10 lessons from kanakuk k2

I just had the GREATEST privilege to spend the past 40 days at Kanakuk K2 as a counselor to 21 amazing 15-16 year old girls. I’m walking away more in awe of the fact that the Lord chooses & uses sinful and broken college students to expand His kingdom.

In the fall, I was presented job offers from a few incredible camps. I prayed, several weeks, for one thing:: “Lord, because you go before me, would you show me where you want me? I trust you as a Good Shepherd and Wonderful Counselor.” I begged Him for wisdom because I didn’t wanna make this decision on what little knowledge I had about these camps and the people working there. I wanted to maximize my time & influence this summer, and I knew that the only way to do so was to follow in His footsteps from the beginning. I didn’t know a single person working at K2, but the assurance I had from the Lord always outweighed the fear. Man was He faithful! I am walking away with a tested and stronger faith. I was both encouraged and challenged over the 6 weeks. I’ve been surrounded by some of the most bold and consistent people I’ve ever met, people who are no doubt lifelong friends.

Today I want to share with you 10 of the most important lessons I learned at camp. Some of the lessons I learned in group sessions, and some are from my personal quiet times. I hope you leave equally moved by the power of God’s Word at work!

Lesson #1— Joy is the secret to endurance

Colossians 1:11-12 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

This verse quickly became my rock. I was so comforted to know that my source of strength never runs dry and that the Father is qualifying me. I was challenged by the phrase “patient with joy.” Joy is the secret to endurance! It’s how Christ endured the cross (“for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” hebrews 12:2) and it’s how I can endure every day trials.

Lesson #2— Obedience

We’re all familiar with the game Simon Says. If Simon says to do something, you always do exactly what Simon says because you want to stay in the game. If he says to raise your right hand, you raise your right hand. Similarly, believers should follow every order in God’s Word to make the most of this life, our one shot. When He says to “go” in Matthew 28:19-20, we go.

Lesson #3— stewardship vs ownership

Colossians 1:25 “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known.”

Paul acknowledges that his gift of teaching comes ONLY from the Lord. Not his vast amount of knowledge or ability to speak eloquently and with wisdom. It’s based on Christ’s strength rather than his own. Not only does Paul not take credit for his gift, he uses it for God’s glory rather than his own, He understands that stewardship and ownership are not the same thing. Stewardship strives to give back to God while ownership honors self. Paul specifically says “this gift TO me, FOR you.”

Lesson #4— I don’t operate on my own energy

Colossians 1:28-29 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present them all mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

Lesson #5— honey:: what am I getting full on

Proverbs 27:5-7 “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend profuse are the kisses of an enemy. One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.”

Psalm 19:10 “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

If God’s Word doesn’t say it, it’s not absolute truth. Our generation gets so full on what pastors have to say (podcasts, books, social media, etc…) instead of what God himself has to say. We don’t wanna take time to put in the quietness, hard work, & discipline of digging into God’s Word. It’s the utmost delicacy. Only God satisfies.

Lesson #6— friendships

Matthew 7:1-6, Proverbs 27:17

Find friends that confront rather than backstab. Iron to iron not sawdust against plank.

Lesson #7— The Lord is qualifying me

Even when “good,” “wonderful,” and “wise” are the last words I’d use to describe myself, His power & sufficiency shone through. In 1 Cor 2:1-5 Paul comes admittedly weak, fearful, & trembling so that others see Christ rather than himself.

Lamentations 3:24 “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”

1 Corinthians 3:7 “so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Lesson #8— PRESENT faith is what’s tested

1 Peter 1:6-13

Trials prove the faith that is already there: whether it’s genuine or not. Rejoicing through a trial doesn’t always mean being happy. It’s a continued confidence and peace in the Lord amidst sorrow. If you were to walk through a trial right now, could the faith you have right now withstand it?

Lesson #9— Rest comes from the Lord alone

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Halfway through camp, I started to get weary. Where was I looking to find energy ?? Rest doesn’t come from more sleep. It doesn’t come from asking the scheduler to block an extra off period for me. It comes from Christ alone. Instead of spending my hour off to sleep, I used it to spend extra time in the Word & journaling prayers for my campers. The Lord was faithful to give me rest that He knew I needed.

Lesson #10— power of prayer

Colossians 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”

Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

I love how prayer is described here. A lot of times, it’s easy to feel a burden for the brokenness of a nation or to become physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted when you’re doing mission work, but these passages say that we can feel that same weight for others through prayer. When we pray boldly & consistently, we engage in spiritual warfare on behalf of others. When we are faithful in prayer, others can stand mature & FULLY assured in God’s will.