Quarterly Prayer Letter - October 2013

PRAISES    Manuel, who we asked for prayer to continue to heal from the trauma of severe abuse and his family’s rejection returned to camp this summer so much stronger and your prayers were all answered. The assault charges were dropped and he stopped the drugs he had used to soothe his pain. This boy has a growing tender heart, amazing leadership skills and a boldness that needs to be used for the Lord whom he now loves. The one he was afraid to totally trust is his best friend, he said! Thanks for the prayers for the  Summer Program, Staff, Counselors and JC’s! God put together a remarkable team That made a big difference! Click here to go to our Prayer Blog.  PRAYER REQUESTS - OCTOBER 2013 Camper Salvations – So many campers responded as we introduced them to the life changing and healing reality of Jesus Christ. Please pray for their continued growth. Some were so brutally abused that you wondered how they could realize there is a God after years of sexual abuse, being used as slaves, being ripped from away from siblings, forced prostitution and the like. It was amazing to watch anger and hate melt before a God who was the only one who could reach them through His penetrating love. Pray that they will be protected and that their anger and bitterness will not return. May they retain what received and not stolen away. May there be fewer traumas in their lives and ease in heeding the Holy Spirit’s guidance. David & Jimmy - need prayer that their walk with Jesus stays strong, resting in His grace and that they make it through the Jr. Counselor application process since they want to serve back at camp. Chris – and about 8 others couldn’t make the decision at camp and need to bow their knee to the Lord and believe and be saved Ty – and several other campers need to find their identity in Jesus and not their past abuse. Freedom evades them and only God’s truth will free them. Counselors – It is Counselor recruiting time again for winter camps. Please ask the Lord to send just the right ones, who understand the camper’s needs and can show them the Love of Christ. Camp – Jr. Counselor (JC’s) recruiting (15-20 years), mentors to step up for camper JC’s, productive opportunities to share at churches. Please also pray for the Winter Camp Program planning which has started. Staff – Four staff have close extended family that need health issues resolved, two need to purchase vehicles and health challenges have risen again for most. Please pray for Tarrah who is starting a MOPS group. Pray for Amy as she begins a Doula Certification program this fall and attends classes and reads books. Building Project - Now that the Public Use Permit is approved, please pray as we raise funds to build. Lots of potential help is possible so we are encouraged. The Lord is in control and we want to trust in Him to provide. We want all the glory for this project to go to Him. Pray that things run smoothly for the project and move forward quickly and for Dan’s wisdom. Winter Camp - Pray over the program for winter camp, as we put together  the theme, studies, talks, games, etc. Pray that it would be especially encouraging and growing for the campers. Staff Unity - Pray for the unity of the whole staff and protection from the enemy, who is so quick to divide and discourage.

Fall 2013 - Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Warriors,

            I first want to thank you for your continued support of Camp through your prayers. I notice such a difference personally in my life when I have 52 churches praying for me by name. Your faithful prayers make a huge difference in the ability of our campers to walk with Jesus and hear His voice.

            One Camper that is making the right decision to pursue God is named Tim. When Tim came to camp during secession 8 he arrived late. It was his first time at Camp Alandale and he had heard about camp from his foster brother who had come a few weeks earlier. Tim was tired when he arrived and immediately told me he did not want to be here. He had been sent to another camp the previous week and had come straight from there to Camp Alandale, so you can understand why he was so exhausted. I told Tim to just take it easy and try to enjoy camp. He took it easy but did not seem to enjoy his first couple days. One thing Tim did enjoy was complaining, because he did it about everything. He was compliant, but not without a negative opinion and a grumble. That is until he shared his testimony on Wednesday night.

            Tim shared one of the most difficult testimonies I have ever heard from a young man. He shared how he and his siblings were shipped off to Utah to live with an uncle where he was brutally raped on a regular basis by the uncle and his friends. Then Tim shared about a visit he had with his birth mother and how two men broke in and raped his mother in front of him. He shared that had started using drugs and had started to see a particular demon on a daily basis; then he shared about Jesus.

            Tim shared his story of how Jesus had set him free from drugs and from being tormented by this demon. Tim shared how important his relationship with Jesus had become. He told me later that evening in tears how God had touched his heart through the experience of sharing his testimony and how a fire to follow Jesus had been relit in his heart. Tim stopped complaining and stated leading his team. He started praying for his team members and decided he loved Camp Alandale.

            Tim is doing well today and really, really, wants to be part of our Jr. Counselor program. Thank you for your prayers for Tim. It really helped him to make the decision to pursue God and turn for the temptations that had crept back in to his life.

