A Christmas Greeting!

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas! I hope this season brings the peace and joy of the Christ-child, our sweet Savior! Hopefully, my long absence has not completely deprived this blog of its readers. :)

In addition to Christmas wishes, I also wanted to tell you guys about something exciting: JP II Adventures has launched their new website!!! You can read more about what Camp Wojtyla has to offer, learn why (and how) you can and should register as a camper or apply to staff, and best of all, it provides a way to support this wonderful mission year-round!

Check it out: http://www.jp2adventures.com/

Oh, and you might recognize someone... ;)

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Love,

JP II... Pray for Us!

Descent from the Mountain.

Hello friends!

It has now been over a week since my return from Colorado. It has been quite the adjustment from living outside, sleeping under the stars, and having every moment of my day scheduled full of awesomeness to living in my air-conditioned apartment with a shower, flushing toilet, and dishwasher. Luxurious, right?!

I miss these people dearly. I can't wait to tell you all about my crazy adventures with them and the Lord this summer. 

If you are one of the people in this picture, I hope you know how much joy and love you brought in to my life during those 2 months. I am so grateful for the gift you have been. My door is always open should any of you fancy a visit to the South! :)

I am sorry I did not get to update you more this summer, but in all honestly, I needed and loved the total break from computers. I plan to do my best to give you a peek in to the beauty of my summer, because it is definitely worth sharing. 

More to come!

Love,

Blessed JP II... Pray for Us!

Leaving on a Jetplane.

Dear friends,

I take to the skies in twelve hours to head off to Camp Wojtyla!

I pray that my heart may be open to the movements of the Holy Spirit, and that I allow the Lord to guide my every step so that I might glorify him through every rock face I scale, every mountain I ascend, and every person that I meet. If I should do all these great and beautiful things for myself, and not for the Lord, then all my efforts will be in vain.

I am much looking forward to meeting my team,  knowing that the Lord has incredible things in store for us.

Pray that we may be used even in our unworthiness. Pray that we may grow in humility, perseverance, patience, and selflessness.

Thank you, dear friends, and God Bless!

Love,

JP II... Pray for Us!

Crunch time...

Dear friends,

Time is ticking, and I still have so much to do! I started packing tonight, and with it came stress and over-thinking. Getting everything I need to Colorado can be a bit of a headache, when you take in to account carry-on size restrictions, checked-bag weight restrictions, and my perpetual over-analyzation.

I still have a shopping list to check off, as well as a doctor's appointment to prove I won't die if I hike a mountain (well, sorta), and of course the dreaded task of actually trying to fit everything in to a suitcase, and making those equally dreaded cuts of my precious and beloved outfits. (Okay, so maybe not that last part... I'm being dramatic.)

Thankfully, starting this process today is a step in the right direction (me being a notorious procrastinator).

So, guys, I implore you to please pray for the 30 or so other people across the country who are probably dealing with many of these same silly things. Pray that we may find time for the Lord in prayer, so our hearts may be prepared for the things God will ask of us at Camp Wojtyla.

I'm just ready to be here:

Love,

JP II... Pray for Us!

For the Kingdom!

At Camp Wojtyla, we get to do many crazy and wonderful things for the Kingdom. These things have included, but are not limited to:

Ice-cold Friday morning pond jumps!

Even colder walks through the stream to the pond!

Running around in the woods dressed like this!
(And did I mention cackling madly?)

Finding our inner artist!

. . . Frequently!

Eating candy and drinking Izzes!

Acting ridiculous in skits for middle schoolers!

Waking up before the sun rises for an alpine hike!

And dirt... lots and lots of dirt:

In all honesty, last year I was less than happy during a few of these activities... mostly the whole jumping in an ice cold pond at 8 A.M thing... this year, I am really excited to embrace the silly, ridiculous, outrageous, uncomfortable, sometimes disgusting things we do. BRING. IT. ON.

Offering these things up is the only way I could get by, when I was going off little sleep, mysteriously decaf coffee, and pretty much zero alone time. Camp isn't always so glamorous for us counselors (see that candy and Izze photo for proof) but I learned so much from the attitudes of some of my fellow staff members... people who were ready and willing for anything and everything that the Lord had to offer.

