Yesterday was a very full day which included a number of Christmas themed activities.  We went out and found a Christmas tree after making some home made ornaments for it.  We also had a Christmas banquet and talent show in the evening. 

--

Here you can see a random display of talent even before the show started!

As you can see the results were a small army of wonderfully personalized ornaments.  They now decorate our tree quite nicely. 

These were some of the lovely people I shared a table with at the Christmas Staff and Student Banquet.  As you can tell, Aloha wasn't quite as dressed up as Kathleen.

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I caught a clip of Tanner playing at the talent show; just a taste of the incredible wealth of talent that was displayed.

These are just a little snapshot of the wonders of the day. We're all very excited as the Christmas season is nearly upon us. Soon the students will all be home with you, family and friends, to celebrate Christmas. Blessings on you all, and to all a good night!

The last few weeks have been full of excitement.  One of the highlights was the Ladysmith Light-Up.  This event had thousands of people flocking to the town of Ladysmith to see the main street lit up with decorations and watch the floats go by.  Since it only started after the sun had set the floats were all decorated with a myriad of lights which made it one of the most unique parades I've ever seen.

Here's a short clip of one of the floats going by.

The night also ended with a fireworks display which most of the students said was the longest and highest quality fireworks show they could remember.  

Ladysmith is also where Erin and I attend church services on Sunday mornings.  We were quite surprised this past Sunday to see the previously dry road we took to church looking like this on the way back.

 While this truck seemed particularly brave I was not and went back to find a detour.  You can see from this shot that the entire road is submerged with only the white line marking the shoulder being visible.

Last of all today is the end of No-Shave November (being the last day of November).  There have been a large number of moustaches floating around here at camp and I added to their numbers if only for a day or two.  When asked if they would be keeping their moustaches for December as well some were torn while others like Trevor (a.k.a. "Mom") are looking forward to getting rid of their creepy moustaches.

Erin is also very excited to see this moustache go away, although I can't understand why?

Yesterday we went on an exciting out trip: caving!  Even though the weather wasn't favourable we still thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring the depths of a cave in the Parksville area.  As you can see there were lots of places to explore and many of the students would often challenge one another to fit through the narrowest paths.  

(Photos by Alisha Penner)

Whether seeing true darkness for the first time or enjoying the thrill of adventure our students thoroughly enjoyed getting to explore these caves.  It was nice for me too as I tried seeing if I could still move about the cave as easily as I did five years ago.  Although wet, cold, and tired as they returned to camp there were a lot of smiles and fond memories made.

Introspective Examination

This past week the students had a different kind of examination: an introspective one.  Merrill, one of Briercrest's VP's came out last week and led some leadership training session where the students went through the results of their Birkman personality assessments.  

This has a special place in my heart as I've gotten to take part in various degrees of Birkman personality assessments over the years.  Time and time again I've been stunned at how useful, how accurate and how insightful this system is.  

It's incredibly fitting that the students would have this personality assessment as a leadership training tool.  Merrill challenged them to think about what makes up their unique strengths and challenges and how that affects both how they lead and how they are led.  Speaking to a student the other day he let me know that this exercise really shaped how he leads because he always thought people led the same way he did which is not the case.  How amazing that they can be learning some of these lessons now and how incredible it will be when they scatter across the globe!

This past week the students also participated in a week of prayer.  The students each spent an hour in the prayer room four or five times during the week.  It was a great opportunity for them to set aside an hour of their time to focus on prayer and worship.  At the end of the week we came together and ended the week fittingly in prayer after sharing with one another what impact this week had.  Many were shaped and formed from this time set apart and I'm sure this week will continue to shape how our students pray each and every day.

In contrast this week was another class week with the students taking Foundations of Church Ministry with Professor David Ernst.  

From what I've seen so far this week has been an incredibly challenging one.  The students have been learning about everything from the theology of giving to understanding why denominations exist to the variety of views on men and women in leadership.  There have been very few punches pulled as these students dive into understanding the Church and the challenges that come with it.  David has done a great job challenging the students to think through these and many more questions carefully and scripturally.  Only David could somehow find a way to explain denominations using the Death Star as an analogy!

Be in prayer for the students as they work hard this week and try to finish Church Ministry well.  Next week they will be wrapping up Church Ministry and preparing for Gospels with Wes Olmstead at the same time so be in prayer for that as well.  Next week will be a difficult week of reading for their upcoming class and writing papers so it might be a great time to send that encouraging e-mail or care package.  For those of you missing your daughters, sons, brothers or sisters they will be coming home in less than a month so be encouraged!

Mascots and Mayhem

The past few weekends our students were putting on face-paint and running around with capes on.  No, it wasn't a Halloween party.  Actually it was our students being mascots for the All-Star Games during the Junior and Junior High retreats.  They seemed to really enjoy getting to let loose and be a little crazier for a few days.

