Finally...Some Rain!

We had a good downpour on Monday which was much needed.  The ground around camp was quite dry and our Fallen Timber Creek is almost down to a trickle in some places.  We are in our second last week of summer camp and if this was last year it would be our last week of camp.  You may remember we added one more week of summer camp this year so we could reach more children with the Good News!  Please continue to pray for us that we would have a strong finish.

 
Last Saturday we poured the concrete for both garages and basement stairs.  The taper started taping and the Hardie boys are here this week as well.  By Hardie boys we're not talking Frank and Joe Hardy, but the crew coming to side the homes with James Hardie Plank.

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Andrew Baerg is deep into his biking 4 evergreen, travelling this morning from Coaldale to Medicine Hat.  You can follow Andrew on Facebook as he is updating his travels regularly.  We're thankful for the awareness he is bringing across Alberta for our need to Reach Higher with a new lodge.  You can check out his website here.

The final numbers for this summer won't be in for a couple of weeks, but it looks like we will have just over 90 more children and youth campers than last summer.  Our two family camps filled up this year with about 220 campers and so our total for this summer will be just over 1,200 campers.  However, the most exciting number for us is that through six of our eight camps, 380 campers that we know of have expressed spiritual growth.  Sometimes its hard to focus and push through at the end of summer when we're tired, but we're excited that children are coming to know the Lord this summer.

Our fall season will be very busy.  Last year we had the highest number of guests come through camp in the month of September.  We're not sure if we will match or beat that number from last year, but we are already calling for help on weekends.  If you are able to be one of our weekend heroes please contact Lane here in the office for more information.

Thanks for your continued support.


Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

Halfway Point

Summer camp continues to move forward and we have now just crossed the halfway point.  Here are a few numbers for you.

23,400 - plates of food will be served from our kitchen this summer
1,163   - total number of children and family campers registered to date
267      - significant faith decisions/spiritual growth we have seen through  
               the first four weeks
111      - Bibles given out to campers
90        - more summer campers than last year
66        - volunteers have joined us through the first five weeks
47        - seasonal and permanent staff
2          - number of hospital runs so far this summer

As with every summer we are not immune to challenges and stress.  As I write this blog we are wrestling with our lodge hot water system (again).  We disconnected a sensor and are hoping and praying it will now last till the end of summer!  It seems that every day we work with challenging situations.  However, at the same time campers are learning skills, meeting new friends and experiencing the life transforming Gospel in chapel and in their cabins.  One of our goals is to make sure our campers week at Evergreen is the best week of their summer.  For the vast majority of campers we accomplish that goal.

 Here are a few thoughts from our campers.

"I'm going to take my Bible everywhere.  I'm going to take it to church, I'm going to take it to the swimming pool..." - from a camper who received a Bible

"By showing people love, you can be like Christ to them"

"I learned not to dwell on my past or my mistakes, but to move on and rely on God"

After all these years in summer camp ministry its still exciting to see God at work each summer.

I mentioned in last weeks blog that there was some progress on the two staff homes.  It's been a while since I could post about progress so I'm excited to update you where we're at.  We were waiting for the homes to settle their downward trend and we believe they have hit rock (clay) bottom!  Jacques and David started boarding the homes Wednesday morning and finished both homes well before lunch on Saturday.  It was obvious that they have worked with a lot of drywall.

Kevin, Kurt and a couple of their guys worked two very (very) long days getting the garages ready for concrete and finishing up the grading around the homes.  Both garages are now ready for concrete and Kurt needs one more day to finish preparing the basement stairwells.  We're hoping to see concrete sooner than later!

It's exciting to see progress and the homes have a new feel with the interior walls now having drywall.  We're looking forward to seeing more movement in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks again for your continuing support.

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director

Are You Sitting Down...

If you're not sitting down you might want to for this weeks blog.  Starting last Saturday it was a very busy week here at Evergreen.  In case you missed it, Saturday was our annual Pond Hockey Tournament and we raised $30,000!  A big shout out to all who participated, volunteered, played and donated.  Craig Wiens and his Dalhousie Divers won the coveted top fundraiser trophy and took home this years prize, the Evergreen hockey jersey.

Lots (and by lots I really mean LOTS!) of action on the house build this week.  Our plumber started plumbing, the windows and doors went in and we now have up and down stairs to the basement.  And if that is not enough, we need to talk about the tin roof action.  By tin roof we're not talking tin roof sundae ice cream - which by the way tastes very good!  (tin roof is one of my favourite flavours in case you ever take me out for ice cream...)








The tin roof we're talking about is our first house!  Through one of our Gem MB Church connections, Norseman Metal Supply not only supplied the tin and installed the tin, they did this at no cost to camp!  (that's why you should be sitting down!)  A HUGE thanks to Ron and the rest of his team out of Duchess.  Ron brought with him Chapo, Jacob, Alex and his son Brock - who at age five - was picking up scrap pieces of tin for his dad!  Gem MB Church supplied some extra hands: Andrew, Dylan, Peter, Richard and Ethan - thanks for coming, it was great to see you here.  You will recognize Richard and Ethan.  This was their third time volunteering as father and son.

Craig, Jordan and Gary were here Friday making sure things are in place for our plumber who is coming back Monday.  Gary moved the laundry room door over a couple of inches.  Jordan was busy with I P D (has nothing to do with an internal police department) at the fireplace.  Craig did finally realize after a moment of reflection that the tub didn't go in the middle of the bedroom.  Good thing Kevin was here!  Apparently he was just measuring in the middle of the bedroom.  (measure once cut twice as the saying goes :))

And if that wasn't enough, the highlight for me this week was when two of our campers made a donation for Reaching Higher.  Can we stop and talk about that for a moment.   Two campers, at a young age, on their own initiative, donated a significant amount of their own money towards camp.  It makes me incredibly proud and humble to be part of this ministry.  It also challenges me and motivates me in my own support of Evergreen.

What's next?  Its time to start thinking about drywall, flooring, painting and appliances.  If you or someone you know has some good connections please let us know!

Thanks again for your continued support as we reach higher to see more lives transformed by the power of Jesus!

Bob "Ranger" Kroeker
Executive Director