            You have received a set of prayer cards for campers and staff at Camp Alandale. Please hand them out to your prayer team and ask them to pray for the person on the card until our winter camp starts. Thank you for battling for the hearts and souls of our campers in prayer.

  

Love in Christ Jesus,

Matt Pritchett, Camp Director

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 9. August 12-17, 2013 - 10-12th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

Thank you for joining us for the final week of camp. It was a great week of camp filled with many highlights, but it was not without many difficulties. This camp seemed a little bit different because about half of the campers were new. Typically, high school camps are about 75% returning and 25% new. Although we anticipated a very difficult camp because of the amount of new campers, God’s grace was upon Camp Alandale as the Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of the campers.

The first night of camper testimonies Diana chose to share her testimony. She was new to camp, but chose to jump right in and tell her story. She told it with boldness and tears as she walked through moments of beatings, abuse, rape, and miscarriage. It broke our hearts to see her lay her head back and find the courage to tell the next part of her story. It was evident from the way she talked that her heart was so hard against God, so much so, that during Counselor Prayer the next day her counselor shared with us that she had said that she hated God. One cannot blame her for thinking this, but we know that our God is a God of love and justice who takes care of the beaten and downtrodden. Her counselor fought mightily throughout the week to show Diana that she is loved by God and loved by us. She encouraged her to send God a “Facebook message” and open up communication with him, which had been shut down many years prior. Diana, although coming to camp with a very hard heart towards God, left camp with a heart softened toward him. Pray in the days and weeks that follow camp that God will take hold of her life and that she’ll surrender all of her pain and sorrow to Jesus.

Another camper new to camp was Anthony. He came with a hard heart just like Diana. Despite having been placed in a good home at an early age, Anthony struggled to believe in God and found his security in knowing that he had been raised as a Catholic. His thoughts were conflicting as he had never been in a place with other foster children who had similar stories and had not heard much of the person of Jesus. His counselor spent many one-on-ones with him telling him about who Jesus was and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. This was very comforting for Anthony, who slowly over the week opened up more and more, and finally put his faith in Christ on Friday. We rejoice with the angels as another camper became a child of God.

There are more stories like Diana and Anthony’s from this last week of camp, which much credit is due to your faithful prayers. Please continue to pray for all the campers as they’ve returned home to difficult situations. Blessings!

                                                                                                In Christ,

                                                                                                Jeremy & Amy Allen

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 8 - August 8-10, 2013 - 10-12th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

Last week I was blessed with two amazing, young men as my campers. The first of which was Phil, a returning camper who came to camp with many anger issues. He hadn’t been in a couple of years and came back claiming to have this great relationship with God. During our first one-on-one he shared his testimony with me and explained how he had an abusive father and a drug addict mother. He had bounced from group home to group home since he was eight years old. He was angry and felt as though he had been dealt a bad hand in life. My second camper was Jim. Jim made it to camp at around 5pm on Monday, shortly after being taken off the roster. Jim was late because he was on his way back from another camp and had just enough time to clean up. Jim was a first time camper and came with a very different struggle. His father had been in prison since before he was born and his mother was also a drug addict. He had recently given his life to Christ and was really seeking God in his life. Although he was a Christian, he was incredibly negative about everything we did. He didn’t like the tents, food, games, schedule – the list goes on and on. He and I would have great conversations about God and the Bible, but as soon as the conversation was over he would be negative again. As the week progressed both of these young men had amazing victories.

                As the week progressed Phil's anger became more obvious, with his buttons becoming easier to push. He started to lose patience with the other campers. As it progressed I found out it was not so much anger at others, but a fear of what was going to happen after he left camp. He told me that before he came up to camp his Aunt told him she was going to adopt him. This gave him a great deal of happiness, but sadly also brought up feelings of rejection and insecurities. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time someone told him that they were going to adopt him. He was fearful of being rejected again. Thankfully, as the week came to a close he found comfort in God. While all of this was going on, Jim was working through some struggles. He had a difficult time enjoying himself at camp because of his negative attitude. He shared with me his younger foster brother had come up before and did not like it. So his impression of camp was negative even before he came. It was on Wednesday, however, that he realized he truly did enjoy camp. His attitude slowly started to change. He grew in his relationship with the Lord and was even able to share his testimony. It was his first time ever sharing his testimony, which was a very freeing experience for him. After he shared, he told me that it felt like a weight was lifted from him. In the end, he loved camp and everyone was able to see his joy as well.

