In the morning Joe woke up all the kids by banging on a metal pan with a big spoon! The kids came out of their tents grumbling and complaining, it was still dark! Joe pointed to the east where there was a gap in the trees. The sky was glowing orange, and he told the kids that they were just in time to watch the sunrise! In just a few minutes the sky got brighter and brighter and then the edge of the sun came over the horizon. Most of the kids had never taken time to watch a sunrise before, and it was one of the most awesome things they had ever seen!
After the sunrise, Joe cooked a big breakfast for the kids, and he told them that he had a surprise for them! Just as they were sitting and Joe was about to pray for the meal, they heard a truck coming down the road. The truck stopped and a man got out of the truck, and Joe introduced the man to the kids. The man’s name was Henry, and he was a good friend of Joe’s. Henry told the kids that they were camping at the edge of a national forest, and he was a forest ranger. He was going to be the guide for the kids and hike with them on their last day of nature camp!
Before they left, Joe had the kids roll up their sleeping bags, take down the tents and put everything in the back of Henry’s truck. Joe would drive the truck back to town while they were on the hike and then meet them at the end of the trail.
Finally, it was time to leave! They said goodbye to Joe, and he told them that he would see them later. Henry led the way into the forest on a good trail. They saw many interesting things and it was an exciting hike. They even saw two deer, that ran away as the kids got close to them! The most exciting thing they saw that morning was a waterfall. The water fell from a rocky ledge at the top of a steep hill, it was so beautiful! They used their phones to take pictures of each other by the waterfall.
After the waterfall the trail became harder, it went up that steep hill to the top of the waterfall! Henry was leading the way and Haley was right behind him when it happened! Haley slipped, fell, and started to roll down the hill! The rest of the kids were expecting something like this, so they were ready! They screamed and jumped off the trail in all directions! One of the boys grabbed Haley’s hair as she rolled past, and now she was screaming, but she stopped rolling and was safe. They continued the climb and Henry watched Haley very carefully so that she did not fall again! It was so hard to climb up that hill that when they finally got to the top, they did not feel like taking any more pictures!
After that first hill, they got to go downhill for a short time, but then there was an even bigger hill, and another bigger hill after that! The kids were so tired and discouraged, they wanted to quit! Henry told them that they needed to keep going and not give up. Henry reminded the kids that Joe was going to meet them at the end of the trail. The kids asked Henry how much further it was to the end of the trail, but Henry would not tell them. He told the kids that they needed to trust him and have faith that Joe would not send them on a hike that was impossible to finish. The kids groaned and followed Joe up the trail. This hill was the steepest hill yet, and some of the smaller kids could not keep going! The older kids took the younger kid’s hands and helped them to the top of the hill. Finally, the group got to the top of the hill! Some of the kids had tears running down their faces, they were so tired and now they were hungry too!
There was a great view from the top of that hill, they could see for miles! However, the kids did not like the view! They could see hill after hill, for miles! There seemed to be no end! Henry said to trust him and keep going, so they slowly follow him on the trail.
The trail curved to the left, and when they went around that curve, they could not believe their eyes! There was a road, and on that road was their bus, and beside their bus was Joe, and beside Joe was a big table loaded with food! The kids forgot how tired they were and ran to that table! As soon as Joe had prayed for the meal, they all began to eat as fast as they could! After they ate as much as they could, they all got on the bus and started the trip back to town.
While they were riding on the bus, Joe taught them a little more about God. Joe reminded the kids that when their life on this earth is over, believers will spend all eternity (forever) with God. It is hard to live for God on this earth, but a believer needs to just keep going just like the kids had keep going on the hike. In this life, Jesus promises to be with every believer every step of the journey just like Henry came on the hike and stayed with the kids every step of the hike.
In the Bible in Deuteronomy 31:6 it says:
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
In the Bible in John 14:18 Jesus says:
“No, I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you.”
Just like Joe promised the kids that he would see them at the end of the trail, Jesus promises that we will see Him again! Jesus also said that He would come to us! One of the biggest mysteries in the Bible is this promise made by Jesus! He is coming again to rescue all the believers from this world! That is right, some believers will not die, when Jesus returns, they will instantly go from life on this earth to life in heaven with Jesus! It will come as a surprise just like the kids were surprised when they went around that curve in the trail and found Joe waiting for them!
In the Bible in I Corinthians 15:51-55 it says:
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Joe told the kids that Jesus is going to return for us, it could be in a few years, a few weeks, or even today! Do not be discouraged or lose hope, Jesus will be with us and help us every step of the way, and then when we least expect it, He will surprise us with the greatest surprise ever! He will return and change us so that we will never die and take us instantly out of this world into heaven to be with Him! It could be today! Keep walking!
As the bus pulled into town, the kids realized that Nature Camp was finished, and that they would not see Joe and Haley every day anymore. They would miss Haley, her clumsiness, but also her love for them. Most of all they would miss Joe; he was always there for them and taught them so much about nature and about God! There were tears and a lot of hugging, but everyone was so happy that they had had the chance to spend time at the Medford Forest Nature Camp!