Staff Training

This year, we had a large turnover in our core staff. I will admit that on the first day of Staff Training, I was mildly concerned over the idea of being a new program director, with a load of green new recruits! But it was clear, by the end of the season opener Fantostoball game, that this was going to be a wonderful team.

And truly, it was. Driving in from Mayerthorpe and Mannville, flying from Montreal and Missouri (OK, so Oregon. But that doesn't start with M! :P ) assembled a better body of people than I could have asked for, committed to telling the message of God, and living it in their lives. My only regret was the absence of some dearly loved fellow soldiers, with whom I have had the honour of working with (and under =) in the past. It was truly a blessing from the hand of God.

As of tomorrow morning, the only remaining program staff on the property will be your beloved sister and your foster brother. We are left yearning for those we came to know and love over the summer, but reveling in what God has done. I miss you!

Ian

Done

It's over! Finished. Complete - and we know that God will bring the repercussions of this summer to an awesome true completeness, to His glory in the hearts of campers, my fellow staff, and myself. (Philippians 1:6)

It's been good.

And yet, although me missed you to the bottoms of our big toes, we told you little about it. (I hope you understand the busyness as P.D. ;) So, my idea is to work through the summer again, and tell you about it along the way. Let's see how it goes!

Mission Messenger - #4

Eeyore

Some campers are easy to love, some you know that God sent to you to aid in your sanctification.  ‘Roo’ was definitely one of the latter.  Before the end of the first night it was clear that he needed full-time supervision.  It wasn’t that he was a bad kid, per se, he was just very high-energy and high-maintenance.  Roo had been diagnosed with high-functioning autism and, being the bright child that he is, had figured out that he could use that diagnosis as an excuse for almost any behaviour.  Before we could even get to staff meeting Monday morning to discuss how to best care for him; he had to be rescued from at least one sticky situation.  At one point Roo had caught a frog and decided that it was safest in his back pocket.  The other campers knew that it wasn’t and started chasing, screaming after him.  By the time ‘Rabbit’ could get there, he was 20 feet up a tree with a crowd of distraught children at the base!

So ‘Operation 100 Acre Woods’ was put into play.  Roo bonded right away with one particular staff member: Kanga.  Kanga is one of the sweetest, most loving girls I’ve ever met, and her energy matched Roo’s step for step.  By the end of the week, with several different staff members pitching in to help, we had assembled nearly the entire cast of Winnie the Pooh in code names.  Jordan was Kanga, Mr. Greg became Christopher Robin, Nathan turned into Eeyore, Ian and Tim turned into Rabbit and Piglet respectively.  Every one poured their hearts wholeheartedly into trying to keep him safe and show him the love of God.

We could have told his parents we couldn’t handle him.  We could have sent him home Sunday night – but thank the Lord we didn’t!  Thursday afternoon he went up to his team leader during verse time and told her that he wanted to learn the verse today!  Six verses – word perfect – later, he was begging to know more.  Roo sat with Marie for almost half an hour, with a totally clear and cohesive mind as she answered his questions about God and the Bible.

It’s often tempting to think “O, he can’t really understand the gospel anyways.” and to give your efforts to campers who are easier to work with.  The truth is though, that these things are spiritually discerned – and anyone can understand them.  I don’t know if Roo got saved or not, I hope he did, but I do know that God opened his heart to want to know and his mind to understand. 

Kanga

We gave what we could…and the rest is up to God!! (O glorious thought!)

