It Makes That Sound

Have you ever noticed that the word plow can be a noun, a verb and a non-human interjection?

Noun: "Ben uses the new 8' Western plow to push snow out of the way."

Verb: "There is a lot of snow on the ground.  Ben is going to plow it now."   

Comic Book Sound Effect: "PLOW!  Deep snow is no match for Ben and his new plow truck."

Thanks to a great friend with a keen eye, we purchased a new (to us) pick up truck with a plow.  It's a solid vehicle with a strong engine and it was well below our budget.  That means we are continuing to move farther down our list of projects and purchases as we enter the new year. What a blessing!

Going Green

That's right... we bought a Gator.  Our 25 year old golf cart, which we have owned for the past seven years, bit the dust this summer.  Actually, we could have gotten it running again.  The cost: a bunch of new parts, a lot of labor and more new parts.  We were certainly on the verge of buying a new golf cart in parts and sticking on an old frame.  Then of course, it would probably brake down again in a week.

For the past seven years it has served us well.  But, it was time to say goodbye to the golf cart before we ended up saying goodbye to our wallets.  Recently, we said, "Hello" to a brand new John Deere Gator.  It's a golf cart on steroids.  It's beefy enough to do everything we need it to... but not so Herculian that we will be tempted to overwork it.

Thanks to generous investors we have been able to purchase this brand new Gator and accomplish so much more on a very big list of projects and purchases that will propel us into 2014.

Pretty and White

Nope, it's not the snow falling outside (which has been coming down all day).  It's our new washer, dryer and freezer.  We have some great projects and purchases on the list for the end of 2013... and some even bigger ones for 2014. 

These new appliances are a great asset for serving our guests and campers... not to mention a lower energy bill.  Stay tuned for more pictures and updates from Arrowhead!

Perfect

The temperatures are cooling down, the leaves are changing and the grass isn't growing as fast... fall is finally here.  It's the perfect time for a bocce ball tournament.

This past weekend we had the pleasure of hosting our friends from the Special Olympics for their annual bocce ball tournament.

Where did the time go?

Well, it's the last week of Shepherds Camp and the 11th week of the summer.  Camp will be quiet again in just a few weeks.  Looking back, we have been blessed with hundreds of campers, loads of volunteers, fantastic James Project groups and a great summer staff.

A recent visit from John Novak, our previous Shepherds Camp program manager got us talking about his first summer back in 1994.  That happens to be the year that our 2013 camper shirt graphic was utilized.  I think 19 years qualifies it as vintage!  Check it out.

What a Week!

With great weather and a ton of people... Day Camp 2013 was a blast.  Three things topped the list for campers this past week:

1. Drama Ministry - a dynamic presentation of the good news of Jesus.  This was their 7th summer partnering with us for Day Camp

2. Archery - our archery range was open every afternoon.  There was never a dull moment and the bows never sat still.  Our certified archery instructors did an amazing job of teaching the campers and keeping everyone safe.  This is one of our greatest program elements.  Thanks Diane and Sue!

3. Is a toss up between Swimming at the lake and Skits.  I'm pretty sure the world would end if the campers were not able to go swimming and boating.  But, we are all still here because the lake was open every day and the campers had a great time in the water.  Friday afternoon was Skit Time.  The campers worked hard all week and their performances were outstanding.

Check out the website for more pictures!
www.abcdaycamp.org (Resources page under photo albums)

Wacky Wednesday

It's Day Camp and it's mid-week... which means it's Wacky Wednesday.  Here are some photos from our past few sunny warm days!

I'm Div'n In

It is that time in the summer when it feels like everyone is settling in.  We have five weeks under our belts.  The camp routine has become familiar and the staff is serving well together.  They continue to dedicate themselves to the ministry and sacrifice their time, energy and talent to serve our campers and guests. 

Sometimes it can be a little scary.  Other times it is exhilarating.  Often times it is a combination of wild, crazy and incredibly intense.  But every time, it is a beautifully unique opportunity to serve God by serving people.  To give value and worth to the campers and each other.  To spend every waking moment (and while we are sleeping too) worshipping God as we live life together here at Arrowhead.

James Who?

It is crazy to think that we have started week 5 of the summer!  We are over a month in and things are ramping up.  Our James Project groups have been great.  Each one is strikingly different than the others.  We have other ministries, non-profits, church groups, family groups and student ministries.  They bring big smiles, great attitudes, fresh energy, letters of encouragement to the staff, hearts & hands ready to serve and sometimes... goodie bags!

Here's a photo from one of our James Project groups that does a tremendous job of training leaders through athletics.

It's Summer!

Campers arrived yesterday.  It is already week 3 of the summer!

From Finish to Start

Staff Training as come to a close and today is the first day of camp for summer 2013.  Here are some intense photos from staff training... initiative course team building and mini golf & milkshakes night.