News From Arrowhead

The Cabin

2010-02-14T06:53:00.003-05:00

Back in the fall I did some work on the Cabin - our "fortress of solitude" that sits tucked away back on the farm. A handful of guys and gals in ministry or school have used it as a place of solitude and silence... to renew and refresh for a day, an overnight or even a few days.

The Cabin has a new roof, door and windows. It also has new siding all the way around and the porch has been redone to match.

I encourage you to consider spending some time at the Cabin this spring or summer. Just give me a call to set up your own personal retreat.

The Flood Master 3000

2010-01-26T08:20:00.011-05:00

Have you ever had your day off turn out slightly different then you planned?

After a long and busy weekend at camp I woke up yesterday ready to relax, do some school work, hangout with my family and maybe even squeeze in a nap. My plans changed pretty much the moment I woke up. I rolled over and squinted at Kelly who was softly said, "Hey, there's water in the basement."

We've never really had water in the basement so I had to think about it for a moment. Apparently the six inches of snow that melted Sunday night along with about 20 hours of rain was not ideal. Later in the day we determined (with help from an old thinker and good digger) that the cause of our problem was a clogged footer drain pipe.

So, here's skinny on my day off. I did work on some school work, but not until 9 o'clock in the evening. I did hangout with my family; Kelly and I spent a lot of quality time together. I didn't get to that nap and I suppose it depends on how you define the word relax. After nine hours of flood relief work the carpets were sort of dry and the box fans were on duty. I think we ended up vacuuming the floors about eight times over. Thanks to the Flood Master 3000 we were able to keep up with the water when it was first coming in. Our state-of-the-art shop vac to bucket to submersible pump allowed us to ship approximately 1500 gallons up and out of the basement. Patent pending of course.

A toast: to those unexpected days off... if that's still what you can call them.

Ripley's?

2010-01-22T07:12:00.005-05:00

Giant hand print... with tiny footprints?

Weird snow angel?

Kelly noticed this strange mark in the snow outside our house the other day as we were walking in the side door. The weird thing is that there are only one set of tracks that lead from the mark to our side walk. I'm pretty sure a turkey flew in and landed right there... making a perfect three point landing. What else could it be?

Missing Blog Posts

2010-01-14T20:09:00.068-05:00

Here's a quick recap from the past few weeks... things I have been meaning to post about.

Christmas was a whirlwind tour from Virginia to Pennsylvania and back again. Our trip to Virginia included putting up a drop ceiling, 24+ inches of snow and great food. The big highlight was Natalie's midnight dessert raid that started in the kitchen and ended behind the couch in the living room... leaving a trail of nutty buddys, sherbet ice cream, dove ice cream bars and a few brownies.

I have yet to meet anyone who can out-do our crazy chronicles of Christmas festivities, family, fun, food and friends. We logged over 700 miles in the family SUV traveling five states. We braved the shopping malls, devoured Five Guys burgers and fries, saw the classic musical "Annie" at the theatre, took a few naps and never touched any eggnog. We survived sub-zero wind chills and trudged through over two feet of snow. We dropped a ceiling in just over 34 hours and found our keys when we weren't even looking. We celebrated Christmas four different times with no less than eight people and no more than 50 people in the same room! We even celebrated 63 years of marriage. Oh, and we opened a few presents. Some were small and predictable. Others were larger then life... like a party in a box. The best part of all though, was listening to Natalie tell the Christmas story (about Jesus) on Christmas morning (the practicing at Grandma's really did help).

If I was pressured into a decision... I would say that winter is my favorite season. Fall is a very close second though. I love the sunrises and sunsets up here this time of year. Contrary to popular belief there are two activities that easily beat out tubing and ice skating... plowing and shoveling snow. It never gets old.

It happens every once in a great while. You can count yourself privileged if it happens to someone you know. It's like a legendary myth that you just have to believe in. It's so epic that if it actually happened to you, you would think you were dreaming.

It's... the PERFECT Christmas present. This year I got a waffle cone maker for Christmas. That's right, the Waffle Cone Express 838. Crispy, sugary, delectable cones imprinted like waffles... made fresh and just waiting to be filled with ice cream, whipped cream and loads of toppings. Seriously though, if you want to make a lot of friends and always be the life of the party get yourself one of these babies.

After Christmas we trekked back up to camp to get ready for New Year's and the start of our winter retreat season. A bunch of our closest friends drove up for a few days for our annual New Year's Eve party. Pizza, wings, shrimp and one of Dave's gourmet meals were interruptions to sleeping in and doing a whole lot of nothing.

Hot on the heels of ringing in the new year was our first winter retreat. With temperatures in the single digits and wind chills below -10 conditions were perfect for building this year's ice rink. In a matter of hours, thanks to our "new to us" gently used 200 feet of fire hose, the ice rink was full and beginning to freeze. It certainly has been a pleasant change having snow for our guest groups.

In fact, it has snowed at least an inch every day for the past 17 days. The ice rink is starting to show good side walls and we have added an indoor gau-gau court to our repertoire. Over the next three months we have the privilege of serving nine different ministry including student ministries, college ministries and men's groups. Currently, all but one of those retreats is booked with a James Project Weekends group that will be partnering with us as we serve.

All in all the past few weeks have been full of family, friends and a lot of fun in the midst of celebrating the blessing of how Jesus was born a baby... God's Rescuer among us.

Now It's Christmas

2009-12-16T20:28:00.013-05:00

You are not a traditionalist if you come up with new traditions. I just thought of that anecdotal quip... feel free to quote me if you want.

The family photo above contains what I think is going to be a great Myers family tradition. Here is some context. Since Kelly and I have been married we have had a Christmas tree once (I think). That is one time out of the past seven Christmases. Before you get all upset at me and feel sad for Kelly, let me explain. Since we have been married Kelly and I, and now Natalie, stay with family over Christmas. So, we are not even home for Christmas. At Thanksgiving we (us and Kelly's parents) go out to cut a live Christmas tree. Then we bring it home, I help Pop put it in the stand, we rearrange some furniture and decorate it. Backing up even further... I never had a real tree growing up because my mom is allergic to pine needles. On the other end of Christmas we travel back up here to camp and celebrate New Year's with a house full of friends. The house is always full enough that there is no conceivable way we could ever have a tree in the house.

All that to say that no we do not have a Christmas tree, but for all intents and purposes we do have tree, that we decorate, that is lit up on Christmas. Now that we have that settled you'll notice our family photo has a Christmas tree in it. The other night Kelly was heading out to a party, so Natalie and I had the evening to ourselves. On her way out the door Kelly suggested we do something creative with the cardboard tube from an empty role of wrapping paper. As soon as she was out the door I asked Natalie if she wanted to turn the tube into a Christmas tree to surprise Mom. She screamed and jumped around as we got our supplies together. Natalie did some nice work painting the tube and cutting out the star, while I made a base that would hold the weight of some real decorations. Then Natalie chose where the ornaments should hang and I safety pinned them to the tube.

I am not sure if it is marketable... but if it was, the selling points would be:
1) Easy to construct
2) Choose from your own ornaments
3) VERY inexpensive
4) A great way to spend quality time as a family, and
5) It does not shed needles, need water or take up a ton of space

There's our new tradition. Each year as a family we find a new creative way to make our own Christmas tree.

Rock 'N Roll

2009-12-10T20:59:00.009-05:00

"But our bet is that you've never seen or heard a group quite like this, since Flame is the only touring band in the world made up entirely of disabled musicians."

- Bill Weir from Good Morning America

Check out this GREAT news story on the band Flame... our main stage guests at this year's Buddy Walk here in Binghamton. They were amazing and we already have them booked for the 2010 Buddy Walk!

Flame the band on Good Morning America

Scope & Sequence

2009-11-21T20:01:00.007-05:00

Since I have started my grad degree, I have developed a new routine of getting up pretty early to spend time on my school work before the reset of the house is awake. The other morning Natalie woke up and came down to the computer room to see how I was doing. She walked in and asked me what I was up to. Deep in thought, I plainly responded, "I am working on a scope and sequence chart for one of the courses I am designing." As I stared intently at the screen Natalie thought for a moment and declared, "Well, I have to work on my chart too. You know, the one up stairs in my closet." She waited patiently and then said it again, "You know Dad, the one in my closet. I nee you to get it for me... so I can work on it." So, we ran up to her bedroom to check in the closet. The whole time I was trying to figure out what chart she was referring to but I could not place it. I dug around in her closet and there it was, her chore chart (which she pointed out for me). Then Natalie reacquainted herself with the chores she is suppose to be completing while I wrapped up some work on my scope and sequence chart.

Today Natalie, Kelly and I went outside to play soccer because that was one of the tasks on the chart, which Natalie pointed out was a requirement of the chart. It was a good excuse to get some exercise, so we did not mind. Today Natalie also tried to reason with Kelly that she needs two dogs and a cat to take care of... because the chart say so. We applauded her effort but explained that her chart was not a one-size-fits-all chart... especially when it comes to pets.

Just Another Monday

2009-11-10T07:22:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, a friend of the camp (who also happens to be our Steiner dealer) came for a visit. He was eagerly looking for an excuse to fly and coming up to Arrowhead from southern PA for a service call on the Steiner seemed to fit the bill. This trip had been in the works for a few weeks before the weather became cooperative. Partly sunny with highs in the lower 60's was certainly cooperative.

The service call was extremely beneficial... seeing as how all I had to do was open the garage door, not to mention the decades of mechanical knowledge and expertise that personally drove our Steiner around and made a bunch of repairs, adjustments and recommendations. We are talking about some serious customer service.

A quick flight over camp to grab some pictures was also on the schedule. With a last minute change to the passenger list, Natalie was buckled in and hanging on tight for her first plane ride. We flew south out of the Tri-Cities Airport, parallel with Route 26 and turned east along the state line. We flew over the camp farm and circled around camp. I was surprised by the quality of the pictures from my little digital camera... shot through the Plexiglas cockpit. A 20 minute round trip and we were back on the ground.

