What's In A Mug?

You can answer that question one of two ways.   The first way is the obvious way.  You look inside the mug and whatever is in there - is in there!  A lot of people who come to Camp Evergreen will put coffee in their mug.  I've tried coffee several times in my 54 some odd (key word being odd) years.  I like the smell of coffee - but not the taste of coffee - much to the chagrin of my lovely wife who would like to "have coffee" with me!  I'd say I've had maybe 3/4 of a cup - total - over my life span. 

I'm happy with hot chocolate in my mug or even tea.  Happy with Mug Root Beer in the mug of course, but most often at camp I have milk in my mug.  This usually happens when I plan on starting to drink coffee, pour the milk in first, and then find out there is "too much" milk in the mug and no room for coffee.  Of course you can never have too much milk so I just end up drinking the milk.

If you haven't noticed we have new mugs here at Evergreen.  In the catalogue and on online they looked distinctly lime green.  However, when they arrived at camp, they looked more lime yellow - if in fact lime yellow is actually a colour!  We decided to splurge this time and get the logo on both sides of the mug!  I know, crazy!  Now it doesn't matter if you are left or right handed, when you hold the mug up high enough, that logo is staring you right in the eyes!

The second way to answer the question, "What's In A Mug?" is simply this.  We like to celebrate things here at Camp Evergreen and a new mug is something to celebrate.  We have all sizes of projects on the go.  Big ones like the new lodge - now that's a big project.  Another big project is our new septic system.  No one really gets excited about a septic system, but we've been told in no uncertain terms that before we get occupancy of a new lodge - we need a new septic system.  So we're doing our best to get excited about sewer!  Yippee!

We have some smaller projects.  Cabin 15 is up on skids ready to be moved so John, our Activities Director, has a new office/workshop.  Just one look at his desk and you can see he needs more room! 

We've installed the new beverage counter which looks great!  Thanks very much to Stephen at Legacy Kitchens and our own Rolf for making this possible.

So in the grand scheme of things a single mug would be one of the smaller new projects we're celebrating, but we're celebrating.  So what's in a mug?  Our camp logo - Camp Evergreen Reaching Higher.  Yes I know it's technically on not in, Kevin!  :)

Why do we want to reach higher?  Well today is the last day of early bird registration for our summer camps.  We have 736 campers already registered!  Seven hundred and thirty six!  (Looks more impressive written out :).)  That's 105 campers ahead of last year at this time.  Six of our camps are full.  We have campers on the waiting list.  We need to reach higher so we can share the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ to more children, youth, and families.  It's as simple as that.

Thanks for your continued support and I invite you to reach higher with us in 2019.


Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

One Million!

Well we did it!  Through cash and pledges we have raised our first million dollars!  1,033,906.36 to be exact.  I always like putting the 36 cents in as it reminds us that no matter how big or small our pledge is, together we can do much more than by ourselves.  We need to take this first million and keep moving forward simply because we have run out of space.  We're still about 140 campers ahead of last year at this time, 14 of our 25 summer camps are full, and we've been turning campers away since January.

I think it's appropriate to stop for a moment and realize what Reaching Higher has accomplished so far.  First, we've built two staff homes for the price of one.  Two for one!  Buy one get one free!  That is no small deal.  Second, we've raised over one million dollars.  One million is a big number.  Any one of these would be a great accomplishment on their own.  Put them both together and you get a HUGE accomplishment!  Thank you very much to everyone who has participated.

We continue to move ahead with the new lodge.  I had the opportunity to meet with our architect recently and as a building committee we're working hard to finalize our needs and the floor plan.  Some of you might be wondering about the exciting septic system.  (I realize that septic and exciting don't usually go together!)  To be honest it's not likely that many of us have lost sleep wondering about the septic system.  But we are currently exploring the possibility of government grants and new technology.  That's exciting!  The septic system is needed for the new lodge and we hope to start on that project soon.

