Instagram story viewer> @cams__journal> Posts

Cam

@cams__journal

200

followers

69

following

🇿🇦
@cam.bauer25

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Wow… today marks one month back at home!!

It’s taken me a whole month to write this post cause it’s so hard to put into words what happened over those two months away!

Here’s just a small glimpse of what I learned!!

This trip marked the first time I was away from my family/home for more than a week! Kinda my style to jump head first into the deep end :)
This was also the first time I ever experienced real fear and almost anxiety… I was already an emotional wreck the first week when I found out that my dog died. Something so simple sent me into an absolute spiral into crying myself to sleep at night wondering if the people I love would still be there when I got home.
It was quite an awful for a while but it taught me a lesson I’d never had to learn before… how to fully rely on God and trust that he’s got it under control even when it doesn’t feel like it!

Like I shared, the first week was rough. And in that I learned and found so much comfort in the fact that Jesus cried too!! He catches every tear and feels my pain so it’s ok to cry! It feels so much better in the long run to just let the emotion out because when you hold it in it leads to nothing good for you or the people around you!!

And then the most resounding thing from all 8 weeks was ITS NOT ABOUT YOU!!! None of it is!! It’s so easy to get lost and not realize how often you really are putting your needs above others. It was honestly kind of a shock… it’s just kept coming up and honestly I don’t know if I’ve ever been more humbled in my life. Throughout the month of May we did a city wide campaign called No More Shadows. We went into over 140 schools and got to give over 71,600 students a gospel message and tell them how loved they are and that suicide is not the answer! Hugging girls as they tell you they’ve been abused, no one loves them and they’ve thought about ending it all is a pretty humbling experience. It’s not about you.

Continued in the comments!! taken in Mokopane by @cams__journal

232

6

a year ago

Week 8:

Ministry
Lots of emotions
Beating fear
Animals
New friends
Coffee
Travel

Woah. Honestly two months ago I wasn’t sure if I would live to see this day!

Two months has flown! Big recap post coming soon so I’ll try to focus on just this week!

Right now there is only one more plane ride between me and the best hugs in the whole wide world and I couldn’t be more excited about it!!!!!

The hard thing is… as excited as I am to see my family, my people in South Africa have been my family for the last two months. As I was hugging Hannah yesterday I had a little bit of a cry because the reality is when I need a hug, my SA family was there. When I need to be around people they were there. When I needed a cup of coffee or some encouragement or just someone to cheer me on they were there. (Of course my family was to but there’s only so much you can do through FaceTime)

All that to say, through the roller coaster of emotions I’ve felt in the last two months one of the most comforting things is that Jesus cried too. He felt big emotions too. And on top of that God sees every tear that falls. So no matter what the tears are for, good or bad, it’s ok! God’s got the situation, he’s got you, he’s in control and makes everything perfect in its time!

So next time you feel those emotions… cry those tears!! I promise you it feels better to let them out and let God comfort you then to hold them in and try and do it on your own!

ALSO! Almost brought a friend home 😅 (last pic) by @cams__journal

95

2

a year ago

Week 7:

More early mornings
More ministry
Lots of coffee
Teaching moments
A sense of responsibility
New and old friends
My first rugby game
So many hugs

Wow… one week left. It doesn’t even seem real.
It’s finally hit me over the last few days that this is really it. All the relationships I’ve built, all the people I’ve met, the routine I’ve found… it’s all coming to an end.

This week I’ve found myself being extra intentional with every interaction I have! But it has made me stop and ask why I haven’t been doing this since I got here, let alone for the last few years. I’ve seen in this last week and the week before I left, that it is so much easier to be intentional when you know your time with someone is coming to an end. But what should our relationships look like if we treated everyday like that. Because as cliche as it sounds you never know what day will be your last.
So my challenge for you is this week go through everyday being intentional with every interaction you have!! by @cams__journal

90

0

a year ago

Week 6:

Early mornings
Ministry
Travel
Much needed girl time :)
Lots of coffee
New friends
So many smiles

My prayer since day two of this trip was that the days would feel long and I could make the most of every moment, but the weeks would feel short and I could hug my mama. Well 40 days later I can tell you that prayer has been answered! It doesn’t even feel real that I’ve been here for 42 days / 6 weeks!! Every one of those days I’ve been able to be fully present and soak in every second but then it comes time to post again and I realize that the weeks flew by!!
TYJ for answered prayers!

