Little things 6/26/08

Little things (What's new)  6/26/08

People often ask what's new this year at camp.

We want every year to be different and exciting and fun. New themes, new t-shirts. But often what's new is hardly even noticed...like the famous flagpole saga of 2007....weeks of planning and work, scraping the bottom of the bank account, for a beautiful new 35-foot aluminum pole right up front, right in the center triangle ...and nobody noticed!! not even those who tugged on the old ratty rope on the old crooked pipe the year before.

This year there are lots of little things that are finally ready. We have the maintenance, program and soccer storage the way we want it. We aereated the field (we waited for years to be able to get an aereator). We re-built the little zipline at the creek, we removed a bunch of stumps, we replaced a roof and repaired a roof, we added RV electrical hook-ups, a shower at the pool, a drain line under the parking lot, a rope swing in the gym.  So far, they have noticed the rope swing....

Our biggest change this year can't be seen at all... a new rock climbing area. It's on a beautiful wilderness mountain, near a great little swimming hole and surrounded by awesome views. We'll be there just about every week this summer. But nobody will notice...except one or two who remember the rock climbing trip last summer. This one is definitely going to be new to them!

Joel

Winding down 9/5/06

Winding down  9/5/06

 Everyone asks me at this time of year, "Is summer winding down for you?" Well, yes it is....it feels a bit like fall already. The leaves are changing, and there is a chill in the air in the evenings.

The summer actually peaked for me pretty early. We started with a "break" week in May for college-age young people....great Bible study times with Jon Brower, swimming hole hikes, a day on the lake, a day on the rock. It sort of gets us in gear for June and July.

My busiest time was from that week on until camp started....prepping for summer camp....signing up campers and counselors, ordering materials.

This "prep period" peaks the second week of June, when the collegiate staff gather for 10 days of training and team-building. We start with a two-day backpacking trip (we canoed down the Chatooga this year), sort of a purging time, hour-long solos, campfire worship, prayer, Bible study.
Collegiate Week continues with training at the tower, the pool, the target ranges. Kitchen policies. First Aid. How to handle problems like homesick children, How to lead a child to Christ. Later the collegiates teach these all this to the CITers, so we have to get it right.

Once Teen Camp starts, the whole thing should be steering itself. This June I didn't get much of a break though ....I was still looking for one-week cooks and counselors all thru teen camps....and I came up short Teen Two, so guess who ended up as chief cook?!! But it was wonderful how God supplied help at every meal that week, and counselors for every camper, all summer long. It is all God, none Joel.

July started with CIT week (first time we did it that way, and it worked) and then three weeks of Junior Camps. Other than the 24 hours we spent cleaning up the toilet spill in room three, it all went smoothly. And August was good, TOO HOT but there is lots of water around here and a breeze up on the ridges.

Labor Day weekend was the final "winding-down", two more days in the wilderness, this time with a couple of my back-packing buddies. God is good!!

Joel

April showers 4/10/06

April showers 4/10/06

 It's been a season of showers at camp....blessings of all sorts, surprising and refreshing.

You know how good your sleep can be during a thunderstorm....you wake refreshed, and the very earth, the grass, the air is all sparkling and clear. The sun pours in, the birds are singing, the trout are jumping....

OK, I'm getting a little carried away. But several things like that have happened here at camp just now.

One tiny thunderstorm was namedAbigail Rose, born to Josh and Leah on March 26. She's the happiest kid at camp...doesn't seem to have a care in the world!! A joy to hold and tickle and talk to.

Other blasts of freshness:

Visitors from all around the world -- the Aquaponics seminar. Wonderful visionary people, developing better ways to feed the world...and meanwhile appreciating our hot breakfasts!!

A dozen trout, a gift from the Father-Son fishing retreat last weekend. I cooked three of them up that day...what a feast!! I can't catch em but I sure know how to dispose of em!

The fruit stand reopened.... the best local eggs, honey, tomatoes....

Campers eager to sign up -- a little shower of blessing every day. We have just ten days left of discounts for early registration, so the mail is pouring in.

Volunteers eager to sign up -- this is a huge thunderstorm of blessing, because God lays it on their hearts to give of their time and talents to serve here....nothing I can say or do would convince a mom or a college student to make such a sacrifice. God sends them to us.

Friends who came last week to labor in the ol' beat-up mobile home, to make it sparkle and shine for the next occupants.

Scripture verses that jump out and renew you and inspire you.

God's presence. Christ's love.

   Joel

the little camp chapel 3/20/06

the little camp chapel   3/20/06

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CLW CHAPEL

The camp chapel is a reflection of how things happen in the Lord's work....a sometimes confusing or disorganized series of efforts that all worked out together for a good thing -- a beautiful old building crammed with memories.

