Summer Camp 2013 - Session 6. July 22-26, 2013 - Cancelled

Due to the huge fire burning out of control near Idyllwild and the fact that Idyllwild was under mandatory evacuation, we had to cancel camp for this week. It was sad that we needed to do this, but at the time no one knew what the outcome of the fire would be.

The fire began on Monday, July 15, and Idyllwild was evacuated on Wednesday, July 17. Our little town and the Camp were delivered by the magnificent efforts of the fire fighters, especially the tanker planes who made so many drops over the fire to keep it from spreading over the ridge and into Idyllwild. But by Friday the threat of the fire continued as it burned out of control until Saturday, July 20, when God brought the rain and a change in the wind. In that five day period the fire consumed over 27,000 acres, but very few homes were destroyed and there was no loss of life. As of today, July 29, the fire is 98% contained.

We praise God for His providence. Thousands were praying for God to protect our community and the fire fighters. He hears and answers prayer!

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 5. July 15-19, 2013 - 7-9th Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

My name is Ryan and I’m part of the Summer Staff at Camp Alandale this summer. I was blessed to counsel two wonderful young men the week of July 15-19: Thomas and Marco. I’ve had Thomas as my camper a time or two before, and was excited to have him again. He has a great sense of humor and loves to make everyone laugh; he goes out of his way to put a smile on another person’s face. Thomas, though, struggles with outbursts of anger that manifest as verbal obscenities and insults. Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I was able to learn some of the triggers that incite these explosive reactions. We spoke in depth about anger and its place in our lives. I was blessed to share that I struggled with anger and similar outbursts when I was a child and he asked questions about how I overcame these struggles. We then talked about how Jesus wants to take these problems away from us. We talked about Jesus’ reaction to the merchants in the temple and how Jesus didn’t allow his anger to control him. Thomas, already having accepted Christ into his heart years ago, resolved to pray about his anger and to ask the Lord for help. 

Marco is also a very funny guy; he always made me laugh. We struggled through our one-on-one times though as he held his burdens inside, answering questions with “I don’t know” and “maybe” much of the time. The other male counselor on our team and I prayed daily for Marco. I know that the Lord is bringing Marco to a place of desperation centered on His grace. Marco is moving toward justification and sanctification, it’s only a matter of the Lord’s timing! 

Unfortunately, I was unable to work with Thomas or Marco to the fullest extent of the camp week due to the fire that threatened Idyllwild and the surrounding areas. The fire began on Monday and sent up a large plume of smoke that dominated much of our skyline and conversation on Tuesday. The threat was very real on Wednesday when the town of Idyllwild was placed under mandatory evacuation. The directors chose to evacuate Camp Alandale on Wednesday evening after dinner due to the threat the fire and smoke posed on camper safety and health. We wished that we could have had the whole week to minister God’s love to these campers. I know that God promises that everything works together for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him. We are sure that the premature terminus of this week’s camp is within the will of God and will be used for His glory. Even though it was a short week, we are still very thankful for the time that we had with the campers. By the way, the fire is out and camps are resuming as planned.

Thank you for all of the support through your prayers. God is glorified as his people intercede on behalf of one another. We’re working together to glorify our king and to fulfill his purpose at Camp Alandale!

Sincerely,
Ryan Strobel (Staff-Counselor)

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 4 - July 8-12, 2013 - 7-9th Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Last week I, Brittany, had the opportunity to minister to three junior high girls. My time spent with Emily stands out the most. She is currently in a foster home, but will possibly be able to move in with either her mother or father soon. I discovered this during our Bible study where we examined Proverbs 3:5-6. In the study the campers learned their part: 1. Trust in the Lord with all their heart, 2. Lean not on their own understanding, and 3. Acknowledge him in all their ways. They also learned God’s part: He will direct their paths. This concept caught Emily’s attention as she will soon have the big decision of which parent to live with. She immediately began asking questions regarding how she can know what God wants her to do. I was amazed at her genuine interest in God’s plan for her life. Her questions continued throughout the week, but became much deeper as she pondered how God could hear and respond to the countless prayers offered up all around the world. As she learned more about the providence and love of God her heart was able to accept Jesus as her Savior! Before leaving camp Emily was reassured that despite the home she lives in, God’s love will never fail her. 