Two things I noticed about flying in a small single-engine plane. First, you could easily develop and superiority complex. There's something exciting about flying in a straight line towards your destination at 100 plus mph with all the people in cars underneath you, who have to drive the speed limit... on roads. Second, you could really get addicted to the idea of getting your pilots license and flying in your own plane.

My Very First PTC

2009-11-06T06:02:00.032-05:00

This fall Natalie started pre-school! She attends a great place just over the border in Endicott, NY. She only goes to school Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but that could possibly change soon... because Natalie really enjoys it and Kelly likes the break too.

Yesterday, Kelly, Natalie and I went out for breakfast at the Skylark. It was a fun family outing (we sat at the counter on the stools that spin) before we went to our very first Parent Teacher Conference. What a parental milestone. On the way in I chuckled at the flash-foward thought of report cards, field trips to NYC, sporting events and the occasional curriculum board meeting that requires passionate demands from an outspoken parent.

The conference with Natalie's teacher went well. We talked about Natalie's strengths and weaknesses. It was exciting to hear (from an adult) who Natalie is when she is away from Mom and Dad. We were glad to get a very positive report from Natalie's teacher. It is both exciting and unnerving to think that your kid is away from you, on her own, with other people, doing... stuff. It is a lot different from camp, where home and work run together and we have the opportunity to be together throughout the day.

In the car Kelly and I spent a few minutes relaying to Natalie all the great things her teacher said about her. As we drove home my mind was racing, reviewing the content of the conference with Natalie's teacher. I realized that surrounding this meeting I had been thinking about what would be said of Natalie. I wanted her to be the best. I wanted to hear that she was at the top of her class. I also wanted to hear about all the "super-spiritual" things she does that "Wow's!" her classmates and teachers. I was really hoping that Natalie would be someone special at school. It was subtle... but it was there. I wasn't running around with my nose in the air parading my kid. I wasn't crossing to the other side of street when other families walked by. It seemed to simply be what I was thinking. Of course, what we think is true affects our beliefs and our beliefs affect our actions.

God showed me that my desire for Natalie to be the best (however subtle it may be) was sin... the sin of pride. I spoke up to tell Kelly about my conviction and my thoughts. Then I talked again with Natalie about the meeting with had with her teacher... more accurately representing what I believe.

You may not think it's a big deal or even worth thinking about. Is it really that bad to want your kid to be the best? Shouldn't they strive to write the best English papers, run the fastest at the track meet, out-do others in a debt or push to make it into the AP classes?

Here's what happens. When I think, act, believe that Natalie needs to be the best or if I am more satisfied as a dad when she is the best... then she has become an Idol. At that point I have put Natalie in a place of prominence and I will sacrifice to her. I will sacrifice my time, energy, money, etc... to help her be the best. I will dedicate myself to helping her learn more, do better, achieve faster and evaluate her to see if she measures up.

Two things happen when we idolize our kids. First, we place expectations on them concerning their performance. They quickly learn that they need to be the best or we will not be happy (or as they may interpret it, love them). Second, it dehumanizes other kids. If Natalie needs to be the best, if she has to outdo all the other kids... the standard of success is measured by other children. To raise Natalie up, I have to push other children down. My standards place a value on all children... which gives me value for my Natalie. All of a sudden my satisfaction in Natalie is dependent on her being the best (maybe you put the emphasis on being pretty, strong, smart, fast, clever, powerful, famous or whatever). What if she fails? What if she's not the best? Then where will I be... and where will that leave her?

God says that He is the one who puts the value on ALL people... and He says everyone is worth dying for... EVERYONE! (1 John 4:7-11)

God says that He is to be worshipped. If we dedicate ourselves or sacrifice ourselves to anyone or anything else... they are an idol. (Exod. 20:2-4; Rom. 12:1)

God never fails. When we worship Him instead of idols we are never disappointed, devastated or destroyed. (1 Cor. 15:56-58)

God says that kids are a blessing, a source of great pleasure. (Matt. 3:17)

So, it was a good first ever Parent Teacher Conference. Kelly and I made sure that Natalie knows that she is a blessing to us and that we are very pleased with who she is at school. We reaffirmed to her that we love her no matter what, just like God does. We also told her that we want her to always do her best... because God has great plans for her and to do her best is to be obedient.

I hope your kids are a blessing to you. I pray they bring you great pleasure as you disciple them from children to adults. I encourage you to worship God and keep yourself from idols.

Shepherds Fall Retreat 09

2009-11-01T12:13:00.009-05:00

The Shepherds Fall Retreat was a blast! It was a great opportunity to reunite as staff to serve many of our local campers who are big time regular attenders. We had a full house with about 50 campers, 25 staff and a handful of volunteers.

Despite some warm daytime temperatures the wind was blowing and we stayed inside. On the bright side we had great Halloween and fall time crafts. Classic camps games were a must and the campers really enjoyed Alex on guitar during Bible & Music. Saturday afternoon our campers got to make stuffed-paper bag pumpkins, hang out at the activity tables and try on a silly hat for the fall photo shoot (with Jerry the Scary Scarecrow). One of the most exciting parts of the retreat was our special guests, Talking Hands (from Achieve). They put on a great show on Saturday night, signing to all sorts of songs from Johnny Cash to the Ghostbuster's theme song. Talking Hands did a great job. Overall it was a great week seeing so many familiar faces from the summer.

JP Weekends!

2009-10-07T15:56:00.011-05:00

Fall is certainly here at Arrowhead. The leaves that are still on the trees are changing colors and the temperature is dropping. We have already served several guest groups and we have a few more to go before the fall retreat season is over. We are really excited for the Shepherds Fall Retreat at the end of October. The retreat is nearly full already and we almost have all the staff lined up. It should be a great weekend to reunite and reconnect.

Another exciting part of this fall has been the James Project which has spilled over to the retreat season. With such great success this summer we are now making the James Project available for weekend retreats. The fall is booked up and we are starting to accept James Project Weekend groups for our winter/spring retreat season. James Project Weekends are open to pastors, leaders, families, student ministries, college ministries and community groups. It's a great opportunity to steal away for a weekend to serve others as a small group. Weekends at Arrowhead provide James Project groups with the ability to focus on team dynamics, more intense discipleship, building & equipping and personal growth... besides just simply serving together.

We're excited about this new opportunity because of the huge impact it has on the our guests who are loved and served well by our James Project groups. Sign up now to get a James Project Weekend this winter/spring.

Ben Myers
Arrowhead Bible Camp
570.663.2419
abc@arrowheadministry.org

Pods

2009-09-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today marks one year since we picked up cabin "E" and moved it to the farm... to become a place of solitude and silence. It was an epic trip down the road, over the bridge and through the woods... so to speak. Since the Cabin made that crazy journey we've added a front porch, standing stone structure and a wood stove. In the past year the Cabin has had visitors almost each week, ranging from early morning getaways to intentional space over the span of several days. The Cabin has seen individuals yearning for silence, eager to sing praises in solitude, looking for rest and renewal, contemplating the past, the present and the future... seeking to worship to God for no other reason than to glorify Him.

A Perfect Day for Bocce

2009-09-20T18:23:00.004-05:00

Our friends from the Special Olympics were here today. Over 50 athletes, their coaches, parents and care providers enjoyed a great afternoon of bocce ball. The weather was perfect and the hot dogs always taste fantastic after some intense games of bocce.

For us, it was an exciting opportunity to see some of our campers, meet some new friends and host the tournament for the Special Olympics.

Buddy Walk 2009

2009-09-15T09:31:00.008-05:00

The Buddy Walk is this Saturday! I hope you will join us to help raise awareness for Down Syndrome. We are looking forward to a great day (with NO RAIN!) including the band FLAME! Check them out tomorrow Wednesday, September 16th on Good Morning America.

Vacation Top 10 List

2009-08-30T19:32:00.009-05:00

We are back from our family vacation in New Jersey. "Jersey?", you ask. Yes, Kelly's grandmother has a place on the river that lets into the ocean. We met up with Kelly's parents, her sister, our brother-in-law and Kelly's uncle Mike and aunt Melissa who are currently living there since Kelly's grandmother went to live with her parents in Spring Grove, PA. It was a big family vacation with tons of food (good food... fresh seafood) visits from other family members, and a bunch of classic Point Pleasant traditions. A big thank you to Mike and Melissa who were so gracious and accommodating.

Here is a TOP TEN LIST from our vacation...
in no "parnicular" order:

The End of Many Things

2009-08-16T10:51:00.018-05:00

Our summer of ministry is officially over. Our last campers headed out yesterday and things are quiet again. As always, the silence is a bitter sweetness. Our passion is to IMPACT lives with the TRUTH of God's Word and to make DISCIPLES like JESUS. Our passion is Jesus' passion; to see people: families, children, staff, mission teams, developmentally disabled adults, neighbors, friends, our community... redeemed by the love & mercy of the Sovereign, Almighty, Creator God. It is sad to see the summer come to a close.

With the silence comes a simultaneous deep breath - entering a time of rest after two and a half months of ministry AND anticipating our next guest group, Shepherds Retreat, work group or staff get together.

I praise God for a great summer. It was a summer of transition, growth, pain, healthiness, worship, discipleship and hard work. It was my privilege to engage with several students who took on the challenge of discipleship. Through them, God challenged and convicted me of my love for His Word, my humility in serving others and my trust in Jesus to follow Him wholeheartedly. What a blessing to see one of our biggest summers yet. This was the first summer we offered eight weeks of our own programs. Our day camp for kids doubled to offer two weeks for free... reaching out to serve over 60 families (more than 100 children) from our local community. We saw another summer of growth for our Shepherds Camp... with more campers than last summer. Another great blessing was the full introduction of the James Project. The James Project has led to dozens of families and students serving our staff and campers each week, the creation of a counselor/program staff training program and the completion of many projects around the camp AND the purchase of our new dock section, scholarships for Shepherds campers, financial investments to help make Day Camp free and care-packages for all the staff.

One of my favorite events of the summer was our Bocce Bash with the Special Olympics. A few camper teams and over 50 athletes from the community made for a great evening of bocce ball. It also doubled as our evening activity... providing all of our campers with an exciting sporting event right in our own backyard. For me it was a summer of learning.