The chapel was the first building put up when Camp Living Water was established back in 1947. It was first used as the dining hall. Mrs Nell Brown labored in love in the "Miracle Kitchen" there for many years, feeding all the children that came to hear the gospel at camp. The camp bell was mounted right outside, and kids would come running at its sound, like they still do today.

The back end of the building contained DR Brown's study and a small library. A note in DR Brown's Bible during this time reads:

(date) Read through the Bible
(date) Read through the Bible
(date) Read through the Bible on my knees

The first round of repairs came early, in the mid-50's, when the cinderblock walls bowed slightly outward, making the roof sag. Four steel rods were placed across the ceiling to prevent further bowing and sagging. The building has been solid ever since.

About 1985, when today's dining hall was completed, the building was converted to a chapel. The back rooms were kept for a few more years....in 1994 they were opened up to provide more seating room and space for a stage. A built-in sound system was added.

Over the past ten years, a long renovation process was started on the chapel to make it more usable. The chapel kitchen was re-opened, and the ceiling was replaced, with cabinet-like casing around those old steel rods, and better lighting and ventilation. Alot of dedicated work by our Maintenance Director David Peck went into those efforts. He marshalled volunteers to help at various times.

In fact, all the work over the years has been done with lots of volunteer help. In 2001 the inside walls were repaired, with new windows, drywall, insulation, and at last, air conditioning!! No more roaring fans during chapel on hot summer nights. The drywall allowed us to show big-screen video on the walls, using our newly donated video projector....and for words to the camp choruses.

We also added a beautiful flower garden with benches where the kids spend their quiet time every morning during summer camp. The Chapel Garden is thanks to the dedication of a little old man who loved flowers, Mr Mark Mills. He came to us one summer, and said he often buys and plants flowers around his cabin, but he would rather spend his time and money planting them around camp, if he just had a place to stay. We gave him a room, and he went to work. The garden was his last project before going home to be with Jesus.

Early this year a team of electricians came and replaced the chapel fusebox. They couldn't believe what a tangle of old connections we had there!! A new power line was connected so that the electric service should be adequate for many more years.

The chapel continues to serve us well. It is used several times a day, all summer long, and most weekends year-round, for worship, youth meetings, Bible studies, and good old-fashioned preaching. There have been a couple of weddings in the chapel, and lots of other joyful occasions. The chapel kitchen is still used as the second camp kitchen, when the "big kitchen" is not available, and for handcrafts.

It is a simple and homely building, but with so much love and hard work poured into it over the years, and so many souls saved between its walls. We are proud to have it there at the front of the camp. We hope it will be there for many years to come.

Now if we can just give it a new roof and some good durable carpetting!!

(update June 2008 -- we got the roof replaced!! and new carpet!! all by donations of the Lord's people. We had our 60th celebration in the chapel last fall and it was very special to lots of people who came to worship and sing praises again in the little chapel. --

Joel

Hope . . a poem from Julie 1/9/061/9/06

Hope    1/9/06

Born in water and blood
helpless and without a name.

Born in sin and shame
guilty and lost without light.

Born within death's grasp
unable to shake its claim.

Born within Love's reach
offered power to take flight.


Julie

Peace on earth 12/27/05

Peace on earth   12/27/05

We had a little taste of peace on earth this week . . . Christmas at camp.

Everybody else was gone, all our work was done (for the moment) and it was just Joanna and me and the girls. We dumped out the stockings, went to church and back, opened gifts, relaxed and enjoyed our new movies, music, books, and most of all, each other's company. A whole evening of no interuptions, no mail to sort, no buttons to punch.

Here's one of the beauties of camp life -- it can get very, very quiet.

We often laugh about the little troop of teen boys one summer who took an overnight camping trip to Goldmine Creek. They got all settled, with tents and supper, and then, they said, it got QUIET. They looked around . . . not a sound anywhere . . . the woods were motionless . . . after fifteen or twenty minutes they couldn't stand it . . . they bundled everything up in a great rush and bolted for the van!!

Busy, flustered, I am often like them . . . not ready for The Big Quiet. I am not used to it. It can be un-nerving.

But once accepted, it becomes a rich blessing. When my whirlwind stops, for even a few minutes, I can see beyond it. The mountains come into plain view. . . the smells of the trees and the dark earth come floating gently in . . . the softness and hardness and gritiness of the rocks are felt by my wondering toes. . . I hear the soft buzzing of tiny bees, the song of a shy sparrow.

It's a time to think, a time to consider other points of view, a time to suppose what might be happening around me. What might be happening in the minds and hearts and lives of loved ones, for instance, instead of only in my own whirlwind life.

