Category Archives: News

Athena

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Athena is a tough, fun, capable girl counselor. My boys love her because this girl knows how to wrestle. She picks them up and slings them around and isn’t the least bit ill-at-ease when three fierce little boys see her from across the room, grab up Nerf weapons, and run toward her screaming their battle cries. Most of my conversations with Athena have been quick exchanges in her classic gruff but loveable style.

But I had the rare opportunity to talk with her in depth at the Summer Staff Winter Retreat. I love it when you get a glimpse into someone’s heart and I was not disappointed with my peek at the thoughtful girl who lies beneath Athena’s fierce exterior. 

Athena graduated last summer, served at camp, and moved out of state where she is working hard toward achieving a lifelong dream of becoming a horse trainer. I asked her how her new job was going. She sighed. “I’m beginning to see that the little things matter. In Pennsylvania I can’t see the stars. When I came back to Washington for Christmas I discovered that I don’t really belong here anymore. But then when I came up to camp, I realized that this was it, I had come home.”

I knew that Athena was a good counselor, a fun individual, and superb at roughhousing. But I didn’t realize what Camas had become to her. I didn’t realize that it was her home.

When Scruffy and I were called to camp we had an idea of what working at this ministry entailed. But God’s call is so amazing, it is more and less complicated then you think. It is many different things. It is my husband over in the kitchen doing dishes this weekend because we don’t have enough dishwashers. It is sitting with a lonely child in the meadow during summer camps. It is telling someone of God and the glories He has brought to your own messed up life. It is wrestling with the Director’s kids when their mom needs to run and grab them a change of clothes. It is loving the people that show up, whether they are campers or counselors, speakers or nurses or kitchen staff. And sometimes it is providing a place. A place that is safe, where you know that you will be loved, somewhere to come home to after you grow up and have moved away.

 

Boo Boo

Choco

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I’ve done a blog post about Del and Autumn, my dad Greg, Scruffy, Sweet Tea, even about Big Boy the elk. But I have neglected to tell you about my husband’s partner in this ministry, our downstairs neighbor, and the only person who was willing to teach the art of plastic sword fighting to a bunch of sugar-crazed kindergarteners at our youngest son’s birthday party. So…who is Choco?

Choco started out as a camp counselor. On his first night as a C.I.T. he decided to scare some girls who were walking down the dark wooded path toward the campfire. Growling like a rabid bear he lept out of the woods making them scream in a satisfying fashion. Proud of his accomplishment Choco then proceeded down the path thinking that he was safe. Then out of no where, the furious form of Storm (one of our girl counselors) struck with deadly force. She smashed his 6’2″ frame to the ground in a flying tackle that Choco swears was far superior then those doled out on an actual football field. Thus initiated Choco has been with us ever since.

He has been a counselor, our camp intern, he has directed the program, and leads our children in worship. He drives our camp bus, fixes all the vacuums, patches the inner tubes for winter sledding, brings back our electricity when the camp generator has one of its inexplicable catastrophes, and regularly has Nerf wars with my three irrepressible sons. 

Whether it is soothing the soul as he strums his guitar or rescuing us from the horrors of a smoking generator, Choco is a vital part of Camas Meadows. Thank you so much for all you do up here. For helping me clutch start my car, for plowing the road in the winter, and for choosing to laugh instead of growl when my boys run downstairs and jump on you with Nerf swords in hand. Choco, you are a blessing and a gift and we thank God that you came up to camp and haven’t left yet.

And so there he is folks. I present to you…Choco.

 

Boo Boo

Clearly Seen

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The Boys at Lake Valhalla

 

Our family just went on a hike to lake Valhalla last Saturday. We donned our packs and herded our three wild-walking-stick-wielders and headed up the trail. There were heavy rains the night before and a plethora of strange and lovely mushrooms carpeted the ground. Each mushroom was considered a photo worthy event and I took 28 fungus photos before I finally convinced the boys that we had properly documented that particular mushroom bloom.

This adventure did take away my blogging time. But it also reminded me of why we have camp. Well, one of the reasons at least. And gave me something to say.

Romans 1:20–“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made….”

God is here, right in front of us. He can be clearly seen in the shocking variety of mushrooms, in the cold rocky stream where the boys floated sticks, in the long lean mountain lion and the puffy whistling marmot. He is in the crisp alpine wind snatching through our hair as we topped the ridge and finally looked down upon lake Valhalla and His handiwork is spread out bold before us in the deep crystal waters that plunge suddenly into darkness two feet out from the rock where we ate our lunch.

And we hold in our hands a small bit of God’s glory, here at camp, to share with each camper who comes.

God is in the croaking chorus of frogs in the pond at night, the bright spread of stars across the sky, and in worship songs sung outside at Inspiration Point. His glory is clear in the soft rustling of meadow grass under a summer sun, the bright clean blue of the sky against ponderosa pines, and the elk that walk through at dawn.

When your world consists of the inside of a house, a school bus, a car, a classroom, a gymnasium, and the carefully fenced recess toys…it is hard to see God. At camp we are privileged to offer up some of His beauties, and to give campers just a glimpse of God’s many splendors. 

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Bull elk during the fires last fall

 

Boo Boo

Connections

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Sometimes you can’t see the beauty of camp until it has been going on quietly around you for a number of years. Ministry can be big and loud and brash and beautiful, like that angry kid who falls on his face before God during the last day of camp. But much of what occurs is done with a quiet power in the background where only a few get to see.

Such is my story for today. The quiet ministry of connections. A few years ago Scruffy was at a loss. He had 16 girl campers at the Sr. High Teen camp and only one solitary girl counselor. And so he took over my parenting duties for the week and sent me off to camp to be a counselor for the first time in ten years. It was a terrifying and marvelous week and I still have contact with those eight wonderful girls.

Several of my campers became counselors themselves with campers that they prayed for and maintained contact with. The other day I came home to a message on my answering machine. I never call people back right away when they leave messages. Talking on the phone is a difficult proposition with three small boys roaring through the house and my phone messages can stay blink blink blinking at me for days. But this call was from one of my old campers and so I called her back right then.

She was scared because she had just gotten a text message from one of her campers. A young girl who had just taken a bunch of pills in an attempt to kill herself. But after the pills were downed, she was terrified and needed someone and remembered her counselor from back at summer camp and texted that counselor, my former camper.

Together we were able to infuriate the poor girl by contacting her mother and getting her the medical and emotional assistance that she required. She is mad, but doing better and it is all because of the quiet beauty of connections.

God is busy and at work in the dark and deadly world around us. Occasionally He shows His power in a large and mighty fashion. But so often He comes softly, in the background. Appearing in a summer of fun, a girl who grows up from camper to counselor, and a desperate text message to the first person that a kid can think of who just might care.

I Kings 19:11-13—“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

 

Boo Boo

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I’m sorry you guys. I don’t have anything for you this week. Check back next Saturday or better yet call me at 509-548-6553 with a memorable camp moment.