Bell Ringers.

Here at K7 there is only one thing that can make every single person in kamp stop whatever it is they're doing, jump up and down with excitement and scream, yell and cheer as loud as possible. It's not a hilarious skit from our programs team; it's not the birthday cheer, it's not even the Hoedown Throwdown! There is but one sound that can bring tears to your eyes and chills from your head to toes while simultaneously producing a smile from ear to ear..and that sound is the sound of the bell ringing!

Out on the office porch, right above our wooden cross, sits a large, old cast iron bell that has been there for years and years. It sits in its' spot year round-seeing the winter months when no one is around anxiously awaiting June when kampers finally arrive again! We like to think the bell is content sitting still for those 9 months and looks forward to the break as it is constantly ringing from June-August...and we wouldn't have it any other way!

When we hear the beautiful sound of the bell ringing it means one thing: someone has just become a believer and we have a new brother or sister in Christ!! When a Kamper comes to know the Lord they grab the rest of their TP and run up to the office to let everyone else in Kamp know they are a new Christian! Once the bell is rung you will hear yells, screams, hoops and hollers from all over Kamp as everyone is rejoicing in their decision to follow the Lord!

A few summers back we heard the bell ring on closing day while parents were still here. One of our precious Kampers was telling their dad about the decision she had made during the week to follow the Lord. She told him of God's love and the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. The Spirit was moving in this dad because right then and there he accepted Christ for the very first time! This little girl led her dad to the Lord and was so excited about it she took her dad up to ring the bell so everyone in Kamp could know her dad just became a Christian! Our beautiful, old bell has seen men and women of all ages ring her proudly as a symbol of their new found faith!

So far this summer we've had over 500 kids become Christians. Praise the Lord! God is doing unbelievable things in the hearts of our Kampers (and staff, too!) and we are unbelievably humbled to be a part of it! Our prayer is that the bell will continue to ring day and night until the last Kamper leaves on August 13!

We have a saying around here: the sound of the bell ringing is the most beautiful sound in all of the world. I think we'd all agree that we'll never get tired of hearing that old cast iron bell ring loudly over Kamp.