Hello friends and family!
Summer 2024 is in the books! The end of this season produces yet another paradox: we’re thankful that it happened and we’re thankful that it’s over. Here are a few details from the last six weeks!
Camp News
The second half of summer is reserved for churches who customize their camp experience for their own campers. This means they have more control in building a schedule, planning activities, and bringing counselors from their own church families. As you can imagine, this is invaluable to churches who have very specific goals in bringing their young people to camp. Over five weeks, we served twenty-three churches from all over California and Nevada. In that time, hundreds of people attended seven different programs: four teen camps, two junior camps, and one family camp. The point is this: camp is effective because it’s flexible!
Last week, someone added up all the spiritual decisions that were recorded over the summer. There were 40 salvations and 280 other resolutions on topics like baptism, devotions and prayer, dedication, and more. Of course, we realize that God alone knows the hearts of these campers. Maybe decisions were made quietly, without record. Maybe insincere decisions were recorded. The actual eternal impact of this summer isn’t measurable by human perception. But these numbers do tell us that God’s Word went out! His Spirit was at work! And we can rejoice in faith that God will glorify Himself and grow His kingdom through this summer.
Because of the way custom camps are designed, many of our counselors had the opportunity to join other teams around camp. They pitched in to accomplish a lot of projects like deep cleaning with Hospitality, putting new siding on the paint booth with Longevity, and moving the metal recycling pile with Grounds. We’re very thankful for a crew that conformed to the needs of the ministry!
Palkki News
Gabe has gained a total of three new trucks over the summer. He is learning a lot about purchasing used vehicles and hopes this experience will eventually result in a better, more damage resilient fleet for camp. Camp Prep continues to have its ups and downs, but Gabe is already planning improvements both for next summer and the approaching fall season. Meanwhile, he got to witness God’s blessing in the life of his shop assistant. Nathan hoped and prayed for a position in the auto shop during the first session of Leadership Live. Instead, he was put on the dishes and dining room crew. Although he was disappointed, he served faithfully and cheerfully. God rewarded his good attitude by allowing him to work with Gabe during the second half of the summer. He was a huge help and encouragement. We are so thankful for Nathan’s desire to learn and his willingness to do whatever God asks of him!
I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen as several of our crew struggled with illness in the second half of summer. When I wasn’t needed there, I was preparing for our 2024-2025 Ministry Crew to arrive. There were paperwork packets to be assembled, binders to be built, and school IDs to be formatted, among other things. It’s especially exciting to see two kids from my church in Alaska joining us this fall! I was privileged to be part of the bridal party for our adopted little sister at the end of summer. The whole weekend leading up to the wedding was a refreshing time of fellowship and celebrating God’s goodness. Though it was hard to say goodbye, there are no words for the joy of watching Abbie commit herself to the man she loves and boldly take this new step in the adventure God planned for them.
The last part of summer is always the worst for me. I’ve been eating the same food every week for over a month. The noise and crowds are incessant. My crew is exhausted, but I’m still required to push them into the next meal, the next project, the next hour. I’m dehydrated and sick. And it is HOT.
It is really, really hard to be content where God put me, to have an eternal focus, and to love people in those conditions. To be honest, I wanted to give up.
And then one of our resident staff guys pointed out that the Bible directly commands Christians to endure. Quitting is not an option in God’s mind! I was thinking about this truth as I walked toward another ten-hour shift in the kitchen and was reminded of a few verses that I memorized years ago for Bible Quizzing.
“For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” (Hebrews 12:3-4)
Jesus suffered unpleasant circumstances, hatred, constant demands on His time and energy, temptation, betrayal, pain, death – all effects of sin that He never committed. Yet He endured and received the glory appointed to Him by the Father. And me? Well, I’ve not even bloodied myself in the fight against my own sin nature.
When I see the enormity of Christ’s task and the surety of the victory He won, it makes my little hardships seem almost laughable! Jesus did what God asked Him to do. So can I.
In the words of a very good song, “Consider Him – sufficient is His grace.”
Love in Christ,
Gabe and Cheyenne Palkki
PS: There are a few new pictures in the Gallery! (And if you missed Dylan's funny face from last month, you're gonna want to check that out.)
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