Meandering Moose

A Little Push Before Fresh Air Week

Hey Moose!

Your summer looks amazing from the outside looking in, I miss it way more than you’ll ever know! Fresh air week always comes with a bit of automatic exhaustion and worry even before it begins, but I have a little something special I heard today.

I was working at an African American celebration early today (Friday) and overheard a speech by a young man who originally was from Toronto, specifically the Jane and finch area. He’s 22 years old and just graduated from his university with a political science degree, and was giving a speech to the crowd at the event. He spoke of all of the trouble and prejudice he endured growing up in a poorer community, but talked a lot about how he was able to overcome all of this due to the help of the Toronto police academy, especially with help from Mark Beef Gray.

Then he spoke of something that just blew me away and moved me like crazy. He talked about how he was privileged to be sponsored to go to a little camp in the Muskoka area, WIDJIITIWIN!!!!

He talked about how he witnessed love and respect amongst our staff towards everyone for maybe the first time in his real life. He talked about his cabin leaders, Tatum and Venus, Banks and Lufa, and Sunshine and Rewind (all which he said by name during his speech, to which he got a lot of laughs at the weirdness of the names) and how they leveled with him and created a relationship with him, which he said not a lot of white people or older individuals in general do. He talked about finding himself and finding the Lord for the first time in a way that wasn’t his mother’s religion, and how he wanted to better himself and become a better person.

A lot of what we try to do does not get through to these kids. But for the things that do, they last, and they last big time. I didn’t get to talk to the young man, but it gave me so much joy and a sense of pride knowing that I serve a God who can speak through me and all staff at camp in a way that not only impacts the Campers, but now the people around them once we send them home.

Fresh air week isn’t always fun, it’s rarely easy, but it is so so rewarding and way too beneficial to overlook. Moose, you’re doing an amazing job and have been for quite some time. Your faith in God to continue with this program and grow it into the incredible movement it is today is so inspirational. To your staff this year, please let them know that the tough times this week will be worth it. The shadow only proves the sunshine, and the light on the other side is so sweet and so special.

I miss you all so much. I want nothing more to just be Peter Pan and never have to grow up and do these adult things that keep me away from that place. I hope to see you guys some point before it’s done!

Thank you Moose, for everything you do for the kingdom of God. It will not be overlooked.

Love, SQUASH!

P.S. give Notch a big big hug from me!

Letter to Campers

There’s just something about mail call at camp. When you hear the very loud and drawn out call, that might look like this, Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ve goooooooooooooooooooooooooooot soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooome maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaail!! Everyone who gets a letters runs forward to get their card. Three pieces means you have to run to catch your mail. We want to extend that feeling to the campers coming from our Toronto Police partnership camp.

Choose a child, write them a letter and to pray over that child from July 20th to August 20th. We will provide you with their first name. You can write and pray for more than one camper if you like. Write a letter that would encourage the campers in the middle of their week; make them feel loved, confident and not alone!

Here’s how – introduce yourself (“Hi, may name is _________”) and maybe ask them if they were enjoying camp, maybe talk about their own positive camp experience, let them know that they were being prayed for. Even a simple letter could make a huge difference to a kid, to know that someone was thinking of them.

Will you join us in filling the mail bin for campers who need to feel loved?

The Rest of the Story

On Sunday I received a donation cheque for Camp Widjiitiwin. That’s not very out of the ordinary. The cheque was for $150. That’s not too out of the ordinary. It was to help sponsor kids come to Widji. That’s normal too. What you need to hear is the rest of the story…

A few years a go we had a visitor at Widji who came with her Nana. She loved camp and wanted to stay, but she was too young at the time. She also loves Bruno SO much. She wanted to go everywhere with him. One time he even showed up at her Christmas party!

The cheque came from an 8 year old camper named Riley. She is now in her second year of TNT. She took it on herself to organize a garage sale at the end of her grandparents driveway. She sold things all day long and talked with people about camp. She raised the $150 and brought me the cheque when she came to camp. I love that she wanted to help camp succeed! Thank you Riley!!!

And that’s, the rest of the story.

40 Years with Jesus

My truck went over 240,000 kms this week. That seemed like a milestone as all the 9’s became 0’s. The sensation didn’t last very long as the next “1” quickly showed up and the moment was lost. I don’t want to lose the next moment.

This summer marks 40 years as a Christian for me. I went to day camp as a kid and then to overnight camp at age 13 and I haven’t left yet. I remember sitting in the hallway at Camp Ambassador with my counselor after a meeting in the gym and talking with him that I wanted to do what they talked about. I wanted to have Jesus in my life. That year God got a hold of my life, I became a Christian and I felt called into full time ministry in camping, although I didn’t know what that meant at the time.

My life now is very different that it would have been. I was headed into an engineering future and would have taken over my dad’s company. That was the plan. God had another plan. That plan involved going to Ontario Bible College for Christian Education and Camping. In four years I received a Bachelor of Theology. I have worked at seven different camps over my career in camping as well as run CCI/Canada for a year. Elaine and I raised our girls at Christian camps, they learned about Jesus’ work on the cross, to work hard, to love and serve people and the sacrifices that sometimes go with working in ministry.

Every day I make a decision to continue to follow Jesus. It’s not perfect. I still sin and fail. But I get up again and keep going, because God continues to forgive me. God has given me a mission to build into the lives of young Christian leaders for many years. Currently, I do that at Camp Widjiitiwin.

