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

Winter Camp 2013 - Session 6. March 1-3 - 10-12th Grade

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We’re delighted to report back to you about our exciting weekend! It was our first high school camp ever, and we had a blast. The high-schoolers, uniquely, are so committed to coming to camp, and typically have the highest level of participation and excitement than any of the other grades. This is especially true in the winter time, when all of our campers are returnees. We had a full group starting out with 13 campers and 13 counselors. It was going to be packed! By the time Jeremy made it to Ontario three of our campers had canceled, so sadly we asked two of our counselors not to come, as well as, had one of our counselors volunteer as kitchen help for the weekend. Although it’s always disappointing to see a camper not make it to camp, God always knows what’s best! We try not to question his judgment in who comes. Your prayers are a big part of that!

We had such a wonderful group of counselors and it was such a blessing to have five new counselors! Wow! Pray that God increases the love they have in their hearts for these kids so they continue to return for future camps. We always need more volunteers. They exceeded our expectations and did a great job relating to the kids. In particular, these are stories that stood out to us.

One camper, Mark, is remembered as a hard case from this past summer. Barely avoiding a few fights with other campers and staff while in the meantime giving some choice, harsh words to a fellow director, this kid was closed off. We soon learned he had pending assault charges against him, so no wonder his emotions were running high. We saw him open up and recommit his life to the Lord that week. This weekend he came back a really different kid. He was much softer, and sweet, he wanted to be a part of everything happening at camp and loved his counselor. During our victory circle time at the end of the weekend our counselors identify a strong character quality in each of their campers to encourage them. His counselor gave him the quality of gentleness. Most boys would grimace at the label, but he stood proudly knowing where he had come from and that we could all see how God had changed him. I had to choke back the tears.

Another camper, Sherry, who had only been to camp one other time, always offered her most sincere enthusiasm, but she had been questioning since the summer God’s hand in her life and if He was real. During this weekend she accepted the Lord Jesus as her Savior! During our cross ceremony everyone gets to write on a special piece of paper something they want to give to God, whether it be their pain, sin, or forgiveness for someone else. They then nail it to the wooden cross and we light the paper on fire so that the campers can all see, symbolically, what God does with those things when we give them to Him. Sherry wept as she gave over her pain, hurt, as well as her own sins to Jesus.

These are only a few of the miraculous things that God did this weekend. God is slowly chipping away the walls around these special kid’s hearts and we get to see the incredible fruit of that. Thank you so much for being a part of the wonderful work God does here at camp Alandale. May God bless you for the loyal servant hood to this ministry.

Blessings,

Jeremy & Amy Allen and the Camp Alandale Family!