Talent Show at Teen Haven Camp

It was our first girl’s weekend camp of the school year. Our group had just arrived to the camp ground and headed straight for the dining hall. As I walked in I saw a girl shoot a shy smile my way. It was Tiana*. Tiana was a camper I had this past summer. The cabin she was part of was one of the most challenging cabins I’ve ever lead. In just a split second the memories of frustration and “fed-up-ness” hit me like a Mack truck, but when we hugged I felt so overwhelmed with love and affection for her that the memories of that week of camp immediately disappeared. We hugged and her countenance changed. It was almost like she was relieved that I remembered her and still hugged her…yea, that’s how bad it was.

Anyway, this weekend’s theme was talent show. Sign up was Saturday morning right after chapel and as the girls were getting in line Tiana comes up to me and with frustration in her tone says that she wants to do a talent but she doesn’t know what. I made some suggestions that she wasn’t excited about then she asked me to do a skit with her. Of course I wasn’t going to say no, so we started practicing for a skit based on friendship and how Jesus is the best best friend to have. She was so excited about it, until it was time for the actual show. She came up to me looking like a scared little girl…mostly because she was a scared little girl, saying that she didn’t want to do it. She was afraid everyone would laugh at her and she didn’t want people laughing at her. I told her if they laugh they’d be laughing at me and we practiced too much to give up and we’re going to do it cause everyone should know how to make Jesus their best friend. So when they called our names I took my place, she took hers and we did it! I was so proud of her. She did great!

On Sunday afternoon, after lunch, Miss Elizabeth began to make the announcements for who won the talent show. She began with 3rd place, then 2nd. Unassumingly I waited for the announcement of 1st place when I heard “Tianina!” (Tiana and Nina put together, which was our groups name) Tiana looked at me with eyes so big I thought they’d drop out of their sockets! She was shocked and not knowing what to do she just stayed in her seat with her jaw almost hitting the floor. She snapped out of it when I got up, we hugged (more like I hugged her) and we went forward and got our prizes. After sitting back down she shot me a shy smile again and whispered, “Thank you”.

As we all got dismissed to go home, God gave me the opportunity to share this message from Him with her. “You followed through with it for Me, and I rewarded you more than you could have ever imaged. Always remember that that’s who I am, a rewarder.” She smiled and shook her head in agreement and acknowledgement of what she’d just heard, then we hugged, again, and she said she’d see me next time. I know she’ll remember that moment for a long time.

I pray that we would also know that Jesus is a rewarder. He’s not looking for our falling short, His heart is to reward us for our faith even above and beyond what we could ever ask or imagine.

Nina Maldonado • Teen Haven, Lancaster Girls Program Coordinator

*Names of youth have been changed