This was one of the first summers I intentionally strived for healthiness as a response to worshipping God.. I am grateful for times of spiritual formation through solitude & silence, journaling, prayer, scripture and repentance. I was also blessed to have Natalie by my side from time to time AND to see her in Bible Class or Chapel, serving campers and helping out around camp. God used Natalie to teach me so many things about our Shepherds campers alongside being dad. God taught me a lot about WORSHIP which was the focus of our discipleship, James Project partnerships and personal formation. In the face of worship, God showed me this summer that my default idol is camp. For me, it is easy to elevate myself or my role at camp from created thing to Creator. God convicted me of my interior motivations for building relationships and running programs. He taught me how my exterior actions can and should flow from my religious affections for Him... which is a big lesson that He continues to teach me. As a summer of transition, God also taught me wisdom in leadership and grace in love through some unexpected ways.

One of those unexpected ways was through a Shepherds camper. Day Camp was in coming to a close and we were getting geared up for another session of Shepherds Camp when I received a phone call from one of our campers' care providers informing me that Scott (one our campers) had died in his sleep at home. Scott lived with five other guys in the same house in town for the past 12 years. He and two of those guys have attended Shepherds Camp since before I arrived. I am thankful that Kelly, myself and a few other staff members were able to attend the viewing and the funeral. We also had opportunity to spend some time with Scott's housemates and staff. Through that time it was a blessing to see the impact that camp has had on Scott, his friends, family and his staff. It was an even greater blessing to be able to suffer with them and to express our love for them. It is difficult to put words around all the things God has done and is doing through Scott's life, his time here at camp and the relationship that we have with his housemates and staff. I pray that we will be able to serve them through camp and outside of camp as well.

I suppose I say this at the end of every summer; God is amazing and He did great things this summer at Arrowhead.

Here is a poem that was written and then put to music to be sung as Scott's funeral.

Wish You Were Here

2009-08-10T10:57:00.012-05:00

This summer has been a crazy journey. Our Shepherds Camp program grew by 5.3% from last summer. We served over 240 individuals with more than 25 new campers. We expanded our Day Camp program to offer two weeks for FREE. We also introduced the James Project (missions groups that served each of the summer) and a new training program for co-counselors & co-program staff. Our staff served for over two months. As the summer comes to a close many of them are heading back to school or college and some are heading into full time careers. It has been an exciting summer of worship and discipleship.

From those of us on staff and those who came to serve at Arrowhead for the first time this summer... we sure wish you could have been here.

Check out this video from the summer - posted on facebook:

Shepherds Camp Video

Myers Family Edition

2009-07-31T15:51:00.005-05:00

From time to time I enjoy using my creative outlet to "spoof" one of Natalie's toys. In the past few years I have made a Myers Family Edition: Yahtzee, a Magnet Fun Game (with camp scenes) and Guess Who.

For me, they have been fun to make. For Natalie (and others in the family) it goes either way. We played the Yahtzee game about hundred times the first week... and we still play it. The Guess Who game was a Christmas present for Natalie. She opened it a little bewildered and we explained how this game was different from the one she had. Natalie quietly replied, "This is scary." We play that one from time to time.

Well, the newest Myers Family Edition game just hit the shelves. Kelly, Natalie and I played several rounds last evening. At one point Natalie started kissing one of the cards and proudly said, "I love the Old... I mean, I wasn't going to say anything." It was hysterical.

McKenna's Peach Pie

2009-07-25T10:54:00.015-05:00

Today would be McKenna's second birthday. We are grateful that this year it falls on Satruday in between camp programs, which has made it very easy to rest and spend time as a family. Kelly's Mom, Dad and sister are up for the weekend and we are continuing (I guess starting) our Peach Pie tradition.

Last summer while on a car ride into town Kelly and I asked Natalie what she thought we should do for McKenna's first birthday. Natalie thought about it for a few moments and then answered definitively, "We should bake her a pie."

With a quickly raised eyebrow, Kelly and I took a moment to wonder where the idea of a pie came from and then decided that a pie for McKenna would be a great idea. From there we determined that a peach pie was best. So, last year at this time we made a few peach pies to celebrate McKenna's birthday and we are continuing that tradition again today. [pictures below]

July is a special month for me because I enjoy celebrating my daugthers' birthdays. I find myself throughout the whole month - replaying our trips to the hospital for the births, running summer camp while having a newborn in the house, watching Natalie become a big sister, and remembering the feeling of becoming a family of four. I also find myself reflecting on the past 21 months - settling into the quiet fall session, our whirlwind trip to the hospital in Syracuse, the whole month spent in the hospital, being able to hold McKenna without her ventilator, the unimagined ride home and the ensuing three months that we spent together as a family.

... all of which drives me back to the reality (the truth) that God is so gracious and good. I find myself continuing to praise God for all that He has given to our family AND for the time we had with McKenna. One thing in particular has been on my mind this whole month... our journey to University hospital and back again, the diagnosis of SMA type 1 and being able to keep my baby girl safe and warm when she finally closed her eyes. Last week I was reading a book and came across the follow quote, which sums up much of what happened to Kelly and I on that journey.

"The quickest way for anyone to reach the sun and the light of day is not to run west, chasing after the setting sun, but to head east, plunging into the darkness until one comes to the sunrise."

Gerald Sittser

Camp Life (#3) - The Gift

2009-07-21T08:02:00.010-05:00

Much of the ministry here at Arrowhead surrounds the body. Most of our worship is physically caring for others – our campers and even each other.

God is the one who puts the value on all people… and He says that ALL people are worth dying for. As we value the campers as God does… we begin to see Jesus in them. First, as they are image bearers of God. Second, as their lives reflect Jesus in the ways that God has created them. Their vulnerability, peace, kindness, and joy are all a reflection of Jesus. They do not “try” to exemplify these characteristics. It is simply who they are. In their weakness they are a unique instrument of God’s grace, a revelation of God among us. Because of who they are we can clearly see God and see who we are to become.

Can our campers pray? Do they know who God is? Do they understand what the name of Jesus means? Can they believe in the scriptures and hold them as truth?

These are human questions. These are questions that may never be answered. These are also questions that come from below not from above. We, the so-called “normal” people, look at our campers and wonder how much they are like us. But they make no comparison. They simply live life and by their lives invite us to receive a unique gift – wrapped in weakness for our transformation. While we worry about how much we produce or how we have performed… our campers tell us – it is more important to be rather than to do. While we are consumed with what others think of us… our campers tell us – God’s love is more important than the praises of other people.

It is a great mystery in scripture that – the least shall be first, losing our lives is how we find them and gentleness inherits God’s kingdom. Do NOT miss the unique gift that proclaims this truth right in front you! Remember, the gift not received is the gift not given.

As you serve the campers do not lose sight of God’s love for them AND the love He gives you for them. If you do – you will simply be someone who cuts up food, washes dishes, change diapers, clean toilets, shuttles people from one activity to the next, cleans up messes, plays games and just baby sits adults. You will become frustrated, exhausted, bored, impatient and lonely AND the campers will not be able to give their gifts, fulfill their mission and reach their potential.

The campers will see through fake smiles, and resentful hearts. They notice empty words and empty hearts sometimes even before we ourselves do. They uncover our irritable nature, impatience, cold demeanor, vane niceties, jealousy and lack of interest. What really matters to them is true friendship, pure love and faithful presence. “Their heart registers with extreme sensitivity what is real care and what is false, what is true affection and what is just empty words. Thus, they often reveal to us our own hypocrisies and invite us always to greater sincerity and purer love” (Adam 19).

Through these whom the world has made marginal and useless, God speaks mightily. Through our campers – the poor and weak, the broken, He makes His presence known. In our production-oriented, success-driven world this makes no sense. But to God it makes perfect sense.

The Gift - in the context of Shepherds Camp is a powerful experience of God's presence as He is both with us and for us. However, the gift of others extends to all people... who are image bearers of God. We are designed for relationships... not solely relationships with a goal in mind for the other person (simply connections that have more to do with ideologies and less to do with standing with and for others in Jesus), but relationships that stand with and for others in the presence of Jesus (the incarnate, crucified, resurrected One who makes possible relationships that are transformational).

Day Camp 2009 [Week 1]

2009-07-20T06:35:00.003-05:00

The first week of Day Camp was a blast. 65 of our 80 campers will be coming out again this week. We are looking forward to the week ahead, 15 new campers, and a bunch of new special guests.

Our second week of Day Camp starts TODAY!

Natalie's Fourth

2009-07-12T21:59:00.001-05:00

We hit two big milestones this weekend. The first, and least important was the half way point of the summer. We've made it through Staff Training and four weeks of Shepherds Camp... which is no small feat! On the "Back Nine" we have two weeks of Day Camp, two more weeks of Shepherds Camp and a Bangladeshi guest group.

The second and most important milestone was Natalie's 4th Birthday party... which nicely fell on Saturday in between Shepherds Camp and Day Camp. It turned out to be a good evening (weather wise) with lots of friends and family. This year we went with a FARM theme - including themed food & flatware, an awesome hay ride and a visit to Miss Linda's (our neighbor) to see her animals.

Camp Life (#2) - First Love

2009-06-29T10:06:00.006-05:00

Our desire and ability to worship is rooted in love. Our love for God and our love for others overflows from God’s love for us… that is the First Love.

First love is an unconditional love. A love that is not based on who we are or what we do but on who God is and what He has done. We are not only un-deserving but ill-deserving of His love. We are His enemies… but still, He has loved us FIRST!

READ: John 18:38 – 20:18

Beautiful Scandalous Night - Lyrics

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified
Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all

At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night

On the hillside, you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that pours
From our blessed Savior's side

Mark 10:13-16

In the midst of teaching, Jesus allows children to approach…

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Following Jesus is like being a little child – with no power, no position, nothing to show or be proud of. They had nothing to offer Jesus. Jesus simply wanted to love them.

This is difficult for us because we live and operate by trying to deserve the love God offers. But first love is the love of the cross. We have done nothing. We have earned nothing. We have nothing to offer God that that would cause Him to love us accordingly. The exact opposite is true… and so Jesus went to the cross. God loved us first!

