Hello friends and family!
I must apologize for the tardiness of this month’s letter. Sometimes God lets us know ahead of time that a season of life will be really busy. Sometimes He lets the unexpected adventures change our schedules. This month, He did both!
Camp News
Lots of camp happened! Along with several custom camps, we got to host our Ironwood sponsored Women’s Retreat and Marriage Retreat. It’s always fun to see familiar faces and know that people are dedicating time to come year after year. What a testament to God’s work through camp in the lives of the people we serve! Another highlight was the Golden State Association of Christian Schools (GSACS) Teacher’s Convention. Over a hundred and twenty Christian educators were able to come together, share ideas, be encouraged from God’s Word, and enjoy a well-deserved time of fun and fellowship.
Progress is being made on the new camp zone, Rusty’s Ridge. The finishing touches are going on the new cabins and a few livestock panels are up in the new horse area. A work team with some rented heavy equipment was also able to repair and widen our current road to Rivertown in preparation for it becoming the main road through camp.
The biggest thing to happen in the last month (and the last few years) was the celebration of Ironwood’s 50th Anniversary. After months of planning and weeks of sprucing up, camp never looked better than it did on the weekend of November 11th. Guests were able to enjoy regular camp activities along with a few special events like the Lake Slide Polar Bear Plunge. Stories were told, memories were relived, new additions were discovered, and (most importantly) God was praised for everything He’s done in this place over the last fifty years.
Palkki News
As fun as the 50th was, it really threw a wrench into Gabe’s work area. (Pun totally intended.) The number of visitors for the final service on Saturday made it necessary to turn the MAG Shop into a meeting room. Of course, there can’t be broken Jeeps sitting in the meeting room. And broken Jeeps can’t be repaired in the space that’s already been cleaned and filled with chairs. So Gabe was very busy trying to get all of his projects wrapped up in time for his workspace to be taken over. And then he was very busy trying to keep up with vehicle repair needs while he didn’t have a shop to work in. And now he’s very busy trying to catch up with all the projects that were put on hold by the MAG Shop invasion. Outside of work time, Gabe was able to start helping out in our church as an usher on Sunday mornings. He’s enjoyed this new way of plugging into our local body of believers.
I spent a lot of time last month designing, laser-engraving, and gluing magnets that were used as giveaways at the 50th. Those same designs were also used for stickers and chocolate candy molds. Even though I’m not fond of graphic design, it was fun to see my hard work popping up all over camp! Banquet season officially began last month. My crew did a great job, even though our first banquet completely filled our big dining room and nothing except the tri-tip turned out like we expected. I also got to start teaching the toddlers’ Sunday School class at Lifepoint. What a privilege to teach little ones who have fresh wonder for the stories of the Bible! A family emergency called me back to Alaska for about ten days, but God’s hand was very evident in the situation and we praise Him for the way He displayed His sovereignty and care in those times! Although I missed the actual 50th celebration because I was with my family, it was a good reminder that God has ministry in mind for everyone, everywhere, all the time.
As a staff kid at Higher Ground, I used to love singing ‘O Refuge Near’ by Jonathan Allston. However, because the song was never officially published, I’ve never heard it sung outside of camp and I gradually forgot that it existed. Then, a few months ago, some snippets of the lyrics came to mind so I searched the internet until I found all four verses. Little did I know that God would use each of those stanzas in different ways over the next several weeks! As we approach Thanksgiving, the last verse is especially powerful:
My dearest Lord, your love o’erwhelms me;
My cup can’t hold the gifts You give.
The pages of my life are empty
For You to fill just as you wish.
I want for You to write my story;
Blot out the words that I have penned.
Fill every page for Your own glory,
And end it with the words, “Well done.”
Around this time of year, it’s easy to say things like, “God has given us so much to be thankful for! His blessings are abundant! He is so good!”
For me, there’s a part of my heart that holds back. I think, “Well, there are a few gifts not in my cup. I’m not feeling completely overwhelmed by love right now. I just wish things were a little bit different.” My lack of contentment shows my lack of faith that God is good, no matter what. And without faith that overflows in gratitude, it’s pretty hard to say, “God, do whatever You want to do with my life.”
But real thanksgiving isn’t the words I say. It’s the life I live. When I choose to trust God’s love (instead of trusting my own feelings) and then I look at everything He’s given me (instead of everything He hasn’t,) my natural response is to pray the last line of this song: Fill every page for Your own glory and end it with the words, “Well done.”
Love in Christ,
Gabe and Cheyenne Palkki
PS: If you're wondering what a very clean MAG Shop full of chairs looks like, check out our Gallery! And don't forget to take a peek at our praises and prayer requests!