Greetings all and Happy Monday ,
As I write this I am in Washington DC at a conference in my field (the IEEE Int. Microwave Symposium). A cool aspect is my son Ryan, who is studying electrical engineering and interning at our electronic software small business will be sort of shadowing me this week and we will meet with customers, attend technical talks and hang around our trade show booth together. Hoping for a great week ahead, which will include our annual ecumenical “Christian Fellowship Breakfast” myself and our Christian buddy Alfy launched together 12 years ago at this conference.
Last week as you may recall, I was helping chaperone a summer youth camp for 48 high school students - it was a phenomenal week. Camp Covecrest is one of several Catholic youth camps run by the Lifeteen organization and is staffed largely by summer missionaries who are college students and recent college grads who do an awesome job helping lead our students to Christ. Our group was the largest parish group of about 300 teens in total. The week and place is like a Christian bubble over a surreally beautiful mountain valley, where a combination of adventurous, fun, messy, challenging and most of all spiritual growth activities take place. All five of my now adult kids spent time at these camps. My daughter Nicole was also a summer missionary for three years at nearby Hidden Lake Lifeteen camp. Its hard to describe how powerful the camp experience can be for some of these kids in opening their eyes and hearts to the goodness and truth of God and many report encountering Jesus for the first time.
I gave my kids their space and only joined HS youth ministry core team after they had moved on. Its been a blessing and I’m truly inspired by so many of these kids, who in turn make me feel truly appreciated and loved back. This was my third year doing this and we have grown from 22 in 2022 to about 30 in year 2023 and 48 this year. One of my “things” is I lead whoever wants to come on hikes every morning before the scheduled programming begins.
Last year I met Fr. Francisco, a Franciscan friar who was also there last year. I had added him to my “Christian Buddies” email then - and he has been wondering since who has been sending him these crazy emails every week (as I’m so memorable he forgot about me …until I reminded him) . He’s back on the list and we had lots of great conversations - and he gave us several great homilies at daily masses during the week.
We also had a group of priests and a lay evangelist from Nigeria visiting who were there gaining inspiration to expand youth ministry back in Nigeria. I had a great conversation with Father Evaristus-Mary Oduntan pictured below. He is one of several new “Christian Buddies” added from camp last week.
I will close with a link and lyrics of a song that was on my heart all week and that my friend and Christian buddy Jonathan, also was a chaperone for our camp week, played for us at camp. Jonathan is an awesome musician who also leads the teen mass music ministry at our church.
As for me, I will continue to sing of the goodness of God.
Larry
"Goodness Of God"
I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah
And all my life You have been faithful, ohh
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God, yeah
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me, oh-ohh
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing
'Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God