(Article by Laurel)

Mission Messenger #3

 Having been a cabin leader all summer for several years at RHBC, I have learned that in many ways, teen camp is the easiest camp that we run.  Most of the campers have been coming for years, and know the drill.  When you send a camper to chapel, you don’t have to remind him where it is, or that he needs to take his bible along.  When you ask for quiet, they usually have enough self-control to give it, at least for a minute or two.  They’ll usually even stay awake through devotions, and pay attention, too.  Obviously, there are unique challenges, however.  Many of them have typical teenager attitude problems, and can be harder to convince to cooperate than younger campers.  Their spiritual and emotional needs and concerns tend to be deeper, too, and sometimes harder to minister to.  Some of these campers have heard the gospel here already, year after year, yet have consistently rejected it.  This year, it quickly became apparent that most of the boys in my cabin had been Christians for years, with the exception of one, who I’ll call Rylee.  By the end of devotions, on the first night, it was apparent that he had virtually no Bible knowledge, but a great desire to learn.  On the second night, he announced that he had always been an atheist, but now he was starting to reconsider.  That comment spurred us all on to make sure that he was presented with the gospel as clearly and as often as we could manage, as well as some of the reasons that we can be sure it’s true.  By the last night he had concluded that God has indeed proved both His existence and His power, but he still wanted some time to think about it.  Although he left here before becoming a Christian, it was incredible to see how far God brought him in a week, and I continue to pray that God would neither permit Him to forget what he learned here, nor give him peace until he comes to Him.

 

Nathanael King,

Cabin Leader

Mission Messenger #2

“I hate squirt camp, I hate squirt camp!” That was my quiet yet whimpering cry to another staff member. Registration was starting and I looked at a child I knew was going to be in my cabin and wondered what I had gotten myself into! For the next three days, what seemed like an eternity to me, I would be the babysitter to a bunch of homesick, disobedient, non-interesting, bed-wetting squirts! What could God possibly do in their lives?! Usually at this time every week, my heart was soaring with anticipation over my next cabin, but this week... I was terrified! I love kids, but I knew that these 10 girls would aggravate me in the most exhausting way possible. My numerous prayers in preparation for this camp was that God would grant me: wisdom (for all those situations where you have no idea what to do or how to make yourself understood) patience (for all the times I was put into situations that included a screaming child) and most of all His love ( for when I wanted God's love to be my first and only reaction!).  Even though those things were prayed for, I knew that I was hopeless. “Horrible” was the only way this week was to be categorized! Yet, there was nothing to do, but pray and implore God to grant me the blessing of children that would be interested in His Word and the love that I needed. As each of 'my girls' filed up to the cabin, I knew right away that God had changed my heart, for the sickening feeling had left and God's love had taken it's place with such force that I had no choice but to let it overflow into the lives of these same squirts! I know that God has done a work in the lives of my beautiful girls, but I know the greater work of sanctification and trust was done in my own heart. Never again will I allow myself to believe the lie that wee little ones can't or won't be transformed by the Gospel message!

(Article by Marie)

Mission Messenger #1

I was thinking that we really needed to update this blog for you, but I didn't know what to say or how to find time to write it up.  And then I remembered that we have these articles that we wrote for the Mission Messenger, and all I have to do is copy & paste.  : D
Wish you could all be here!

During my first week of camp this summer I had a “bad” cabin.  It wasn’t that any one boy was particularly obnoxious, just that the four of the boys were best buds and were quick to build off each others’ disruptiveness whenever possible.  I had a long week of hard work keeping the boys in line and saw very little spiritual fruit. 

The second week rolled around and I received a cabin of boys unarmingly similar to the cabin I had the week before!  So when Jeremy (the leader from the next cabin over) thanked God for his quiet, calm and respectful cabin at Monday morning’s staff meeting – I felt jipped!

One of my campers that week was particularly trying – not because of behaviour; indeed he was one of the best behaved campers I’ve had!  But could he ever talk!  It was a challenge that week to be grateful when my break times were taken up talking with - or rather, listening to - Keenan.  I mean, one-on-one conversations are the heartbeat of camp, but this was just too much! 

I tried to be grateful that I had so much opportunity to share about God with a kid who came to camp knowing virtually nothing about God or the Bible – but it was hard.  Usually it is so easy to be thankful when a camper is clearly interested in the things of God – but did it have to be Keenan?  To top it all off, interest was as far as it seemed to go with him.  On Friday, as we discussed the plan of salvation, he told me that he “just had to think about it.”  A whole week of listening to this kid ramble on and on and on, and he was going to “think about it”!  He left that night having heard the gospel, but having done nothing about it.

