Survivor Night

Gabriella and Mikey had the chance to participate in their very first Little River Survivor Night this weekend. I typically don't tell of exciting happenings until the day before or the day of but this event is one the kids have known of for weeks now and they have barely been able to contain their excitement. We've been promoting the event during Little River services, encouraging the kids to spread the word and invite their friends. I must say, Gabriella followed those directions very well. She told almost everyone she came in contact with and invited them to be a part. It was really sweet to see genuine excitement fuel the desire to share exciting news. 

We had a remarkable 60 kids and 15 staff come out for Survivor Night. It was an amazing turnout. Everything went so smoothly but most importantly, everyone had a blast. We had pizza and snacks, team building activities, devotions, games and movies. Oh yes, and sleep. Eventually. :)  

Gabriella specifically asked me to take a picture of her sleeping bag after she finished setting it up. :) 

I couldn't resist taking a picture of a few sleeping cuties! 

Mikey hung out with us until after game time was over then he, Daddy and Josiah headed home to sleep a bit more comfortably in their own beds. Mikey did an incredible job listening and working with his team. Seconds after he left, I missed him tremendously. 

I can't forget to mention that when Gabriella was evangelizing about the "sleepover at the church", one of the things she was sure to tell others was that she had plans to stay up ALL night. Well, she didn't make it all night but did make it until about 2:15ish in the morning. That's pretty remarkable for a five year old. 

Aside: As I watched Gabriella's excitement over this event I felt a stirring in my heart and prayed that God would allow our passion and our love for Him to fuel an undeniable yearning to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet.