Final Prayer Letter from PBC

Hello, I apologize for not writing for some time!

It has been a week since I came home from camp, and I’ve been busy helping with our university’s yearbook before school starts. My last week at PBC was quite hectic! I started the week very tired and anxious about certain things I needed to get done before camp ended. After a few restless nights, I was able to give my worries to God, who enabled me to finish the weekly video and most of the camp’s promotional video. My last few days in Utah were bitter-sweet; I was going to miss my new friends and the adventures we’d had and our daily worship around God’s Word. However, I was also prepared to go home after two months of being away. Now that I'm home, i am constantly reminded of PBC whenever I start singing a song I learned there—I love how at first I don't realize where the song is from and then I start imagining and hearing one of the song leaders like Justin or Luke passionately singing it. (Side note for future Abby: My favorite songs were Love and He Paid a Debt.)

Looking back at this summer which flew by, I can honestly say that the best thing that happened wasn’t my art trip to Europe nor the all-you-can-eat buffet on our cruise ship. Instead, the best thing was the love for God which grew in me. Before I worked at the Wilds of NC last summer, I had no intention of working at a Bible camp two summers in a row, and I definitely had no plan of ever visiting the west. I mean, that’s just a barren desert land, right? I was so wrong! Fortunately, the Lord opens doors and leads according to His will, and I was presented the opportunity to multiply the talents He has gifted me.

In the beginning of the summer, I prayed that I would fervently love God. It’s hard when things occupy our minds such as school and work, but being away from most of that, I was able to commune with Him even more. I certainly enjoyed all the fun us staff members had on the weekends—piling as many staffers as we could on one kayak, splurging on calories and getting left behind at Eden-A-La-Mode, adventuring through Walmart and buying unnecessary things, joining in on Justin’s random adventures and spelunking through a cave beside the highway, cliff-jumping 35 feet, and other fun stuff— but what really connected us were the times we sang praises to God underneath the stars, overlooking the valley where the unsaved slept; the times we shared each other’s struggles and cried together during prayer; and the times we forgot our own self-centeredness and focused on the bigger picture of life which is serving God and loving others.

I loved getting to know everyone, being excited to go along on Justin’s crazy adventures, anticipating Erin’s comical remarks, finishing Angelica’s thoughts, having inside jokes and quote books, and expecting Birch’s dab (don’t ask, haha!), but truly, deeply, I am eternally grateful for the growth in my yearning to love Christ, encouraged by the fellowship with believers.

Now that I’m home, I am facing the ultimate test of keeping what I’ve learned from the summer (II Timothy 3:14). Pray that although, I don’t have the active camp lifestyle to push me to stay active for Christ, I will still have the same mindset of pursuing Christ and investing in others! This fall semester, I will be a junior graphic design major and I’m looking forward to seeing how God will use me in the lives of others.

To wrap this all up, I’d like to appreciate you for taking time and supporting me this summer. Your prayers were not in vain. Marvelous works were done in Utah; during one of the weeks, 19 campers received Christ as their personal Savior and more campers came forward on the other weeks. A few prayer requests on behalf of the camp is one regarding the family camp they are hosting in September and another one regarding the camp’s need for a new water system. The well they are raising funds for will cost thousands of dollars, and we are relying on God to provide every penny, as He has in the past. This week, I just posted a promotional video. Pray that through this marketing tactic, more potential campers will hear about PBC.

If you’d like to know more about Pioneer Bible Camp, feel free to visit their website at https://www.pbcutah.com/about-us/ and view photos and watch videos I took this summer at https://www.facebook.com/pg/pbcutah/videos/.

Thanks again & God bless!

Abby Marasigan