missing my granny's branch kids.

A couple of weeks ago I checked my phone and had a missed call from "Harris Family". I was so sad when I realized I had missed the call, but then I saw that I had a voicemail. It was from one of the little girls from my Granny's Branch day camp last summer.

 

This is Hazlynn (10), with her new shoes
 from one of the groups last summer at Big Creek.
Such a special girl to me.

After I listened to her message, I called her back. I got to talk to her for few minutes. It wasn't a long, but it made my day.

I led a day camp at her house for three weeks throughout the summer. I took a group of "Big Creekers" to her house everyday. We'd go out and pick up all the kids that lived nearby, and we'd have lunch. Then we'd spend some time playing games and just having fun with all the kids before we sat down for Bible story time. We'd usually do some sort of craft--their favorite was making necklaces and bracelets. And we'd ALWAYS sing.



I think the days when Taylor took her guitar and played
for us were their favorite days all summer.
They'd make us sing "Here I Am To Worship" over and over and over.



 

My heart holds a special place for these kids and this family. I hated leaving them at the end of the summer. 

 Meet the rest of the Harris family: 

Olivia (7) - Some days I was her
best friend. Other days, I think
I was her least favorite person alive.

Savana (5) - Always smiling.

Nicky Marie (4) - Just as sweet and
precious as she looks.

Mickie (8) - Little boy with a big heart...
He loves EVERYONE.

Elijah (11) - Sweet boy.. and a big helper.

This is Carrie. She has the sweetest heart.
She may have given me more hugs last summer
than any one person has ever given me.

I can't find pictures of all of the rest of the family right now: Charles; Vanessa and her daughter, Leanna; Shawn, Mary and their son, Jaiden; Thomas; and, of course, the wonderful parents, Barb and Tommy.


I miss them all so much.

BUT it's only a little over a month until I'll be back in Kentucky!

I'll be honest.... I'm nervous. Possibly more nervous than I was last summer.. which sounds a bit silly, I know. I've just been realizing how completely unworthy I am to be there. I don't deserve it, and there's no reason I should be there any more than the next person who applied. However, God's given me the amazing opportunity to go back.. and, of course, I'm excited!

I don't know that I'll be leading the Granny's Branch day camp again this summer. I don't even know that I'll be working in the Children's Ministry this summer. What I do know is that, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, God's going to use me to display His love to the people around me. All I have to do is be ready and willing.