I also think it is awesome that these crazy things we do (and really, when else would I ever do many of these things?) truly are for the Kingdom of God, because, believe it or not, these things are for the sake of our campers. (They really, really love it...) Looking back, I also see that these are some of the moments when we are truly living life to the full (John 10:10).

Have there ever been times for you guys where your service of the Kingdom looked a little crazy like this? Tell me about them in your comment! :) 

I've been praying for a long time for this virtue of willingness. I pray that no matter the situation, I meet it with an open and willing spirit, with a smile, laugh, and word of encouragement for others.

Please pray for Kathlene and Katie as they continue their trek across the country for the sake of the unborn; Emma as she trains with her teammates for Totus Tuus; and all FOCUS missionaries as they prepare to begin Summer Training. Thank you, dear friends, for reading!

Love,

JP II... Pray for Us!

What's so special about Camp Wojtyla?

Dear Friends,

Some of you may be asking this question. After all, there are thousands of camps throughout America every summer, and surely a couple hundred must be Catholic. What sets Wojtyla apart?

First things first: Camp Wojtyla actively strives to be authentically Catholic at every moment of the day. Recently, after telling a friend all of the awesome and epic things we do at Camp (rock climbing, alpine hikes, backpacking, repelling, sleeping in teepees and under the stars, etc) his first response was to say, "Ohhh, so, you guys are just "Catholic" in name then?"

This is an understandable (albeit unfortunate) reaction, because there are plenty of camps like that. The beautiful thing about Camp Wojtyla is that it is anything but this. Camp Wojtyla uses the experiences of the campers to ultimately teach them how to live as (and love being) a young Catholic. We seek to answer our call to New Evangelization, by re-awakening and re-invigorating Catholics who see the Church as something they attend on Sundays, and forget about the rest of the week. We want to foster a love for the depth, beauty, and universality of the Catholic Church.

So, it is through rock climbing...

and through summitting a mountain...

and through white-water rafting...

 ... that we discuss and develop metaphors for living the Christian life. It is really amazing to see the things that middle and high school students come up with, and when you add that to attending daily Mass, having a night of Reconciliation and Adoration of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and praying the Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplets, and Stations of the Cross, EVERYBODY, even the counselors, comes away with a deeper love and understanding of Catholicism. How awesome is that?!

There is so much more that sets Camp Wojtyla out among camps, but I am running out of space and time, so I'll leave you here. I can't believe it's almost time to leave!

As much as I have been preparing, I am still not ready! Please pray for the staff as we prepare to retreat, pray, and train in preparation for our campers. Pray for the future campers, that their hearts may be prepared for the goodness the Lord has prepared for them this summer!

Love,

JP II... Pray for Us!

P.S. Want to hear more about Camp, from the mouths of the camp directors themselves (Annie and Scott Powell)? Go here.

Summer Adventures, various and sundry.

Dear friends,

Summer. It's a great time-- a time I am most blessed with the ability to shut my books and computer and take off for the Rocky Mountains. (Not everyone is so lucky... sorry guys!)

I, however, am not the only one amongst my friends whom God has called to spectacular adventures, and more profoundly, service.

Five of my close friends are doing some incredible things with their summers, and I'd like to share their adventures with you. I promise they are worth checking out.

Just yesterday (at 6 AM!) I drove Kathlene and Katie to ATL so they could catch a flight to Seattle for the adventure of a lifetime. They are going to walk across the country. Yes, you heard me right. Across the country!! What's even more amazing about this is that they are doing it with Crossroads for the sake of tiny, voiceless, unborn lives. While walking, they will sport awesome Pro-Life shirts, pray outside abortion clinics, and spread the Pro-Life message to the people they encounter and the Parishes they stop at along the way.

These selfless girls won't be finished until August(!) at which point they will then leave from D.C. and fly to MADRID, SPAIN for WORLD YOUTH DAY!!! I wasn't kidding when I said adventure of a lifetime. (And after all this, they get to come back and move in to my apartment!!)

You can check out Kathlene's thoughts here and Katie's thoughts here. Please also join me in prayer for them and their mission!

Next to leave on their summer adventure will be Emma. She is going to Nashville to provide catechesis for both young children and teenagers in the diocese through Totus Tuus. She is perfect for this job-- she is great with kids, and loves, loves, LOVES Jesus!

You can read about her adventure here. Pray also for her and her teammates, and the kids they will be working with this summer.