Even though I only had two campers there was a third camper in my tent. We had many different conversations at night, but a few stuck out to me. The first of which was that they had many questions about the reality of God’s love. This led to a great conversation on what love truly is and how we should show it to others. The second happened on the last night of camp. One of the guys asked me why I had lent my jacket to a girl at campfire that night, considering that it was the coldest night and I was clearly cold after doing so. This simple question opened the door for me to share with them what being a man is, and not just any man, but a godly man. At the beginning of the week these three young men had all sorts of dysfunction going on around them, but by the end of the week though they were able to find comfort and normalcy in God and His love for them. Praise the Lord! While they still had problems when they left, they were able and willing to seek God in them. Thank you for praying for these guys throughout the week. Your prayers are powerful!

                                                                                                                                In Christ,

                                                                                                                                Kris, Staff-Counselor

Summer Camp 2013 - Session 7. July 29-Aug 3, 2013 - 10-12th Grade

Dear Prayer Coordinators,

Thank you so much for your prayers over the past few weeks. We were genuinely unsure whether Camp would be spared from the mountain fire, but it turned out it was in God's plan to finish the summer. The staff returned to Camp on Tuesday July, 23^rd in order to clean up and prepare for our first high school camp of the year, Session #7 from July 29 – August 3. Thanks for praying with us.

As a young staff member, at first I was a little apprehensive about counseling high schoolers. But, as is always the case with God, He did not give me more than I could handle. My first camper, Blaine, remembered me from three years ago, making it easy to build a relationship with him. Blaine thought he was a committed Christian but talked about how he didn't think you needed to go to church or read the Bible in order to maintain a close relationship with God. As Bible studies went on throughout the week, it came to light that he suffered from a form of Dyslexia and had difficulty reading. God found other ways to minister to Blaine at Camp, though – one of Karen's solos about forgiveness had him breaking down in tears. When I asked him later he said it was because the song made him realize he needed to forgive his dad's girlfriend, who had hurt him in the past.

My other camper, James, was more of a challenge. James had been coming to Camp for seven years and had yet to give his life to Christ. At our first meal I inadvertently made myself James’ enemy when I enforced the “two cookie per meal” rule by taking several Oreos off his plate. For the rest of the day he wouldn't even talk to me! When it came time for our one-on-one, I had to get the Director to talk to him before he agreed to go with me. He would provide the occasional one word response when I asked about his interests, but every time I brought up God he became silent. This attitude continued throughout the rest of the night and for the next few days – James would disregard rules and choose not to participate in most camp activities. I decided that the disciplinarian approach wasn't working and realized that if this boy was going to change, it was going to have to be through God's power and not my own. At dinner Wednesday night I noticed our team Junior Counselor writing some Japanese characters – since one of Justin's favorite things to do was watch Japanese anime. I started a conversation between the two of them and James talked for the longest I had seen him talk so far. Something about having a simple, civilized conversation really impacted him. After testimony time that night, I asked him about his testimony. For about five minutes he just sat there in silence, but then out of the blue he just sat up and told me his story for the next twenty minutes. His parents alternated between abusing him and leaving him on his own for days at a time. Eventually CPS was called and Justin bounced from abusive group home to abusive group home. He said the worst part was that wherever he went he was treated like a little kid. He responded to this treatment by running away, shoplifting, and smoking pot. After opening up to me, although he was not the perfect camper, his attitude towards me and towards Camp changed. He began answering questions in amphitheater and even asked the director to repeat a verse so he could look it up later. Our one-on-ones became livelier, but he would still avoid the topic of God, at least outwardly. By Saturday I had become concerned that he had yet to tell me that he really believed the Gospel. I asked him if he at least believed that Jesus walked the Earth. His response astounded me - “Of course. How else would he have died for our sins?”

Often times at Camp we are blessed in that we get to see the fruits of our labors, as I did with Blaine. Other times, like with James, we only get to see glimpses of God's work. Either way, we thank Him for his provision and you for your continuous prayer.

                                In Christ,

Michael Bacon and the Camp Alandale Family

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

Winter Camp 2013 - Session 9. March 22-24 - 10-12 Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

As Good Friday and Resurrection day approach my heart is always turned to the Passion of our Lord and how He took so much for you and for me. That thought echoed in my mind all weekend at Winter Camp last weekend. Isaiah 53:5 played in the background of my mind, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed”.

Last summer a young man named Samuel came to Camp. When we called his group home the week before the supervisor told us that Samuel just got out of Juvenile Hall but would be coming to Camp anyway. We explained to the group home supervisor that we thought that would not be a good idea. We made the decision to wait two weeks to bring Samuel to Camp so he would have some time to adjust to being home again. I think that was one of the first times it hit me how different life is for kids that live in group homes. They are not going home to moms or dads, or even foster parents, but to a paid staff that manages behaviors with points and demerits; what a difficult childhood that would be.

