Can't Get Much Closer

Wow!  Unbelievable!  Blessed!  Thankful!  These are some of the words that come to my mind as I write this Reaching Higher blog near the end of 2017.  First off, where did 2017 go?  And if I'm asking that question - where did my first five and a half years go?!  It seems like just yesterday Bev and I made the trek from Cranbrook to Camp Evergreen during the summer of 2012.  Thanks very much Alberta and Camp Evergreen for welcoming and supporting us.  It has been a bit of a crazy ride at times, but we still feel like we're a good fit for each other.

It also seems like just yesterday (421 days ago to be exact) that we started the new homes.  If all goes according to plan Craig will be handing us the "keys" today (Friday) and we will be (very) blessed to be the first of many staff members living in the Green House - or should I now say the Kroeker house!  Words are somewhat inadequate to express the joy we will experience in the coming months and years.  I want to say a huge thanks to my Board of Directors, to Craig at Kingsmith homes, and to each one of you who have supported Reaching Higher.

What's the most important part for me?  That the ministry potential we have as a camp is just getting started.  Think for a moment of the support the new homes received.  It's crazy (in a positive sense) that we are building both homes for under half their retail value!  Think for a moment about the support that we received this summer.  99 volunteers gave either a week or several weeks to serve at camp.  (Most of these volunteers put in long, long days.)  Think for a moment about the financial support we've received over the last several years from our supporters.  We are on track to have another strong financial year.

Now is the time to push a little harder, to dig a little deeper and focus our energy on increasing the ministry here at Evergreen.  We need to continue to Reach Higher in 2018.

We've added a new family camp this winter and three new summer camps.  Camp Evergreen needs to be creative so that we can see more lives transformed by the power of Jesus.

I believe the most important thing we can do in 2018 is to take some significant steps forward with our new lodge.  Together we need to turn our current momentum into pledges.  One of the questions I hear the most is - are you still building a lodge?  The answer is YES!  As a camp we want to see more children have the opportunity to make a life changing decision to follow Jesus.

I'll end this blog with one last picture of Jordan - putting on a skirt!  :)

Thanks for your continued support!  May God richly bless you this Christmas season.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director