I, Irene, showed up on Monday prepared to be on staff and last second was switched to be a counselor. It was all in God’s plan for it to be so. I had three beautiful teenage girls. We clicked immediately. Coming into this week, I think I forgot how different junior high girls can be. It was like a flash back to middle school days, where our worlds revolved around gossip, boys, and looks. A lot of our one-on-ones consisted of tears, testimonies, and advice. I’m so thankful all my girls opened up to me, and they all even shared their testimonies during camp fire time. An example of my girls would be when they were changing in their tents to get ready for pool, one asked, “Who’s the prettiest girl at camp?” The other responded, “Me!”

It was definitely a challenge as some had huge egos, and some lacked a lot of self-esteem. Bita, who was born into a Muslim home and whose father beat her mother, was one such camper. For the first time at camp she heard she was beautiful when I said it to her. However, she just couldn’t seem to believe it. God is incredible, and spoke through me, especially during our one-on-ones. I got to point her to places in the Bible like Psalm 139 where it talks about humans being fearfully and wonderfully made and how we’re all created in God’s image. My girls really appreciated our conversations, and halfway through the week they were telling me how they knew that God put me as their counselor for a reason. I realized in the end how, even as an adult, we can still fixate our minds on those petty things. From the perspective of a counselor to a camper we just beg for them to know they’re beautiful and loved, and to not give into gossip. However, how many times do we think those negative thoughts about ourselves, or slide into small gossip?

We are pouring out God’s love and teaching the campers, but at the same time God is teaching us things as well! Thank you for all your prayers. It was another amazing week here at Camp Alandale! All of the glory goes to God.

Blessings,

Brittany Barger and Irene Hackett (Staff-Counselors)

Summer Camp 2013 Session 3. July 1-5, 2013 - 7-9th Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

            Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I feel blessed to have such a prayer team behind us, especially with this summer being my first year working at Camp Alandale. Being a part of the staff has been busy, but fun. God has been teaching me how blessed I am to be a part of a safe, Christian family.

            This last week I was blessed with Ginny as my camper, who is in seventh grade and has been coming to camp for a few years. Ginny was adopted with her sister into a great Christian family when she turned three after being abused from her biological mother. She now is walking with the Lord and has a strong faith.

I also had Denny, who wished he could still live with his biological family even though he does feel safe in the home. Denny brought me a lot of joy this past week. He came to camp by himself and was nervous about making friends. During our one-on-one, Denny shared his testimony with me. He told me he was abused when he was little by his biological parents and then when he turned three he was adopted by a Christian family. If Denny could choose he’d love to live with his biological family, but he knows that God put him in the home he is in for a reason. During the week, I noticed Denny was so patient in every situation. Many of the other campers wanted to know what was next and what time it was, but Denny didn’t seem to mind waiting to see what happened. Denny admitted he acted different with his friends than how he did at church. He wanted prayer to be the same person at home, church, and with his friends. Another struggle Denny needed prayer for was that his siblings would stop trying to use him. Denny mentioned his siblings would disobey his parents and do things behind their back. Because of this he was not looking forward to going home. It was great to pray with him about these things. Denny told me his favorite things about camp were the one-on-ones and Bible studies because he liked sharing honestly what was going on in his life and learning about the story of Joseph.

            It was a blessing to hear two stories of campers that are now living in good homes, which is often times not the case. Thank you for all your prayer, without it we would be lost. We feel the love of the Father through your faithful prayers for us in this very difficult ministry.

In Christ,

Emily Allen

Staff-Counselor

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 2. June 24-28, 2013 - 4-6th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

            Hello from Camp Alandale! The summer is underway and the second week of 4-6th grade camp was successfully completed. The Holy Spirit’s presence was imminent and powerful as He moved among the lives of the students in attendance. The Staff and I are grateful for all of your intercessory prayer and support as we fight for the souls of these young students. I find great joy in knowing that the Body of Christ, you, are just as involved in this ministry as are my coworkers here. It is only together joined to Christ that we are able to beckon this young and broken group of students into God’s wonderful story. This past week by God’s grace we were able to do just that.

            Arriving at camp for the first time was a young boy named James. Overwhelmed by new surroundings and new people he was hesitant to join in. But the love of Christ expressed through the staff’s smiles and big hugs removed all fears. When the campers were assigned a counselor for the week I had the privilege to pair up with him. During our first day James was always looking to me to see if he would be accepted and whether or not I was a trustworthy companion. Standing by his side all day I gained his confidence and joy began radiating out from within him. 

            Sitting down with any student here at Camp Alandale for a one on one conversation can be intimidating. Where do you begin? How do you create an atmosphere where students can be vulnerable? Some of these students have been through so much that you feel handcuffed, but it is in those moments you cry out to God in helplessness and he delivers to you an extra measure of grace. So it was with James. Upon a rock we sat and he opened up his broken heart full of pain, anger, and confusion. Tears streamed down his eyes as he told the story of his family falling apart, the abuse of his siblings, and hopping around from one foster home to the next. Then something amazing happened, he began to talk of hope and of God. James had heard about God from other camps and church services he had attended growing up, but he was unsure how to know God personally and experience him. I shared with him about Jesus, a savior for both of our lives, who lived, loved, died, and rose from the grave for us. I communicated to him that we know God through faith, and that through faith we experience him. He said he’d think about it.

            The next day on our one on one James decided that he was ready to follow Jesus. He was ready for Jesus to heal him, transform him, and walk alongside him in this journey of life. During a campfire that week James had the opportunity to tell everyone at camp his story. At the close of his story he shared that he had decided to follow Jesus, and that he knew God was leading him. He said that through the breaking up of his family, the foster homes, and the abuse, God led him to Camp Alandale where he was able to begin a relationship with Jesus.

            This is but one example of how God’s Spirit moved mightily among camp last week. May this story remind us that our God is active and sovereign. Know that your prayers are not in vain and that each prayer for the whole camp and the individual camper is cherished greatly by us. Thank you!

In Christ, Justin Moline (Camp Counselor)

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 1. June 17-21, 2013 - 4-6th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

            We cannot thank you enough for your faithful prayers for camp. This past week, only 14 campers were able to attend. While we were discouraged by this small size at first, soon after we were praising God for not answering our prayer for a big camp. Most of the campers were here for their first time and still had much hurt in their lives, which resulted in many behavioral issues. We know that God was looking out for us and showing His love for the campers by giving us a small camp in which we could provide each of them the personal attention they needed. Monday night, another counselor and I were up almost all night with our campers. As Tuesday began, we were exhausted and many felt helpless until our afternoon prayer time. God was able to use these struggles to humble us and teach us to rely on Him.

            My camper, Maria, was at camp for her first time and became very attached to me. She didn’t think that anyone loved her at home. I was blessed by her love, but it became unhealthy. She didn’t let me take my break and would lock herself in the port-o-potties crying. Only through God’s strength was I able to keep on loving her graciously, while also setting boundaries. While attachment was a struggle throughout the week, I definitely saw God working with her. When she said she didn’t know if she was a Christian due to not spending a lot of time with God, I told her how He loves us and I read Ephesians 2:8 to her. She loved that God’s grace is a gift. We were able to talk about how I love her in this same way regardless of whether she was clinging on to me, angry at me, or off having fun with other people.

            Another camper that stood out this week was Jason. From the start, he was closed off and you could see the hurt all over his face. During worship time, he would sit to the side or wander around. Some of our staff members would follow him, but he wanted nothing to do with them. During testimony time in the middle of the week, his sister shared her testimony. After that, you could see him wanting to share his heart. When he went up to share, however, he had to stop after a few sentences because it was too hard for him to express the pain. Later, however, he joined my camper and I for an amazing talk on the fruits of the Spirit and told us parts of his story. In times like these, you could see the pain fading off his face and how much he wants and needs the joy of the Lord. On the last day, Jason was really sad and would not cooperate because another boy, Levi, found and caught a lizard. Levi, after seeing how sad Jason was throughout the day, decided that he wanted Jason to have his lizard before they got on the bus. This brought many of us, knowing how badly Jason wanted a lizard and how much we had prayed for one for him, to tears of joy. As you can see, God used these little children for great things. Continue to pray for Jason and his sister as their living situation is in question.

            Through answers to prayer, we have been able to see how much God truly loves these precious children and wants to heal them. Know that we are eternally grateful for your contribution and blessing to camp.

