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Jeff Luce

@jeffdluce

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I get it. I know you probably get tired of hearing how much I love camp.

I really do.

I just cannot imagine being anywhere else during the summer. I truly hope God lets me do this for many, many more years, because there is just nothing quite like watching these students come alive out here.

It starts at 8:00 in the morning, and for our staff, it usually ends somewhere around 2:00 in the morning. Most people would call that exhausting. We call it camp.

This picture was taken at 11:15 at night. Not 7:00. Not right after dinner. 11:15.

At that point, a normal person might be brushing their teeth, turning off the lights, and making wise adult decisions. Meanwhile, about 675 students are chanting, cheering, laughing, and playing crazy games in the mud like it is the greatest thing that has ever happened to them.

Honestly, I love watching them love it.

There is something really incredible about seeing students so fully alive. They worship hard. They play hard. They encourage each other. They make new friends. They get muddy. They laugh until they can barely breathe. Somewhere in all of that, God keeps doing things that we could never manufacture on our own.

I think sometimes people my age can get so busy rushing toward retirement that we miss some of the joy God is giving us right now. I don’t want to miss this.

I am thankful for a church family that lets me be gone for these weeks. I am thankful for staff who pour themselves out every day. I am thankful for students who remind me that joy is a gift from God.

I used to think it would be amazing to get paid to play baseball. A game I love, and a check to go with it. What a win, right? This is not baseball, and it is not a paying gig for me, but God is SO allowing me to do what I love, at 11:15pm, watching students play games in the mud and I am reminded again that I would not want to be anywhere else. by @jeffdluce

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4 months ago

Day one of staff retreat is in the books and it was incredible. One hundred thirty eight of us showed up and every single one arrived safely. That alone feels like a small gift from the Lord.

Luke Allen taught and Luke Teutsch led us in worship in a way that felt both honest and strong. For some, this was their very first staff event. I hope they felt seen and welcomed. For others, this was their fortieth plus staff event. I hope they were reminded how much their faithfulness matters.

It takes experience. It takes energy. It takes young voices and steady hands. When it all works together, it is an amazing thing to watch.

One of my favorite parts is the staff version of campfire. During the summer we do campfire without an actual fire. At retreat we build a real one. S’mores. Hot dogs. Worship under the night sky. Laughter that carries into the trees.

There is something sacred about watching people who have poured themselves out all summer finally sit still and let God pour back into them. I love Fuego staff. Please pray that what started tonight keeps going long after that fire goes out. by @jeffdluce

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8 months ago

The Good Kind of Hard

Sometimes camp is hard. Not because it’s broken, but because it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do.

See, youth camp isn’t just a getaway, it’s a mission trip. Not to another continent, but to our own hometowns. It’s the saved bringing the lost. It’s the awkward conversations, the quiet tears, and the late-night prayers. It’s a kid from Bossier, Louisiana bringing a friend from his math class who doesn’t know Jesus. It’s a girl from Milton, Florida inviting the girl she used to fight with in gym. They’re from a hundred different towns, all with similar stories, “Here’s my friend for whom I’ve been praying will know Jesus as Lord.”

And when those lost friends show up, they don’t always act “campy.” They might be loud, stubborn, skeptical, or even a little wild. But every time I have to pull a student aside for “a conversation,” I remind myself: this is the mission field. We prayed they’d come and they did.

Last night, 107 of them stood up. Some were “prodigals” coming home. Others were hearing His voice for the very first time. All of them walked out different.

Tomorrow’s our last full day of the summer. Which is crazy to me.

It’s almost over. But the mission? That’s just beginning. I have to wait 10 months to do it again, but I am so thankful I will get to.

Pray with us, for courage, for clarity, and for the name of Jesus to be lifted high one more time. Pray for these campers. Pray for our Camp Fuego staff. Pray not a minute Is wasted in our very last day….of this very important mission trip.

“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you…” Mark 5:19 by @jeffdluce

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a year ago

Fuego Family Fridays: Jonathan, Katie, & Reagan

This is one of those photos that makes me stop and smile. On the left is our daughter Reagan Malerie Luce, and beside her are Katie and Jonathan Hurt, two people who met serving at Camp Fuego about ten years ago. They didn’t come to camp looking for each other, but they both came to serve and in the midst of their obedience, God did something more.

They started dating shortly after their summers at camp, got married, and now they’re raising two great kids. This weekend, they came back, not just to visit, but to serve as our Camp Parents and honestly, it felt like they’d never left.

There’s a verse in 1 Samuel 2:30 that reads, “For those who honor me will I also honor.” I believe that’s what happened here. God honored their hearts of service, not just by blessing them with each other, but by allowing them to come full circle and pour into the next generation of staffers, right back where it all began.

Camp has changed over the years. The schedule’s a little different. The games are louder. The pins are new. But the best part, the part where you grow in Jesus with your closest friends, that part hasn’t changed a bit.

If you’re a former staffer, we miss you. Come back and see us sometime. You might just find that the place you left still feels like home. Your Fuego Family is still here and would love to see you again. by @jeffdluce

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a year ago

I so love being on staff at FBC Haughton! These people are so great! Today, Becca Perry made chocolate chip cookies for the staff…and since I’m not a chocolate fan, she left the chips out of some for me! I love this place! Thanks Becca! by @jeffdluce

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2 years ago

About to say goodbye to a really great group of 500 campers. We will be giving out 9 iPads to students who have been at camp every year since 6th grade. I know 9 might seem small out of 500 but honestly I think it’s amazing.
These kids have been plugged into their church fully since they started middle school and we get to honor them right before they head to college/work. So honored. by @jeffdluce

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2 years ago

It is such an honor to have the opportunity to worship with these campers. I am truly thankful. by @jeffdluce

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2 years ago

I love “camp fire.” It’s incredible getting to worship with these students. by @jeffdluce

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2 years ago

Session 5 is just starting. Please pray for these students as they hear the gospel. by @jeffdluce

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2 years ago

Very grateful to have front rows seats to this. Thank you to all of you who prayed for this night and all those ahead. It’s been an amazing week. by @jeffdluce

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2 years ago

We will see how it goes… by @jeffdluce

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3 years ago

Yes, I agree…it’s fairly sad when I drive by a neighbor’s trash and feel jealous…. by @jeffdluce

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3 years ago