Next to go will be Brittany and Caralyn. They are headed to Illinois for FOCUS New Staff Training, and after that, on to campuses to be FOCUS missionaries! While at training, they will build community with the other missionaries, attend daily mass and prayer, and learn tons of cool new things about evangelization on college campuses. These girls are perfect for this mission, and I am so excited to see the great works God does through them!

You can see Brittany's thoughts on this here and Caralyn's here! Please pray for them too!

(And if I listed every other one of my friends who will also be at staff training, I might run out of space on this blog!)

So there you have it! Considering that three of these people will be living with me next year (and one right next door), we are sure going to have so much to talk about in the fall.

I said it to Katie on her first day in Seattle-- I am in awe of the beautiful things the Lord has asked me and so many of my friends to do this summer. He has entrusted to us some precious tasks for the sake of His people. Pray that we may serve Him well. Even in our unworthiness, God still wants to use us in huge ways! Praise Him!

I pray that whatever God has called you to do this summer-- summer classes, jobs, whatver-- that you do if for His greater glory! God Bless.

Love,  

Bl. JP II... Pray for Us!

Dobrze!

A polish adverb, or interjection (as is used at Camp Wojtyla), meaning "all right!" or "good".

Pronounced simply: "Dōbja!"

This is our "camp word"-- we say this when something epically awesome has occurred... which is pretty often! I can't wait to get back in to the habit!

Camp Wojtyla Counselors say "Dobrze!" at the
end of an incredible and unforgettable summer! 

 Can't wait to see these mountains! Dobrze, God! 

Love,

JP II... Pray for Us!

Why Wojtyla?

When many hear Camp Wojtyla, a common response is "bless you". What's with the funny-looking name, huh?

Well, the answer to that question makes me unimaginably excited. The namesake of Camp Wojtyla was an incredibly holy and faithful man. Karol Wojtyla. Pope John Paul the second. John Paul the Great. JP II. Blessed John Paul the Second.

But what does Bl. JP II have to do with a camp? More than you can imagine! As a priest, JP II was known for taking his students camping and hiking in the Polish countryside.

JP II Hiking.

Also, when in Denver for World Youth Day in 1993, he made a visit to St. Malo's, where he hiked. The path he followed is now named after him, and is the first hike I made as a Camp Wojtyla staffer.

The JP II trailhead.

Further, Bl. JP II had a great tenderness for youth. He is at the heart of the mission of Camp Wojtyla, and there isn't a day that goes by when the call-and-response of "JP II... pray for us!" isn't heard.

Blessed John Paul II understood the value of youth as purveyors of the Gospel. He recognized the need to reach out to youth-- He was not content to wait until they had "grown up" to know the Lord. He instated World Youth Day during his Papacy to highlight his love and importance he placed on young people.

JP II said some beautiful things to the youth:

"Young people, Christ, the Church, the world, all depend and wait upon the witness of your lives, founded in the truth which Christ has revealed to us!" (1987)

"At the beginning of the third millennium, you also, young people, are called to proclaim the message of the Gospel with the testimony of your lives. The Church has need of your energies, your enthusiasm, of your youthful ideals to make the Gospel permeate the fabric of society and bring about a civilization of real justice and love free of discriminations. Now more than ever, in a world often without light and without the courage of noble ideals, it is not the time to be ashamed of the Gospel. Rather, it is the time to preach it from the housetops." (2004)

"My experience of young people tells me that they are interested in the basic questions. Probably the first question you would want to put to me is this: "Who am I, Pope John Paul II, according to the Gospel that you proclaim? What is the meaning of my life? Where am I going?" My answer, dear young people, is simple but hugely significant: You are a thought of God, you are a heart-beat of God. To say this is like saying that you have a value which in a sense is infinite, that you matter to God in your completely unique individuality." (2001)

Camp Wojtyla sees in young people what JP II did... the great power to spread the Gospel to the world. I can't read these addresses without feeling inspired!

JP II at St. Malo's.

Today is a special day. He is now Blessed. I firmly believe that his beatification is going to produce much fruit  in the "life" of Camp Wojtyla. How blessed we are to be his namesake!

Love,   

Bl. JP II... Pray for Us!

Where to begin?

Dear friends,

I'm discovering that I love Camp Wojtyla so much, and I am so excited about it, that I hardly know where to begin! Every time I sit down to write a blog post, I'm overwhelmed by the possibilities.