I wrote him off in my mind as one of those kids we’ll never know about who will probably go home and forget everything we told him.

During that week, I had received an encouragement note from a fellow staff member which included 1Cor. 15:58 “…Your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  How true that verse showed itself the next day when we received an e-mail from Keenan telling us that he had watched the Jesus film we had sent home with him and “let Jesus into my heart” that night!

Praise God, His word will not return to him void!!

(Article by Ian)

Vandalism!

This is an old post which was supposed to be published several weeks ago, but we forgot about it. Enjoy!
We woke up this morning to the realization that our dining hall had been vandalized. The vandals have cut water lines, tore trim off the windows, put a steel plate in front of our window, and stole our range hood. They even stole the snackwatchers bench!
                                                                   Neil

New Update

New updates: staff training, kids one, and kids two.
         Staff training went fairly well. We started it off with a good game of orange fantastoball. Even though we had a good staff training, it was slightly terrifying. our oldest cabin leader so far is Nathanael at 21.
         Kids one was a good camp. We had NO lice and NO sickness, for an all time record in all of recorded history. We did see some spiritual fruit, but not a whole lot. We had Jeremiah back this year, and we nicknamed him roo, and tomato staked him with another staff member who we nicknamed kanga. we also had a eyore, rabbit, and piglet. Basically, it worked wonderfully.
         And lastly, drumroll, please, KIDS TWO. Kids two is currently happening. More info later.

                                                           Neil

CCC:5 - Paint, Canons, Radios....

The barge improvements continue! If all goes well, sea trials should commence tomorrow. :D The water systems are practically done, including the addition of a water canon.

We painted handrails into the night yesterday, as the almost last step. :)



On Friday we got 10 people certified for VHF. This is good.

And of course, the program planning, staff recruitment, rental groups, etc. go on. Our first two dedicated counselors arrive on Tuesday. Neither rain, nor poplar fluff, nor hail, other summer weather shall....oh whatever :P

With joy,

Ian

Fantail

Was going to write about some pontoon boat work from the last couple of days. Instead, we'll just show you guys in person in a few hours. =D
Pleasant journeys to y'all!

CCC:19

This week has been a raft of activity! Tuesday was the registration deadline for French Camp. We received enough registrations to run it, and spent Wednesday finding staff. Wednesday evening a work crew came out from the church which is renting the camp today to help put the dock in. Tried something new this year - we put the boat lifts on the rolling dock with the tractor, rolled them out, and then lifted them off. It was probably a good idea, but let me tell you: lifting boat lifts down from a height is more difficult (or at least, exciting :P)than picking them up off the ground! :) Most of Thursday went to dewinterizing the speedboat and installing the VHF antenna (which looks totally righteous, by the way ;). I mowed with Old Blue for the first time this year on Friday (she misses you too), and we did a bunch of other preparations for this week's rental group. Pictures to follow. Eventually. In His grace, Ian =)

Float prep!!!

Where are you Willow?
Never mind, I know where you are.  But why can't you be here helping us get ready for the parade?  O wait, I remember, because you have a life beyond camp.  Rats!... Or squirrells! ;P
We have our first rental group coming later this afternoon and we're not ready yet.  Mr. Nissly and Mr. Behm are here helping out, but we're still going a little bit crazy!

But, Willow dear, what we really want you for is to help us out with the float!  We're pulling the ski boat which is pulling two water skiers who are wearing roller blades.  Then there is also a go-kart and runners.  So we're trying to blow up all these blue and white balloons to make balloon streamers out of to look like water along the boat.  Plus blue and white tissue streamers for the van and balloon florets along the van and on the go-kart too.
We need creative juices to help us along the way.  Plus you, my dear, are a morning person and we, in general, are not.  We are going to be up very early tomorrow morning to get everything ready for the parade at 11, or is it 10?
Oh, and to boot we don't have enough people really to fill out the float properly.

