#HSGreen

Now that another amazing week of camp is over, instead of talking about the week day by day, I think I’ll talk about my team, person by person. Each person on my team is so special to me and so vital to our team in a different way. I want to talk about them all individually and praise God for them. And what better time to do that than right now, as we spend our weekend off together and get some much-needed rest to propel us into the next leg of summer tour.

I’ll start with TLC: Team Leader Colin. Colin is super organized and always on top of things. He is concerned for our team and always makes sure we know everything we need to know. He does a lot for our team as far as organization, but is also willing to delegate things that he knows he can’t do himself and that may be better suited for someone else. We tease him a lot for his organization and his concern for perfection; in our team video blog last week, there is a segment that shows Colin in deep concentration with Dave commenting on him being in the “TLC Zone.” But it is for this attention to detail that we love him and appreciate him.

Next comes Ashtyn. She is one of the most outgoing and fun people you will ever see on stage. A motto for our ministry on HeartSong is “Impress from a distance, impact up close.” And while Ashtyn is great at both of these things, her strongpoint is impressing from a distance, or stage presence. She always has just the right thing to say to get the junior high and high school kids pumped up, and she is in her element when she is leading a camp of kids in crazy camp songs. She is also awesome at running the big group games, like “Gorilla-Man-Gun” or the dice-stacking game. Campers look up to her as an awesome inspiration on stage.

On the other side of this motto is Abby. She is also great at both, but her strongpoint is impacting up close. When she is talking with one or two campers or people in a host home, she has a visible interest in people, always asking them questions and getting them talking about their lives. She is a natural at this! She is in her element when she is with a handful of people, doing a craft or eating a meal and sharing life with them. When people see her, they remember those conversations and are full of joy because they know her.

When I think of David, I can’t help but smile. He is always the person who makes me laugh on our team! His style of humor, though, is very uplifting and light. Instead of making fun of other people for a laugh, he will make fun of himself; he is one of the humblest people I know. When people think of David, they remember a playful and fun person who they love to talk with and watch onstage. As one junior high girl said, “I like the guy who jumps around with his shoes off!” Dave is a bit crazy, and he may not always “wear his shoes,” but people love him for it.

One of the greatest friends a person could have is Caleb. I didn’t get to know him very well during the year, but in watching him interact with campers and staff, I am beginning to see what an awesome friend he can be. When Caleb sees someone who needs a friend, or when a person tells him of a need, he is always right there. Whether it’s teaching a junior high camper about the drums or hanging out with the guys on support staff, when Caleb finds a person he can relate to, he will not hold back.

Our worship leader, Isaac, has the makings of a future pastor, because he is really, really observant. He is always watching people and asking questions, and because of this he always knows just what to say or do to encourage people. He is a very down-to-earth person who knows himself and is very conscientious about other people. Everyone who talks to me about Isaac notices this about him, and they know that when they talk with him there is nothing they can hide, but at the same time there is nothing they need to hide because he is so honest and encouraging.

And finally, there’s Dane. Dane is my brother, the one person on my team that I always feel like I am related to. He loves teasing me and is always up for a battle of wits. He also will ask me the tough questions, holding me accountable in my relationship with God. He knows me so well from spending two years touring with me, and he knows EXACTLY what to say to me when I am stressed to get me to calm down. I am so thankful that he is on my team again and that I share so many memories with him, and I will miss him so much when the summer is done and he moves on to life after college.

As for me, I just love working with juniors. But I am so proud of the way that my team interacts with the juniors, too! I have noticed this year that in junior chapel, they are all really engaged in the songs. They don’t see junior chapel as a burden, as an obligation to check off the list, but as another opportunity to have fun worshipping with kids. I am so, so, SO thankful that this team finds the same joy that I find in hearing the juniors sing.

Well, now it’s time for me to write my teammates encouragement cards; I’ll probably write most of these same things. I want them all to know how special they are to me and how thankful I am for them. May all my praise for them be praise to God and the glorious way He brought us together last August, and may all the glory we may get this summer be sent straight to Him.

Soli Deo Gloria!

~Deanna