Well, Samuel did come to Camp two weeks later. As you would expect for a kid just out of Juvie he was full of rage and ready to blow. But let me tell you something about Samuel. He is 6’2; 260 lbs of muscle. It was like standing next to a 50 gallon powder keg with a lit fuse. If Samuel were a little guy this would have been a lot easier to deal with but he isn’t - he is huge. As the week went on this young man became more aggressive towards campers and counselors alike until BOOM, Samuel had tackled a smaller boy to the ground, kneed him in the stomach and bloodied his nose, and all in a split second. Fortunately a couple of our larger male counselors were able to stop the fight immediately. Britt, one of our counselors, walked Samuel off while Samuel shouted at the smaller boy. Britt had a long talk with him. Samuel settled down after that incident and by the end of the week decided that he wanted to follow Jesus.

Samuel was one of the two boys at Winter Camp. Wow what a change had happened in him. He was calm; he had been going to a church that he now called his church, not just a youth group, but big church. Samuel sang the worship songs and knew the words even with his eyes closed. He carried a worn down devotional in his back pocket that he had received at Camp at the end of the week last summer and asked if we could give him the sequel that went with it. Samuel poured over the books in the front room at Camp asking if he could read books about Jesus. He is looking for a job and has joined the Jr. ROTC program at his high school. He proudly told us he was going to go into the Air Force and shared with us about how he is learning discipline. Needless to say this was a different kid. It always amazes me how the Spirit of God changes lives over such a short time.

At Camp Alandale we are passionate about seeing abused children introduced to Jesus. More than our passion though, we know that these kids are His passion; these kids are Gods passion. Jesus warns in Mark 9:42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea”. How he must love these broken little lambs, our Good Sheppard searches for them, binds their broken hearts, makes them part of his flock, and keeps them. His passion.

Thank you for all you do in support of Camp Alandale, giving of your time, prayers, talent, and treasure for the cause of bring the healing and life changing love of Jesus to abused Children.

Love in Christ,

Matt & Tarrah Pritchett and all the Camp Alandale Team

Winter Camp 2013 - Session 8. March 15-17 - 10-12 Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Once again we write you all with gratitude for your faithful prayers for the ministry and for the lives of our campers, counselors, and staff. After finishing our winter camp directing season on March 15-17^th we can see in full view the glory of what God has done in the lives of so many untouched and unreachable campers. Thank you for praying!

Because of your prayers and God’s faithfulness, we can almost always recall the excitement of seeing a camper come to the Lord right before our eyes. Also, because of your prayers and God’s faithfulness, we are able to see campers put their faith in Jesus and become rooted in him. One of these campers we want to share with you about is Manuel. He has been coming to camp for a long time, probably close to eight years attending both summer and winter camps. He gave his life to the Lord during one of his summer weeks a few years ago and this winter camp was his last camp. He’ll be graduating from high school in May and begin a new phase in life. For the most part, he is a pretty quiet and reserved kind of guy and didn’t speak up very much throughout the weekend. His counselor had lots to say about him during Victory circle, however, when he stood up with tears in his eyes and shared how Manuel’s tender heart toward the Lord has been growing each year. He was able to see this because he had been Manuel’s counselor several times before and could see the follower of Christ that Manuel has become. His counselor, Todd, was able to tell Manuel, as a father would to a son, how proud he was of him. Although it was hard to see Manuel go, we know and trust that the work God has begun in him here at camp will continue, and so through all our prayers we faithfully ask him to do so. Will you please continue to pray for Manuel, especially as he graduates from high school this year?

This past weekend was particularly special because we had so many young men and women that we saw are faithfully walking with the Lord in their homes, outside of camp. This is no easy task for many of the kids who live in homes where God is not talked about, and church is not an item on the menu. They have to make a way for themselves to be able to be involved in a church and get connected to a Christian fellowship, so that they don’t fall away. Many of them have done such a good job of this that we find them eligible to apply for our Junior Counselor program where they are given a chance to come back and serve at camp. We have a lot of requirements that JC’s must meet, but we find that it challenges them to stay connected and grow in their faith. We’re always thrilled to keep them for a while longer, even after they’ve graduated. Please, if you will, continue praying specifically for Dan, Vicki, Judi, Donovan, and Josh, all of which may have a chance at some point in the next few years to apply to be JCs. We know that the battle will only increase as the enemy attacks their lives to keep them from following the Lord.

We feel so blessed knowing that your prayers are with us each week! Every single weekend this winter we could feel the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of the campers as we teach the word of God and love on his children. Thanks for being part of the team that blessed the campers this winter season!

                                                                                   In Christ’s Love,

                                                                                   Jeremy & Amy Allen and the Camp Alandale Family