There's nothing like having His Word right there during a time like that. His Word, His Truth, hidden in the right place. It keeps me focussed on what is true, what is right, what is pure. I can't listen, I can't read, I can't memorize, I can't meditate, until it gets very, very quiet.

Joel

girls these days 12/20/05

girls these days  12/20/05

 Is this a trend or just a random blip? has anyone else out there noticed this -- that teen girls are in trouble?

in just the last thirty days, young ladies we know have: run away from home (2), tried to commit suicide (2), gotten pregnant or tried (3), and rebelled against parents or network of Christian friends.

These are not just things we read about in the paper -- though a case could be made from social stats, crime numbers etc. These are all girls we know well, members of good Christian families, families we know personally.

What goes wrong -- what "big picture" type mistakes are we making with these girls? are we somehow driving them to make huge mistakes with their lives? it seems to me that more "systems" and safety nets are in place than ever before, Christian counseling, churches with specialized youth pastors, parental awareness sermons and seminars. What more needs to be done?

or are we (leaders, parents, friends, teachers) to blame at all? is it plain bald SIN, overload from the ol' foes of God's people, the world, the flesh and the devil? I know Satan is alive and real, and his agents are on the prowl for undefended lambs. And he is becoming more subtle, more tricky.

I believe Satan learns from his mistakes. He is not all-knowing. Thank God only God is. But he is very very sharp intellectually, and he has eternity past to learn from. He has learned how to use fault-lines in our culture, our media, our advertizing, to bring down families and especially our vulnerable young people. Boys as well as girls.

I also know how much plain ol' attention by a caring adult can make a difference. A good coach, teacher, and of course especially, DAD.

I have to say that I think a good CAMP can be a big help too. Christian camps offer year-round and life-long anchors, friends, follow-up, training. Skills that create confidence, and experiences that provide concrete examples of spiritual principles, principles that might otherwise remain vague theory until put to the test. A week of Bible camp means so much more than Sunday morning church attendance, and also much more than any length of entertainment-oriented program.

Get em to camp!! the sooner the better!! and come with them, be part of the solution.

Joel

Deadfalls and doghobble 12/14/05

Deadfalls and doghobble  12/14/05

 Yesterday I finally got "ahead" enough for a bit of a hike up on Beauregard Mountain. My self-assigned challenge was to hike down an unmarked ridge that I had climbed last month, connecting Junnywhank trail with Noland Divide trail, 1000 feet above Deep Creek.

The ridge is a mile of pure pleasure. There are several laurel thickets, and a couple steep slopes, but mostly it affords unmatched views, open spaces between huge trees; like a walk in a park, but with lots of awesome solo time.

Going up that ridge last month was hard work, but easy to navigate. As long as you keep going up a mountain you are not lost; you will get to the top. Bushwacking back down is more of a challenge. You can go "down" in almost any direction, and you might come out miles from where you expected to be.

So I loaded up map and compass, emergency poncho and fire kit, an apple and a power bar. I let Joanna know the plan, and soon I was huffing the 90 minutes up Noland Divide trail. I filled my water bottle at a sweet little spring, and then found the spot where I was pretty sure I had emerged from bushwacking up the ridge last month. I dropped off; down, down through the woods, heading 120 on the compass. I was on my way.

After 10 minutes of steep descent, I saw a lovely ridge stretching out ahead of me. It was easy going for 30 minutes, 40 minutes, taking long strides down a gentle slope. A bit of laurel tangle every now and then, but not as bad as I had found it coming up.

Suddenly it didn't look right -- where did this stream come from on my left? and here was another on the right . . . my ridge ended abruptly where they joined. I was in a gully.

I studied the map . . I took a bearing on the lay of the gully . . I couldn't be sure how far off track I was, or how to get to the ridge I wanted to follow, but I could tell I was in the upper part of Junnywhank Branch. I decided to follow it out.

I have been in plenty of gullies . . . they are not the most pleasant places to spend an afternoon. They are choked with deadfalls and doghobble, and the ground is uneven and damp. Plenty of thickets and sawbriars. Navigation was not an issue now, but the bushwacking began in earnest.

A couple years ago Joanna would have said, "Honey, you look like you've been sortin' bobcats!!" It's a local saying, very cute when it doesn't apply to you personally. Now she barely glances up and it's "oh, you're home? don't bring those boots in here!!"

After cleaning up a bit, and sharing some black beans with Micah, I got to thinking how life can be like my little adventure. You're booming along, not paying close attention maybe, and suddenly, you're in a gully. You followed the wrong ridge. It may be a long way back to where you want to be.