My life verse is Matthew 6:33, But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV) In essence, if I focus on Jesus and His righteousness, the rest of life/stuff will take care of itself. Focus on Jesus and pray about the rest.

Shag came to pray for Widji

Sometimes you learn things that are very cool. I always like it when someone comes up and says they have been praying for me. This story is like that.

Shag (his camp name) has come every spring since he worked at Widji to pray for Camp Widjiitiwin. Usually he sneaks into camp and goes up to the top of the tower and prays for camp, the staff, programs and campers. This summer he was “caught” by our spring crew. In fact he startled two of the girls when he said, “hi” to them. Gaston came to the rescue and went out to meet this mysterious stranger.

If you would like to join Shag and others in praying for us this summer, just email mike@mycamp.ca and ask for a prayer request list including the staff list. Thanks for praying for us this summer.

Happy Father’s Day!!

This Sunday is Father’s Day here in Canada. Its a day we set aside to honour our dads by sending a card, making a call and reminding them that we do love them. Sometimes we even take them out for lunch and even pay.

My dad is my example. He is patient and kind always thinking the best of the other person. He is soft spoken and thoughtful, but when he speaks you know it’s going to be great! He’s also the one who encouraged us to be boys, to do our best, watched with mirth in his eyes as bugged my mom, loves us unconditionally and now loves his great-granddaughter the same. He set us a great example to follow. And very importantly, he believed in me!

Show your dad honour and respect. Happy Father’s Day Dad!! I love you!

“It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.” Johann Schiller

God Is the Perfect Father
Some can’t recall positive father figures, because of abuse or loss of your dad early in your life. Regardless of your circumstances, God assures us He is “a father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5, NIV). He not only heals our memories; He is the perfect father who never breaks His promise, who loves us unconditionally, and who delights in spending time with His children.

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3, NLT). And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6, NLT). (www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com/a-fathers-day-tribute)

Who Influenced You?

The Widji summer leaders recently worked through an exercise to help them discover who they are as leaders. The first part was to remember the events in your life that helped shape the leader you are. The other part was to recall the people who influenced each person. As we understand the person we are we can be a better leader.

One of the first people who influenced me was my grade eight shop teacher. He made me feel like I was the only kid in the class as he gave me special attention. I built the tractor in the picture by brazing some odd pieces of scarps bolts and stuff together.

Other influencers for me were scout leaders, teachers, bosses, mentors, friends and family. I have also learned a lot from my staff over 30+ years of working with teens and young adults.

The exercise went like this. List the people in your life who have had influence on you. Include both positive and negative people. List the following for each person.

Who was the first adult to truly notice you?
How old were you when they had influence in your life?
Was it good or bad or some of each? Describe
How did it affect or change you? Describe
List what characteristics attracted you to them?
Why did it affect you in the way it did?

So, who influenced you?

Crazy Bible Story

It was -39 one morning this past winter and our vehicles wouldn’t start so we stayed home and watched Right in the Eye with Andy Stanley online. It was a great start to a new series. You should watch it. click here to watch!

Have you ever heard or said, “It’s my life, I can do what I want, when I want, with whom I want… as long as nobody gets hurt.”

Andy talks about the crazy story in Judges 19 & 20 about how everyone does what is right in his own eyes. It leads to chaos and destruction as they move from disobedience to disaster to deliverance. People are offended, beat up, murdered, raped, killed, a war is started, cities burned & destroyed, wives stolen and more! Crazy right?

What happens when I, or you, go our own way? Even if we seemingly only hurt ourselves, we’re hurting someone as well.

What is Your Binge Watching Addiction?

We recently finished 4 seasons of Last Man Standing. Before that it was Nashville (3 seasons) and 8 seasons Heartland only took us a couple months.

By definition, binge watching is “the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming”. Exactly! Oh Netflix… It’s SO easy to get addicted, I mean hooked, I mean obsessed, I mean captivated. Well, you get the idea.

Of course, having the next episode start in just 15 seconds after the last one ends is brilliant on their part. We do this during the summer TV break, winter break and during big USA events like the run for the White House, State of the Union, the Superbowl, Leafs games, etc.

You know you’re binge watching when after 3-4 episodes the program stops to ask you if you’re still watching. Dah! Shouting of course at the TV doesn’t help. Just use the remote!

We kind of pay attention while multi-tasking on texts, WhatsApp, phone games, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc…

What is your binge watching addiction?

Twitter vs Telegram

Twitter is like today’s version of the telegram. Both are short and to the point. Actually, at 140 characters Twitter gives us double the amount of characters to communicate as a telegram did, which averaged 10-12 words or about 80 spaces around 1900.

As technology of the telephone and the creation of the internet telegrams have seen a study decline falling from 211,971,000 messages handled in 1870 to 69,679,000 messages handled in 1920

For more than 150 years, messages of joy, sorrow and success came in signature yellow envelopes hand delivered by a courier.

The first telegram in the United States was sent by Morse on 11 January 1838, across two miles (3 km) of wire at Speedwell Ironworks near Morristown, New Jersey, although it was only later, in 1844, that he sent the message “WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT” from the Capitol in Washington to the old Mt. Clare Depot in Baltimore.

A courier doesn’t deliver your twitter messages and its a whole lot easier to share with and follow hundreds of people.

Follow @WidjiMoose and @CampWidjiitiwin.