Pictures

I still can't get the uploader to work, which is a bummer. I could try on Facebook, but most of you don't have that ;) So I PROMISE that when I get home and have a faster internet connection, that I will post my pictures from this summer on here! But here are the few that I could get on photobucket.com:
I couldn't get the labels to come up but the first one is my Growth Team. Which by the way, I forgot to mention something about that. On all Campus Crusade summer projects, the leaders leave halfway through and the students take over their positions. Rebecca was our Growth Team leader and she asked me to be the new leader! So now I lead our Bible study and do one-on-ones with each of the girls except Liz, who is an intern and left with the staff. They left this past Sunday...sadness :(
So, in the first picture, it is me, Whitney, Liz, Katy, Rebecca, and Crescen. Awesome group!

Here Again

Hey guys!
Again, sorry it's been so long in between my writing. Well, since Denver it has been great. Through the past 5 camp weeks we have had 3 people come to Christ, all of them with very difficult home lives. One boy was an atheist, another girl has parents who are on drugs and her home life is really rough, and just recently another girl came to Christ. She also has a hard home life as well. One of the girls here was in a gang and after being here she wants to get out. Please pray for her, because getting out of gangs is not as easy as it seems. Many people actually get killed when they try to get out of that lifestyle. There was one boy here who's story brought us all to tears. He has grown up with a mom who was addicted to cocaine and an absent father. His aunt raised him after his mom didn't want him anymore and his uncle mistreated he and his brother. He doesn't have any family besides them and they don't even feed or clothe them. He has pretty much been fending for himself and his brother since he was little. His brother is now in jail, but what is so amazing is that this boy's faith has remained so strong through it all. He is only 17 and he wants so badly for his parents and brother to see him graduate but they won't be there. These are the kinds of hardships that these kids are going through. It breaks my heart, but God is showing me His heart for His people through this and it is so awesome! I love urban ministry and it has become close to my heart. God has begun to develop a deep compassion in me for people and I can only give Him the glory for it. I am so excited to hear what He is doing in these young student's lives. I have heard back from a few of my campers by email when I had the chance to check it a few weeks ago. Camp has been wonderful and a life changing experience. I love all the students that come here. Two weeks ago on the fourth of July, one of the guys from Snowridge, Brian, invited us all to go to his house to celebrate the 4th. It was awesome. His family was so kind to us and we got to go see real fireworks. When we got home, we were refreshed and ready for the next group of campers. I just want you guys to know that this has been the most amazing summer of my life. Here in the mountains away from the world, awesome things happen and God really moves. These children have tough lives, but when they go back, they carry with them a hope that will last eternity. Pray for them as they return back to a place where gangs are prevalent, drugs are all around them, and they are being told daily that they will never amount to anything. Also pray for us as we have one more week of camp after mentoring week this week, that we will remain strong and that God will give us energy and love to be all we can be for these kids and not slack off the last week. We are all so exhausted, but it is so rewarding. I can't wait to come home, but I'm going to miss this camp and all these people so much! Thank you all who have stuck by me through all of this and have supported me! I love you!
Amanda

Sorry

Hey guys...I can't get the uploader to work, so pictures are going to have to wait a bit longer...Sorry Have an awesome weekend and I'll be on again sometime soon!

P.S.

You can click on the pictures and they will come up on a new screen zoomed up ;)

Pictures...kinda

1

2

3

Okay. So this uploader is taking forever so I'm just going to put it on another easier website and give you the link. But the first picture is me on one of our creek exploring times about the second day here and the last two are of our first hike. In picture 2 from left to right is Whitney, Hannah, and me. In picture 3 from top left to right is Jacob, Whitney, Katy, Crescen, Allisa, Ashton, Bryan, Courtney R., Angela, Rebecca, me, Katie, Danielle, Liz and James.

At Snowridge!

Hey guys!
I am so sorry I haven't been on in a long time! Just an update. It is awesome up here! I'm going to post some pictures for you to see some of the things we've been doing and who I've been doing it with. First week was ministry training, which was great because we all got to know each other really well before our campers got here. We went on our first hike and I camped out for the first time! It was a bit tough at first with the thin air and climbing the mountains! The first week of camp was great! We have on and off weeks, so my first one I was not a councelor. I helped with the behind the scenes stuff like meals and relieving the councelors for a few hours of free time every day. The best week was this one, when we got to go to Denver for urban training! We stayed at Sun Valley church, which is part of a local ministry for the urban kids. The girls stayed in the house next door, owned by the church, and the guys stayed in the church. This Monday we ate lunch with a homeless person. It was great, but the guy that we took out to lunch was very quiet. But it really opened my eyes to the stereotypes that I didn't even know I held. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of these people who started out with a normal life and then have somehow ended up where they are today on the streets. We went to a Rockies game on my birthday (June 16th) and it was fun...although I'm not that big into baseball, but the people made it fun. On Tuesday of this week we went to a ministry site where we hung out with kids that underpriveledged and are part of the local ministry called New Life. Playing with the kids was fun and we spent the day with them. On Wednesday we had more urban training and then got free time where we went to a couple of places in the city. That night we went to a cookout with the kids we were spending time with in Denver and I went kayaking! It was a lot of fun. Afterwards we decided to go splunking (sp?) and that was an awesome experience. We climbed the mountain until we found a cave to go into and went through the cave. At the top it was the most amazing view. I loved it! Thursday we came back home and stopped at one of the guy's houses from project. We had a cookout and all hung out. Yesterday was a really fun day because we climbed the sand dunes and then went to a waterfall nearby which was FREEZING. Tomorrow (Sunday) I start my first councelor week and I will try to keep you updated (probably next Saturday, my day off). Be praying that I will have the strength and the patience to get through this week because it will be trying at times. Most of these children have never been disciplined, nor ever been out of the city, so this week is going to be harder than the first. I appreciate everyone's prayers and support and I will be back on here soon! I love you all!
Amanda

My Address for the Summer!

Amanda Loveland
Campus Crusade for Christ
Horn Creek Conference Center
6758 County Rd, 130
Westcliffe, CO 81252

I'm on my way!