When I was in grades 7 and 8 at Chilliwack Middle School, life got tough. There were many temptations and because everyone knew I was a christian it seemed especially difficult at times. I was very self-conscious and insecure. Because of this, I put up a front and people saw me as mean and snobby. When it came to speech time in my grade 8 English class, I decided to talk about christianity. I didn't do too well . . . I only got a "B", I mumbled the whole thing and now everyone who already disliked me was mad because I basically told them that they weren't going to heaven and they were definitely not coming back as turtles!

However, I learned a lot while doing research for that speech and in the Spring of 2002, I took the True Love Waits vow. I was still worried about what others thought of me, but I knew that God would always be on my side. That summer was my last year as a camper at the camp now called Stillwood. I kept on learning more and more about what God wanted of me and on November 17, 2002 I was baptized.

The summer after Grade 9, I came to Stillwood for 3 1/2 weeks on workcrew. I learned a lot and realized that it doesn't matter what other people think about me, but what God thinks. That Fall, I went to Chilliwack Senior as a Grade 10 student. Looking back, that year was a blob of my life that not much happened for me - spiritually or otherwise.

The next summer, I went to Camp as a Counsellor-In-Training, where I learned a lot including what my Spiritual Gifts were, how to share Jesus with others and some very helpful leadership skills. When I went into Grade 11 at CSS, I was almost the real me for the first time in my life. I didn't care about appearances or social status anymore. I was still pretty quiet, (with the occasional "Janine outburst"). I also was more accepting of others and more willing to meet new people as I was also opening up to more types of personalities that I couldn't handle before. Now,(in summer of 2005) I'm at camp again and I have again learned so much!

You have to take one day at a time and realize that "today is the greatest day of your life!" This race of life we are running is a long and difficult one, made easier if we let God run with us.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthains 12:19-20