is all about camps, conferences and well vacation (center around some church event)! It’s the best time! For some of us one camp may all we are able to go too, but for other it might be more than one. We send our kids to Junior Camps, Senior Camp, Youth Conferences, and Family Camps. You name it we are trying to go! If it was up to some we just catch a train and attend one conference after another. But for most of us, (adults) bills come and we need come home. But for many teens and kids a couple extra conferences might be a ton of fun!
Year round my youth group does fundraisers, snack bar at church, yard sales etc. We earn money, to pay expenses to go to camp. I can’t remember the last time as a youth, part of our fee was the cost of the transportation (gasoline). Sometimes we haven’t even paid for our hotel because we earned enough. Some of the money we earn is to pay for some of the under privilege youth that can’t afford to go otherwise. I’m totally cool with this, but some church can’t do this. Now, that I’m little bit older (almost 29 *GASP*)! If I want to go to camp or conference, I pay my own way. I have a job and can afford it, but even so I’ve learned I can either have a new dress and stay home or save my money and go to conference.
But I often think that if a kid has to “work” there way to a conference they get more out of it. I want to honor a couple of them that strive for just that! Parents even if you can afford to pay for camp, why not have your child earn it, chores around the house or saving though out the year. Or some of the things mentioned here.
Little Miss Jocelyn, the Adorable!
She wants to go to Junior Camp and even though she pretty young (I’m not even sure she camper age yet), her parents decided to show her the value of earning her way to camp. Stack with a couple boxes of candies determined to sell them to pay her way to camp. How could you not resist that adorable smile and say no? I also heard that she might have gotten a little extra dough from her uncle, who said she could keep the change on a $20 bill. Girl, keep it up, at that rate Junior Camp will be paid for the next couple years!
Miss Carina, the Heavenly Baker!
When I heard how Carina earned her way to Junior Camp, I said count me in! In fact I dove right in and ate half of it on the way home. Hands down and still the BEST Brownies I have EVER had!!! Though I’m not certain if she going this year. I want to give a shout to her mom who has her earn her way every year. But when her brownie reputation has gotten around that when her church and friends find out she is raising funds, they line up! Don’t stop baking girl; I think you can earn your college funds in about a year if you do it all the time!
Miss Cara, the Determined!
I was chatting with this girl the other day (the inspiration for this post) and heard that she has been raising funds for a conference she was super excited to go too! But due to car trouble she couldn’t go, but did that stop her! NOPE! She also is working on helping her youth raise funds for another conference in a couple weeks. For now, to pay for her own way, she selling Banana Bread and anything she doesn’t need and isn’t screwed down! She sold so many clothes, I wonder… will she have anything to wear at camp? Just kidding! She got plenty, its Cara after all! Girl, you are a great inspiration!!!
On a Mission…
There is one last person I want to honor, the person I’m talking about hasn’t really sold too many things, I do recall a couple candy bar sells back in the day! But he has to be one of the hardest working, people I know, hands down, Missionary Joe Ginty . For many years he had a passion and heart for the people of the Philippines. He even snatch up his sweet wife, Jewel from Manila, 5 years ago. Missionary Ginty, has been to the Philippines about a dozen times. His greatest desire is to go as a full time missionary and reach the people in their homeland. In all the years and many times he went there, he paid most of his way from his own money. Working three jobs at times, and working more hours in a week than most do in 2. He will not give up, and do what it takes. I know that God will honor him and his family for all his hard work. Praying that full time missionary comes soon! www.missionaryginty.com
So if you want your kids to learn a valuable lesson appreciate that camp more and learn a lot of other lessons along the way. Next time they ask to go to that youth conference or camp, tell them “Let see how you can help you earn your own way there!” In several years they will thank you!
Always yours,
Jacqueline Suzanne
