Story to come later. :)
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Yea, that happened.
Story to come later. :)
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Drop in.
Hey friends, it's been a busy three weeks since staff retreat. I can't update you on all of it because that would take way too long. It is crazy that the summer is only a week from being over. It has gone by very fast and has been a thrill and a treat to let God work through us at Homewood.
August 4th-9th we had Family Camp #2 and Senior girls woodsman camp. Both were excellent. Here at family camp our speaker and musical guest was Carolyn Arends. Carolyn is a very talented musical artist and a gifted speaker as well... we were very blessed to have her. I got the privilege to lead Firesides and make people laugh which is one of my favourite things to do.
Senior girls woodsman went well, other then it having a very low attendance. We were able to have a 1/3 staff to camper ratio... which is always great.
August 11th-16th was Jr. girls harbour, Jr. girls ranch, Jr. boys woodsman, and Jr. teen sailing. All were were equally exceptional and God worked his magic. For some awesome reason this year... the boy campers that have been coming to Homewood have been so excited and obsessed with reading The Bible. Praise God!
August 18th-23th was Jr. Co-Ed Harbour camp, Senior boys woodsman, and Jr. teen sailing. I got the privilege to Co Direct Co-ed harbour this past week. It was.. so stressful... so tiring... and oh so fulfilling. 80, 10-13 year old kids running around getting crazy. Only had to deal with a few fist fights and a few homesick campers. The youth pastor from Campbell River came to do chapel speaking this week and it was very helpful to us directors. He spoke on how God wants to set us free from our sins, we just have to ask. Also on the last day, he talked about "Not returning to our vomit" and how it so easy to go back to our old ways and to our sin because it's the "easy" thing to do... We need to push for a life that is not easy... but exceptional and God honouring.
No major injuries for any campers at main camp so far, but woodsman had to send two campers in this week. One for a major ear infection and partially ruptured drum, and another for a broken humorous bone(upper arm). Both campers returned back to finish the camp, even after surgery on the arm. Please pray for both campers as they heal up!
I had a bit of a rough go this week. Along with being stressed and overtired, (7:30am-11pm days) in one of the evening games that I decided to join in on I took a flukey knee from a counsellor to my temple. I blacked out for a second but received no concussion. PRAISE GOD! What I did get was a ping pong ball sized lump over my left eye and now have been rocking a black eye for 5 days. My temple is still very sore. On the upside I haven't had a migraine since I blacked out. Weird.
God is always looking out for me.
One week left of Family camp #3 and the summer is over. Please pray that we give the rest of our energy and attention to the campers coming and not give up. Also please pray for me as I go into September. Since i've been at Homewood for the past 4 years September has always been my most expensive month due to buying the groceries and supplies I need for the year and from returning to Kamloops for doctors visits and such. It could be rough. The Lord will provide though.
-Josh
August 4th-9th we had Family Camp #2 and Senior girls woodsman camp. Both were excellent. Here at family camp our speaker and musical guest was Carolyn Arends. Carolyn is a very talented musical artist and a gifted speaker as well... we were very blessed to have her. I got the privilege to lead Firesides and make people laugh which is one of my favourite things to do.
Senior girls woodsman went well, other then it having a very low attendance. We were able to have a 1/3 staff to camper ratio... which is always great.
August 11th-16th was Jr. girls harbour, Jr. girls ranch, Jr. boys woodsman, and Jr. teen sailing. All were were equally exceptional and God worked his magic. For some awesome reason this year... the boy campers that have been coming to Homewood have been so excited and obsessed with reading The Bible. Praise God!
August 18th-23th was Jr. Co-Ed Harbour camp, Senior boys woodsman, and Jr. teen sailing. I got the privilege to Co Direct Co-ed harbour this past week. It was.. so stressful... so tiring... and oh so fulfilling. 80, 10-13 year old kids running around getting crazy. Only had to deal with a few fist fights and a few homesick campers. The youth pastor from Campbell River came to do chapel speaking this week and it was very helpful to us directors. He spoke on how God wants to set us free from our sins, we just have to ask. Also on the last day, he talked about "Not returning to our vomit" and how it so easy to go back to our old ways and to our sin because it's the "easy" thing to do... We need to push for a life that is not easy... but exceptional and God honouring.
No major injuries for any campers at main camp so far, but woodsman had to send two campers in this week. One for a major ear infection and partially ruptured drum, and another for a broken humorous bone(upper arm). Both campers returned back to finish the camp, even after surgery on the arm. Please pray for both campers as they heal up!
I had a bit of a rough go this week. Along with being stressed and overtired, (7:30am-11pm days) in one of the evening games that I decided to join in on I took a flukey knee from a counsellor to my temple. I blacked out for a second but received no concussion. PRAISE GOD! What I did get was a ping pong ball sized lump over my left eye and now have been rocking a black eye for 5 days. My temple is still very sore. On the upside I haven't had a migraine since I blacked out. Weird.
God is always looking out for me.
One week left of Family camp #3 and the summer is over. Please pray that we give the rest of our energy and attention to the campers coming and not give up. Also please pray for me as I go into September. Since i've been at Homewood for the past 4 years September has always been my most expensive month due to buying the groceries and supplies I need for the year and from returning to Kamloops for doctors visits and such. It could be rough. The Lord will provide though.
-Josh
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Staff Retreat
Staff retreat is in full swing, but I just want to touch on Single Mother's camp for a bit.
