Leaping with Joy...

"For I know the plans I have for you," -Jeremiah 29:11

I have been home from staff training for three days now and my mind is still in awe of what happened during those ten days. At the beginning of staff training, we came as 35 college age kids. Minute by minute we began to form friendships and grew together as a body of Christ. Then halfway through training we were divided up into five amazing camp staffs.

To start off, it was amazing to see old faces and to meet new ones. There is not one person on staff that I can't say I love. Everyone is filled with the love of God and it is just the most wonderful filling to be away from the "real world" and to spend time with young adults who feel the same way you do. Tuesday night we all went to bed nervous while the directors stayed up all night deciding who would be on which staff. Wednesday morning we woke up and were blindfolded in this big open field. One by one we were taken away to an area of Loy White where we were told to take off our blindfolds and to see what camp we were at!

As soon as I heard my directors voice say "take your blindfolds off", I knew right away what camp I was at...JOSHUA YOUTH CAMP in Albermarle, North Carolina!!! You see, I have been to CCC for three years...every year I have gone, Emily Foster has been on the staff at the camp I was at. Well, the Lord must think we work great together because I will be spending my 4th summer in a row with her (which for those of you that don't know, is unheard of in the world of CCC). The following is my staff that I will grow to be a family with this summer:

Camp Director: Emily Foster

(Senior at App State)

Lead Program: Leane Peddycord

(Junior at Furman University)

Program: Michele Magnuson

(Sophomore at NC State)

Program: Ashley Patton

(Junior at UNC)

Lead Field: Brian Chavez

(Junior at App State)

Field: Ben Van Pelt

(Sophomore at UNC-Charlotte)

Field: Alyssa Baker

(Freshmen at UNC-Charlotte)

So if you havn't picked up on it by now...I am the youngest person on my staff and the second youngest CCC staff person this summer. While this is exciting it also comes with challenges of me not having as much experience as everyone else does. So I just ask that you begin to pray I can overcome the challenges placed before me this summer.

I would love to hear from you all this summer through snail mail! It always brightens a staff members day when they can say...HEY I GOT MAIL! So below is my address till August 2:

Carolina Cross Connection

Alyssa Baker

Joshua Youth Camp

29387 Pennington Road

Albemarle, NC 28001

Godspeed,

Alyssa Caroline