October Update

“Are things starting to slow down now?” That is a question we often get this time of year. I am confident that for most of us the answer is hardly ever, “Yes.” I prefer to think of the change in seasons in terms of shifting gears. Maybe we are not in high gear so much like in the days when there are a number of people in Camp on a daily basis. Indeed today as I look out over the RV area through the mist, I think that this is the first day since sometime last May that there has not been a guest on the grounds.

Along with a number of retreat groups who have been here since our last event (Friends of Wi-Ne-Ma Day) we have had the opportunity to host three weeks of Outdoor School for sixth graders. As we shift gears into the guest group season we follow Paul’s simple words in Romans to “practice hospitality.” Our staff and volunteers are more behind the scenes to prepare and maintain the facilities, process reservations, prepare meals, and responding questions. But, I also saw times when a member of the group would seek us out to ask about the Camp and what we do. There the ministry of hospitality opened an opportunity to share God’s grace. We consistently hear how much these guest groups appreciate a place like Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp and the hospitality they experience while they are here.

We have retreat groups scheduled in on weekends now through Thanksgiving weekend. We look forward to Christmas Camp and the renewal of the retreat season in January. Over the next couple of months, however, there is another group working to plan and prepare for the 2008 camping season. Watch your mailbox in November for the anticipated schedule in The Windchime. Online registration is scheduled to be open by Christmas with paper registrations forms becoming available in January.
An update on the Missions Building project: our initial geological evaluation was completed and will soon be submitted to Tillamook County for review. Based on that review the architect and engineers will be able to start preparing plans to submit for the building permits. We are also checking on our Contractor’s schedule to see if it is possible to get into their construction list for 2008.

Financially, $229,439 has been received for this project. Please notice that we are just $20,000 short of our first goal for the Our Dream-His Glory campaign. But, you should also know that since this time last year $93,000 was given for the Missions Building project. We will likely need to arrange financing in order to complete the project and are continuing to evaluate our various options there.

Best Week Ever

We have our first winter storm of fall 2007 with the winds and the waves kicking up. The seagulls are holding close to the ground and the group in Camp will likely spend most of the day indoors. Here's a little video of today on the beach.



When I first came to Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp I would worry when these storms would come through, but after a while I learned that if it was going to blow away, it would have blown away a long time ago.

In Psalm 104 we sing,

"Praise the LORD, O my soul.

O LORD my God, you are very great;

you are clothed with spledor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment;

he stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of his chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

and rides on the wings of the wind."

It should be a great ride today at Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp.

I have a couple of links to explore . . .

http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/editorsdesk.asp?id=923 is a link to an editorial in The Lookout Magazine highlighting the value of Christian Camping.

http://dontsqueezethejj.com/blog/?p=325 is a blog post from a young man reflecting on his experiences at Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp. Thanks JJ.