First off the fact that we even have to have a single mother's camp makes me angry. Angry from the brokenness of our society and the lack of commitment and the lack of fathers or mothers. Sad. I know I don't know all of the full stories of the campers that came to Single Mother's Camp but I do know that there is a lot of hurt and pain. Out of that hurt and pain blooms some of the hardest working women ever. Dealing with fatherless kids on your own has got to be the hardest job on the planet, props, single moms. Now, it's not possible to be patient all the time, or to keep your cool every time your kid throws a tantrum in front of your friends, and well, it's just not possible to be perfect. These moms sure work at it hard. I said that it "makes me angry" that we have to have this camp... but at the same time it makes me SO incredibly overwhelmed with Joy that God blesses these ladies through us, and through this camp. We get the all important, essential, crucial, and fulfilling opportunity to change these families' lives one chapel at a time, one hug at a time, one kind word at a time, and one hours break from their kids at a time. I LOVE THAT!
Lately I have been quite convicted about commitments and promises. People in this day and age just don't know what they are or how to keep them anymore. This upsets me... quite a bit actually. When I look to my Creator and Lord and Saviour, I see the ultimate promise keeper. He has never failed to keep his promises and never will. He is so just and faithful, we should always keep him as our ultimate example. I know that I lose focus of that constantly, but i'm trying my hardest. If you haven't followed my blog for very long, I signed a 5 year contract at Camp Homewood and I fully intend on fulfilling that commitment. Enough said on that matter.
David says it quite bluntly and honestly in Psalm 15.
Verses 3-5 "Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbours or speak evil to their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of The Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever."
First off the fact that we even have to have a single mother's camp makes me angry. Angry from the brokenness of our society and the lack of commitment and the lack of fathers or mothers. Sad. I know I don't know all of the full stories of the campers that came to Single Mother's Camp but I do know that there is a lot of hurt and pain. Out of that hurt and pain blooms some of the hardest working women ever. Dealing with fatherless kids on your own has got to be the hardest job on the planet, props, single moms. Now, it's not possible to be patient all the time, or to keep your cool every time your kid throws a tantrum in front of your friends, and well, it's just not possible to be perfect. These moms sure work at it hard. I said that it "makes me angry" that we have to have this camp... but at the same time it makes me SO incredibly overwhelmed with Joy that God blesses these ladies through us, and through this camp. We get the all important, essential, crucial, and fulfilling opportunity to change these families' lives one chapel at a time, one hug at a time, one kind word at a time, and one hours break from their kids at a time. I LOVE THAT!
Lately I have been quite convicted about commitments and promises. People in this day and age just don't know what they are or how to keep them anymore. This upsets me... quite a bit actually. When I look to my Creator and Lord and Saviour, I see the ultimate promise keeper. He has never failed to keep his promises and never will. He is so just and faithful, we should always keep him as our ultimate example. I know that I lose focus of that constantly, but i'm trying my hardest. If you haven't followed my blog for very long, I signed a 5 year contract at Camp Homewood and I fully intend on fulfilling that commitment. Enough said on that matter.
David says it quite bluntly and honestly in Psalm 15.
Verses 3-5 "Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbours or speak evil to their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of The Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever."
Staff retreat this year is a Pirates Of The Caribbean theme. Thus, Mikaela and I are dressed up in our best salty pirate outfits, looking extra menacing. Staff retreat is a 4 day long time of rest and fun for the staff of Camp Homewood in the middle of the summer. We get hosts in, and a very funny folk legend comes to entertain us as well as lead us in worship. The Pirate theme intertwines with some sweet games, a movie, and all of our meals. Good times.
Headaches are doing better. Praise God!
Small blessings: Finding my glasses.
Headaches are doing better. Praise God!
Small blessings: Finding my glasses.
As most great stories start out, it was a hot and sunny day on a remote hippy island of the west coast. My girlfriend Mikaela and I had decided to head down to the ocean for a late afternoon paddle boarding session. Neither of us are really that great at paddle boarding but we tried our hands at it with joyful attitudes and much enthusiasm. After setting Mikaela up on a board, I placed mine in the water. Being the hotshot I am, I, obviously, tried to impress her by sending my board a little ways from the dock and running and jumping onto it to smoothly float away. Well, you know these kinds of stories always end. In the half second it took to fall in, I had many flashbacks of my life... good and bad, happy and sad. In that half second I also remembered that the polarized sun glasses I had just bought for my sun-migraine protection were on my face. Dang. In the water I went... down to the bottom of the ocean my sun glasses went. Now... had it been low tide I would have been more hopeful. It was high tide. Needless to say I strapped on some goggles and went to town. Nothing found... it was too cold and too deep. The next morning Mikaela and I went down to the dock to do our morning Devotionals. I was praying the whole way down "God, I know that sun glasses are just a meaningless possession, but I would really appreciate it if I could find them. "
This time we were prepared... Mikaela laid down on a paddle board with goggles on, searching. I hopped in with my wetsuit on and some snorkelling gear. After about 30 minutes of stressful and cold searching we were about to give up. I pushed one more time... Deep down in the sea grass I spotted a blade that had a tinge of blue to it. Getting my hopes up I dove towards it in a mess of mud, kelp, seaweed, and who knows what else I grabbed a handfull, swam to the surface, and praise The Lord, had my sunglasses in my hand. God is faithful. Even in the little things you ask him for. He loves us.
-Josh
This time we were prepared... Mikaela laid down on a paddle board with goggles on, searching. I hopped in with my wetsuit on and some snorkelling gear. After about 30 minutes of stressful and cold searching we were about to give up. I pushed one more time... Deep down in the sea grass I spotted a blade that had a tinge of blue to it. Getting my hopes up I dove towards it in a mess of mud, kelp, seaweed, and who knows what else I grabbed a handfull, swam to the surface, and praise The Lord, had my sunglasses in my hand. God is faithful. Even in the little things you ask him for. He loves us.
-Josh
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