Dear Dad and Mom,

As Canada pauses to celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Days, I acknowledge the painful reality that this holiday is difficult for many because of the absence of strong fathers. 

God has seen fit to bless me with one of the greatest men I know to be my Dad—you! While biology says you weren’t my original father, love says something else. Blood is the least of what makes a family. Love is the real lifeblood of a family. A lot of people ask if I’m interested in meeting my “real” dad. What they mean is, “Do you want to meet your biological dad/mom?”

They just don’t seem to get it. You are the ones who gave me a life. You are the ones who rescued me. I was an orphan, and you chose to call me your own. I was fatherless, and you chose to be my father. But most important you’ve chosen to love me.

You chose to love me the day you saw me and said, “That boy is mine! He’s our little boy now!” And you’ve chosen to love me every day since. I know that many times I haven’t been loveable, but I am your son, so you have committed to loving me well, even though I don’t seem to deserve it sometimes.

You are incredible parents, and I am blessed beyond measure that you are the people God saw fit to place in my life. Thank you for disciplining me and teaching me the godly way to live. Thank you for working hard to provide for our family. Thank you for being selfless.

Thank you for being my parents!

Love Always!

Mike

Camp Widjiitiwin is excited to announce Venture Camp, a new partnership with Capstone Community Bible Church in Toronto. For those familiar with Widjiitiwin, Capstone’s teaching pastor, Rob Cripps, is Sad Sac who has been a camp pastor for many years and their youth pastor Andrew Ironside is Nemo. We are planning for 30-40 campers in the first year drawing from the church and Capstone’s community outreach. 

With each of our partnership weeks, the campers come to Muskoka, hear about Jesus, have great meals and try SO many new activities that they would never be an opportunity for them at home. 

These include seeing stars, swimming in the river, tubing, archery, getting away from the city, surviving a week with no technology, camp staff who care for them as individuals, mountain biking (I’m amazed every year the number of kids we teach to ride), chapels with a clear gospel presentation, climbing wall and high ropes, living in community, gain independence, interpersonal/social skills, problem solving, courage from trying new things, perseverance, learn they can thrive even without mom/dad, build character, learn to play outside and more. 

Yesterday I (Moose) did a presentation for the church and they are taking this on as a mission’s project for the church. The total cost for this week of ministry is $15,000. Capstone has committed to raising $200 per camper to attend. Additional donations will be required to support this new and great ministry opportunity. 

If you would like to donate to support this outreach ministry  please contact Mike Greenfield at mike@mycamp.ca.

Camp Widjiitiwin – the way camp was meant to be… relational, central, natural, reaching out, a loving community focused on Christ. It’s like coming home, it’s my camp!

You’ve heard of Throw Back Thursday and maybe Far-back Friday? Well, get ready for #WidjiWednesday! Take a picture of yourself, your family or your friends wearing any Camp Widjiitiwin t-shirt, hoodie, belt buckle, long sleeve T or sweatshirt. Then post it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on any Wednesday and hashtag it with #WidjiWednesday.

Here’s one of Moose & Mumz in Arizona. Post yours soon. Let’s see how many different places in the world we can get pictures from. Of course our international staff and alumni have an advantage that way. Mozi, Uffda & Kajzat, show us what you’ve got.

Camp Widjiitiwin – the way camp was meant to be… relational, central, natural, reaching out, a loving community focused on Christ. It’s like coming home, it’s my camp!

We are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – INDEED!

As I got to hold Olivia this weekend, and she did a lot of napping in my arms, I noticed so many details in her. Her eyes are lightening and are the most amazing blue. Her hair is changing colour. She has so MANY expressions, even while sleeping. And she is so beautiful. As her tiny hand gripped the smallest tip of my baby finger it occurred to me that inside her little fingers was all the same parts as in my big fingers. Much smaller of course. It’s just absolutely AMAZING!! It reminded me of these verses in Psalm 139 and in Genesis 1 where we are made in our Creator’s image.