In other news we are working hard with some ministry expansion projects here at camp.  We want to finish the fire circle by summer.  One of our long time supporters has donated the funds to help us finish the project and I'll share more about that in another blog.  We are painting the lodge boot room, the hallway, and the upstairs lodge on the staff side.  Rolf is renovating our guest washroom in the lodge and all three upstairs bathrooms will (finally) be getting new flooring.

We have two new guest groups on site today and they needed both wings of our archery range open at the same time.  That gave us the opportunity to reach higher by purchasing some additional bows and arrows to accommodate the larger group.  This increase in programming is a trend that will only continue to grow.  John recently built us a new game called 9 Square which is a lot of fun and gives us another indoor activity.  Thanks John!

To complete these projects and to be able to start several other projects we will need your financial help.  Please designate your donation to ministry expansion.

Our family was able to celebrate Christmas in Orlando this year.  It was difficult for us to get together at Christmas so we decided to go somewhere a little warmer.  Of course I needed to bring the camp mug along for the ride!  Bev wasn't as excited about that as I was.  :)  In the bottom front right you have me with the mug, Mitch and Samuel beside me.  In the front is Bev, Nina and Samara.

Thanks for your continued support!


Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

Scaffolding - Again?

Back by popular demand (or maybe we're too full!) we've asked Rolf to put the scaffolding back up at the Fort again to create some more space.  Last night, our first campfire of the week, 8 or 9 staff could not fit in the circle and were asked to sit outside.  If you remember back in July 2015 we put up scaffolding and started expanding our fire ring.  We continue to grow and $6,000 will allow Rolf and our volunteers to finish the ring.  If you would consider making a donation to camp marked "The Fort" that would be greatly appreciated as we continue to reach higher.  I'd love to take my mug selfie during the construction to keep you up to date!

A HUGE thanks to our volunteers this week!  We have volunteers who stay months and others who stay a week.  We are grateful for their service and want to say thanks for serving us and encouraging us.  Volunteers really are a breath of fresh air into our tired lungs.  We're still looking for kitchen and barn volunteers for August.  Please contact us here at camp for more information.

What about those houses?  We are close, oh so close to saying - GO!  Scott and the painters were back last week finishing up the window batten trim.  Scott is now ready for the Hardy Boys - I mean Hardie Board.  (siding)  Craig will be back this week to see if the homes have stopped their downward sinking trend before he declares - GO! (hopefully in a loud excited voice)  Once Craig says go - siding, drywall and the basement floor are next in line.

Week number three is well under way.  Ignite 1 is our second oldest camp with campers entering grades 7-9 here at the main site.  Roughin' It Boys 1 are down at the teepees.  We're excited that Brennan Dyck from Dalhousie is our speaker this week.  I was at our morning staff meeting where the cabin leaders were sharing what is happening in their cabins.  It was good to hear stories of God at work in the hearts and lives of our campers this early in the week.  As we read each campers evaluation at the end of the week, growth is definitely evident this summer.  Last week we gave out about 30 Bibles to campers who came to camp without one.  How cool is that?  (Very!)

I also love seeing staff and campers return.  Back for his second summer on Pit Crew is my friend Josiah.  Fun fact?  Josiah's dad was a cabin leader for me when I was the director at Camp Valaqua back in the early 90's!  That means I've had the privilege of serving with both father and son!

 Thanks for your continued support.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

Almost Here!

My favourite time of year is just around the corner - summer camp!  I'm looking forward to our staff and campers arriving.  Wednesdays BBQ in the field are always fun (and tasty)!  Can't forget tuck - every day!  But most of all I'm excited about the growth we will see in our staff and campers lives.  This is what we've been working so hard for all year long.  This is why we are reaching higher.  We're very excited that we can clearly share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all of our guests who are coming as campers.  Please continue to pray for staff unity, health and strength.  Knowing that we have prayer support every day is very encouraging.