First love is what causes us to love others. Your love for the campers must flow from this first love. Uniquely though, the campers you serve here at Arrowhead will lead you to this first love… if you allow them. Their purity and vulnerability, their peace and humility, their desire to freely give and receive love is an open invitation to experience God’s love for you as you love them. This love from our campers is a gift.

In our campers, most people will see a disabled person who is a burden to their family, to their community and to the world. If not for God’s love you might see them that way too. To do so, is to hide the truth… the truth that our campers are a gift and the gift not received, is the gift not given.

Like our campers, like little children, we must hear and listen to that quiet loving voice that says, “I love you whether you are rich or poor, whether you are married or not, whether you are handsome or unattractive, whether you are successful or not. No matter what… I love you!” (Day Break 194-195).

Our Prayer: May Arrowhead by a place where the first love of God is revealed to people anxious to prove they deserve love.

Thank You!

2009-06-27T09:22:00.005-05:00

Just last week I sent out a message telling you about one of our campers who was not going to be able to make it to camp this summer because of financial problems.

A big "THANK YOU" to everyone who has stopped by camp, called or sent a card by mail. We have received all the money necessary for that camper to attend a two-week session this summer. What a blessing! What an impact! Thank you so much for investing in Arrowhead, in Shepherds Camp, in our staff AND in the lives of our campers... especially this ONE camper who will be able to come to camp this summer.

Each summer we have a few campers that need financial assistance to come to camp. If you were thinking/planning on sending in an investment to help this particular camper - I encourage you to still make that investment as the summer continues and looking ahead to next summer. Your investment will give the gift of camp.

Thanks again!

Bocce Bash 2009

2009-06-27T08:46:00.014-05:00

Our first 2-week session of Shepherds Camp has come to a close. Even though it has only been two weeks it feels like it has been a whole month already. Thinking back to previous summers the same was true for the beginning of each. It is the first time we as a staff are serving together. For our counselors, it is their first time caring for and living with teenagers and adults with developmental disabilities. For some of our campers it is their first time at camp... which can make for a interesting start to the program. In the past two weeks we have also had a ton of rain. The nice part about it was that it did not rain the whole time. We also had some hot days with lots of sunshine. Another new experience (well kind of new) was the Bocce Bash.

This is the third year in a row that we have partnered with our friends at the Special Olympics. The first year we hosted a bocce ball tournament - two Arrowhead teams and two Special Olympics teams played bocce ball games as our campers and visitors spectated from the sidelines. Last year we had an open invitation to play bocce ball at our FREE Picnic & Open House. However, this year we had a huge response from our friends at the Special Olympics who wanted to come out to camp for a big BOCCE BASH!

Earlier this week on Tuesday we had our first Bocce Bash of 2009. We assembled two camper teams from Arrowhead and the Special Olympics came with eight teams comprised of local athletes. We had five bocce ball courts running simultaneously for the evening as our campers, staff, parents and friends from the community cheered from the sidelines. In attendance we had 50 campers, 30 staff members and 50 guests from the community (including athletes, parents and friends). That is 130 people enjoying a great evening of Bocce Ball here at Arrowhead. For us it was a great opportunity to share camp with our friends and for our campers it was an exciting program event. The whole evening was a success.

Check it out:

Camp Life (#1) - Worship

2009-06-22T14:35:00.005-05:00

It's Worship

We were created to worship. We always have and always will worship something or someone. We put that thing or that person in the place of glory. We dedicate ourselves and sacrifice our time, energy, and money for that thing or that person. It all comes down to WORSHIP.

Exodus 20

1 “Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” (NAS)

The Israelites are hearing these words on the heels of experiencing God’s goodness and grace in amazing ways. Remember, they had just been removed from generations of slavery. It was who they had become. All of a sudden the God that they heard so much about from the days of Abraham, Joseph and Jacob had delivered them. Fresh in their minds were the plagues, the angel of death passing over their homes and the red sea.

It is crucial not to breeze over verses one and two. God is not setting forth a condition for His people. He’s not saying, “You do this and then I will do that.” God is giving them a confirmation. A confirmation of His goodness and His grace. He proclaims, “I am the LORD your God.” Before they were obedient, before they followed Him, He initiated the relationship.

It is also crucial to recognize the first two commandments which are different from the others. “You shall have no other gods before Me” and “You shall not make for yourself an idol” are the foundation of WORSHIPPING God. If we obey the first two commandments… we will obey the rest.

“The opposite of Christianity is not Atheism, but Idolatry.”

- Peter Krefft

Romans 11-12

36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Through Jesus – God gives us that same confirmation. It was nothing we have done or ever could do. It is because of God’s goodness and grace that Jesus lived our life, died our death… and through His resurrection offers new life. Worship is still the foundation. It is because of Jesus (vs. 36) that we are called to present or dedicate ourselves to God AND sacrifice our all.

Worship at Camp

Because you are dedicating yourself to the ministry here at Arrowhead AND because you are sacrificing your time and energy to sing songs, play games, clean toilets, talk about Jesus, set tables, swim in the lake, give a hug and share meals together… you are worshipping God.

As you serve here at camp our ultimate goal, our mission and passion is to WORSHIP God. Anything short of worshipping God is sin… the root of which is Idolatry. First and foremost you are a kingdom builder. As for now, you find yourself building the kingdom in the context of camp. You will have great opportunities to serve and love others. Much of what you do will revolve around physically caring for individuals. Each day will be a great opportunity for WORSHIP.

We Need Your Help!

2009-06-17T11:53:00.017-05:00

Shepherds Camp is in full swing... we are half way through week one. So far we have had great weather for swimming, bocce ball, archery picnics (our picnics are AMAZING!) and hanging out on the black top in the evenings before bedtime. Crafts, Bible & Music, Chapel and Mealtimes have been a blast. Later this week we have Hayrides, Movie Night, Theme Night, Water Games and a whole lot more. We also have a bunch of new campers this week who are loving their first time at Arrowhead. Registrations are looking good and we should break last summer's numbers!

Just the other day we received a call about one of our Shepherds campers. He is unable to attend camp this summer because of financial difficulties. We do give out Shepherds Camp scholarships, however, all of the available scholarship money for this summer has been given out. That is why I am emailing, facebooking, blogging and calling you. We need your help to give the gift of camp. Will you consider INVESTING in Shepherds Camp to help this camper (and others) attend camp? Your INVESTMENT will make a huge IMPACT on the lives of teenagers and adults with developmental disabilities. Check it out:
Shepherds Camp Video.

I look forward to hearing from you and/or receiving your investment in the mail.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Gratefully,

Ben Myers
Arrowhead Bible Camp
abc@arrowheadministry.org
570.663.2419

DETAILS:
- Cost of camp: $325 per week
- Checks payable to: Arrowhead Bible Camp
- Memo line: campership
- Send to: Arrowhead Bible Camp
122 Arrowhead Cottage Rd.
Brackney, PA 18812

Summer Number 9

2009-06-14T17:34:00.014-05:00

Well, staff training is over. Saturday's day-off turned into a second plumbing fiasco (This time it was only five hours of repair work) and today is the first day of camp! We are praising God with glad hearts. All the campers are here and check in was a smooth transition.

For Kelly and I this is summer number nine. It is Natalie's fourth summer. For the Shepherds Camp program this is summer number 47. Yikes! For Arrowhead this is summer number 66. Sadly though, this is the first summer in 11 years without John Novak as the Shepherds Program director.

With the experience of staff training still fresh in our minds we are ready for an amazing summer of worship - founded on love, focused on serving and passionate about living the camp life. In the next few posts I will be sharing some of the information from our staff training - which I has culminated into a seven day guide for anyone who serves here at Arrowhead.
Stay tuned.

No Vacancy

2009-06-14T08:14:00.006-05:00

Over the past few months the Cabin has had quite a few visitors. Since late April I have been able to create a weekly rhythm of spending an overnight at the Cabin. I was blessed by times of solitude & silence and space to prepare for the summer. Just last week Natalie and I spent the night at the cabin together. We roasted hotdogs over a campfire, sang songs and spent time praising God and praying before going to sleep. It was a great Natalie-Daddy date.

My brother-in-law Aaron recently came up to visit and to spend time at the Cabin. You can check out some of his thoughts and pictures from the three days he spent at the Cabin - on his blog EXISTEMI.

It is exciting to see the Cabin being utilized by a variety of people... including some of our camp staff.

Call or email now to reserve your spot at the Cabin.
[see pictures of the Cabin here]

The New Dock

2009-06-07T06:35:00.005-05:00

A few years ago we purchased a brand new floating dock system. The new dock has the same shape as the old dock with a few additions - a massive sliding board (with water pump), two ladders and a bench. Two years ago we built a two-stage jump tower and last year we purchased a new fleet of paddle boats.

This year we have purchased another brand new section of the floating dock system. We replaced the old auxiliary floating dock which is used to create the deep end of our swimming area. The new section is a huge octagon with a ladder.

We are thrilled to see this new addition to the dock which really completes the safety and excitement of the waterfront. We are also excited because many of the James Project groups coming in this summer will be investing together to help fund this new dock section.

Worship - Morning Song

2009-05-26T17:30:00.007-05:00

I spent last night at the Cabin... which has been a weekly routine for about two months now. After putting Natalie to bed and kissing Kelly goodnight I scooted out the door and down the road.

I took the evening hours to refine some thinking/writing that I have been doing in preparation for the summer. This morning I woke up (somewhat with the sun) around 5am. I stoked the fire and then stretched outside on the porch in the cool morning air. After little breakfast and some quiet, I spent a good hour in worship by singing.

I love the cabin! It provides me the freedom to sing loudly, triumphantly, with fist pumps and bellowing "Amens" and everything... without causing anyone else an ounce of discomfort or distraction.

Here's a song that I just could not stop singing. I encourage you to settle in, take a moment to relax - then hit play and close your eyes.

"

Camp Countdown & Update

2009-05-14T06:00:00.011-05:00

Summer is almost here!

Countdown til Camp
30 days

For a few weeks now most of our summer programs have been closed. Four of the six weeks of Shepherds Camp and both weeks of Day Camp are closed... because they are full. There is no room for any more campers in the majority of our summer camps. It has been what I like to call a good problem. More registration forms are arriving daily for the remaining two weeks and we are very close to breaking last year's attendance for the summer.

Please continue to pray for us as we prepare for the summer.
We are still in need of:
- A Nurse for one week of camp (June 28th - August 5th)
- A few more Counselors to serve for two weeks (or more)
- A few Night Watch Staff(staff who serve by working 3rd shift)
- We have one more open week for the James Project (June 14-26)

Give me a call or shoot me an email if you or someone you know would be available to meet these needs for the summer.

Thanks,
Ben Myers
Arrowhead Bible Camp
570.663.2419
abc@arrowheadministry.org

The Tree of Iniquity

2009-05-13T13:00:00.021-05:00

Last week I was with Kelly, riding on the golf cart from the main building over to the house. As we passed by the camper cabins I looked at Kelly and said, "I'm gonna pull that tree out of the ground. That tree is crooked and ugly and it has to go!" Kelly quietly rebuttaled saying, "No it's not. It's fine. The tree looks fine." I protested declaring, "The tree is as ugly as sin!" (yeah I know... lame, but so is the tree). It was then that God reminded me of a sermon I heard earlier in the week. The pastor mentioned that the word iniquity which carries the idea of - something that grows crooked, not straight, out of line, in a disjointed and warped direction. Seeing this disfigured tree also jolted me back to when I was 17. I vividly remember taking trips out to the Susquehanna River (near Columbia) to hike out and sit on the remains of some old pillars where train tracks crossed over a creek running into the river. It was there that I would spend time reading and memorizing scripture. One of my favorites was Psalm 25 which mentions the iniquity of youth.

That is some pretty heavy stuff coming from a pine tree at camp.

During the Soul Thirst retreat this past weekend that tree... the tree of iniquity as I have declared it to be was on my mind, especially as we approached the topic of being aware of God's presence. On one hand I was intrigued to discuss, practice and wrestle with being present in the presence of Jesus. On the other hand I had this stereotypical image plaguing my mind. My thought was that the person who is aware of God moment by moment, each day, every day is disconnected from reality, distracted by everything, pausing every few minutes to comment on how blue the blue sky is or how that cloud looks like a cross and that cloud just looks pretty.

I discussed this predisposition with the group and our facilitator Doug. He smiled and said, "We'll get to that. Don't worry, tomorrow we're going to go outside and look at stuff." We all laughed a little even though I was serious and I think a few others in the room had the same mindset. As the weekend continued we spent time in scripture and putting more words around being in the presence of God. We also spent time in stillness and practicing awareness/attentiveness. Throughout each day all of those things mingled together with meals, rest, singing, prayer and whatever random topic we were discussing.

On Saturday while we were discussing Mary's responses to being in Jesus' presence this question was asked, "Do you ever go from one task to another all the while thinking about that next task, envisioning yourself working on or completing that task and/or deciding on the details of that task?"

I immediately thought about times when I am walking or riding from my house over to the main building office. I am always thinking about what's next. I see my list of things to do and the computer screen in front of me. I begin prioritizing my list and strategizing ways to get more work done.

Then the comment was made, "When we do just that we are anything but aware and attentive... especially to God's presence. We blow by opportunities to serve others, meet needs, be a blessing, encounter creation, or even to simply rest when we are already somewhere else doing something else."

So there it was... staring me right in the face. I do not live moment by moment and it causes me to miss the presence of God. I want to be seen by Jesus instead of wanting to see Jesus. I miss things like that crooked tree or the wind on my back as I walk through green grass that was brown only last week. Unfortunately, I also pass by people... people who have needs. People who are more important, more valuable than the tasks of my job.

That is even heavier stuff coming from a pine tree at camp.

I am thankful for all that God showed me and convicted me of on the retreat... and at camp by way of the Tree of Iniquity. My hope and prayer is that God will continue to give me a greater awareness of His presence moment by moment.

Soul Thirst

2009-05-12T19:25:00.014-05:00

This past weekend I went on a Soul Thirst retreat. Soul Thirst is a bi-annual retreat sponsored by LBC and organized by my very best friend and mentor (since I was 15) Rick Rhoads. The retreat is held at the Rhoads family cabin near Raystown Lake in central PA. Each Soul Thirst retreat is centered around a specific spiritual discipline or practice with the ultimate goal of spiritual transformation and renewal.

Myself and a good friend from the area made the trek down below state college on Friday afternoon to meet up with Doug Jones our facilitator and the rest of the crew from the Lancaster area. Our weekend was focused on developing an awareness/attentiveness to the presence of God. Woven throughout the weekend were times of singing, stillness, sharing meals together and praying the hours.
I very much enjoyed the community around singing and praying the hours. I also enjoyed our time in scripture as we looked at the gospel accounts of Martha, Mary and Lazarus from Bethany (Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-46, 12:1-11 respectively). We were eerily mindful of Martha's attitude and actions in the presence of Jesus. We were amazed at Mary's response to Jesus' presence and we were perplexed by Lazarus' wordless presence as - the one loved by Jesus.

Something that cut me deeply... in conviction and amazement was a statement made about Mary. Mary was not concerned with how she could be seen by Jesus. Instead, she was concerned with how she could see Jesus. It was a big difference between her awareness and Martha's awareness of being in the presence of Jesus.

I was challenged this past weekend... with my awareness of being in the presence of Jesus. I was also challenged with an understanding of myself. Without losing sight of Jesus, I must recognize that knowing myself also leads to knowing Him. If I live moment by moment as a false self... then I will not be present enough to be in His presence. My false self builds on security, survival, affection, esteem, power and control from myself or others. My true self is built on humility, meekness, obedience and an identity in Jesus which is built upon the truth of scripture and a rule of life (spiritual discipline and practice).

I was also challenged by our times of stillness and intentional awareness. Even with some struggle and distraction I was pleasantly surprised that entering into times of stillness or praying the hours were much easier than on previous retreats. It's like dropping a stone into a glass bowl filled with water. The water ripples and waves for longer than you would think... before it stops and becomes perfectly still. This past weekend I found myself becoming still more quickly with less interruptions in between.

It was a good weekend of worship - singing to God, sharing meals, praying, reading, resting (literally... we had a scheduled nap time on Saturday), sitting in silence, digesting God's Word, telling old ministry stories and hanging out with a bunch of guys in the woods.

Preparing For Greece

2009-05-05T06:11:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we had the privilege of hosting a unique weekend retreat group. The group is a team that will be traveling to Greece this summer as a short term mission. As part of their preparation for the trip to Greece they came here to Arrowhead for a retreat - to build team unity, explore the dynamics of their group and simulate the trip to Greece (working on a building project, cooking their own meals and cleaning up the parts of camp that they utilized).

It was a great weekend. They arrived late at night on Friday evening in the midst of cold temperatures and heavy rain. Then Saturday turned out to be a very nice day with beautiful weather. The team worked hard together refurbishing some of our staff cabins and enjoying some very good food. After dinner they worked on team building and dynamics with a few initiative games... which were fun to watch unfold. The initiatives were a good picture of how the group had worked together on the cabins earlier in the day. They showed the group's strengths and weaknesses as well as ways they were growing as a team.

It was a privilege to serve this group by coming alongside them as they prepare to go on mission to Greece this summer. A big thanks to the Greece Team for making a IMPACT here at Arrowhead.

Shepherds Spring Retreat

2009-04-19T15:51:00.012-05:00

We just finished up our Shepherds Camp Spring Retreat. In the blink of an eye... just as quick as everyone arrived, all the hustle and bustle is over and the camp is quiet again.

It was a GREAT weekend with over 40 campers in attendance. Altogether we had just over 30 staff members including counselors, co-counselors, program staff, kitchen CREW, volunteers, returning staff and new staff. The weather was almost unbearably summer like reaching 70 degrees on Saturday. The best part of the retreat was reuniting as a staff and reconnecting with our campers. It was great to see some of our new staff that will be serving with us this summer make the trip to be a part of the retreat. Alongside our classic camp activities - crafts, Bible & Music, Chapel, and games we also got to go on Hayrides on Saturday. Overall the retreat was rather uneventful. Nothing crazy happened with the campers and our staff seemed far from overloaded.

Another exciting part of the weekend was a small Serve Crew from Hanover (where Kelly and I grew up). Kevin, Jim, Jill, Lois and Howard came up to camp for the weekend to serve in a variety of ways. Lois was our camp nurse for the weekend. Without her we would not have been able to have the retreat. "Thank you so much Lois!" Jill took care of some much needed landscaping around the camp and served in the dining room. "Thanks Jill. The grounds look sharp and you were an encouragement & blessing to the kitchen CREW." The guys were able to build a shelter for lake in just one day. From the ground up they grabbed all the lumber, made a design from my simple explanation and hand gestures, constructed flooring, walls and roofing. Then they transported the shelter to the lake front, assembled the pieces and doctored some old barn boards into siding with great character. The SHELTER is an intentional space for our staff. It will be utilized year round (mostly in the warmer months) as a place at camp where our staff can "escape" the sights and sounds of camp to intentionally carve out space and time to be with God. Whether it is watching the run rise, sitting quietly to mediate on scripture, taking a much needed nap or praying with a small group - the guys intentionally created "the space" that will help our staff as we disciple them to intentionally create "the time". "Thanks guys. The SHELTER is going to be a great place of worship for our staff."

James Project - weekend

2009-04-15T17:56:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago we had the privilege of partnering with Crossings Community Church from southern PA. They came up to camp over a weekend to serve as a James Project Group. The James Project continues to have a huge IMPACT on Arrowhead and each of the James Project groups that come to serve. For camp, it was a refreshing opportunity to partner with like-minded ministry leaders who desire to make disciples. It was also an exciting opportunity for us to come alongside them to equip, encourage and disciple their group. And of course, it provided leaders and students with the opportunity to serve one of our guest groups that was on retreat for the weekend.

