Eating Right – Making Camp Stick

“God I pray that we would feast on your Word tonight like a couple of guys eating at a barbeque joint. May the barbeque sauce of your Word be all over us because it was so good, then may we desire more.” This was the prayer that Neil prayed as he started his final message to us. It is a great visual picture of what our students experienced this week. They feasted on God and His Word all week. When this happens life change happens. But just like eating barbeque when you finish eating you eventually get hungry again. This will be true of your student. They have feasted well this week and it will last for a while, but they will get hungry again. The question is this: “What are they going to feed on?  God and His Word or themselves and this world?” You, as a parent, can help them eat the right things and desire more.

Here are a couple of ways to help your students remember the feast and continue to eat right:
1.    Talk with them about camp. Have them show you their camp magazine. Look at all their pictures. Ask them questions like:
a.    Who was in their room/family group?
b.    What was their favorite part of camp?
c.    What God taught them this week
d.    What are they going to do differently because of what God taught them?
2.    Read the book “31 verses every teenager should know about The Flip” with them. They received this Bible Study at camp and it continues building on the theme from camp. The speaker put it this way: “For you to endure the trials that come you must have habits, not experiences, to get you through it.”   Not to mention, the study would be good for you too.
3.    Make them be at Church/Youth Group/Bible Study! Yes, I said it!!! I know this is not popular to say but it needs to be said. It is time as parents to stop hiding behind the excuse “if I make them be at church they are going to hate God.” What if God had used that excuse with us? “I don’t want them to be turned off by Me so I am not going to tell them what to do (the Bible).” This is ridiculous. The students in your home need you to point them in the right direction. If their passion for God will last, church must be a part of their lives.
4.    You eat right! The students in your home are watching you. If they seem a Dad and Mom whose heart is growing more and more passionate for Christ then I believe that it will be easier for them to continue what God started here.
5.    PRAY!!! Pray for your student’s heart. Pray that the things they tasted this week will make them want more of God. Pray that their experience will turn into a life long love affair with their Creator.

Thanks for letting our ministry be a small part of your student’s life. May they continue to feast on Christ and His Word! Mmm Mmmm!!! IT IS GOOD!!!!!!!

A real gully washer – Doug/Annissa Esser

We were so excited to be able to spend the afternoon at the lake.  Relaxing, laughing, boating, swimming and tubing was the order for the day or so we thought…The skies opened up and we were caught in a real gully washer.  Thankfully, the lake home (so graciously opened up by the Venables) provided a great atmosphere for the students and leaders to laugh, play games, relax and grab a ride in the boat when the weather let up.  We enjoyed grilled hot dogs, chips and cookies for dinner.  Although it was a little different than what we planned, it was still awesome to be able to have a safe haven to hang out in especially when we heard the campgrounds had been under a tornado watch.  Wouldn’t you like to be responsible for 800 students on a campground and have a safe place for them all?  ☺

We are excited to see the FLIP in our students lives as they prepare to live out what they have learned and experienced this week.  Please continue praying for the students to live a fully surrendered life and make right decisions!   We love our student and are so thankful to be able to invest and spend time with them! Thanks for trusting them to us!

Doug & Annissa

Students Perspective – “PB and J day”

It was PB and J day! And by that we mean Pastor Bob and Judy came for their annual camp visit.  The day started out as usual with the ever so delicious biscuits and gravy for breakfast. After our hearty breakfast we made our way to morning celebration with some worship from the great band Mike’s Chair and a short message from Neil on how sin starts with lawlessness. During family groups we had a great discussion about how we are to deny ourselves in order to live for Christ so that He may increase and we may decrease. During lunch we finally received our long awaited and very much appreciated visit from Pastor Bob and Judy where we had a very refreshing meal of ham and turkey sandwiches. After that we frolicked in the sun with even more refreshing water games that involved a lot of mud!
Straight after the recreation time we went to the lake to enjoy the water inflatables.
At one point we mistaked the three adult men counselors as little boys when we spotted them teeter tottering back and forth on one of the water inflatables.
Dinner was amazing tonight with chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes.  Basically today was the best day for food all around.  Right after dinner we all went to our prayer time where Sarina Barr did an excellent job in leading our discussion.  Tonight worship began with some refreshing hymns with accompaniment from a violin.  The violin added a very nice touch and sounded beautiful.  Neil, our camp speaker gave a great message on the importance of surrendering our whole hearts and souls to God. The night ended with the nightly visit to the snack shop and a talent show.  In the talent show Kellen and Justin performed the song Mighty to Save by singing and playing the guitar. Up next was Patrick with his wonderful singing to an older song.  Lastly, Joel successfully solved the rubix cube in about a minute or less. Now it’s about time for lights out, don’t want to get stopped by the ever so lovely camp patrol.