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One of our tipis is up.  The other one needs a quick fix.  The wall tents at Foothills Outfitter Camp are up.  Rolf will be putting a roof on the front porch of the wall tents as quick as he can.  (He only has one or two things on his "to do" list this time of year!)  The staff are working on our Shine theme.  Ken's got the summer menu planned out.  We've ordered some more registration signs and the big news (well not really that big) is that we will be letting our campers know next years dates already this summer!  I won't let the cat completely out of the bag (or I guess I should say Scamp out of the office) but we are switching things up a bit for summer 2018!

I would like to say a big thanks to Mel (Rolf's lovely wife) for making our Welcome Centre look great with flowers.  And I also need to thank Doris who keeps the concrete spotless every day!

Our AGM/Open House is next Saturday, June 24.  More information can be found on our web site.  Society members are crucial to our ministry and if you could join us that would be great.  The Open House in the afternoon is a great way to test drive camp and an opportunity for you to bring your neighbours so they can understand why you are so excited about Camp Evergreen!  A good number of our activities will be open and the day ends with a BBQ.  The cost is free - so really there is no cost!

Our new homes continue to move forward.  The local Home Hardware crew was busy putting on gutters and down spouts.  We're still waiting for the frost to completely come out of the ground around the homes and for the basements to dry out.  The furnace is on, the sumps are pumping and we're looking forward to seeing the siding and drywall go up.  Home Hardware also put a gutter up on our new freezer roof.  Dylan is excited to BBQ next time it rains without serious drippage on his head!

Thanks again for your continued support.  We need it heading into summer more than ever.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

Getting Ready

In case you missed it, today is June 9th.  Already!!  Remember when you were a kid and time seemed to drag on forever.  I'm wishing time would slow down already!  It seems like just yesterday that our spring staff arrived and we are now over half way through our busy spring season.

In the midst of spring we are getting ready for summer camp.  Last weekend we were blessed by a group from SunWest who helped us with some summer preparations.  They built planters, cut grass, split wood and helped tidy our new staff homes.  Thanks very much for serving us SunWest!

We are still looking for volunteers to help us out this summer in the kitchen and at the barn.  Starting July 9th if you would consider helping us out that would be super appreciated.  Working in the kitchen will be one of two shifts, morning or afternoon.  Food prep, maybe even some food sampling will be the focus.  At the barn we're looking for people who can tell the front from back of a horse.  Being able to shovel poop and some riding experience would be an added bonus!

In an effort to have a more kid friendly barn this summer we had a bit of a horse exchange for some calmer horses.  Let me introduce you to our new friends at the barn from left to right.  Lenny, Duck, Skip, Garfield and Diamond. 

Our Father/Son retreat starts tonight.  101 fathers and sons are joining us for the weekend.  We're excited about hearing from God through our chapels and spending time together as men.  We're also excited for what is new this year, a kit car race, and Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer!  We're looking forward to a great weekend together and as always there are rumours of cinnamon buns, fancy ice cream and bacon mushroom burgers!

Helmut and Rolf are busy strapping the trusses over the new freezer.  We may even see tin going on today!  This roof will allow us to keep our freezer protected as well as allowing us to BBQ in all kinds of Alberta weather!

We've had three of our four pancake breakfasts (actually the one in Edmonton was a lunch!)  to help raise money for campership aid.  Our fourth one will be in Calgary at Highland MB Church on June 17 from 8 am to 10 am.  So far we have raised $10,780 - thank you very much.  With increased camp numbers this summer comes an increased need for campership aid.  If you live in Calgary and like pancakes, we'll see you on the 17th.

Reaching Higher continues to move forward.  We have raised through cash and pledges $732,000!  Behind the scenes we are getting very close to printing our case for support and this Saturday we will be filming the next video for Reaching Higher.  We're still waiting for the ground to dry out at the new homes, Kevin and Kurt were going to continue backfilling today...but it rained again last night!

Thanks again for your continued support.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

One thousand and two!

Today was our annual Senior Day.  What a blessing to share the day with some of the very folks who started Evergreen 54 years ago.  It was good to hear their stories, and we hope the seniors enjoyed the stories of God's faithfulness today.  It's also encouraging to know so many of our seniors are praying for us on a regular basis.  Thank you seniors for the hard work and sweat poured out over our land so many years ago, and for having the vision to see lives transformed by the power of Jesus.