For each James Project group, serving for a weekend or a week presents them with the opportunity to serve God by serving others AND to complete their own objectives as a group. James Project groups come to WORSHIP - to dedicate themselves and sacrifice their time, energy and money as the serve. James Project group leaders utilize their time as a group to grow, build unity, study the Bible, work hard, have fun and find time & space with God. As they leave camp their experience as a James Project group follows them back home as they continue to make disciples. Crossings had a great weekend - building unity, challenging their students and serving the guest group. We are grateful for their sacrifice and dedication as they served diligently here at camp.

This Time God Sent the Nestle Guy

2009-02-22T12:47:00.005-05:00

A few days ago a Nestle brand delivery truck was overstocked with some Nesquik chocolate milk and needed to get rid of it. The driver saw the sign for the Arrowhead bookstore and stopped in to see if they knew of any non-profits in the area that could use some chocolate milk. Well, the obvious answer was, "Yes, we operate two camps in the area that have a winter retreat going on this weekend."

That's when I received a phone call asking me how many cases of chocolate milk I would like.

We ended up with 50 cases of Nesquik chocolate milk, which as you can see below... translates into 600 (16 oz.) bottles of delicious brand name chocolaty goodness. Praise God for the unexpected blessings that make you smile.

This Breakfast Was Made for Men

2009-02-21T19:19:00.006-05:00

The other night Kelly tossed me the magazine she was reading and said, "You should try this."

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, the picture I saw was so manly that it only needed to be worth one... "Mmmmmmm." One glance and I was sold. It was like the proverbial puppy in the window. It was like looking at the brand new four wheel drive pickup you just bought sitting in your driveway. It was like hiking from camp 4 to 5 on Mount Everest and beating the sherpas. Actually, I am quite surprised I did not drop what I was doing and start cooking right then and there (it was after 10pm).

The idea is simple: take some meat (preferably ham, turkey or roast beef) and use it as a cupcake cup. Place a half slice of cheese in the bottom of the "meat cup" and then crack an egg into it. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes and here is what you get:

Check it out: on the right hand side of the blog there is a link for the Arrowhead Recipe Book - printable 3x5 recipe cards. The recipes are from home (Kelly) and camp (Rene/Courtney).

Death by Love

2009-02-19T17:15:00.011-05:00

This is one of those top ten books. I strongly, highly, urgently and forcefully encourage you to get a copy of this book and start reading.

This powerful book was co-authored by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears. It's been on my list of books to read and I picked it up about a week ago. I will warn you though - I mean it when I say it is powerful.

The book is a compilation of letters written from a pastor to individual people in his care. They are letters much like the letters of Paul or John or Luke to men, women and families that they loved and cared for. Each letter was written by Mark Driscoll and includes a short preamble for context. At the end of each chapter (letter) there are a series of theological questions (which tend to arise from the biblical truths written in the letters) which are answered by Gerry Breshears.

Death by Love is towards the top of my list for two reasons. The first is Mark Driscoll's - God revering, Christ centered, biblical approach that is a no holds-barred, truth-telling, never sugar coated, lovingly masculine style of pastoral writing. The second is the uncommon yet much needed "counseling" content that presents itself in this book. It has been a great encouragement and challenge for me - as a husband/father/camp guy who desires to make disciples. I love Driscoll's (and Mars Hill's) counseling model: Every issue, every problem, every sin is a worship problem. It is never an alcohol problem, a lust problem, a pride problem or a money problem (to name very few). It is a worship problem. Someone or something other than Jesus is being worshipped. So... the answer, is not recovery. The answer is redemption. The answer is to be redeemed - to begin worshipping Jesus, the crucified Christ.

Peter Kreeft said, "The opposite of Christianity is not Atheism, but Idolatry."

I recommend you give it a read. Perhaps even with a group of trusted friends.
Here is a promo-video for the book.

Mr. Tumnus?

2009-02-19T16:30:00.001-05:00

Waking up this morning was like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia. Last week the temperatures were in the 50's and you could see grass everywhere. Today it's a little blustery and there is about 5 inches of snow on the ground. Nowadays when someone asks me what the forecast is for the day I respond with, "There's a 100% chance of weather today."

The Smart Ones

2009-02-17T09:43:00.012-05:00

The smart ones call it a "Winter Retreat"... not Snow Camp. The only thing you are guaranteed this time of year is that it will be winter outside. Last week we saw temperatures in the 50's. Subsequently the 16" base of snow we had here at camp... was gone in about three days. Our strong-willed winter was gone and we could see grass (and mud). Then, our poor ice rink became a shallow watering hole for local pachyderm animals. It was a sad sight I tell ya.

Friday was the typical "get ready for the group/weekend" kind of day... expect for the deceptive inch and a half of snow that fell over night. It kind of looked like the weekend before... but things were still in disarray. On a positive note this was one of the first years that this particular group did not have some sort of vehicular/mechanical breakdown that caused them to be several hours late.

This group is one of our largest winter retreats. Chatting with the student ministry Pastor this weekend we also realized that their group has been coming to camp for almost 30 years. The Pastor himself has been coming to Arrowhead since he was in high school, since before I was born... tell me that doesn't mess with your head.

So... with an extended holiday weekend, a big student ministry group and no snow tubing or ice rinking... what is one to do?

Here are a few pictures from this weekend.
(look closely at the background)

Movie Night

2009-02-12T17:00:00.001-05:00

Natalie and I recently had movie night together. We huddled up on the couch with a fresh (stove top-hand cranked) bowl of popcorn watching Disney's Robin Hood. Robin Hood is my favorite: kids movie, Disney movie, animated movie of all time. I have memories of watching Robin Hood when we went to my aunt and uncle's house to visit. I was pretty young... so my vivid memory might be slightly "bigger" than it actually was. Kind of like when a little kid tells you a story of a tall man they met. They refer to him as a giant and they are convinced that he was at least three or four feet taller than their dad. Back one of the hallways in their house was a dark, quiet room... the only light coming from an eerie fish tank - a tall octagonal tank sitting on it's own cabinet. Under any other circumstance I would have steered clear of this room BUT this was room with a television and a VCR. I would assume that I watched other videos on that television, but I can't remember any of them. Thinking back... I can only remember watching Robin Hood again and again. So, Natalie and I sat together chowing down on our buttery snack, talking about the plot and laughing at the funny songs. Kelly passed by a few times and just shook her heard as she listened to me quoting extended portions of the movie like an overachieving actor playing all the parts. This was one of my favorite Daddy-Natalie dates thus far.

Snowthrowing!

2009-02-05T12:07:00.011-05:00

A few months ago God sent the Kubota man to camp.

What does that mean...?

Well, we got a visit from our new local Kubota sales rep. He was traveling around making contact with local businesses to see who's who and what's what.

Unfortunately, we do not have any Kubota tractors and the tractors we do have are in very good running condition, which I explained to the Kubota sales rep. Nevertheless I was interested in seeing the full color magazine and other materials that he offered. You never know when you're going to need a new tractor... or when you'll want to switch all your Ag equipment to orange.

I perused the magazine a bit and we talked. He seemed very interested in camp... as most people are when they stop by in the winter time surprised to see that we're open year round. So I described the pending winter retreat season, Shepherds Camp, Day Camp and the general usage of the facilities. As he asked more questions about winter retreats we got to talking about snow... the fun stuff like tubing, ice rink, snow plowing and removal. Of course I had to mention that the next Steiner implement on my wish list was a snow blower. Immediately his eyes lit up and he said, "I've got one, you want it." I was slightly caught by surprise so I asked what he meant by replying, "Huh?" He went on to explain that he had a front-attaching Snowthrower implement that was just sitting in his driveway. It was going to keep sitting there and he thought it would be a fine idea if we put it to use. The very next day we picked it up and brought it back to camp.

With a little research and about $20 in parts... we were ready to make our new frankenstein. Then, after a few weeks of crazy maintenance issues - like freezing pipes, leaking pipes, golf cart parts and similar winter mishaps, the snowthrower was back on the top of the list. Thanks to Brad and his Jekyll & Hyde welding abilities we've got a new Steiner Snowthrower.

Next up: a sweet paint job (the Krylon touch).

How to Build an Ice Rink

2009-01-13T09:10:00.031-05:00

[Note: click on pictures to enlarge]

Step One: Remove snow and debris to clear a space for
the ice rink.

Step Two: Select a border/edge material for the ice rink
(i.e. logs or pipe).

Step Three: Construct a raised perimeter for the ice rink.
Preferably no larger than your ice membrane (plastic).

Step Four: Unroll the ice membrane checking to make
sure it will fit the dimensions of the raised perimeter.

Step Five: Stretch the ice membrane from edge to edge
and end to end, wrapping the ice membrane over and
under the outside of the raised perimeter material.

Step Six: Fill/cover the ice membrane with snow and
water. Make sure to stretch the ice membrane as is fills
to ensure there are no air bubbles or raised flaps in the
ice membrane.

Step Seven: Using the snow that was cleared from the
site, pack the snow on and around the raised perimeter
to create a protective layer until the water freezes.

Step Eight: Fill/cover the ice membrane until water
reaches the upper level of the raised membrane. Wait
until the water has completely frozen. Enjoy... your
brand new, homemade ICE RINK!
(note: picture taken 1.31.08 - used here to show full ice rink effect)

It's Wednesday night... conditions are perfect.
There's nothing on TV...
Conditions are perfect... to freeze an ice rink.

The MALAGARI - MAY - RHOADS Memorial Ice Rink

2009-01-13T08:45:00.007-05:00

Well, it's been a long journey but the plastic is finally here. A BIG thank you to everyone who made it possible. I appreciate the availability, energy and time that you gave to this task. Each year I cringe at the receipt when I purchase that piece of plastic from the local agricultural store.

Here is the abbreviated delivery schedule:
1. Plastic purchase from ebay (seller in Philadelphia)
2. Plastic pick up direct from ebay seller.
3. Plastic transport to Binghamton, NY is canceled due to insufficient cargo space. Package too large.
4. Plastic transport to Binghamton, NY (second attempt) is canceled due to insufficient cargo space. Passenger overload. No space for package.
5. Plastic transport to Binghamton, NY is re-routed. New destination: Lancaster, PA.
6. Plastic transport to Lancaster, PA delayed. Driver unavailable.
7. Plastic transport to Lancaster, PA delayed. Pick up point is closed.
8. Plastic transport to Lancaster, PA on schedule. Delivery to Lancaster, PA is complete.
9. Plastic transport to Brackney, PA on schedule. Same day delivery to Brackney, PA is complete.

Route info:
Date of purchase - 12.17.08
Date of Delivery - 1.9.09

That was a crazy 3 1/2 weeks. BUT... the plastic is here and so are the cold temperatures.

Solitude & Silence

2009-01-06T10:24:00.017-05:00

This past week we had our New Year's party with friends and family from southern PA. This was our 3rd year in a row and we've got the routine down to a science. Our friends filter in one by one and hunker down for a few days of rest and relaxation. We have a huge feast of pizza, wings, shrimp and snacks for New Year's Eve. We run around outside at camp and make trips to the YMCA during the day. We play games, watch movies and talk right into the morning hours. There's a mixture of earlier risers. Some of us are awake and ready for breakfast each day, while others are awake and ready for lunch. We've got some pretty good cooks and bakers in the bunch so there's never a shortage of homemade desserts, breakfast baked goods, soups and snack foods. We're so very thankful for a great group of friends that have been together for a little over 10 years now. It has been a blessing to walk along side each other through high school, college, weddings, children being born, ministry positions and career paths. We are grateful for the ways God this crew to encourage, challenge, care for and support each other. Thanks everyone.

My brother-in-law Aaron came up a few days before the New Year's festivities began. He spent a day and a half out at the Cabin as a personal retreat. Aaron spent time in prayer, reading scripture, in silence, reading The Critical Journey and resting. The progression of his time at the cabin revolved around a series of reflections designed specifically for this personal retreat.

Check out Aaron's comments on the retreat at: Existemi.blogspot.com

I'm excited to see the Cabin fulfill its purpose of providing an accessible space that is intentionally available for spiritual formation and renewal. It is a quick trip from camp with easy set up and it is also surprisingly quiet. This spring I am looking forward to some new renovations to the cabin and developing the trail system on the property. As the Cabin continues to be utilized I am formulating resources and guides for personal and small group retreats ranging from several hours to several days. I would love to share and discuss any personal retreat resources you have used. You can email them to: abc@arrowheadministry.org.

Christmas Fun

2008-12-30T12:28:00.002-05:00

Here's a gift that I made for Natalie this Christmas. I had help from 24 friends and spent some time with Adobe Photoshop. It's the Myers Family edition.

Natalie is getting used to it. When she first opened it she looked at it for a moment, looked up at everyone and said, "This is scary."

Christmas Gifts

2008-12-30T11:11:00.009-05:00

We're back from the Christmas circuit. Our travels took us down to Virginia then to southern Pennsylvania and back again. All told we hit three different Christmas celebrations including upwards of 80 family members and friends. It was a great trip full of food, candy, family, friends, rest and relaxation. There was probably a little too much food, candy and relaxation though.

Natalie did pretty good for being a 3 year old - away from home for a week, traveling round trip over 14 hours, seeing both grandmas and receiving a boat load of presents. This was the first Christmas that she understood the idea of presents and parties. We talked a lot about giving and receiving with a grateful heart. We also talked about the fact that Christmas is a celebration... that Jesus was born a baby. He was born a baby so He could rescue us. It was part of God's rescue plan. It was a great start to making the connection/disconnect between presents and Jesus (the presence of God... if you want to be cute about it).

Here are two gifts that we received/gave this Christmas. They are gifts of joy.

This is a quilt that was made for McKenna. It comes from an organization called Cole's Quilts. These quilts are made for children with SMA. This is number 170. Almost every square on the quilt was made by a friend or family member.

To Mimi, Grandma, Ev, Sue, Marquette, Charolette, Patty, Kathy, Esther, Karen, and Cole's Quilts, THANK YOU so much for this wonderful gift.

This is a shutterfly book that Kelly and I put together. It is a combination of pictures from the past year and the journal we kept while in the hospital. It was a joy-filled project that was our favorite gift to give this Christmas.

Arrowhead Bible College?

2008-12-10T14:05:00.004-05:00

What? Are you serious? Well, sort of.

Last summer we partnered with Pilgrimage Educational Resources and Baptist Bible College (same ministries that I utilized to finish my bachelor's degree AND start my grad work) to offer college courses to our staff AS THEY SERVED AT CAMP.

So... camp is the classroom. Students (I mean staff) jump online and interact with a professor and the course objectives & materials one hour each week. The cost is almost half that of the normal college tuition rate AND the courses are fully transferable. It was a great blessing for us to offer it and our staff to benefit from it.

I just received the information for summer 2009. Check this out - they have added more courses for more students. So... this summer we will be offering our staff: 1 high school course for seniors, 3 undergraduate courses and 2 graduate courses!

Here's the link to PER's Immersed Learning

Solo

2008-11-25T13:29:00.023-05:00

In past few years (especially this year) we have been creating intentional spaces around camp. These spaces are designed for experience because CAMP makes a great connection between experiencing your surroundings and experiencing God.

Every day in all kind of ways we are influenced by our surroundings. People, buildings, weather, cities, suburbs, animals, trees, solitude, stressful situations, busyness, silence and a host of other "externals" are part of our experience as we walk (the moment by moment) with God each day. For a specific time, camp is a unique place with unique externals. For some it is a weekend or a week, for many a summer, and for others almost a lifetime. For everyone it is an invitation.

Here at Arrowhead we are passionate about inviting others just like Jesus. Jesus called many to follow Him for a time. There were 12 disciples that He called to follow Him for a specific time for a unique purpose. They walked (moment by moment) with Him for over three years. Jesus invited them to experience life with Him. That invitation included times of prayer, reading scripture, talking with people, sharing meals with others, solitude and silence. At Arrowhead we INVITE our campers and staff to experience camp life with us. As they experience camp life they also experience the same invitation that Jesus gave to His disciples - to follow Him.

One of our newest intentional spaces is a small cabin that we moved... to a secluded spot, nestled into a small clearing against the tree line of a wooded area. The photo above comes from a very good friend who recently spent a snowy day of solitude at the cabin.

November and a Year

2008-11-21T18:30:00.014-05:00

I've been meaning to post a new entry on the blog for about two weeks. It has taken me until now because of some other urgencies and some procrastination (which absolutely drives me nuts).

The month of November (Nov. 1st) marks one year since we left for Syracuse with McKenna. The whole month of November and a few days into December were spent at University Hospital... on a journey that Kelly and I could never have imagined.

We went from a tiny cramped room, wondering what was happening to our baby to a wide open room in the Pediatric ICU, facing the certainty of death. Part of me has trouble thinking about the whole experience. I vividly remember snapshots that rattle me down deep, like when your body shutters in an effort to shake off the cold night air in the middle of winter. I find myself "day-dreaming" about the hospital, McKenna, our friends, family, doctors, difficulties, sleeplessness... only to realize that I'm driving in the car or sitting in the office and I have to remind myself that that was last year. It's the truest meaning of bitter-sweet. I would rather not think of the hospital or of McKenna with all her tubes or times we helped people say goodbye, but a significant part of McKenna's life was spent in that hospital. We spent so much "valuable" time together in such a short amount of days.

God continues to pour out His blessing on us. Through pictures of McKenna on refrigerators of friends, speaking engagements on suffering & ministry, continued contact with McKenna's doctors and nurses, encouraging letters & shared scripture, Natalie's innocent proclamations & prayers at dinner that she loves her sister McKenna who is in heaven, and the reality that the Almighty God and Creator of all things has firmly upheld us and created purpose in our suffering... we are blessed and we have joy.

I wrote a poem back in February two months after we returned home with McKenna. It's been on my heart and mind this whole month. Every time I read it, with sorrowful tears of determination my heart cries out, "Amen" (it is true). Every word, every line is the perfect representation of how God used my little McKenna Joy to impact my life.

[click the picture to enlarge]

Those Poor NY Kids.

2008-10-29T10:15:00.002-05:00

Tuesday morning we woke up to several inches of snow... which accumulated on Tuesday evening to just over 6". It was a wonderful surprise, especially for Natalie. She immediate exclaimed, "Daddy it's snowing, we can go ice skating!" Of course, we didn't find any ice so we settled for building a snowman in the back yard. It was that heavy wet snow too... the kind that makes a massive snowball in less than 10 feet, leaving a trail of exposed grass behind it.

An early morning trip to town on Tuesday allowed me to see just how "weird" our overnight snow storm was. five minutes north of camp on the way to town there was nothing. The ground was just as bear as the day before... just wet now from all the RAIN! I couldn't believe it. A few miles back it was virtually a blizzard with heavy snow and high winds. People were staring at my car which had about three inches of snow glued to it.

From watching the news we found out that PA schools were closed from snow, high winds, fallen trees and downed power lines; while NY school kids braved the rain to get to class. At best it will only amount to a few days of "snow day bragging rights" with temperatures in the high 50's predicted for Friday.

A Fall Day Off

2008-10-29T08:52:00.006-05:00

Monday was a great day off after a big weekend with the Shepherds Fall Retreat. We had a great day - hanging out, playing games, sharing all of our meals together. We also went up the road to the local apple farm. Their trees were all picked through but they did have a few bins of apples just outside their store front. Even though we were geared up for walking around picking from trees, picking from bins was an easy change of plans... especially on my day off. After purchasing our apples we poked around looking at their animals (3 goats and a chicken) and playing in their hay maze. It was simple, fun, and FREE. It was stacking up to be a really good day off.

I spent the afternoon reading a book while Natalie napped. Then we busted out the pumpkins for our annual pumpkin carving.

We talked about what kind of faces to draw on our pumpkins, then we tried some designs on paper to figure out exactly what we wanted. As I was drawing the face on the big pumpkin Natalie with a cute smile casually said, "Daddy you can pull out the seeds, I'm not going to put my hand in the pumpkin." Kelly and I looked at each other in amazement. We purposefully hadn't mentioned anything about reaching inside the pumpkin. Last year we had Natalie try it and she absolutely hated the whole experience. Apparently it left a lasting impression.
Natalie did put her hand in the pumpkin to help pull out the seeds and the goo, but now until we gave her a vinyl glove.