(All photos in this post taken by Jay Kennedy)

Not all of them were helping Steve with his team of All-Stars; they helped in just about every area from counselling to kitchen staff.  This past weekend all of the students helped for at least a part of the weekend.

Tessa playing some all star games with her campers

Jon loving his life in the kitchen

The Head Counsellor Troy Haws explaining something to Tanner

The Old Testament Creative Project!

Here it is everyone!!

A little background: So for our Old Testament Literature class we were assigned one creative project in which we must present 12 different OT stories in a creative way. So all 21 of us set out to create the best stories that we could. 

The Following stories include:

-Creation

-The Fall

-The Flood 

-The Patriarchs 

-The Exodus 

-Israel in the Wilderness

-The Conquest and Judges 

-The United Monarchy (Saul, David, Solomon) 

-The Divided Kingdom 

-The Fall of Jerusalem 

-The Exile to BabylonThe Return(s) to the Judah

-Concluding scene transitioning to NT

*Each video is about 15 minutes long...Enjoy!!

Great work Kaleo Crew!!

Soul Surfers

As October wanes it's definitely time for another update.  Last week we did the last multi-day out trip until Christmas as we headed out to Tofino and went surfing!  

On the way out we had some fun stops including Goats on a Roof, Cathedral Grove, and a pullout on the highway with a beautiful view.  Since it was so late in the season there were no goats, seems they had been "kid-napped" as Nicole would say.  Cathedral Grove was a lot of fun and the second we left the vans cameras came out.  The common theme seemed to be standing on top of large horizontal logs.

I've been there several times now but still it takes your breath away to see huge trees everywhere. A little later we stopped on the highway to play on the rocks, explore the river and enjoy the view.  Erin and I took the opportunity to snap a few photos with a beautiful backdrop.

To end the day we went and enjoyed Long Beach for a bit.  While lots of people played games on the beach some decided to play in the surf for a bit and enjoy the waves.  Even though the water was cold the weather was so beautiful you couldn't help but be drawn to the water.

Overnight we stayed at the church of a past staff member Peter Bird in Uclulet.  Even though we didn't see Peter himself I at least go to hang out with his dad for a bit.  It was wonderful to have a kitchen to use and a warm place to sleep at the end of the day.  It also allowed us to have some wonderful chapel times without worrying about the elements or what to do with our instruments. 

After a full first day we all slept soundly even though we hadn't done any surfing yet!  To start off the second morning the students were sent off to a time of prayer and contemplation on a beach just a few blocks from the church.  Sometimes I forget how amazing and unique it is for them to have this as a backdrop while studying.

Even when we arrived at the beach the studying didn't end.  Before getting geared up the students got a lesson in tides, where waves come from and learned a bit about surfing from the two instructors we had from Tofino Surf School.  They were unbelievably helpful as we learned something new or dusted off an old hat we hadn't worn for a while.  After being unable to get up wave after wave after wave I asked one of the instructors for help.  He adjusted my body position, told me to look at the horizon when paddling and suddenly I caught the next wave!  It was ridiculous how quickly it turned around with a little help from somebody who knew what they were talking about. 

As you can see we were ready and eager to hit the surf at this point.  And surf we did!  Most of the group spent at least five hours in the water the first day and another few the next morning.  Here are some shots from the last day of our trip (after we had become pro-surfers).  You can see that most of our moves were inspired by watching the movie "Soul Surfer" the night before.

Sea Legs

Ahoy!

Well another week has come and gone here at Qwanoes which means more learning and adventuring. In my last post I spoke about the hiking trip and Cal's Spiritual Formations course. This week the students became sailors for five days and learned to do everything from cleaning the head (bathroom) to steering the ship! It was an amazing time for the students to learn some new skills and be stretched out of their comfort zones. Here's a little glimpse of life on the ship:


Kaleo Program - S.A.L.T.S. from Viktor Karklins on Vimeo.
Photos by Viktor Karklins, www.ViktorsPictures.Blogspot.com


As you can tell the pirate's life is full of wild adventures (in between the times spent reading for the upcoming Old Testament course). When we weren't swinging on rope swings into the ocean or eating some of the most delicious food of our lives there were some more serious times on the S.A.L.T.S. ship. Each evening when the sun would fade and a chill would settle in student and crew member alike would grab an instrument and lead us in a time of worship. It was a truly unique opportunity to praise God in the belly of a 130' ship. After the music we each took turns sharing our testimonies with one another creating opportunities to get to know each other on a deeper level. Between these shared experiences and learning to live in close quarters we all came back closer than when we left. It was a blessing to watch as our students learned to lead in ways they had never led before whether it was peeling apples for apple pie or helping hoist the sails.

