First Half Underway!

We have made it through Training Week and our first three weeks of campers. Things have been anything but dull out here. Here’s a quick run down of the major stuff.

Training Week went very well. Lots of good times were had, new friendships were formed, and we prepared for the summer ahead. We even had Todd Tunnel come to Camp of the Hills to teach the point system as it has been used at in school systems and at Boys’ Town. This meant that when the kids arrived, we were as ready as we could be.

When the first 55 kids showed up at our doors, we were astonished at how well behaved they were. It was a wonderful week to start off our summer. Our counselors were able to ease into the summer, but something was missing. Even with a couple of very energetic kids, this was not what we had signed up for.

When Week 2 finally arrived, CotH was finally seriously underway. 53 elementary campers had come for a taste of what Camp of the Hills was, and we were excited to give it to them. These campers presented many more challenges, which is just the way we like it out here. After a week full of tougher situations but great rewards, we looked forward to our first middle school week.

Unfortunately, we only had 23 campers show up out of the 40 who had signed up. Instead of resigning ourselves to a small week, we started calling foster homes, community centers, and other contacts in search of campers. By Wednesday, we had grown to 57 campers. While the week was difficult in many ways, I have heard many counselors say that it was one of their favorite weeks ever. Deep discussions took place, more mature campers were loved, and true friendships were forged.

And now, we look ahead to the coming week. More than 80 are signed up to attend camp this week, but we’ll see how many end up at camp today. But no matter how many we have this week, I have a feeling that this week is going to be a good week.

Camp of the Hills 2010

What an absolutely amazing few months.

As I sit here in our temporary office, I have a hard time remembering what life was like four months ago. In the time, we’ve lost the Dining Hall to a major fire, had our replacement meeting area (a huge circus tent) blown down into the cedars, and have had to rework our schedules and logistics more times than I care to remember. I’ve also gotten engaged to Amanda Shoemaker, a counselor from last summer who is working as the Camp Secretary and a lifeguard this summer.

Things have changed dramatically since last I wrote here.

But some things have stayed the same. We still have a group of counselors who are committed to bringing the great news of Jesus Christ to kids from across Texas and Oklahoma. We still have volunteers coming to work behind the scenes, cook, and serve food. And as always, we have a God who cares deeply for us, and is working in us and through us.

With my fiance reminding me to write new entries and helping me upload pictures and videos, this blog should really blossom this summer. Get excited, because Camp of the Hills 2010 is now underway!

Garage Sale

Camp of the Hills is having a garage sale fundraiser this Saturday, November 7th. It is all day on the parking lot of Security State Bank on 281 in Marble Falls. If you can, come on down and help, or bring us some baked goods to sale. Pray that we have a good sale, because all the money will be going to help Camp of the Hills make the summer better for the children.

CotH 2009 Video – End of Summer Slideshow

Click here to view the Camp of the Hills 2009 Slideshow

I’m also hoping that some of the counselors from this past summer will have stories to tell about the kids they worked with, the lessons they learned, and the ways God molded them. Look for them in the coming weeks!

Update

Well, I obviously planned to update the blog much more during the summer months. Unfortunately, I had not planned for the intense amount of work I had in front of me. My first year as Camp Director was more than I could have imagined in every way. It was a great summer, but a difficult one, to be certain.

I’m going to try to to upload some video of the summer to give you an idea of what the summer did, but there’s no way to put down in words, pictures, or video the amazing work that was done at Camp of the Hills in 2009. Hopefully the video will get us started in recounting some of the stories from lat summer, and be a springboard for looking towards Summer 2010!

Camp of the Hills 2009

Well, it has finally arrived! CotH 2009 is well underway, and everyone out here is really excited. We’ve got some great counselors for this summer, and while we’re still trying make a few last minute additions to our staff, things are looking up. We’ve never had some many new counselors in a summer, so it’s exciting to see how everyone meshes together. We’ll have kids here in less than a week, which mean the fun is only just getting started. Check back for more updates as the summer rolls along!

Camp Prayer/Fast 2009

Howdy everyone! Yes, as you’ve probably guessed, the semester’s end has killed my productivity when it comes to posting on the Blog. But, with Camp of the Hills 2009 quickly approaching, look for more posts, especially once I’ve finished with research papers and final exams. But right now, I want to alert you to something really cool that is going on all over the world.

Beginning April 19th and running through May 2nd, we have at least one former, current, or future counselor, or some other friend of Camp, fasting and praying about the kids who are coming to Camp of the Hills this summer. We have been blessed to have more than the fourteen people I was hoping for, so that on a few days, we have two people fasting.

This makes me happy for two main reasons. For one, it shows that there are a lot of people all over the world who love Camp enough to sacrifice a whole day to fast and pray for the work being done this summer. That shows me how much of an impact Camp has had not only on our campers, but people who have been involved over the years.

But more than that, I’m excited that right before summer starts, the kids, some of which have been counting down the days until Camp of the Hills, some who have never heard of the place, are being bathed in prayer. So many hardened hearts will pass through our doors this summer. There will be many walls for love to tear down. But I believe it’s possible, especially as together we lift up their case to the Father.

