In early December, Camas Meadows Bible Camp heats up the lodge and gets the cocoa ready for former summer staff who wish to bring their own children to play in the snow.

There is tubing “The Hill,” building snow forts, starting snowball fights, and all manner of winter time fun.

Sure, it’s a bit chilly. But the whoosh of snow in one’s face is well worth the rush and excitement of thundering down the tube hill at full speed.

It is hard work though, and sometimes one must pause to catch a breath and take in the beauty around them.

Here, families carry their inner tubes up the steep hill, getting ready for the speedy trip down.

Ready, Set, Go!

Once the shivering sets in, Mom or Dad can take chilly young ones into the lodge for a warm drink and a snack.

We also enjoyed some indoor activities as well. Consider all of these amazing structures that campers built with Kapla blocks.

Yes, much building occurred. As well as fighting, but the good kind!

Nerf fighting!

Everyone got a chance to shoot someone, especially their parents!

A quick lesson in making puffballs for hats was a big hit. Thank you Pippi!

There is always time to make a furry friend.

And of course one is never too old for games!

This one is Pitch Car. Besides this, many card and board games were enjoyed. Some books were even read, while the reader curled up by the crackling fire, with a cup of cocoa, watching her rowdy sons play games with their dad. Yes, the board games and family fun were enjoyed by one and all.

Boo Boo

Yes, it has been a long and arduous journey, but the new roof is finally on the main lodge!

There were many setbacks and difficulties, but through the assistance of good friends along the way, the mission was accomplished.

Sure, they had to sweep some snow off the roof to finish, but the whole thing looks lovely. Even Princess Leia Freyja approves.

Now, we can enjoy the snowfall, knowing that the roof is solid and ready for every glorious fake and drift.

In addition to the roof, we finished scrubbing the logs on the Mountain Panther cabin and then put on a nice red-tinted oil finish that will protect the wood for years to come.

Here are some finished logs next to the old ones.

It definitely brings out the natural beauty of the wood, as well as protecting the building from our harsh winters.

So many people jumped into this project. Scruffy spent many many hours as well as each of our boys and various folks from work retreat campers to kitchen crew.

Their hard work has finally paid off and as winter blows in across the mountains, it is good to know that Mt. Panther is not only lovely with a fresh coat of finish, but well protected from both sun and snow.

Thank you so much to everyone who gave their time, money, sweat, and blood to each of these projects. Your love and hard work is greatly appreciated! Campers will be enjoying these improvements for years to come. With the fresh snow and blustery weather, it is so good to be able to come inside and thaw out somewhere safe and warm after a hard day of play out in the beauty of God’s creation.

Boo Boo

When the first weekend in November rolls around, one or two board games can be found here and there lying about on various shelves at the camp.

There are also occasional stacks of board games on tables, on the floor in distant corners, and of course on the new shelve above the firewood box. What has happened? Why the sudden migration of games in a Camasward direction?

Did I fail to mention that these games were accompanied by sixty boardgamers all revved up and ready to sit in their chairs for the next 3-5 days strategizing on how best to save the world/take over the world/grow lots of vegetables/beat Scruffy regardless of what happens to the world in various epic showdowns that take anywhere from fifteen minutes to eleven hours to complete?

Yes, CamasCon is our camp for Christian boardgamers, wherein they spend an entire extended weekend playing games, meeting other gamers from around the area, and worshiping the Lord together during chapel times. They also get to eat, but very carefully! No one wants pizza grease on all those teeny tiny pieces!

One of the more difficult parts of the weekend is choosing the next game to play. With so many options and so many different people to play with, the choices can become mind boggling.

Should one choose a quick game that non-gamers to join, or maybe a themed game featuring superheros; zombies; dinosaur theme parks; or large grizzly bears that have saddles and can be ridden, or perhaps that epic eleven hour march through history that no one else has ever been willing to play with you … until now!

Once a game is chosen, say Terraforming Mars, it is time to find one to five other people who also wish to play that very game.

Sometimes this means switching games a couple times until you find a winner.

There are just so many options.

A game that piques your interest and people excited to play it with you, the perfect match!

These teenage gamers are finding out whether the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, or Feringi will rule the universe.

There is also the famous Camas Meadows Settlers of Catan Tournament which had two preliminary rounds and one final match. These four talented gamers battled it out in the final game, with ‘Merica (on the far left) taking home the win.

Another enjoyable aspect of CamasCon is seeing all of the different kinds of games that campers bring to play together.

