Sailing by Ben Carlson

Transcription

1 Sailing by Ben Carlson When I learned that I was going to be working out at SLCC this summer one of my main goals was to learn how to sail. I am not sure where this desire came from, but it was a personal goal of mine. Eventually, I wanted to become good enough to take kids out on windy days during swim time. Several weeks into the summer, after pestering Blaze about it, he finally agreed to take me out and show me the ropes of sailing. It was a rather windy day, so Blaze did not let me try my hand at it, but I still felt like I had a good idea of what I was doing. After about 2 weeks of several more lessons with Jerry, a failed outing with Gabriel, and a major lifejacket sunburn line, I was a fairly competent sailor. I was able to sail the whole lake, around both islands and in basically any wind conditions. By the time youth camps rolled around, I felt comfortable taking campers out with me. I would take them out two at a time. This would be one of the more memorable parts of the week for me. I was able to talk to them on a much more personal level because there were only two of them. I would hear about where they were from, their family, their pets, all sorts of things. The trust that they showed was truly amazing. More often then not, many of them had never been on a boat in their life. So for them to get into a boat with somebody that they had only known for a few days, and to trust me when I would say that we would not flip, was truly amazing. It reminded me of my walk with God. When I went to college, I was nervous, but I trusted that God would take care of me. I have never physically seen God, but I know that that he is there for me, and I can trust him. One sailing highlight for me was be getting to lead a sailing session during Senior High camp. Gabriel Eisenbeis and myself each took two campers out each day for two hours and taught them about sailing. We taught them how to set up and tear down the boats, how to turn, and how to get them right side up again if they flipped over. Then, we would let them try their hand driving the boat and let them sail around the lake for a while. It was fun to see them go from knowing nothing to being able to sail without us telling them what to do. An other highlight was learning to sail the Hobie 16. The Hobie 16 is a two sail catamaran with a main mast that is twice as big as the other sailboats. Taking it out on a windy day is one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world. You can clip in and lean out so you re around a foot and a half above the water and you feel like you re flying across the water you re going so fast. It s not so fun if you flip it and spend 45 minutes with four other people trying to get it back up right continued on page two.

2 Sailing from page 1 I know how much of an effect sailing had on me, whether it was going out by myself on a weekend to relax, or getting to take kids out and building relationships. I hope that it had the same affect on some of the kids as it did on me. Sadly, our boats are old and worn out. They are over 30 years old and showing their age badly. They all leak. One of them, without serious hull repair, most likely will not be sailable next summer. The camp is looking into getting two new Hobie Bravo boats that cost around $3500 each. These would replace the current boats and enable us to have two perfectly working boats to take kids out on. If you feel led to help make this possible, we would be extremely grateful. Also if you re in the area on a windy day in the summer, stop by and I would be more then happy to take you sailing. From left: Nathan Johnson, David Klingburg, Jerry Kroeker and Blaze Kilian at Cattyman Falls in Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Northern Minnesota Davee and Blaze Kilian in the Boundary Waters on their way back from Canadian waters. Boundary Waters by Davee Kilian Picturesque views, crystal clear water, unique plant life, and amazing company. This list only covers a minimal amount of what the boundary waters trip near northern Minnesota was like for me. Coming into this trip, I really did not have any expectations. We had just finished a busy week at camp, with hardly any time for me to prepare or think about the boundary waters. Over the first few weeks of camp, I was being challenged in my faith and had grown in Christ. It had been a rather difficult time for me as a first time staff member, so I was in need of a reprieve. The area that the boundary waters is located has a natural pristine feel. The lakes, surrounded by hills, covered in trees, is breathtaking. One day in particular that sticks out, demonstrated God's hand in creation for me. We were able to canoe to a waterfall just a few lakes away from our base camp. Catty Man Falls was so powerful, yet beautiful in the way the water flowed over the rocks. Our group had a fun time trying to stand in the rapid gush of the falls, only to come out with dozens of leeches stuck all over our skin. Not everything about the trip was pristine, however. I enjoy the outdoors, water, and camping, but some parts of the trip were a bit...dirty. We did not shower the entire time, we cleaned our cooking pots and plates with moss, our clothes were worn for several days, and we did our "business" in a hole in the ground. But, those atypical things that we did were fun ways to draw us closer as a group. The best memories that I will take away from the Boundary Waters trip are the time spent canoeing, or sitting on a rock having a conversation with another person. It was incredible to see how time slows down when you don't have a task to get to, and when you are unable to know what time it is. Being able to just "be still" was hard for a task oriented person as myself, but it was also needed. I saw God in each and every one of the other members on the trip. God was using them to help me de-stress and enjoy His surroundings and the people I have close to me. Christ gave me a renewed mind in order to come back to camp and serve with my fellow staff members.