The closeness of the group was rather evident once we'd returned to solid ground. Those that remained for Thanksgiving weekend decided that one table was plenty for all of us; it was quite a sight to see 15 people around a table that only comfortably seats 8!

Thanksgiving was the other milestone this past week. Some students returned home while others enjoyed spending time with one another here at Qwanoes. Come Monday night all of the staff and students joined together for a Thanksgiving feast here at camp. It was a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on how much has happened so far and how much we have to be thankful for.

We would love it if you'd be in prayer for the students as they begin their Camp & Youth Ministry course today. The students have been working hard preparing for it while juggling preparation for their upcoming classes and doing post course work from Spiritual Formations. They have done a great job learning the rhythms of student life but be praying that they can continue to persevere and not put undue stress on themselves. The students will also become increasingly involved in retreats in the next few weeks so be in prayer that they can have a huge impact on the women's group this weekend as well as the other groups that will be joining us.

Thank you for your prayer and support. If you want to hear about what's going on from the students themselves you can ask them for an invite to the Online Ministry Journals they fill out every other week. This will help you keep up to date with how they are doing with their youth groups, retreats, etc.

OFFICIAL NOSEBLEED COUNT

4. (beat down from the ocean, beatdown from matthews bible, beatdown from a basketball, beatdown from the ocean(backflip edition))

The First Few Weeks

Hello family, friends and visitors!

Here's a bit of an update for everyone back home and abroad wondering what's going on with our 21 wonderful students.

It has been an amazing two weeks so far.  Each week so far has been very full but quite amazing.  Last week we piled 26 people into vans and drove off to Mt. Albert Edward.  Broken up into four teams we headed off into the wilderness hiking between 8 and 10 km that first day to reach our campsites.  Our team (dubbed "The Flock") even went for an extra four kilometre hike to a lookout point that evening.

Mike enjoying the view a few kilometres away from our campsite

As you can see from the photo the view was well worth the extra effort.  Absolutely amazing to be viewing an untouched wilderness.  

The second day all four teams met up and we set off to conquer the summit of Mt. Albert Edward.  The weather held up which was a huge blessing, rewarding us with an amazing view all the way up.  Being a 5.3 km hike from base camp to the summit doesn't sound like much but considering most of it was nearly vertical it was a challenge for all of us.  It took a tremendous effort but eventually everyone who started out that day made it to the top of the mountain!

Singing the Doxology from the summit of Mt. Albert Edward!

It was an amazing journey that tested the mettle of each and every person, stretching them in ways they were not used to.  Even the most experienced hikers among us found it stretching when we hiked 8 to 10 km back to the vans in the pouring rain!  When we finally had a chance to change into dry clothes, sleep in a comfortable bed and look back on it all everybody could see ways in which they were challenged during this journey.  

Now this week the students face a different kind of challenge as they begin their first class Spiritual Formations with Cal MacFarlane.  Even while we were hiking the students were already memorizing the more than 50 verses they had to have memorized for class this week.  Each day the students are tested on a portion of these verses and it is clear that they have more than risen to the challenge.  As they walk around camp you can hear them sometimes reciting verses from Galatians under their breath.

One of the perks of having Cal teach class this week is that he is a man of many talents.  Today he incorporated a lesson with a visual demonstration of creating a clay pot.  

Cal MacFarlane creating something out of clay during Spiritual Formations

What a blessing to have Cal here this week helping shape and form our students as they begin their journey this year.  Along with Cal his teaching assistant and a past student Jake LeFave is joining us this week.  Jake who is in his fourth year at Briercrest shared his heart and his passion this morning during a chapel time.  It is wonderful to see how far some of the past students have come in their journeys since their time in the Kaleo program.  

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates to come each week.  Be in prayer that the students finish well in class this week, can help connect kids with churches this weekend at Road Tour and pray for a fun and formative time next week sailing with S.A.L.T.S.

OFFICIAL NOSEBLEED COUNT

3. (beat down from the ocean, beatdown from matthews bible, beatdown from a basketball.)

SKATERS ONLY!!!!!!! SO STOKED!!!

ONE MORE DAY

1 more day. That's it. See you all tomorrow!

Can You Believe It?!?

Only TWO more days until your arrival! That's crazy!

YES!

I thought I would never be part of the count down since I always get online later in the day. We are so close guys, it is insane. I am starting to realize that I am actually going away for school and am slightly freaking out since I still have....almost everything to do still (0.0;)

ONLY 4 More days!

5 DAYS

No really, there's only five days left. My mind is being blown. I have so much to still get done yet...
But to get to the point, I received word this week that the Kaleo program has been designated in Manitoba and my student loans went through and everything. Yay. Thank you all for praying for me, it is 100% thanks to God that I get to be at Qwanoes and meet all you wonderful people. It won't be long now!

SEVEN. 

Anyone else Stoked?

Im surprised there is no countdown?

8 DAYS!!

YEAH BUDDY!

Hello everyone.
What's up? My name is Kathleen Bergsma. Yup, you guessed it. Im Dutch. :). And the stereotype fits me pretty perfectly. I am 19 years old and from Lethbridge, Alberta. You should know where it is, because its rad. I have some pretty sweet parents, who enjoy longboarding and listening to Lecrae. I have 4 older brothers, and one of them is my twin. All except for my twin brother are not Christians. Yup, it sucks. But I know God has a plan in it. All summer, like every summer since I was 14, I worked at Southern Alberta Bible Camp (SABC), as a cabin leader...with some pretty sweet people. Although I have worked at SABC for years, this summer was like none other. I saw God move and change lives, not only in the campers who came, but also in the staff. It was amazing to be a part of it. I really had no clue what to do in the fall, so I began praying like crazy. Finally about 2 weeks ago, it was evident that I needed to do Kaleo. God led me here, and I am so excited to see what He will do in all of us this year! I am so stoked to meet all of you....in about 16 days!
Kathleen Bergsma ;)

This week at Qwanoes!

Here is a quick and easy way to find out what is happening at Qwanoes this week! We will be doing something similar for the Kaléo program as well. http://www.qwanoes.ca/mycq/

It's almost time!

We just wanted to let you know that Jay and I went out yesterday to prep for our caving adventure. Here's one picture to further wet your appetite for Kaléo 2012! Also be sure that you've read through your student handbook and gotten your travel plans off to Erin. Can't wait to meet you all!

In His Grace:

Andrew

Kaléo 2012 Shedule

Hey folks, are you curious about what the next month will look like? Well the wait is over! Head on over to www.kaleolife.ca/schedules and check out the first five weeks of the program. Erin and I have now shifted our summer focus and are working diligently for your arrival in just a few short weeks! We are so excited for what God is preparing to do this year!

In His Grace:

Andrew

I have a prayer request. My grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer about a month ago. She is going in for surgery tomorrow. She is extremely anxious about this. And my grandpa died of cancer like 8 or so years ago which doesn't help her at all. So if people could pray for her to have peace and that all the cancer would be removed and that the doctors would have wisdom while operating. Thanks in advance for your prayers.... super pumped to meet you all...23 more days!!!! i think?

Quick Questionnaire

Hey Everyone,


Part of our preparations for your arrival include doing room placements. I have emailed everyone a quick questionnaire that I need you to fill out and then email it back to me. Many of you have already replied but I'm still waiting on some. Please get that in to me as soon as you can.


I'm also still waiting on travel plans from a few of you - please get those in as well.


Thanks so much!


Erin Karklins
Assistant Kaleo Leader, Camp Qwanoes

Update

So I talked to some student loans people in Manitoba and the student financial adviser from Briercrest (a very nice lady) and made a little progress. Kaleo is currently "not eligible" for Manitoba Student loans, however, they can look over this and review it with the school and possibly get it approved (it was last reviewed in 2002 so things have changed some.) However, I am still not guaranteed to get any money and may not find out before I leave for the Kaleo program. But I faxed in my application today and they will begin going through it eventually I suppose. So pray that this process goes smoothly, that the Kaleo program gets approved (because it is eligible in other provinces) and this happens FAST! Oh, and that I wouldn't let stress and doubt get to me. Thanks y'all. (Yeahhhhhh I just said "y'all")

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON...

Only ONE MONTH until you arrive!

Super exciting!

TRAVEL PLANS!

Hello Everyone,


Well it's hard to believe that fall is quickly approaching and soon you will begin arriving at Qwanoes. We are looking forward to your arrival and plans have begun as we prepare for the year ahead. Part of those preparations involve your travel plans. 


What I need from you is an email with your travel itinerary. Please send your flight / travel information to erin@qwanoes.ca. That way I can coordinate for us to pick you up at the airport / ferry / bus depot. The sooner you get this information to me the better. If you have questions about your travel plans do not hesitate to contact me. I am also willing to try and help connect people who live close together who may want to travel together. 


As it mentions in your acceptance package the first day of the Kaleo program is September 14th. It would be best for you to arrive on this day after 11:00am and before 4:00pm. I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have. 


Blessings,
Erin Karklins
Assistant Kaleo Leader, Camp Qwanoes

First Blog Post!

Hey everyone who I will get to see soonish,
This is my first time (ever) writing a blog post (hence the title of the post, noted above), so I'm not totally sure what I am suppose to say. This might turn out to be just some kind of awkward rant about who I am and things corresponding to that.
Well, I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer, but it must be noted that there is 35 days left until we all arrive at Qwanoes! I'm looking forward to meeting you all, and actually getting to know the person you, not just the name on the screen you.
Anyways, I thought I would give everyone a little glimpse into who Hannah Ayton really is, so here it goes:
Random Fact about me!
1. My middle name is Elizabeth
2. Graduated Superior Heights C & VS this past spring
3. Age: 18
4. I have 3 older brothers and 2 very interesting parents
5. I am currently working at Turtle Mountain Bible Camp in Manitoba as a Lifeguard and Cabin leader
6. My favorite hobby is music, more precisely singing
7. The T.V shows I enjoy watching are Hawaii Five-O and Sanford & Son
8. I love to go camping!
9. I may seem shy at first when I meet everyone, but I'm actually quite loud and silly
10. I've never been to BC before so I'm probably going to get lost on my way to Qwanoes.
Well, that is about all I have to say beside that I'm really looking forward to meeting you all!

- Hannah

P.S Is there anyone flying to BC from Toronto, Ontario? I'm just trying to find out the best prices and all that, for flights and maybe meet up with someone if I have to fly down by myself.

Hello again friends

My summer has been progressing slowly (much to my dismay) but there are a couple of things I would like to ask prayer for from all you lovely people. The first is my job; I was finally able to get a job after searching for one FOREVER (Thank the Lord for employment) but I wouldn't say it's my ideal job. First, it's high stress: I am working for Family Services and am working with kids who have special needs and to be honest, I don't think I'm cut out for it. But apparently my boss, the kids' parents and God all think otherwise. Another downfall is I'm not going to be getting a lot of hours (though the rate of pay is good.) This leads into problem number 2: paying for Kaleo. "The plan" was to work full time this summer and make a decent amount of money and then get goverment loans to pay for the rest. However I wasn't employed until late July and (according to Erin Karklins) the government doesn't want to pay for a certificate program. Sooo I will be looking into a bank loan and such things. So my prayer requests are thus, I really need peace to not go insane from stress, ability to take care of kids so they don't die of negligence, and funds to pay for Kaleo and equipment and stuff.

PS- I'd like to give a shout out to Toni who seems to be able to relate to at least one of my problems. Too often people don't talk about their need due to pride. Thank you for being honest and vunerable with us, it helped me to be honest and vunerable too.

A Tidbit about Me

HI Y'ALL!!!!

So I am super excited because as of one day ago, I was accepted and am now enrolled in the Kaleo program here at the ever-stunning Camp Qwanoes. It's a bit of a story, however, about why I chose this program. I had originally applied back in January, but then cancelled my application due to some fears and reservations I was unwilling to pass to God. I then applied for a theatre scholarship to Trinity Western University. After being offered the scholarship, I truly thought I was headed there this fall. However, that changed when I came to work at Camp Qwanoes as a Co-Counsellor. During Staff Training, Bec Rodda and Viktor Karkins (your wonderful interns) planted the idea of Kaleo back into my heart. It was at that point that I felt a push from God so powerful, it was impossible to ignore. So with that, I prayed for about three weeks before I actually applied, and now here I am, one of your soon to be Kaleo brothers.

Now that you've heard my story, I'll let you know a few things about me. I was born in Prince Rupert B.C. and have lived there my whole life. My town consists of 12,000, so Vancouver Island is a bit of a Culture Shock for me. For those of you who don't know where Prince Rupert is, we are situated on the Border of Alaska. Life can become pretty interesting with moose, deer, bears, wolves and even otters roaming in your back yard, but it is a place where God's creation shines so brightly through the daily torrential downpours.

Like I said, I've been counselling here at Camp Qwanoes, and it has been great. This is my fifth week and it is truly amazing to serve the Lord by loving this kids and showing them the good life. I will admit there are times when I think I cannot do it, but it is by the grace and strength administered by my heavenly father that I am able to continue serving steadfastly.

Finally, I LOVE THEATRE. There is nothing that can come between me and a Stage, except for a raging crowd of old-fashioned Cherry Cokes.. GAH!!!! I hope to pursue a job as a thespian/actor and help regain the arts for God's glory because I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it has become anything but edifying.

So with that, I hope you all continue to enjoy your summers wherever you are. I am so excited to get to know you both on and off Blogger and I think God's got some pretty fantabulous plans for this year.

Keep it peachy,

Matthew Wigmore

By the way, that picture is of my friends Jenna (left), Hanna (right) and I (centre) right before we were leading children in activities down on the dock. Hanna and Jenna were leading fishing, so thought they would dress up. I was on a boat... so I put a lifejacket on

Prayer will help.