So, before I really dive in, I would love to hear from you guys. What things do you wonder about Camp? What would you love to hear about? I would love to hear your ideas, comments, or questions.

I eagerly await your return letters!

Love,           

P.S. I will do my best to insure you can comment on my blog whether you are a blogger member or not... so quit your lurking and leave me a comment (with your name), please!!

JP II... Pray for Us!

Things to get before June 6th.

a.k.a. things I should have had, but didn't, last time:

1. Sunglasses
2. Hat and gloves
3. Athletic swimsuit
4. Belt
5. Backpacking backpack
6. Non-cotton clothing
7. Watch (I thought my old faithful pink watch from last summer would make it, but one Pan y Vino retreat on hospitality team, and it was a goner...)
8. In shape!! ;)

Two months and counting!

Dear friends,

Amidst the absolute madness that has been my spring semester, it is easy for me to forget that I am going back to camp. And when I do remember, it makes everything a whole lot less stressful. (Unfortunately, no less busy!) It's crazy to think that in two months I'll be back in the beautiful Rockies, surrounded by incredible friends, some old, many new. I'll be encountering God face-to-face in His creation, and learning more about how to lead people to Him through incredible outdoor adventures. If you had told me at the start of my freshman year that I'd be spending my summers sleeping outside in a teepee and leading teenagers on hikes, I would have laughed at you. No, seriously.

It is amazing to see what God has done in my heart to show me what truly brings me joy through the way He is asking me to glorify Him. The confidence that I have gained in my abilities as a counselor, team member, sister, friend, and most importantly, daughter of God has enabled me to know Jesus in a way I've never experienced.

When I walked away from my friends in the Atlanta airport, I knew my life was about to get shaken up-- I didn't know how, to what extent, or even really where. Allenspark, Colorado was nothing more than an obscure dot on a google map, and Camp Wojtyla was something I could only visualize from the pictures I had stalked on facebook. I could never have begun to guess at the depth and strength of community I would find there. I couldn't predict the inner limits-- emotionally, spiritually, physically-- that I would struggle with at 13,000 ft. I didn't know the unparalleled splendor of an unpolluted night sky, and I certainly couldn't predict the beauty, laughter, tears, and prayer that would mark every single moment of my time at camp.

It was the longest and farthest I'd ever been away from home, and during that time I finally began to discover the woman God created me to be... as I mentioned before, a rather lengthy journey, but so worth it. (Sounds like winfinity to me!)

One of many beautiful things I saw in the first few days of my Camp W experience.

Until next time,

Love,

Allison

JP II... Pray for us!

Am I there yet?!

Dear You,

I can't wait for you to join me as I travel the many miles between the-Loveliest-Village-On-The-Plains-of Alabama and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to serve at my favorite place in the world-- Camp Wojtyla!

Last summer at Camp W changed my way of living in every way possible, and set me bushwhacking down the trail towards figuring out who God has painstakingly, meaningfully, and lovingly created me to be, and how to be that person to the fullest extent, every day of my life, with the greatest joy. Disclaimer: This perilous journey may or may not have involved bruises, cuts, and scratches, and the loss of some personal baggage. Right-o!

(It just occurred to me that the choice of adverbs in reference to 'created' was no coincidence... each beautifully (not by my skill, of course, but by God's) illustrates the different (yet, the same) natures of the Trinity. Painstakingly, because Jesus literally staked His precious life on me... His blood was spilled for my sins. Meaningfully, because God the Father is infinitely all knowing ["for I know the plans I have for you..."] and created me specially from the beasts of this world ["made in His image and likeness"]. And lovingly, because the Holy Spirit pours down the love of God in the form of Grace on me. What a beautiful mystery!)

Hopefully, I will be able to keep you updated with what we're up to at Camp, any prayer requests, or other thoughts...

But until then, you may wonder? Well, guys, I'm just too impatient. I thought of this blog idea back when returning to Camp W for 2011 was still just a twinkle in God's eye. I restrained myself, with what I consider to be incredible poise and grace (hah!), until I finally received confirmation that indeed my Jesus was allowing me to return.

So. Be on the lookout for a recap of Camp 2010 (I'll keep it short, I promise...) and other fun things!

JP II... Pray for Us!

With Love,

Allison