Look at all of these fascinating miniatures.

Our chapel sessions were brought to us by baseball-card-and-ultimate-frisbee-geek, Mike Rumleywells, who was also a missionary in Nicaragua until this year.

CamasCon is also a great time to hang out with both new friends and those you love most in all the world.

Of course if a camper happens to stay up way way way too late finishing that epic game or world-shaking import… there is also plenty of time for a nap and a furry friend who is ever willing to join in.

October brings in chilly wind and creeping mists, changing leaves, and the knowledge that the brilliant bright summer is fading and the sparkling glory of winter is just around the corner. It is an in between time, but also a season of unique beauty. For me and a few other writers as well, October means that it’s time to step away from our hectic lives and make creative endeavors a priority.

It begins with breakfast on the first Friday of October. Writers at all different stages gather together with one goal in mind. Push away the voices that say we can’t and do our very best to simply write. We are writers after all. Even if the words aren’t great, their ours, and the vow this weekend is to get them down and learn to make them better.

The weather in early October is often gorgeous, but even when it is cool and drizzly, the beauty of the forest and small mountain meadow that waits just below the lodge are inspiring.

When the weather cooperates, writers can take long walks through the forest, enjoying the bright yellow of aspen leaves and the crunch of dry meadow grass underfoot. When the fog creeps in and the temperatures drop, the fire is always crackling in the main lodge and a warm scone and cup of cocoa await.

Without having to worry about cooking meals, doing laundry, toiling behind a desk, or driving busy children to and from various activities, The Mountain Muse is a weekend to refresh the spirit out in God’s lovely creation and pour our hearts out onto the page with hours of time to create.

Short sessions follow each delicious meal, just in case writer’s need something to jump start their creativity. But we don’t hold you up for long. The vast amount of the day is left open, so that writers can simply write.

The weekend was designed for writers, but as you can see from some of the lovely scenery photos featured, creatives of many different types enjoy the chance to get away. Our visiting photographer enjoyed getting out into the forest, taking some time to read, and seeing what a few moments to enjoy the peaceful forest can do for the soul.

Did I mention that all is not silence at The Mountain Muse? Yes, writers love to talk, especially to other writers. The only folks who can sit through a conversation with us about character motivation, sensory detail, and exactly how to get that villain through airport security without thinking we are crazy or delusional.

Much brainstorming occurred and our mascot, Princess Leia Freyja, was ever present. Always willing to lend an encouraging paw.

Writers of various ages and stages in their journey joined us, from young teens to Grandmas.

A highlight was the nighttime campfire, where we gathered to roast marshmallows and eat s’mores and take in the vast starry host above.

From letting ideas simmer in the company of like-minded folk, to getting the words down on the page for the first time, to editing manuscripts written in years past, every stage of the writing process was represented.

There are times when a writer must push creativity to the back burner and get all those vital bits of life done and done well. But there are those moments when you realize that creativity is also a vital part of being alive. We were blessed with the chance to take a moment to renew the spirit, to walk in the forest, to put pen to page, and pour forth words.

Whether our words shone with the skill of expert prose or the passion of a beginners first effort, there is a glory in making the attempt to create. Just like the one in whose image we have been made. The one who made humanity, our own desire to create, and the glorious world around us, so long ago.

Boo Boo

Much preparation and thought goes into a week of summer camp ministry.

Whether it is learning how to do all those tricky hand motions for the fast songs.

Yes, you have to be able to tell right from left.

And you better stretch out before the songs start. A hand-motion-related-injury is the last thing one wants to begin a week of camp with.

Or bravely leading your cabin of incredibly rowdy twelve-year-old boys in prayer on that first day, knowing that it will truly be an act of God if they sit long enough to discuss David and Goliath and the giants that we find in our lives.

Thankfully, acts of God are not unheard of at camp.

Even Leia had some preparatory work to accomplish. She practiced giving warm fuzzy hugs.

And even warmer, sloppy kisses!

Our speaker this week was Ian “Faramir” Ross and yes, he spoke about giants.

Spend a few minutes talking with a Jr. High kid and you will be struck anew concerning the many tall and treacherous difficulties that our children face today.

But just because we face giants, does not mean that we stand alone.

Yes, we made all kinds of preparations before the campers arrived. From fueling up the camp bus, doing laundry, prepping a delicious meal, and making cabin assignments, to pulling thistles in the camp lawn.

But in the end, we must simply do all that we can and then pray that the Lord will show up and do His work among us.

We are able to move mountains of gravel in order to fill potholes on the road and of course, train the counselors in the art of both leading cabin discussion and unplugging a toilet. But we are unable to choose whether or not another soul will follow God.

I saw a boy arrive at camp who kept his facial expression carefully guarded. Because I take the photos and am always waiting to capture those beautiful smiles, I notice their absence.

He played games, worshiped in chapel, participated in every activity, but he was careful to appear ever neutral. Not too happy. Not too sad. On the last day, he was as cautious as ever.

Then I watched him say goodbye to his cabin mates. They hugged and gave hi-fives and yes, finally I saw him smile. Not once, but each time he said farewell. He didn’t know it at the time, but I knew that he was going to attend school with one of those same rowdy boys from his cabin. As I watched that rare and beautiful smile appear as they said goodbye, it reminded me that yes, God is aware of our hurts and needs and pleased to bless us in unexpected ways at unexpected times.

Daredevil became an unexpected blessing to Epona’s cabin of girls when he inexplicably was dubbed “The Camp Grandpa.” He is eighteen years old and not ailing in any way. Yet, this giggly flock of girls called him “Grandpa” and followed him everywhere.

They stole things from him and giggled, hid them and giggled, called him “Grandpa” a few more times and giggled. Much giggling occurred and Daredevil took it all in stride. In fact, becoming a grandfather at such a young age was one of the highlights of his week.

You never know what will touch a child’s heart. One of the girl counselors darted into the pantry to get gluten-free food for one of her campers only to have the girl fling her arms around her and proclaim: “You’re the best counselor ever!”

Another girl camper rode on ‘Merica’s shoulders during the night game since it was somewhat dark and the forest appeared daunting. He told her that he was the scariest thing in the woods and that all bears and grogs (the antagonists of that particular game) would flee his crashing approach (true info by the way). He toted her all over the place, at her beck and call for the entire game.

Whether leading deep and meaningful Bible studies with the support staff, Baptizing a younger sibling with the speaker, telling a personalized story at night that included every camper, or agreeing to sleep outside under the stars with the camp dog, I saw God at work using the faithful hands of a few teens and college age kids.

The Lord was beautiful to behold.

Sis, washed her campers’ feet during one of their cabin discussions. Spontaneously, her girls demanded that they get the chance to wash her feet as well.

One of the girl cabins hiked to Inspiration Point to watch the sun rise. As their counselor watched them walking up the road, she realized that the cliques from Monday were gone. The girls were walking with new friends, including everyone in their group.

During the campfire (don’t worry, we use glo-sticks when the fire danger is high) on the last night, I sat with my dog watching shooting stars fall from the sky. A little girl came and sat down beside me, patting the dog and taking in the expanse of the heavens above us. “My dream is to live up here, but I think it would be pretty expensive,” she said.

Sometimes it is expensive to live so far out in the forest. No one drives up to fix your power when the generator breaks, or the well, heaters, or toilets. Snow removal is a big part of every winter. Everything takes a thirty to forty-five minute drive reach.

But Scruffy and I, Choco, and my grandparents would all have the same answer if you asked us about the cost. It is absolutely, without a doubt, worth every night spent without power, every long drive to get cough medicine, and every day shoveling snow.

We have a front row seat to so many of the Lord’s beautiful miracles.

A couple of days into camp, one of our counselors began to get sick. Now, it is not uncommon to find oneself with a miserable cold after serving day and night among children. But this counselor had a sore throat that turned into a fever. Off to the Doctor he went, hastened there by Scruffy and the camp nurse.

The counselor asked the Lord to heal him, so great was his wish to stay and finish out the week with his boys. The rest of the staff and I prayed for his healing as well, but so many times God asks us to struggle onward, as we are, plagues and pain and all. Yet, this counselor’s symptoms went away. His strep throat test came back negative and he returned to his cabin, refreshed and able to lead.

Three girls chose Jesus as their Lord this week. I gave away the last Bibles in the box that camp purchased to give out to new believers. Their counselors wrote notes inside the covers so that they would remember they are not alone in seeking after the Lord.

One of the counselors was there when his camper opened up a Bible for the very first time. He was able to teach another of his boys how to pray. These two young men both chose Jesus as their Lord. One of them went home early, with an action Bible of his own, but came back to be baptized. He told Scruffy that he’d read 100 pages in the short time that he was home!

Let me finish with a few of the things that campers said during the campfire on Friday night.

In between the beautiful sound of children singing worship songs, each one of these kids took a glo-stick from their counselor, stood before their peers to speak, cracked their glo-stick and then tossed it into the fire pit.

“This week I learned, you don’t have to be perfect for God to love you.”

“This week I learned that getting to Heaven isn’t about the good stuff or the bad stuff we’ve done. It’s about knowing Jesus.”

“I had this moment, talking with my friends on the way to Inspiration Point. Then it was silent and there were so many stars. I started to cry and just couldn’t stop. It just struck me.”

“I learned that God loves me.”

Matthew 25:40–“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Boo Boo

Jr. B Camp started out with hot July weather, bright blue skies, and the scent of fallen pine needles baking in the sun along the dirt paths that wind between the cabins. Of course there might also have been one or two dog hairs to be found, but Princess Leia Freyja’s loving slurps and affectionate snuggles appear to make up for that in the eyes of the campers.

On Monday, everyone organized into cabins and then headed down to the meadow for kiddie pool kickball. This would be Robin’s Roost, led by Braveheart, Specter, and Clank.

What is kiddie pool kickball? Well, it is very much like normal, everyday kickball except that each base is a full kiddie pool and home plate is a large horse trough wherein players must completely submerge themselves in order to make a home run. First, the pitcher tosses a soccer ball.

The a player from the opposing team kicks the ball.

There is a great deal of running and chasing between the water-filled bases.

With a big splash at home plate.

Although, occasionally the entire kicking team will plunge in before they take the outfield. It was quite hot after all.

Next came Watchamabob. Yes, Daredevil and Falkor appear to be leaping for joy at the prospect of another Watchamabob.

Instead of leaping for joy, Canada gave Braveheart a new hairdo and some schoolyard game skills.

Hmmm … those simple looking games are more difficult than they appear. Is it slap front slap back or slap slap front then slap slap back?

Princess Leia is always eager to assist. Especially with Watchamabobs that involve cookies.

Oh, look! Cookies!

The goal is to move the cookie from where it is stuck on the forehead, down to the mouth where it can be eaten. No using hands and yes, it is a race!

This requires a lot of eyebrow and nose scrunching.

But is entirely possible as I watched a camper accomplish this amazing task right before my eyes. Yes, he did appear to enjoy his cookie and no, he did not share with Princess Leia Freyja.

But there were plenty of loves and ear scratches to go around, so The Princess decided that the game wasn’t a total bust.

Next, it’s time for chapel. Even those campers who are too weary to move their exhausted limbs and walk into the lodge weren’t left out. Their counselor simply carried them!

Uh, oh! It looks like more campers are hoping for a ride.

Bald Eagle, our speaker this week, taught from the book of Joshua. Be strong and courageous. Definitely a message kids need to hear. Their world is darker than the one that we grew up in and more complicated. But God’s strength and love remain our hope, no matter what perils we face.

Along with fun and incredibly loud songs that have hand motions and all the exciting activities, some truly amazing moments happened this week.

There was one camper who had never prayed before. He asked his counselor to show him how and by the end of the week, this brave young man volunteered to close their cabin discussion in prayer.

Yes, we experienced the beauty of “Lake Day.” Enjoying bright blue skies, crystal clear waters, and baked potatoes at the Lakeside Park in Chelan. But we also saw a very patient Jr. Counselor who had one particular camper glom onto him as his very most favorite person in the entire world.

And so this camper was with his favorite counselor every single second of every single day. Despite having apparently grown an extra arm/leg/hump on his back (where the enthusiastic camper clung to him), this counselor was a delight to watch as he made the week memorable and fun for all of his campers, especially his new best buddy.

We had Warhammer and Uli (who is 9 months pregnant!) drive up to camp three times during the week so that they could minister to the staff. Once to drop off their oldest to be a camper. Once to do a devotional with the staff so that these amazing workers could have a moment to rest and gain refreshment from delving into God’s word. Then once more to pick up their camper at the end of the week!

We had Howitzer, who owns his own business, nonetheless volunteer to run our support staff program. He kept everyone organized and working hard, even though that meant late night work on the computer for him and rising at 5:00 am to get a few hours of additional work done at the local coffee shop before staff meeting at 7:00 am.

OK, full disclosure. These boys are not actually hugging. They are tossing the football around. But there were some epic hugs this week that were real. What immediately comes to mind is when Slappy leaped out of the circle during staff meeting on Saturday, springing over chairs and sending one flying, before she thundered out the door to hug one of her campers goodbye when mom arrived to take her home.

There was the day that Partake challenged one of the campers to a paintball battle. He was thrilled and his entire cabin greatly impressed with her mightiness on the paintball field. This was a bold move on her part, as it had been quite some time since she’d played. But the challenge made it super fun for the campers and so she plunged ahead.

Even Leia Freyja was able to minister to campers this week. One little girl was hiding under her blanket crying and refused to be comforted. Later, she explained that she was sad about going home from camp the next day.

But when I asked if she would like Leia to come and sleep in their cabin, the camper perked right up. She led the way to her bunk and made just enough room for a 105 lb dog. Leia curled up on the foot … the foot and middle … well, pretty much all of her bed and settled in for the night. Leia raised her head, but didn’t get up when I left. She appeared to realize that she was needed.

Of course Leia was not the only animal involved in camp this week. Bear’s Abode requested the use of one of our chickens during their skit and Ewok rose to the occasion.

Besides the chicken, skit night held multiple whale attacks …

A bit of sword fighting …

The plagues of Egypt …

And an unfortunate death. Poor Cub! Wait a minute … is he smiling???

Um … better make that two deaths. Or is Clank just asleep?

Of course the quote of the week was when Slappy left the cabin for three whole minutes and returned to a group of enthusiastic smiles. “See those rafters!” They then pointed at the rafters in their cabin. “We just swung on them!!!” Thankfully, they not only survived their acrobatic impulses, but were able to learn more about the Lord Jesus and His love for them as well. The counselors have such interesting dual jobs of fun and exciting activities sprinkled with spiritual shepherding at a Jr. Camper level.

Dauntless was amazed as one of his campers furiously memorized Bible verses. Long after the other boys had fallen asleep, this camper kept piping up with “I’ve got another one!”

The staff show God’s love to these kids in so many creative ways. Epona’s campers were voracious melty bead creators. They designed craft after craft and were so sad when it was time to go to bed, that Epona promised them she would stay up that night ironing their artistic creations so that they were ready to go home with her girls the next day. She worked until 3:00 am, fulfilling that promise to her campers.

I myself was incredibly blessed as a mysterious staff member wrote a personal note of encouragement to every single worker at camp. These were not just general encouragements either. Whoever wrote my note, not only owned a very nice purple pen, but had been watching what I did during the week and gave me specific words to spur me on, that only an observant and caring person could have come up with. Each staff member received such a note and if their reactions were anything like mine, there were tears involved, and perhaps those notes might have been kept in a back pocket for a week to pull out and reread during low moments.

I watched ‘Merica minister to the Support Staff as he spent an incredible amount of time leading cabin discussions just for them while the Counsel Staff were leading discussions with their campers. The highlight of the week for Bacta, our camp Dr., was being invited to join the discussion on the day that the Support Staff shared their testimonies. There is an incredible bond formed when believers pour themselves out, together, for an entire week of intense service to their Lord.

Of course, this close bond often involves being tossed into the horse trough by one’s brothers or sisters in Christ.

Even these ridiculous moments are a thrill and a delight to the campers.

For Junior Campers, the very experience of being away from home for an entire week is incredible. They leave their media devices behind, breath in the crisp mountain air, witness God’s starry host stretched across the night sky without the tainting effect of light pollution, and get to actually immerse themselves in the things God has made rather than what man has built up around himself.

I was able to attend the campfire (don’t worry, we had glow sticks instead of flames due to the fire danger) on the last night. Just standing up to share in front of their peers is an enormous event for kids this young. Yes, they might be sharing about how much they loved paintball and how archery tag was their favorite, but the bravery to do this is vast when one is nine years old. Some of these precious children were braver still and shared about what they learned from the speaker or mentioned that worship was their favorite thing of the week, even when everyone else said slip-n-slide.

One of Braveheart’s favorite moments was having a camper plop down beside him on one of the old wooden benches that surround the fireside during worship. The child flung one arm around Braveheart and held the other up to the sky, worshiping with all his heart. That is one of my favorite moments as well, because I know how difficult it is to stir up a hunger for God in the hearts of our kids. It is an epic task that is made just a bit easier by the vast sweep of forest around us, the friends, the fun, the crazy games, the carefully constructed messages by the camp speaker, the loving sacrifice of the counselors, and the pure delight of singing in the middle of a mountain meadow under a blanket of stars. I know this well, because that camper was my own son and to see him throw his heart into praise, breaks mine, in all the best ways possible.

Boo Boo