We continue to reach higher as we get ready for summer.  This week we're reaching with a brand new 54" lawn mower that arrived this morning.  One of our Evergreen couples funded the tractor and Moody's Equipment gave us their non-profit price.  Thank you very much!  I'm guessing there's going to be a line up to mow the lawn.

Rolf continues to work on his projects.  We're waiting for the good kind of strapping to go on the roof over the new freezer.  Having a covered area outside of the kitchen will be a great addition allowing us to BBQ under cover.  And what about that "thing" Rolf is building.  Its now at a different angle, and you'll just have to stay tuned to find out what it actually is.

Scott and Brian have finished up the window batten, soffit and fascia.  They are now framing another home in Cochrane and will return to finish the siding.  We're waiting for the ground to dry out so we can backfill the homes.  The ground around the homes has been so gooey we were afraid of losing the D6!  Once we've backfilled we can move on with the drywall and basement floor.  We've also upgraded the water pressure in anticipation of the two new homes.  The immediate result is not having to run around in the shower looking for water!

1,002!  That is the total number of children, youth and family campers that have registered for this summer as of today.  We have already passed our total number of children and youth campers from last year.  We're also excited that God is providing the staff that we need - including those elusive boys.

With an increase of campers comes an increase in our campership aid need.  Please consider donating to our campership aid fund which directly helps children come as campers who otherwise would not be able to attend.  This is a very practical way you can help our ministry of seeing lives transformed.

In other news I'm still working on my selfies.  Who knew you could angle the selfie stick?  I just kept trying to get the crazy thing higher!  :)

Thanks for your continued support.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

N x W

New for us this year was having our sister camp - Redberry Bible Camp - join us for most of our spring training week.  Redberry is located about an hour north of Saskatoon and about seven hours from Evergreen.  It was a lot of fun playing, worshiping and learning together.  We spent about a third of our time together and it was great sharing new ideas.

The GPS coordinates to get you not only to Camp Evergreen but more specifically the front porch of Moose Junction are N51`40'49" by W114`37'31".  Moose Junction is our General Store and if you haven't been inside - you should put that on the bucket list.  We're always very excited when our new clothing arrives.  A big thanks to Rolf for getting up early this morning to go pick up the pallet piled high with boxes!  (I wish I had a picture because he brought them to the store with the Skidsteer.)  We also got a brand new hanger organizer for those clothes.  I was "reaching" for a way to tie the organizer to Reaching Higher - but I'll admit I was stumped!

The staff are very excited about the red plaid shirts.  Our camper T-shirts have arrived as well and if you haven't heard, each of our summer campers will get a T-shirt this year.  It's a good thing we bought a lot of T-shirts because we reached a milestone today.  854 campers are currently registered for summer camp.  Why is that a milestone?  Our total number of summer campers for last year was 854!  If we add our family camp numbers we are currently about 975.  How cool is that!  (very cool)

Are we ready for summer?  Not quite.  We would really like six more (18+) male cabin leaders.  One would think that out of an Alberta population of 4 million people, and let's say half are guys, we should be able to find six solid men!  If you can't give us the entire summer consider a week or two.

A big thanks to our friends Bob and David for delivering our Gator back this week.  A group from Lendrum church not only donated the cost of a new engine, but installed it as well.  Our program staff started using it the day it arrived.

I was blessed to have several very (very) encouraging conversations with seasonal staff today which reminded me again why we are here and why we do what we do.  It's been a very busy couple of weeks for me and if you were to see my desk you would think either I'm very busy or very messy.  (It's most likely a bit of both - just ask Bev about my side of the bed.)  It was very uplifting for me to pause in the middle of my  "to do" list and just listen to my staff.  The conversations were deep and meaningful.  They shared different, and yet similar stories about how camp is changing their lives.  As we continue to reach higher, I'm very (very) excited about all the ministry that we can be part of!

Thanks for your continued support.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker