Hello friends and family!
It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through summer! The last six weeks have been a blur of hard work, moments of fun, moments of not-so-fun, and lots of new faces. If you want a comparable experience, try watching “Alice in Wonderland” at triple speed with the volume turned all the way up. Thankfully, we have a God who delights in turning high-speed chaos into artwork for His Kingdom!
Camp News
Staff Training went off without all but the usual hitches. Trying to cram job training, counseling training, activity training, and enough sleep into two weeks is always challenging. Our team includes 51 summer staffers (counselors, program assistants, operations crews, etc.) and 28 Leadership Live (teen staff who help out all over camp.) That makes a total of 79 people whom we get to invest in for weeks on end!
During the four weeks that we’ve run camp, over 800 campers and sponsors have come through Ironwood. Each of those people were exposed to God’s Word through services, dedicated counselors, daily devotions, and fellowship with other believers. And God has revealed His work in their hearts! Whether it’s a junior camper who decides to practice kindness or a teen camper who dedicates his future to the Lord, it’s a blessing to be on the frontline of God’s advancing kingdom. We’re especially celebrating the 48 salvation decisions that we know about. (And who knows what God has done in the stories we haven’t heard!)
Palkki News
Gabe spent the first weeks of summer training our staff to safely operate vehicles and equipment. After that, he and his Leadership Live assistant did the annual servicing for 23 of the camp work vehicles, 3 of the tractors and 2 of the generators. (That’s a lot of oil changes!) When he’s not doing emergency repairs on vehicles that break down over the week, Gabe has also been prepping one of our Jeeps for a new coat of paint. Every Monday night, he becomes Dr. Michael Roscope, the villain of the junior camp heist mystery activity. (See the gallery for photographic evidence!)
My Monday mornings consist of preparing for the arrival of our sponsors: making nametags, collecting schedule booklets, restocking meeting rooms, etc. Tuesday mornings are spent in the kitchen, assisting our other head cook during his rush hours. I’m responsible for lunches and dinner on Thursdays and Fridays, which has allowed me to build relationships with our kitchen crew. I also had the opportunity to present a short lesson to the Leadership Live girls on one Sunday night. It was so fun to see their attentiveness to God’s Word!
Meanwhile, the Longevity crew has been hard at work in our new house. Lord willing, the carpet will go in on the 6th or 7th of this month, which means we could be moving in as soon as next week! Gabe and I are very excited about having our own space for the first time and thankful for the beautiful home that camp has given to us.
Summer feels like an explosion. Suddenly, there’s more people, more work, more emotions, more activities, more challenges, more food, more broken vehicles, more opportunities for ministry, more cabins, and less time than ever. And as much as we revere our carefully crafted schedule and plans, it is generally conceded that they have very little power over reality. Sometimes there aren’t enough burgers to feed all three-hundred teen campers. Sometimes the truck breaks down at the worst possible time. Sometimes people get sick and can’t work. Sometimes important details are miscommunicated. Sometimes it feels like trying to tame a hornets’ nest with a flyswatter!
In short, the pandemonium can feel a little pointless while you’re living in the middle of it. But the truth of the matter is this: our situation is not flawed, our viewpoint is. In the midst of overwhelming circumstances, God is faithfully and sovereignly working all things together according to His will. This is a common theme in the testimonies of our counselors.
“I didn’t feel qualified… but God used me anyway.”
“I didn’t know what to say… but God’s Word was sufficient.”
“I didn’t have the energy… but God gave me grace.”
When everything feels like too much, too fast, too hard, know that God has a plan and it is good!
Then what?
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will act.” (Psalm 37:5)
Love in Christ,
Gabe and Cheyenne Palkki
PS: If you want to catch a glimpse of Dr. Mike Roscope or see what enough mac'n'cheese for 600 people looks like, be sure to check out the gallery! Our prayer requests and praises are also updated!
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