So I guess some background might be needed here. I am half Native from my mothers side and have applied for band funding to help pay for this coming year. I found out the other day that I have been rejected for insufficient funding from the band. (Band is like clan or tribe to other areas.)
I had a hard day that day, but now I must rely on the Lord for providing equipment and money. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a group called ACCESS. Who might help with funding since I got rejected by my band for funding.
Please pray that it will go well and that I will have peace about this whole ordeal. I really go into Kaleo with you all and I know the Lord will provide if it is His will that I am to partake in Kaleo.
I am also receiving pressure and stress from The House and my mom, also please pray that I can remain calm and just give all of this Jesus. I am finding that very difficult at the moment.
Thank You.
-Toni

Preparations are underway

Jay and I just got back from scouting out the our first overnight backpack trip for the year. It was an exciting time to talk through the upcoming year and continue the preparations for your arrival in a month!

The problem was that the mountain was blanketed this winter by a record snowfall and unlike you east-coasters we've had a really cold summer thus far. The result was that Jay and I hiked almost 10 hours on top of 3-8' of snow.

This is the trail sign at one of our campsites!

The sign is about 8' tall. Needless to say we had

some trouble finding the campsite.

After the first hour we gave up trying to find the trail and simply used the mountains and lakes as navigation points. Of the 10 hours we were on the actual trail for about 2 of them.

We are hoping that a warm August will take care of the snow, but in all things we trust that God knows what he is doing!

We are so excited for your arrival. We plan in anticipation that God is preparing on doing a mighty work both in you and through you!

Your Kaléo Program Handbooks are in the mail so we encourage you to read through them before you arrive here at camp. For the time being summer continues to roll along and God is at work in mighty ways in the lives of staff and campers here at Qwanoes. That's all for now.

In His Grace,

Andrew MacDonald

CIT, LIT, & Kaléo Program Leader

Real Me, Real You

Since the creation of this blog, I made the FIRM decision that I would refrain from posting until we all met on September 14th.
Why?
Good question!


I think I was looking forward to meeting and experiencing everyone in person; I'm not convinced that cyberspace has the capability to capture the entirety of human character. [Emoticons hardly do us justice and - for example - I might appear more intelligent through a post than I would face to face. =)]

Moreover, I wanted to skip the whole "They are not what they seemed" or "Wow, my first impression was so wrong" because I wouldn't even KNOW you guys or have heard about you in the slightest bit and vise versa. Then I noticed my major flaw. I was STILL enjoying the messages that were being posted, I just wasn't posting myself! Wow, talk about lame and confusing; I am usually the antonym of a wall flower.

In all reality, I enjoy people and I LOVE community with both God and man.

So now - with both boldness and slight humility - I am posting, trusting that (even if it is easy to pre-determine what I will be like before we meet) you will get to know the "real me" and I will get to know and love the "real you" very soon.

Until then, I am Nicole Pauls and I live on the precious prairies of Manitoba. I live for Jesus and I will fight you for bacon and/or chocolate mints.

Not too soon, Baboon!

Hey Kaleo 2012!

What to say about myself? Well, I'm Lindsey. I'm currently living in Vancouver, and working as a Summer Intern at Inner Hope Youth Ministries. Like many of you, my whole life has been camp during the summer, so one of my biggest challenges has been finding my place away from camp this year. Although it has been tough being away from that community, it has stretched me so much, and I value it so much more having been away. I hope to return to do Core Staff next summer! Tanner - chances are I will meet you very soon, since you're at my camp, and i'll be by to visit next week sometime. I'm jealous that you get to hang out with my friends every day, but i'm super stoked to have another SABC staff in the Kaléo program.

I've been away from "home" for a year and a half now, studying at Trinity Western University. I'm majoring in Psychology/Human Services, and minoring in Studio Art. Although I loved my time at Trinity so far, in the spring I started feeling called to leave. I started researching YWAM's and completed applications for two of them. It never felt completely right though, so I never actually mailed them in. It's incredible how God works, because for someone who rarely does things last minute, it was a huge step of faith to wait on where God wanted me this fall. And here I am, 6 weeks before September, and I'm confident that this is where I am supposed to be! I'm thirsting to know more of God, and to be challenged in ways that I don't expect.

You may have noticed by now that I can be pretty long winded, considering it's taken me three paragraphs to get to where I'm actually from. Home for me is Lethbridge, right smack in the middle of Southern Alberta. My parents and sister still live there, so I get to go home next week and see them and relax a bit! Anyway though, if you have any questions/comments, I'll respond. Let me catch you up on a few fun facts about me, and then this is enough for one post!

Fun Facts:
1. I also love thrift stores and antique/consignment stores
2. I play violin, and I can play about 6 chords on guitar, and right hand piano. I would love to learn to actually play left hand on piano as well... so perhaps we'll have to have a musical lesson swap, since no one really wants to just hear the melody of a song all the time.
3. I drive a beetle, and they are the worst cars ever if you have to cart children/carseats around. I do love my car though. Driving is also one of my favourite things, especially at night in the country.
4. I would love to visit every continent.
5. I really don't enjoy cats.
6. I dyed a piece of my hair purple. Mistake one: I let a 15 year old do it. Mistake two: It was cheap dye, and now i have green hair.
7. I love acoustic music.
8. It's driving me crazy that I can't think of 10 and it bothers me that I have to leave this on such an unruly number. (not a multiple of 5)

I can't wait to meet you all. God Bless,
Lindsey Grisnich

Hey All!

Hope you all are having a fantastic summer! I just want to ask for some prayer right now, for a person in my life who could use is more than me. She is a definite role model to me and it's been hard for me to offer any sort of solace for her in this time, and so I've just continued to pray and hope. She is a mother of two amazing children (kindergarten and grade 1 age) whom I love and cherish and can only find part time jobs in order to provide for them. Her husband died one year ago yesterday and so this year has been full of "firsts" without him, so the grief is still new. Not only that, but their house got broken into as well yesterday and so she's struggling with trying to stay composed for her children, knowing full well the damage that has been done. The reason why she is so amazing to me is that she takes the situations that she has been in and turns them around to bless those around her. She suffers to bless.  So I'm just asking that you think of her while you pray and put her before the throne of God.

Thanks so much guys, I really appreciate it. And I'll keep you updated.

-Marissa

Finally I'm home

So I just got back from a 2 week mission trip to Puerto Rico early this morning. The original plan was to help out with the construction of a Sunday school building for a church out there and a little maintenance at the Evangelical School for the Deaf where we were staying. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get much done on the church because of holidays, weather and an uncooperative contractor. However, we did get to do a lot of work done at the deaf school including painting, yard work and some fix-it tasks. For as little as I feel we did, the local people from the church and school showered us with love and acceptance, feeding us FANTASTIC food and giving us a place to sleep. Throughout the trip we constantly felt the love of God through these people and learned so much about hospitality and what it means to be a servant. God also taught us about patience and trusting in him; we may not have gotten done as much as we would have liked, but it's all in His hands and He knew what He was doing sending rain. Furthermore, we got to witness God's protection in a number of "close calls". All in all it was an amazing, wonderful, stupendous, thrilling trip and I'm thankful that I got the chance to go. If you could pray that I will continue the relationship with God that I developed while I was there and continue to push forward and put into practise what He is teaching me. If you have any questions about the trip or anything, chat me up, I would love to talk more about how God moved. :)

I finally got on here!

So apparently I am blogger challenged. I could not figure out how to make a new post or to even get to the blog. It was great, like an adventure.

I am from Vancouver. I live at "The House" or Inner Hope Ministries. Right now there are the two ladies that run it, me, dez, her 2 boys and someone who is staying for a bit. (you could look up their web site or just ask me about it later)

Currently I am working at Camp Qwanoes for july, then going to Mexico for a missions trip and then coming back to camp as a camper for my last year and then as a STUDENT!

I am nervous and excited about this coming year. I know it will be great and difficult at the same time. I have run out of things to say about myself, so if you want to know just ask me. I will answer you eventually ( if i could get back on to this thing, that is)

-Toni

Camp Q

hey everyone!
I am already at camp Q and its great!!! We are still on our first week of staff training. The first camp starts july 2nd on saturday! Im getting really excited.
This place is amazing, the ocean is so close and its beautiful.
i have seen various interesting animals here... a racoon!! and miniture deer, but i have not seen any jelly fish. hopefully i dont.
Okay! BYE for now. Cant wait till i meet you all <3


-Stace

Its getting closer and closer!

Hey friends, just thought I'd let you know whats up. So as I said before I am working as a counsellor at Southern Alberta Bible Camp this summer. Ive been out here for two weeks and its been amazing. its a rad group of people here. man, I love being in close Christian community. We have just been doing a lot of training and stuff as camp has not started yet, but its been sick being out here. I have finished up all my tests and my grad is in a few days. So stoked to be done and moving on to bigger things. Anyways, I hope you guys are all doing great.
Let me know how I can be praying for you all.

Sincerely,
Tanner.

Graduation

Hey Everyone! It's that time of year...many of you will be or already are finishing up your final requirements for high school. Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you and you are in my prayers. I would love to hear how you're doing. Above is a picture of Viktor and I from our recent graduation from Briercrest College. 

Wooooaaaahhh!!!!!!

Probably not going to sleep one minute the week before Kaleo starts because I’m so excited on meeting and learning with everyone!!! My name is Alisha Penner, I live in Richmond (near Vancouver) with my two little sisters, parents, and our weird budgie... I have a thing for peaky waves and snowy mountains which usually takes me interesting places. Valedictory was last night. Yeaa!

