Tradition

Kwest is full of tradition. Bunkhouses, flag, Sunday afternoon's, coffee cake, and of course one of my favorites, Saturday morning pancakes.

I am not sure why I love it so much, but I do. I think it's partly because I love to help other people. Bottom line, people get hungry and they have to eat. I love making that happen.

I also love encouraging folks in our kitchen. Jenica (and the rest of the team) and never short on smiles for sure, but I enjoy giving them an extra boost by taking a task off their hands and letting them sit or get to something else.

Maybe the most fun I have it making weird pancakes for Bunkhouse 1. Green, red, and chocolate chip are at the top of my list. Nothing is better than making a huge (what I call) "Truck Stop" pancake for guys like Will Certain for Matt Buller. They can eat pancakes the size of a truck tire and still have room for a fruit and some yogurt.

It's not bad when I get to cook with AJ either. Doing anything with him is fun. Watching him strap on an apron, get two spatulas, and then pour out half of a bowl of mix to make just on colossi pancake is the coolest thing in the world.

I know we have ton's of traditions at kwest. Saturday morning pancakes are just one of those that have made their way into our regular schedule at home. Kamp is strange that way. We seem to pull things home with us and make them a part of every day life (because they were part of everyday life at kamp). It's that old universal truth that comes into play: anything that you more than 21 days in a row will automatically become a habit. I like kamp because is makes me pull in those good habits (or traditions).

I am counting down the days till my first flip in the chuckwagon. In the meantime, I am going to be making chocolate chippers at the Wiebe house on Saturday mornings till our kwest kitchen opens it's doors.

I love traditions...

How to lose a Tooth

As I see it, there are 3 ways to lose a tooth. One is to have it knocked out like I did when I whacked myself in the mouth with my tennis racket at age 11. A second way to lose a tooth is like when Hunter’s baby tooth became loose last week and it fell out eating bread at Olive Garden. A third way to lose a tooth is to have it fall out while drinking a cup of coffee.

Well, that’s what happened a few days ago to an unnamed relative of mine. Apparently her dentist had told her a year earlier that a cavity was forming on that tooth, but she never did anything about it. She stopped going to the dentist, ignored the pain, and hoped the cavity would somehow go away. Now she is facing the reality of a root canal. She is not a happy girl at the moment. Not only will she be going through the agony of a root canal, but also has to come up with $1900 for the surgery!

If you don’t deal with your cavity, it will cost you dearly later on. That’s
the moral of the story for you and me in our lives. The moral cavity of sin that isn’t dealt with will fester and bring about the worst of pains.

“…but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1: 14-15

I have two very close friends who are paying the price for a cavity of lust. They left a little lust alive, and now it is costing them all that they care about. Over the past three weeks I have heard of five godly men who have lost their wives, money, and potential custody of their children because of what began as “just a little sin.”

That scares me. Could it happen to me? Uhhhhh, absolutely. Could it happen to you? Never say it couldn’t. It should scare you.

Could there be a cavity in your life that you are trying to ignore?
Take a careful, slow x-ray of your heart as I read through some things that cause cavities:
• Lust of the sexual nature or material nature
• Hiding the truth from your friends or family
• Really wanting more money
• Holding something against another person
• Wishing you were more like someone else

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139: 23-24

Can you see your life about ten to twenty years from now? Maybe not what you are doing occupationally, but rather what your character looks like. Can you see the spouse of your dreams in your future? Keep your eyes pure. Can you see a little boy or little girl clinging to your arm, staring into your eyes? Your kids live with your legacy. Can you see friendships with other godly men and women who trust and respect you? The alternative is bitterly ugly and lonely.

So when Sports Illustrated wants to send me their swimsuit edition, I’ll tell them to keep it - because my dentist told me no! 

Admirably,

Todd


P.S. Thank you for staying in touch with your kampers via email, facebook, letter, phone call, or visits. They talk about you all the time. Here is the link to retrieve their information…https://www.kanakuk.com/Staff/.

P.S.S. Attached is a little newsletter about what’s going on in the Kanakuk Institute. It is so incredible. I hope that if you aren’t already considering the lifelong benefits of doing the K-Institute that YOU WILL

(Editor's note: Todd wrote this article for our staff this month. He really has a wonderful gift to encourage others through writing).

Draft begins

Stay tuned. The Kanakuk hiring process is in full swing. The movie tour is over and all the directors are back in town with piles of applications. Be praying for our process as we prayerfully begin to fill our spots with Kid Lovin' staff who will be chasing kids around our kamps. We are excited for a new crop of stallions who will be able to run the hills of kwest and chase the kampers. Stay tuned for more details.

Melt Down to Ramp Up

Sitting around waiting to see who votes for Allen over LeBron is much more exciting than sitting around waiting for ice to melt. But I must say that I am thankful for the sunshine today.

It's a clear blue sky here and the ice is finally off of my drive way. You might not think that's such a big deal, but trust me, it is. I can get my Camry out now.

I spent a good portion of yesterday tackling the frozen tundra left outside my garage with snow shovels, ice melt, and even some ice chipper tools. It felt like Uncle Week pea gravel all over again...only worse. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It means Uncle week is coming and it gets me in shape for some hard manual labor (and some sweet bonding around Sonic, kampfires, and the Lampe Kup).

This morning I sat with Travis Hague and we dreamed about how to make KWest more fun this summer. How about a new games class? BB guns with Archery? New Projects like indoor climbing rooms, theaters, and even redoing the dining hall? Could we really level the soccer and football fields and add in some good draining tiles? Could paint ball be in our future?

The Spring melt down is always brings fresh ideas for summer. Who knows what will happen for sure.

I can't wait for Basketball Specialty to start! Bring on the Kampers!