Love in Christ,

Jasmine (Staff-Counselor) and the Camp Alandale Family!

Mark 9:29 – “And he said to them, ‘This cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.’”

Summer Staff Training 2013 - June 9-14, 2013

Dear prayer warriors,

                                                                       

Thank you for your prayers for the Summer Staff Training Week. The week was fantastic. God has truly blessed us this summer with a staff that is top notch. I have not worked with a group of people who have hearts that are open to service as much as our staff this summer.

It has been exciting to watch how the staff bonded through works of service, times of bible study and devotion, prayer and fun this summer. I have been encouraged to see the staff find summer accountability and prayer partners.

Our staff decided to have some fun one night and watch the Avengers super hero movie (which we are using for our fun theme). Well instead of just going into town to the movie rental store they decided to have some fun. They all dressed up in super hero costumes and videoed themselves heading into our little town of Idyllwild. They ran down main street capes and all into the video store to rent the superhero movie. Our sleepy little town got a fun surprise and lots of laughs that night. They also bring that spirit of fun to camp. 

It is a special time each summer when the staff arrives. It is like Camp comes alive with all the youthful energy. Thank you again for your prayers for the staff and my family. The work you are doing really does make the difference in the hearts and souls for the staff, campers, counselors and directors. We covet your prayers more than you know. We can feel the difference when you are praying. We are all in this fight to break the cycle of generational abuse together. You are waging war on the front lines with us and for that I am eternally grateful. May God bless you and may you know how important what you are doing truly is. May God give you strength as you continue in the truth of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matt & Tarrah Pritchett - Camp Directors

Jr. Counselor Training - May 24-27, 2013

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

It is with great joy that I have the opportunity to share with you about our JC Training Camp two weekends ago. We had 24 Junior Counselors, three Summer Staff, six Directors, and two director children for the whole weekend. It was a packed house! The Lord moved in the hearts of the Junior Counselors as we spent time considering our Winter Camp theme “Rooted” and went through a chunk of the JC Training material. Before I tell any stories, I want to thank you for praying for all of us and being faithful to constantly lift up the weekend to God. We take much comfort in your prayers and know that they are of the utmost importance for the success of the ministry. Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

Nathan is a Junior Counselor that I got to know this past summer. If I remember correctly, I got to spend two weeks with him and thoroughly enjoyed my time. Nathan is a very hard worker and determined young man. The odds are against him though, as he fights to stay strong and healthy because of degenerative disease. Nathan didn’t share this with me during the summer, but over the JC Training Camp during our Prayer Group Nathan expressed the anger that he feels because of what he is going through and how it affects him and his friends. We took the opportunity to pray for him and lift up his struggles to Jesus right there. The climax of the weekend came for Nathan during our Cross and Communion session when he had the opportunity to write down his struggles on a piece of paper and see it burn up. At camp, we have some special flash paper that lights on fire, burns very quickly, and leaves no ash behind. It is always a very powerful time as the campers and JC’s see their struggles, sin, and shame burn up on the cross of Christ. Anyways, after the session, Nathan approached Amy and I and told us of the freedom that he felt from his anger. He explained to us how angry and upset he had become and how God set him free from those feelings when he gave them to the Lord. Praise God for the work in Nathan’s heart!

Charissa was a JC leader in disguise. That is, until she came up for training. She is one of our newest camper JC’s who came for the weekend. She also, was in our Prayer Group and really impressed us with her sincere and heartfelt prayers for her peers. She took everyone by surprise with her budding leadership skills and friendly spirit. The moment we saw this came when we challenged the JC’s with our Group Initiative. The task was to pass a marble from pipe to pipe from one end of the house to other and then put the marble into a small cup. This doesn’t sound very difficult, but when one teammate is blind, another mute, one missing a foot, and all only being able to hold it with one hand, then it becomes a challenge. Charissa, despite the challenge, took charge during the Group Initiative and really led her team with love and care. All of the directors were so impressed. Praise the Lord for this new JC!

Thank you again for praying for us. As you can see from Nathan and Charissa’s stories, your prayers make a difference in the lives of all who come to camp. May you be blessed for your partnership in this ministry.

                                                                                                In Christ,

                                                                                   Jeremy Allen, Assistant Director