For your encouragement

Psalm 139:13-16 says
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Genesis 1:27 says we are made in the image of our Creator –  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Ever wonder how Moose would answer the new interview questions? Well, here you go…

• What is your “dealing with stress” mechanism? Stay calm, get through the situation, analyze what happened, take some time away from people.
  
• Tell me about a personal project you’ve worked on, something that wasn’t required by school or work. Why was that important to you? I recently built a peninsula for our kitchen at home. It was a surprise for my wife.
  
• What’s the best decision you’ve ever made? Why? To accept Jesus as my Saviour at Camp Ambassador. It changed the entire course and direction of my life.
  
• What is the most creative thing you have ever done? Props for camp including a castle, dinosaur, dragon, swords, shields and many more!
  
• There are 20 minutes left in the morning and your activity finished early… what would you do with your group of 10 TNT campers? Ask them to join me in a game of 9 square or Gaga-ball. Engage other campers or staff who are also hanging around waiting for lunch.
• Two campers are talking about you on their way home – what did they say? Moose is big and scary, but laughs a lot. I can’t wait to go back next summer.
  
• Tell me about someone you admire, you would consider them a role model and tell me why you admire them? I have a friend and mentor that is an excellent example of what it is to live for God as a man, father & leader.
  
• What is your life dream? To be a camp director. I’m doing it!

Did I miss one you want to hear answered? Go ahead and ask.

Moose

Camp Widjiitiwin – the way camp was meant to be… relational, central, natural, reaching out, a loving community focused on Christ. It’s like coming home, it’s my camp!

You can call me Grandpa. Well, actually you shouldn’t, but Olivia can, or will soon! She was born last week, March 12th, and has turned our family life in a new direction. I watched as a group of family and friends just sat around waiting for the girl of honour to make her next appearance after being fed or changed. We spoiled her with gifts, fussed over her, made strange cooing noises, told Carolyn & Tim how cute she is, ate food and celebrated this new life that had been born.

It’s amazing how your perspective changes with the addition of a new life to your family. We waited eagerly to see who would get to hold her next. I could sit all day and hold her, looking down at her face and wondering what expression she will make next. Last Sunday morning I got to have some grandpa time with Olivia. I was amazed as I considered that inside her tiny fingers was everything that was inside my much bigger ones.God is good!

Synchro dubbed me Grand-Moose. I like that. This is a whole new way to grow our Widjiitiwin family. In fact, I already have Olivia’s Widji application for 2022. That’s how it was announced to me last fall that Tundra/Carolyn was expecting. Olivia has her own directory on my phone and has become the background picture on every device I have.

Life as I knew it has certainly changed.

Grand-Moose

Did you know that Camp Widjiitiwin turns both 46 and 85 this year? Our history goes back to the Muskoka Baptist Camp that was created in 1930 so that young people would have a place to hear the Word of God preached faithfully. That’s our 85th anniversary. We also have a 46th anniversary because those campers from the early years grew up and MBC became a conference centre for families that in turn, started a youth camp in 1969. And it was then that Widjiitiwin was created. Forty-six is a good age to be!

The first home for Widji was across and down the river from our current site on the land of the former Arcadia Lodge. It was 4.5 acres of fun!

In 1973, a group of individuals provided funding to purchase the 24 acres of the current Camp Widjiitiwin. The dining and chapel hall consisted of three army tents joined together with a sand floor. The original cabins were built in 1979. The current Tub and Tubbette served as washrooms until the current ones were built in the 90’s and those building became staff accommodations. The Longhouse building was built in 1984 and serves for both dining hall and chapel.

The camp committee was inspired to name the camp Widjiitiwin because of the inclusive nature of Aboriginal cultures in Canada, and to pay respect to the original inhabitants of the area where Camp Widjiitiwin is located. Widjiitiwin is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) word for fellowship.

Camp Widjiitiwin – the way camp was meant to be… relational, central, natural, reaching out, a loving community focused on Christ. It’s like coming home, it’s my camp!