Stephanie, Bethany, Holly, Kylee

Day 2 Recap – Hanska’s

Day 2 – Our first full day at camp has been an eventful one.  The day began with a small group of guys getting up and out for a morning run while others made their way to breakfast (Doug thought the gravy was delicious).  Today’s challenge was “what is truth” and is there an absolute truth.  The students meet with Steve for their quiet time at 8:15 to prepare for the days schedule.

Celebration (morning worship) started with music lead by the Mike’s Chair band followed by Neil McClendon who challenged the students to know what they believed.  He went onto say that once we figure out what we believe, then our lives will reflect our beliefs. After morning worship we headed for Family Group time, where we meet in smaller groups to focus on the day’s topic absolute truth and what do you believe and how do you live it out.  Some in Tricia’s group challenged themselves to having accountability partners, while a few others are considering scripture memory. Members of Mike’s family group discussed people living in the “gray” area and not living from a Biblical view. They were challenged to seek out absolute truth and to find verses that reveal that truth in their lives.

Family Group time was followed by feeding the masses where servants within our youth group made it a point to clear other people’s dirty dishes from the tables.  They not only took counselor’s trays, but fellow students both from Antioch and other churches.

Lunch was followed by Recreation Time where we spent the afternoon building relationships while focusing on the theme of Unite and having fun!!!  The goal was to allow the Family Groups to gain a closer relationship and trust with each other through 10 different exercises.  At each station the students had to depend on teamwork to complete the tasks.  The tasks ranged from each student being blindfolded while the others in their group guided them audibly through a course to walking on stilts linked together in a chain. After recreation the students had some free time to enjoy Windermere and most decided to go for a swim at the pool. Very refreshing after the team building activities!!!

The evening events started with dinner followed by a time of prayer with all of Antioch’s youth. Steve does an excellent job of putting focus on prayer and challenging students to pray. He is also a great example.  After our time together as a church group we joined everyone else for Corporate Worship where we were again led in music by Mike’s Chair. A short skit was presented that encouraged us to examine our relationships with our friends and how becoming a Christian can change those relationships. Our speaker spoke and gave the gospel message while hitting on some important aspects of how the students live their lives and the choices they make. We met once again after corporate worship as a church group and heard a message from Josh Schouten that focused on how the trials and tribulations in our lives can be used by God for our growth and to be there for others going through similar things. Our group then went down to the snack shop where Steve bought us all ice cream (Thank You Antioch!!!) before heading to Late Night for fun, games, and music lead by the camp staff.
Our day wrapped up in Tricia’s room with a “goodnight John boy” and then a few moments reflecting on the day before falling asleep. We were excited to see what Monday would bring!!!

Mike and Tricia Hanska

Students Perspective – Susan

I didn’t sleep very much last night because it was like an icebox in our room.  The girls next door had an interesting night. Apparently, Ashley Robertson has a sleepwalking problem. You see, she woke up, on the top bunk, and decided that she needed to get down. Who needs a ladder, when you can just roll?! She rolled right off of the top bunk onto the floor. But don’t worry, she’s fine. When Clara, a roommate of Ashley’s heard the thud, she frantically called out, “Mom?!?!”. Never a dull moment.
At lunch, we decided to bond and play games together. We played a hand-clapping game and a new game we learned called “psshh”. Clara, Kirsten, and I learned this game from new friends that we met from Houston. It was really fun! We all got a laugh out of playing with Dale and Steve. Then a lot of us girls decided to play pterodactyl. Tara ended up winning, she has the most amazing pterodactyl call, and you should play with her sometime.
We are all having an amazing time. We are all so lucky to be able to come to a place where we can learn so much about God, and have a blast at the same time. Thanks to all of you who made it possible for us to come, we really appreciate it.

~Susan Leimkuehler

P.S.- Happy late anniversary Mom and Dad!