Miss you,
Laurella

P.S. I'm not complaining, just keeping you up to date on what's going on at the camp! ;P  Ha!  Likely story - I know!
P.P.S.  But aren't I an entertaining liar?

Work Day

Last Saturday was our work day.  We have one every year, always on the last Saturday of May.  This year, however, all of the ladies from our church were away at a ladies retreat over the weekend.  So all of their husbands wanted to come out and help at the work day because we were cooking three real meals for them, which is apparently better than they would have gotten at home.   But, since all the dads were working; and all the moms were away, someone was needed to watch the little ones.  And the lucky winner was....ME.

I got gifted with all the little 2-7 year olds and Kaitlin got the 8-12 year olds.

If little bits are good for anything - they're good for amusing qoutes!

We started the day by making cookies for the coffee breaks.  I had the different ingredients already mixed and the kiddos just had to help me mixed the wet, the dry and chocolate chips together.  Then they made a huge mess of the table, benches, the floor, the cookie trays and themselves while having a great time forming it all into cookies.  

One little tike, Jordan, couldn't seem to stay put.  It took him less time than it takes me to tell it to escape the dining hall and disappear.  So after he got really lost and it took me about 5 minutes to find him, I decided that enough was enough.  I hooked my horse's lead rope to his belt loop and tied the other end to the table leg.  I plunked him down on the bench and told him to make cookies.  It worked out great.  It also traumatized a poor little three year old.  "Mommy", she said, lower lip wavering, "don't ever run away from Miss Laurel!  She will tie you to the table!!"  Oops.

Afterwards we raked all the leaves from last fall together, tied all twelve children together to walk them all down to dump their leaves in the village composter, played for a half an hour in the playground and then ate lunch.

Coming back up from cleaning reeds out of the lake after lunch, I yelled "Come on kiddos, time to head back up!"  Sweet little four year old Trevor pipes up: "Nu, uh!  You got that wrong.  You are the tiddo!  I am the adult here!"  Yeah, sure you are!

Later that afternoon, I broke his poor little heart.  We had run out of "real" jobs for the little bits to do.  So we went to our last resource - picking dandilions.  I got a box and told the kids we were going to fill it with dandilion heads.  Well, didn't that cause an uproar among the little boys!  "We're going to RIP off their heads and stuff them in a box!  Ha Ha!" 

Well, as we picked, Trevor just kept getting sadder and sadder.  Eventually he wandered off to over by where the tractor was parked and started plucking heads up.  Pretty soon his mother came by and asked him if he was ready to go and take a nap.  "No" he pouted as he looked out across the field of yellow, "we have to pick all of the dandilions before we're allowed to stop.  Miss Laurel said.  So I'm starting over here and I'll work my way across."
"Do you like picking dandilions?"
"No" he sniffed.  The poor child thought I'd asked him to pick the entire field bare!  His little face just lit up when his mama told him he could go swing for a minute before heading to the trailer for a nap.

Missing you,

Laurella

Welcome!

Hi Willow - welcome to a Small Token of the fact that we have appreciated your tireless efforts here over the last several summers, and that we will miss you as we embark on mission this summer. We will endeavour to keep you posted (more or less) on how camp preparations are coming - enjoy reading!

CCC:40

The Camp Countdown Calendar is reading 40 today. (yay for think and drive pads, yes? :) Wow. I suppose it does happen every year, so we should get used to it, but life is starting TO GET CRAZY around here! In a good way ;) I'm processing staff applications, and have just started working on a float for Heritage Days; two responsibilities which make you missed that much more, just beacause of your involvement with them in recent years. You know Willow, for having small feet, you sure wore big shoes :P  Thankfully I'm not yet called to fill them alone.

-Ian