If you would like to be a part of this effort, we would love to have you help. Feel welcome to join us sending up extra prayers on behalf of the kids. If you’re interested in taking a day to fast, email me at coth.guy@gmail.com.

Planning & Recruiting Update

My apologies for the long hiatus, but a combination of school, travel, and Camp of the Hills planning has made my schedule tighter than I’m used to. The blog was easier to manage when I wasn’t a full-time student. Happily, we’re swiftly approaching the end of the semester, which means I’ll have more time to update. Once Camp officially starts, I think we’ll have a lot of really interesting content for y’all.

For now, let’s catch up on important happenings. We held a planning retreat last weekend that went beautifully. Now we have a theme for the summer, Bible studies planned out, a tweaked daily schedule, and lots and lots of details worked out. The weekend has lifted a huge burden from my back, and within another week or so, we should be almost finished with all the paperwork I need to get through.

As far as the theme for the summer goes, we have tried in recent years to find meaningful and relevant passages that we can break down day by day. This year, we found that in Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (NIV Translation).

As far as recruiting goes, God has been blessing Camp left and right. We’re still looking for more counselors, the Guys’ side is notably short-staffed right now, but God has been sending people He’s chosen to us.

If my current projections are correct, we should have more than forty counselors spread out over the course of the summer. Some will stay for the whole summer, while others will be serving for one half. I firmly believe that a larger counseling staff will be able to better meet the needs of these kids, especially based on the rave reviews I’ve heard so far from many of the new counselors’ references. And beyond this summer, as larger base should provide us with a strong core of returning counselors for the future.

Speaking of the newbies, I’m excited to say that this summer could possibly be the greatest influx of new counselors that I’ve ever seen. Our small number of returning counselors could have been viewed as a negative, and I’ll admit it had me worried for a long time, is turning into an amazing blessing. Fresh faces and new ideas will be flooding into CotH this year. Right now, only about ten to fifteen of our 2009 counselors have worked at CotH before, as opposed to around twenty-five first timers. I’m blessed and honored to be a part of it all.

God has been working hard to make this summer all that it can be. I hope you’re as excited as I am to be along for the ride!

Counselor Stories – Laquita Alexander

Sorry for the long absence, but things have been pretty busy as of late. I’m happy to have another awesome counselor story to post.

I love COTH!!!  It is absolutely amazing!  I only planned on working a half summer when I first agreed to be a counselor, but there was no way I could leave after that first half or that I could avoid returning for another insane summer.  COTH is my happy place.  You’ve probably heard about some of the infamous COTH crazy camper stories, and they are all probably true.  The kids often come in with horrible attitudes, but by the end of the week and after a lot of prayer and patience, you will see a change in each of them.  I can’t tell you how many times my campers made fun of me, said they hated me, and pushed buttons I didn’t even know I had throughout the week, and then left crying as they held onto me saying they’d never felt more at home.  You’ll have seventeen year olds call you mommy because you are more of a mother to them then they’ve ever known.

These kids have had a rough past, and they come in expecting you to be like every other person in their lives who said they cared but never showed it.  Frankly, that’s why the kids push you.  They want you to prove you really care, but after you earn their respect and trust, God will undoubtedly break the barriers down.  With the help of Christ, you can be possibly the first and maybe even the only/last person to show them what true love is.  God will give you opportunity after opportunity to grow as a Christian and to become Christ to the kids.

If you want an easy summer, don’t work at COTH, but if you want a summer you’ll never forget and that will make you grow as a Christian in more ways than you can imagine, COTH is the place for you.  I can’t even begin to describe how much camp means to me.  If you want detailed stories, feel free to contact me, but in general, if you are considering camp, do it!  I have no doubt that if you open yourself up to be God’s tool; COTH will be one of the best experiences you’ve ever had.

Laquita Alexander – CotH Counselor 2007-2008

Photo Wednesday – CotH Staff

In our third iteration of Photo Wednesday, we’ll be focusing on the Camp of the Hills staff, other than counselors. Just because they don’t sleep in a cabin every night doesn’t mean they weren’t vitally important to running CotH last summer.

Derick Rogers – Camp Director

Willie De La Rosa – Staff Assistant

Courtney Rogers – Secretary/Substitute Nurse

Kristi Carman – Staff Assistant Coordinator/Substitute Nurse

Kathryn Carman – Staff Assistant

Mama Kaki – Staff Assistant Coordinator

Ben Roberts – Staff Assistant

Mel Bowman – Executive Director

Also, I know I missed a couple of people in these galleries. I don’t have a picture of Shelby Cole, who was a Staff Assistant for a week last summer, and missed Nathan, a guy counselor from Week 4. I’m working on finding pictures of them in action at Camp, but we’ll see if I can find any.

Now that the 2008 Staff Photos are completed, let me know what the next theme should be. Remember that my favorite pictures are of dunking kids in the swimming hole, so if you don’t want a medley of small children tossed into the air then splashing down into the water, post a comment here and tell me what you want to see.