When I was first contacted with the offer of becoming the director of Baptist Park summer camp in 2005, I had one concern that I voiced immediately.  I told Pastor Jim that God had given my family an evangelistic ministry through the use of juggling and illusions, and it would be irresponsible of me to give that up for the camp directorship.  He said he understood, and then and there booked us to do a show at his church while we were in northern Maine for the summer!  Now that's support!

Now, eight years later, I continue to juggle juggling, camp  directing, and of course, the roles of husband and father.  Actually, all these roles mesh together into some kind of strange casserole of responsibilities.  Sue and our three daughters have worked side by side every summer, and that continues still today (minus one daughter who is spending the summer in a Ugandan orphanage.  If you become a facebook friend with Jona-Lynn, you will not believe the experiences she is having there.)  Sue runs arts and crafts, Naomi, 19, runs archery, and Rose, 11, just kinda runs around our 300+ acres of Maine wilderness.  Yet we always make sure we have family time, too.  A quick swim together; a hug in the dining hall; a late night movie and snack back in our cabin.

As for the juggling ministry part, here's what has happened so far:

First week: performed an illusion one night to make a point in our staff chapel time.

First weekend:  Sunday morning service at Easton Wesleyan Church

Second week:  Trained high school campers in some of these skills to go to a local nursing home to perform.

Performed in camp talent show with a CIT who also spins diabolo.

Third week:  Performed every morning for the jr. high camp morning chapel

Trained these campers in some routines for the closing chapel

Performed fire juggling in the camp talent show with a CIT who is also an accomplished jugglier

Juggled as part of our camp's "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (yeah, I know it's July, but camp life is  imaginative, if nothing else.)
    

Third weekend:  performed at the Easton Heritage Days variety show

Fourth week:  Performed every morning for the 9 - 12 year old camp morning chapel

Fourth weekend:  Performed at the 80th anniversary celebration for our camp. (That was just today, and it was a blast.  Good turnout, and good PR for the camp.)

The remaining two weeks of the summer follow a similar pattern.  So, clearly, God has led us to a place to spend our summers where He mixes our interests, skills and responsibilities - performing, teaching, camp life, family life, evangelism - into a bizarre concoction that has been,, for the last eight years, a refreshing summer treat.  Thank you, Lord.