Also mom, happy Mother’s Day! I miss you every day but today a little extra! I promise I’ll take you on a coffee date to make up for it!!
See you so so soon! ♥️

*Also thanks Cayla for becoming my personal photographer :) by @cams__journal

103

3

a year ago

Week 5:

Intentionality
Learning experiences
Friends becoming family
My first game auction :)
Rest
Good food
A sense of home

3 weeks left! The countdown is on 🥲
This last week I’ve had a lot of time to rest and to just think. It has taken awhile to sort out all of the emotions!! I love it here so much and would never trade being here for the world! But there is also the part of me that just longs for home… the part that want to hug my mom, see my dad graduate, be at all the baseball and softball games, be at encounter!
It’s been a good teaching moment to see that you can love to things at once and that’s not a bad thing!

Another thing I’ve thought about a lot is the power of your yes! Time after time in my life I’ve sat and questioned, “God why me?”. Why are you giving me these opportunities, why do you open these doors, what’s more special about me than the next person? And that answer that I come to time after time is that I said yes. I didn’t know where it lead or what it meant but I said yes. There is so much power in your yes!! In 6th grade when I told God yes for the first time I had no idea I’d end up here but look at my story now!!
You never know what’s on the other side of your yes so be brave, trust God, let him handle and rest and watch as he uses your life in bigger ways then you could ever ask dream or imagine!!! by @cams__journal

92

5

a year ago

Week 4:

Lots of sunsets
Good food
School ministry
Brazilian team
New jobs
A LOT of rain
Speaking
Wedding crashing

Woah we’re already a month in!! It feels like I’ve been here for a week but also three months all at the same time!

This week was full! Gabi and her team came and it has been so fun to learn about their culture!!

I had the opportunity to speak at youth Friday night and there was a great response!! So many kids raised their hands saying this week they are going to step out and share Jesus with a friend!!

Also got to crash my first wedding and hopefully not my last 😂 by @cams__journal

89

0

a year ago

Week 3:

Slowing down
Rest days
Easter
More friends
New comfort
A sense of family

The last three weeks have taught me to be flexible, something I thought I was, until I wasn’t in charge of my own schedule :)

The last three weeks have taught me that it’s ok to miss home and still enjoy every minute here!

The last three weeks have taught me that the world is so much bigger than what’s out your window!

The last three weeks have confirmed just how good Jesus is and have given me so much more joy in following where he leads!! taken in Celebration Church - Mokopane by @cams__journal

99

0

a year ago

Week 2:

Settling in
Finding a routine
Facing lots of fears
Learning the culture
School ministry
Youth nights
Finding my people

Something I’ve challenged myself with the last two weeks is to write down 10 things I am thankful for every night… those first few days it was a challenge but now some nights I have to leave things out!!
I wanna encourage you to try it! Just do it for a few days and see how looking for things to be thankful for through your day can change your entire outlook and mood!! by @cams__journal

107

5

2 years ago

Week 1:

Travel
Lots of kids ministry
Making new friends
The name “auntie cam” 🥲
A new meaning to peace
Greater joy
A sense of excitement
And already so many teaching moments!

Thank you Jesus for the uncomfortable, the new, the encouraging, Mokopane, and most of all, FaceTime :) by @cams__journal

120

2

2 years ago

Hi all!! I leave in 20 days for a two month internship in South Africa! Throughout my trip I’ll be keeping this page updated!
See you in three weeks!! taken in South Africa by @cams__journal

50

0

2 years ago