2012... Oh the Anticipation!!

Hey Kaléo 2012,

I don't know about you, but every time I think about what this year has the potential to be I get little shivers, and butterflies in my stomach! I can't wait to meet you all and to grow with you over this next year - it's going to be rad!!

Just like everybody else, I'm stopping by at the Kaléo 2012 Blog to introduce myself. My name is Bec Rodda, and I shall be one of your interns for this coming year (specifically your female intern, if that needed any clarification!) I was born and raised in Australia but have spent the better part of the past 5 years in North America working at summer camps. I have previously worked 2 summers here at Qwanoes - 2008 & 2009 - my first summer as a Senior Counselor and then my second as the Staffing Assistant. I have also done a few summer at a camp down in Florida as a counselor too. This summer I shall be returning to Qwanoes to assist all present as the Staff Concierge before joining you all for the Kaléo program.

I have spent the past year and a half at home in Australia spending time with my family (I have a brand new baby niece that I'm very sad to leave) and studying Minstry, Theology and Culture at a local Bible College here in Adelaide. I'm yet to graduate with anything, but am absolutely loving what I've been learning and am super keen for you guys to get stuck into some classes too.

About a year or two ago, there was a faze on Facebook in which everybody was encouraged to write 25 random facts about themselves in a note and tag their friends in it, in the hopes that their friends would also write random facts about themselves. I'm now going to dust of that little gem of an idea and share 10 (I thought 25 might be a little too much) fun-facts that you will come to know about Bec anyway.

1) I'm pretty much always cold.
2) I've never had to go to the bathroom in the great outdoors before.
3) I love to drive things. I have my car, boat and motorcycle licenses.
4) I hate tubing - it scares the snot out of me.
5) I have a strange/strong fondness for love songs
6) I dream of one day trekking through Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Cyprus and Turkey
7) I'm a tea drinker - Coffee makes me feel sick
8) I LOVE Thrift Store shopping
9) I hate being late
10) I'm more of a morning person than I am a night person

So that's just a very small glimpse into me. I'm very much looking forward to getting to know all of the random little facts that make up each of you. Please feel free to share as many, or as few as you want here on the blog so we can all get to know each other better.

I truly can't wait to meet you all. Until then... I pray that you will have a truly blessed summer.

Peace.

Bec

General questions for everyone:

01. What is one thing you need more of in your life?
02. What are you passionate about?
03. What do you know a lot about?
04. What is your most useful talent?
05. What skills, knowledge, attitudes, etc. do you think you bring to this group?
06. What do people need to know about you?
07. What inanimate object is the most useful to you?
08. What can make even the worst days better?

Kaleo 2012 Newsletter

Hey Check out the first newsletter of the year!

http://www.kaleolife.ca/newsletter/May2011.pdf

Andrew

Looking Forward To Meeting All Of You!

My name is Julie and I am the Associate Program Director at Qwanoes. I have been involved at Qwanoes for much of my life!

I first came to Qwanoes with my family around the age of 3 and then was a camper each summer from the age of 8 through high school. God really worked in my life through Qwanoes. I was a Christian before I started coming to camp, but camp greatly encouraged me to give God 100% of my life. At camp, I met others my age who were also following God, as well as staff who took an interest in me and were great role models. I really gained a vision for my life and hope for the future through my time at camp.

As a kid that loved God, camp and sports, it was always my dream to someday help out at camp. My first experience on staff was at the age of 16 when I worked on maintenance and did some counseling. After finishing high school, I did one year at Briercrest and then went to university at UBC and U.Vic. During those years, I served at Qwanoes as often as I could in a variety of roles.

My first full summer on staff was as the Assistant Waterfront Director when I was 20. I then served several summers as the Waterfront Director while completing university. During that time, I got married to my wonderful husband Scott who is now the Executive Director at Qwanoes. We just celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday!

After finishing my degree at U.Vic., I started in the role of overseeing the recreational activity program at Qwanoes. I did this full-time for several years before having our first child and I've been doing it part-time since then - along with helping with staff training and development, risk management, and more. Scott and I have three kids, Jared (just turned 13!), Devin (age 11), and Kara (age 9.5).

It is a real joy and privilege to be serving God at Qwanoes! God is at work through Christian camping ministry in powerful ways, in a society that has turned so far away from him and that does not protect or value children in many ways. There is nothing I would rather be doing!

I'm really excited that each and every one of you is coming to Qwanoes to take part in the Kaleo program this fall. I look forward to getting to know you and see you grow as leaders with a solid spiritual foundation in the months ahead!

Julie Bayley

Associate Program Director, Camp Qwanoes

Music!

Hello!
I have noticed that TONS of people are into music. What does everyone play and do? Sounds like we will have a full band and will have tons of awesome worship music! :)