But God is faithful. If you seek His wisdom, if you trust in His map and compass, the very Word of God, you will find your way out. There may be some deadfall and doghobble to push through. . . you may even have to sort a few bobcats. But God will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able. With the temptation or trial, He always provides a way out. You can do it!!

Joel

from our family to yours 12/12/05

 from our family to yours  12/12/05

We hope you have a special Christmas season this year!! Keep the creator, the Star of Christmas, at its center.

Remember to spend time in worship ... worship is a time commitment, it is not something you can do on the run!!

This year Christmas is on a Sunday; it should be all the easier to spend time remembering and worshipping our Savior.

Our fam was all here for Thanksgiving (when we took this pic).... that's one of the joys of our work here, family. The kids have been a part of our work through the years . . .

And hey, it's a youth camp -- you can't be bored for too long as a teen living at a youth camp!! The kids learned with us. We explored the mountains and lakes and creeks together . . . we picked up rock climbing and rafting skills, and studied the biology around us . . . the great outdoor classroom!!

It's a great playground for families . . . and not just ours. Lots of families enjoy CLW and the surrounding nature show, as a family. They come to summer camp, they come to family reunions, weddings, winter retreats.

During a week of camp, the moms and dads help out with the kitchen or program, the kids jump into the activities, and then the whole fam gets together at various times for outings and little adventures.

We're looking forward to more adventures . . . this time around, with the grandkids!!

my backyard 12/12/05

my backyard 12/12/05

 It's another beautiful day in the mountains!! hope to get out there for some bush-wacking today.

Do you need some time to reflect on what Jesus taught his desciples from that mountain-top (Matt 5 - 6 - 7)? There's no better place to sit and think and read about it, than on top of a mountain, with nothing in view but mountains.

How about reading Psalm 1, God wants us to be like a tree, under a grand-daddy oak that you have discovered on a ridge, surrounded by nothing but oaks and maples and mountain laurel?

and what better place to meditate on being a fisher of men, than you guessed it, out on a wilderness lake or stream.....

GET OUT MORE!! come unwind with me in my back yard.....

Stand with us!! 12/9/05

Stand with us!!  12/9/05

STAND FAST is coming fast!! it starts in just 20 days....and we need your help!!

First request ) pray for those God wants to be here....pray about YOU coming....pray about who you could send or encourage to come.

Second request ) help us get the word out ... talk it up .... the concept especially .... a week of Bible study and fellowship and descipleship ... for young people 18 to 30+, with Jon Brower and Larry Dixon and Clayton Davis and others.... Jan 1 - 8


Third request ) HELP THEM GET HERE..... people need individual help just to GET to something like this -- they may not be able to afford it, they may not have transportation. We can help there, we have scholarship money, we can find people rides, so if you know of a need, let me know!! lets keep communication open both ways and MAKE it happen!!


From the camp director's perspective -- this is one of the toughest things we do, getting a new program like this off the ground....it just takes a huge blitz of talk, excitement, mailings (we've sent two already) and web postings.

But word of mouth is the best. We need YOU for that!! You don't know everything about Stand Fast maybe, but if you know our other programs, summer camp, family camp, High Trek, I think you can recommend this one to someone who might not come otherwise.

We can send them material or talk to them if you let us know they are interested.

joys of camp work 12/9/05

joys of camp work  12/9/05

Greetings,anyone out there who knows me....if you don't, maybe we will meet soon.

That is one of the high points of youth camp ministry -- we meet people from all around the world. I am not especially outgoing, and I have not been out of the country for eight years now, but all sorts of people have passed through little ol' Camp Living Water, people from Peru, Poland, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, Domincan Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Korea, China, Japan, Russia, Wales, Ireland, the Bahamas, and California.

Staff who have served here have also gone out on recent missions to Vz, China, Brazil, Poland, the Bahamas and Mexico.

Every single one of these wonderful people, and hundreds more "plain ol' Americans" have enriched my life and the lives of my family and staff, and I am grateful to them all. Even more, I thank God Almighty who brings special people of all walks and skills and points of view to Camp Living Water. This richness is a little picture of the true Church Universal, made up of all believers everywhere....and it is a little taste of heaven.

If you are not experiencing this sort of diversity and eye-opening fellowship in your own church and community, GET OUT MORE!! Travel....join some sort of multi-ethnic club....and
get involved at a youth camp!!

From day to day I hope to share a few more thoughts with you at this site, drawn from nearly 20 years of camp work, from lots of serious reading and study, from 25 years as the head of my little (still growing!!) family, and from my adventures as a follower of Jesus Christ. And I hope to hear from you . . . this is a place to discuss the joys of camp ministry.

I wholeheartedly agree with our 58-year-old theme "God's Christ Magnified", and that is what I seek to do with this journal, as with all that I do. Put Christ first!!