3 My experience here at Swan Lake Christian Camp can be called nothing short of extraordinary. I was skeptical at first because I had skipped a year of camp, and I thought I would be a little out of touch with everyone else. Little did I know that God had huge plans for me this summer. These plans would not have come to fruition if I had come to camp last year. From the moment all the staff arrived at camp, we bonded together like the best of friends. It was through this friendship and cooperation, that we were able to accomplish many things around camp. If Jerry gave us a list of things to do, we would get right to work and knock things off that list in no time. I was truly blessed to be able to work with such a task driven group of friends. It definitely made the summer go much easier. Of course, as we like to say, Camp is for the campers. And the task oriented nature of the staff had to take a back seat. But as far as I could tell, we were able to bond with the campers almost as much as we did each other. If there was a kid who needed someone to talk to, there was always someone there. If there was a kid who needed motivation to try a new activity, there was always someone willing to give it. Not a single kid was torn down and disheartened, but rather, the staff always encouraged and built up the campers. It was through this attitude of servanthood to the campers that allowed them to see the power of God through us. Kids don t often recognize the presence of God in their lives, but the rest of the staff and I were able to point to God and make a difference in every kid s life. Every single person is broken in some way. But the staff has encouraged me, and each other, and now we are on the mend. I believe that God brought each one of us out here for the summer of 2015 so that He could heal our brokenness. I certainly think that we witnessed Him doing an amazing work in our lives this summer. Retreat Center by Jerry The Retreat Center being built at Swan Lake Christian Camp will meet the needs of adults who use the camp. Outside of three summer months, nearly all of our guest groups are adults or families. Many of these older adults would find it difficult to use the 130 bunk beds that work so well for youth camping groups. The vision behind the Retreat Center is to provide a space where adults can encounter Jesus Christ in the same manner that so many kids do each summer. Work continues on the retreat center nearly every day. The drywall is nearing completion. The next steps include priming the walls, painting and finish work around the windows. The exciting part is that there is still no debt. Just under $400,000 has been spent on this project to date. The original estimate from Schelling Construction was $1,000,000 with no volunteer help. Upcoming expenses of $80,000 for an elevator, plumbing fixtures, lights, finish work and flooring remain and are estimated at $400,000. The savings are due to volunteers and donated materials. In God s economy, this project is nearly insignificant. In terms of the number of lives that will be impacted here, this project is hugely significant. Please consider a financial gift to help us complete this project. Rental requests are already being made for space for next summer. To accommodate this timeline, we need your help. Concrete flooring being poured in Great Room

4 Wish List 2 Eureka Timberline 4 man tents $300 dollars to go towards a Gaga ball pit Ping pong balls Stamps (for sending out letters campers wrote to themselves) 100 new chairs for the chapel (about $20 a chair) Ion Block Rocker portable PA system $99 on ebay 2016 Schedule Young Adult Retreat..... Dec , th/6th Grade Winter Retreat.. Jan Junior High Winter Retreat Feb. 5-7 Senior High Winter Retreat.... Feb rd Grade Camp June Cottontail Day Camp (Ages 5 & 6).. June 16 Chipmunk Day camp (Ages 7 & 8).. June 17 5th Grade Camp June th Grade Camp July 5-8 6th Grade Camp July Senior High Camp July Junior High Camp July 31-Aug. 5 Reflections from Director Jerry Kroeker I used to be a Christian, but... I used to be a Christian, but now I am a witness. This was the opening comment from an uncle at one of the family reunions that we hosted here at Swan Lake Christian Camp. This family has been coming nearly every other year since Like many families, this family always does a Sunday morning worship service led by one of the family members. Uncle Bill used this line to get everyone s attention. He then told about how God had made Himself known to Bill in an undeniable way. Bill spoke about how he used to have a private faith that was very significant and personal to him, but since his encounter with God, now he has to share his story. Some might dismiss his encounter, but for Bill, God s presence cannot be kept private any longer. Bill used to attend church and tried to get everything out of that experience that he could. This is a noble act of worship. Now, though, he simply shares what he knows to be truth. He still attends church. He still serves on committees. But, he no longer considers himself to be just a Christian. He is a witness. Now, he has a responsibility to share with others. Bill s worship of God is different in light of a renewed assurance of God s presence and this difference has changed the way Bill understands his own relationship to the one who created the universe. I believe that God is calling each of us to bear witness to His work in each of our lives so that others may come to know Jesus Christ. We share our stories, not because we are somehow special, but because God is special. Our goal ought to be to encourage others that they might ascribe to God the blessings that they experience in their own lives. By retelling these stories, we remind ourselves of God s goodness and we encourage others. I used to be a Christian also. Pictured to the right are the graduated seniors that attended camp this summer! Austin VanDiepen, Christian Martin, Maggie Vetch, Olivia Boese, Byron Franz, Brianna Waltner, Sadie Potter, and Laura Kroeker

5 Staff from the Past Name some of your favorite memories from SLCC? I will always fondly remember gathering in a tight circle around the dying campfire with all the staff after dismissing the rest of the kids and praying and sharing our joys and concerns about the day. That summer I learned so much about what the body of Christ could look like when everyone came together to support and encourage each other. Striving to be the person God is calling me to be was never easier than it was that summer. I enjoyed watching the progression as we worked with older campers every week. We came to realize that each staffer had special gifts with specific age groups. Staffers who offered more supportive roles early in the summer stepped into leadership roles later in the summer and vice versa. We often speculated during the day camps, which little campers would eventually grow into full time staffers. It was an honor and a responsibility to nurture the next generation of staffers, some who are on staff right now! Caley Ortman Staff: 2006 Hometown: Freeman, South Dakota Caley currently resides in Elkhart, Indiana and is attending seminary there. Staff from Inspiration Hills camp in Iowa and SLCC staff got together to share ideas and encourage one another at the beginning of summer. What did you learn from your time at SLCC? As a social worker and youth pastor, my SLCC experience is inseparable from what I do day in and day out, from thinking on my feet with games and activities to having the patience to love the challenging kids and working cohesively with a group. The ripple of SLCC's effect goes further than you could even imagine. Surplus Items SLCC has accumulated a number of items that need to find new homes. If you are interested in any of the items listed below, please contact the camp office for more information. 45 KW pto driven generator $500 obo Boat lift suitable for Sunbird or similar fishing boats. $500 Mercury 9.9 four stroke short shaft boat motor $ x 38 Tire chains for tractor $100 obo John Deere Gator 6x4 $1500 obo 16 Sunbird Sailboat with trailer. This is a day sailer that is a bit too cumbersome for the kids to sail. It is in fair to good condition. $1000 Mission Statement