Long Term Benefits

One of the benefits of coming to kamp year after year is the 6-7-8 year kamper party. Each term with Kay Holiday's help, we throw a fun party for all of our multi year kampers who have been here longer than 6 years. Pizza, coke, ice cream, and sharing some good memories are what drive our time together. It's one of those small hidden blessings that doesn't get talked about a lot.

Each year a kamper attends, we also make them a part of our multi-year jewelry awards program. After your 3rd year, you are awarded a tribal symbol. From your fourth year on, awards include the Kanakuk cross and tennis shoes, I'm Third symbols, way cool backpacks, Kanakuk watches, and much more.

It truly does pay long term dividends to attend our kamps. Not just with fun awards, but the spiritual foundation and athletic coaching as well. One kamper mentioned to me yesterday how much he needs and enjoys coming to kamp each summer. "It's my spiritual boost that refills and refocuses me for each year."

Couldn't have said it better.

Klife Targets Purity

We had Joe White come over last night and share with our kampers. I love it when he comes to speak. The kampers love it when he comes over too. It was an important night for so many who made commitments and decisions in the area of purity.

This adds in another outstanding night in our line up of fun and challenging special programs events. We make it our goal to make each minute count for every kamper who is a part of the Kwest family. I feel like each night we get to present something to the kampers, it turns out to be a home run. God just continues to bless what we are doing.

Summer is here for real. The warm temperatures have made the pool and lake front popular places for the kids to have fun and stay cool. It's what summer is all about.

Morning Flag Wakeup

Morning Flag is always a fun time to rally the kamp and kick off our day.

This morning, our OD theme of the day is "Christmas in July." Our morning skit looked more like a Christmas eve service at a Baptist church where the kids presented the story of the birth of Christ and nativity scene. It was fun.

Tonight Joe White will be coming over to our kamp to be our speaker at Klife. It's purity night and the kampers will get to hear a message that will no doubt be challenging and encouraging.

We pack a lot into every day so tons of things will be happening between now and then.

Thanks for checking in...

Cross Talk

Tonight was a great night.

It was cross talk night.

It's a simple night. Not complicated at all. It's just the message of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

With a mostly full moon providing a back drop for our evening walk, we had dozens of kampers who made decisions tonight. The message was clear: follow Him...follow Him closely. So often all of us at one time or another would say that despite admitting we are truly following, we keep our distance. "Not too close" we can tell ourselves. It's sad.

Just a minute ago, the bell rang 8 times in succession. An entire boys cabin had come to the office to "ring" the bell and let kamp know they had chosen to tighten up their relationship with the Lord, and follow more closely. How cool is that?

When Jesus saw Peter, He gave one simple command, "Follow Me."
Simple. Direct. Not that hard to do.
It's great to see Kwest grab onto that command and follow Him.

It's been a good day.

K-Life Tonight!

Do you have any idea how much fun it is to be in a room full of 300 fired up middle school kampers who love being at KWest? It can be a little intimidating to be honest, but it really is a blast to watch them have so much fun.

A couple of nights ago, we all had a wonderful time enjoying an evening of singing, skits, and music. It was all topped off by a very interesting talk from Todd Rapp, our men's director. This session at Kwest has been extra special. The kampers have been the best, the weather has been perfect, and the staff is doing unbelievable in their jobs as counselors.

Tonight we will be doing our cross talk night where kampers will get to hear about the gospel in a very relevant and upbeat way through skits, dramas, and finishing it off with a time together at the Kwest counsel ring where we have a large cross. It is always a special time.

On a side note, it's amazing what can happen when you mix water, balloons, and a bunch of hot kampers who are looking for ways to keep cool. Today during free time, the guys have "Man Day" so we decided to make man size water balloons and haul them around kamp. Most of the ones we made were the size of very large watermelons (ironically a good workout for the guys to carry them around for a while before strategically disposing of them).

Every day is good a kamp. I wish I would blog more. I guess the good thing is that we are so busy making this place fun, I rarely sit down in the office.

Thanks for checking in....Kwest is rolling along like a well organized covered wagon train.

Simply Amazing

I Love our Team. I really do. Every year we come together I never ceased to be amazed at the team that the Lord pulls together to help run this place called Kwest. It's simply amazing.

Term one is in the books. Kampers shed lots of tears and left with big smiles this morning. It was another sign that they love this place and simple count these days as the best of their year. Funny how the Lord seems to do that every year. It's simply amazing.

Opening day is chaotic, busy, and downright fun. With new kampers arriving today, our staff stepped up and brought a new found energy that helped our opening day skyrocket. It was one Amped up day (pardon the pun). It's simply amazing what happenings in such a short time with trunks, buses, bags, check in, and schedules. It takes a super star team to get it all done.

Yep. I'd say that our staff is what makes the different at this kamp. They are the ones, by the grace of God, who are used as tools in the Hand of our Creator, to help shape and mold hearts. It's fun to watch it happen. Pretty amazing when I think about it all.

One of the best things about Kwest is our staff. I still believe today, that apart from the Lord, our number one asset is our People. Our staff, fueled by their walk with the Lord, is the reason this place is so special. From the looks of the photo above, you know why we have so much fun!

In our first kamper surveys of the summer, 92% of our boys said that they had an "excellent" time. Did you hear that? 92%. Wow, it's hard to get any group of folks to say something like that and all be on the same page. What's even more impressive, all of our guys who stayed for one week told us that every one of their counselor staff was 100% excellent when it comes to guiding, leading, and directing them. What a special staff with incredible talents. What a gracious God!

Tonight is cross talk night. We will be rallying tonight to help lead the kids through an evening of sharing skits, sketches, and testimonies that tell the story of the good news of Jesus. It's always a special night. We are always blown away by what happens in so many hearts.

Yep, the staff is what makes Kwest an awesome place. The Lord is the One who changes the hearts.

Watertime

Let's face it...everyone loves summer. It's here. It's hot. It's fun. It's time to hit the water at Kanakuk.

We are off and running and it has been super. Kids are having fun, staff has been awesome, and the weather has been spectacular.

We are so glad it's summer.

Good weather, Good eats, and Good fun!

Kwest staff and kampers couldn't make it without the chuckwagon.

There is nothing better than seeing a meal at your table that feels almost like a home cooked meal. Jenica (our head kitchen manager) and her team have plenty of experience, expertise, and enthusiasm to help make every meal feel and taste like the best one you have ever had the privilege of eating.

We were up and running on our first full day today. The sky was blue, the temperature was perfect, and everyone was enjoying a break from school and a wonderful introduction into summer. Sometimes I wonder if 1st term might just be our best one. Everyone is so excited to be out of school and start having summer fun. Like I said, we are off and running incredible well.

Tonight was opening night at the Tribal Ring and our Chiefs and Princesses did an awesome job leading their tribes in cheers, competition, and taking part in our ceremonies. We had a spectacular backdrop of lighting in the far distance that made the night almost magical. It was really a special one.

We can't wait for tomorrow. It's so good to be rollin.

Ward