Nontheless we had a great time with the pumpkins. I also experimented with a new method of carving. I used my Dewalt 18v roto-zip. It was a little too effective. It made carving extremely easy, but it also liquefied the pumpkin spraying it here and there. All said and done though - we ohhhed and ahhhed at the final products all lit up.

Camp's New Website!

2008-10-27T09:37:00.005-05:00

Arrowhead has a brand new look to the website. It's a better layout for the camp multi-camp structure AND it now has lots of pictures and videos. Here are some helpful links to the main page and other specific Arrowhead pages. Check it out!

Arrowhead Camping Ministries
www.arrowheadministry.org

Arrowhead Bible Camp
www.arrowheadbiblecamp.org

Shepherds Camp
www.shepherdscamp.org

Day Camp
www.abcdaycamp.org

The James Project
www.abcjamesproject.org

The James Project - on YouTube

2008-10-15T09:09:00.003-05:00

DAY CAMP 2009!

2008-10-12T15:58:00.006-05:00

2 Weeks of Day Camp!

That's right... we are expanding our Day Camp program for kids. This past summer we had over 100 kids each day for our one week program. God graciously provided and we were able to offer our Day Camp for FREE! It really was the "Camp for Every Kid."

It has been three months since that crazy week in July. Literally, moms and dads have been asking about Day Camp because their kids are still talking about the summer. As we look forward to this summer, with God's leading we are expanding the program.

This summer we will be offering 2 WEEKS of DAY CAMP!

Our vision is to continue to grow as the "Camp for Every Kid." We are also passionate about making BOTH weeks FREE! We would love to have you join us... make an impact by investing in our Day Camp for kids. You can be a vital part this "community based" ministry that brings kids to Arrowhead for a week to IMPACT them with the Word of God AND then sends them back into the community to be discipled, cared for, and loved year-round, by other ministries in our community who are like-minded and have the same passion to make disciples.

www.abcdaycamp.org

The James Project - Video

2008-10-12T15:35:00.008-05:00

Here's an introduction to the James Project:

JAMES PROJECT - VIDEO

The JAMES PROJECT

2008-10-12T14:57:00.011-05:00

The James Project is our NEW summer ministry for 2009.

This past summer we had several different groups that came to make an IMPACT here at Arrowhead. They each came for one week to serve in the kitchen, complete major projects, or work with our programs. They brought care packages for the counseling staff, remodeled rooms, renovated cabins, served in the kitchen, prepared special dietary meals, worked on landscaping, and ministered to campers alongside our program staff. Not only did they make a HUGE impact on the camp, our staff and our campers; but the experience of serving at Arrowhead made a HUGE impact on them. Multi-generational teams, small groups from student ministries, Moms, Dad's and their kids - dedicated themselves to serving God by serving others. They sacrificed their time, energy, money, and abilities as worship to God... which He used to impact lives AND to impact them.

This summer we are inviting groups just like these to camp each week to serve: in the kitchen, with our campers, and around the camp.

Our PASSION - is to partner with churches, families, student ministries, small groups, and individuals to impact lives with the truth of God's Word and make disciples like Jesus.

Our VISION - is for James Project groups to make an impact on the front lines, while discipling and investing in their students, team members, small group or family.

We've got a crazy summer ahead of us and I would love to talk to you about being a part of the James Project. Would you're church or student ministry be interested in this local missions trip to Arrowhead? How about your family? Our goal is to have at least one week dedicated to families who will serve together as a James Project group. You can set the tone for serving your students in fall. Build team unity or connect as a leadership team. Serve and grow as a family while discipling your children. Challenge your students to love and serve other like Jesus.

Give me a call or shoot me an email with any questions or ideas.
Ben Myers, 570.663.2419

Long Term Impact

2008-09-21T15:59:00.006-05:00

While in Lancaster we had a big get together with many of our friends from "back in the day"... friends from Calvary Bible Church, high school, and the southern PA area. Joining us that evening were some very special friends who we had not seen in at least seven years. Jeff and Sue Ann Harbold were leaders in our student ministry at Calvary Bible Church during our high school days. Kelly and many of her friends knew the Harbolds from even earlier, through Calvary and Christian School of York. The seven year span of time was mostly due to the fact that Jeff and Sue Ann have been living and ministering in Thailand.

This big get together was being held at Rhoads' where we were spending the night. As the evening rolled on and friends said, "good night", the six of us (the Harbolds, Rhoadses, and Myerses) sat in the living room looking at pictures and bursting out in laughter as each of told stories from "back in the day".

Jeff brought up a memory of our student ministry trip to Haiti where we served alongside the Lippy family. Jeff asked me if I remember walking through one of the villages, turning to him and saying, "Isn't it amazing. God loves these little children from this village just as much as He loves you and I." Jeff looked right at me and said that he has spoken about that trip and the work God was doing in my heart many times since then. Wow! What an impact...on me, on Jeff, on people Jeff has talked with. Wow!

On the plane ride out to Seattle I mentioned to Kelly that I was starting to remember that comment that I made to Jeff...I had a pretty clear picture of the village we were walking through. Then I told Kelly about how Jeff was one of the first godly men who really impacted me as a young guy in high school. So, I shared one of my memories from back in the day.

At summer camp Jeff was our Sr. High counselor. During the week of camp Jeff told me (and a few of the other guys gathered around) that if we ever needed anything that he would be there for us. Then he wrote his name and phone number in my Bible. From our time at church and that specific week of camp, I knew he meant it. Jeff (and Sue Ann) has kept that promise. Even in Thailand they have been praying for our family over the past year... and thus, they have been a great support and encouragement to us. We praise God for the impact they have had on our lives.

Check out my Bible from back in the day:

A Real Vacation

2008-09-21T13:55:00.010-05:00

Well, we are back at camp! We had a wonderful vacation after a good long summer season. We packed up and headed for southern PA for the first few days of September. I had some students that I wanted to connect with at Lancaster Bible College. Kelly, Natalie and I visited some staff alumni in the area. We were very eager to spend some time together with her family and some friends. I also had an evening prayer coffee that I wanted to attend at LBC.

From there just Kelly and I, flew from Baltimore, MD to Seattle, Washington. We zipped all the way out to the west coast to spent 10 days with our dear friends Dave and Michelle Parker. The Parker's had been full time at Rock Mountain Bible Camp up until last year when they moved to Seattle. Over the past five years the four of us have become very close. Our bound of friendship and ministry like-mindedness has been a great blessing from God. It was an exciting adventure to visit with them, to see what God was doing in and through them, and to see the west coast.

Our time in Seattle was long and short, relaxing and busy, quiet and noisy, difficult and easy. It was a blessing for me to disengage from camp...which I found to be surprisingly easy. It was difficult to be away from Natalie but at the same time it was fun to run around as a couple. The first few days made the whole trip seems as if we were not going to have enough time, but in the end it felt like just the right amount of days to be away. The three hour time change kind of threw us for a loop...but we handled it well by sleeping in a lot...a lot. We enjoyed tons of great food...tons. Kelly and I loved being in a port city. Kelly really loved it...I liked being there on vacation. It was fascinating to explore all the unique sections of town - upscale, downtown, the west side, the university district, and so on.

It was great being there with Dave and Michelle. It seemed like we were tourists with an inside edge. We saw a bunch of the foo-foo touristee things, but we also made it around to all the little known hidden places that made our trip special. We also had the exciting opportunity to attend Mars Hill Church (where Dave serves full time) each of the two Sundays we were out there. I am thankful to experience first hand, this church and ministry which has been a good source of spiritual fuel at camp over the past three or four years. In many ways Mars Hill is much like all other churches. It has some unique qualities, but those are a result of the culture and geographic location. The reason Mars Hill is moving forward - is that they are making disciples. They are creating (spiritually) healthy leaders, who create healthy people, who create a healthy church, whose (the church is the people) desire is to impact the city of seattle, making it healthy.

We had a great vacation! I am grateful for the time away to relax and prepare. I praise God that this vacation was not an escape to recover from summer ministry burnout. By God's grace we had a healthy summer of camp. Of course, we were tired and ready to stop, but we were not burned out and used up. Our vacation was a time of relaxation to prepare for the next season of ministry. As we settle back in to the "hustle and bustle" of Brackney, God continues to give us time of relaxation and renewal...preparing us for the fall and winter. We have retreats this month and next. After that is a short time of staff recruiting, turn around for winter temperatures, and preparation for a long season of winter retreats.

Thanks for keeping in touch, enjoy the vacation pictures...

You Know Summer is Over When...

2008-09-02T11:03:00.005-05:00

Well, we've successfully made it through another summer of camp ministry. Today was the FIRST day since the beginning of June...that camp is completely quiet. There's no one here but the three of us. 10 straight weeks of ministry...calls for a little relaxation.

Stay tuned...

We're going to take a little vacation. When we get back, I'll recap the summer and tell you about our vacation. Thanks for keeping up with camp and our family. Thank you for supporting us in prayer through the summer.

DAY CAMP 2008!!!

2008-08-02T17:24:00.011-05:00

Day Camp at Arrowhead was HUGE! We had over 100 kids each day. The schedule was jammed-packed with all sorts of camp activities and crazy fun. We were very excited to have Drama Ministry from Lancaster Pa back for another week of Day Camp. Once again, they made a great IMPACT on the program by providing dramatic presentations of the good news of Jesus Christ. Each morning the gospel came alive right in front of each camper. Then campers got to choose Drama class as an afternoon activity.

Each morning the campers rotated from Drama to Crafts to a special activity. The special activities included large group games, hay rides, and special guests. Our special guests this year were: our friends from the local Christian Motorcyclist Association who came to talk to the campers about motorcycle (bicycle) safety, the Ross Park Zoo Mobile with animals for the campers to see and touch, another friend from just down the road who taught a sign language class, and News Channel 34's meteorologist - Ryan Coyle. Following Ryan was a News Channel 34 camera man and reporter. You can check out the story at - www.newschannel34.com (click on "Summer Fun" - look for the Arrowhead Bible Camp story). We had a fantastic line up of special guests and activities. Then each afternoon campers could choose between the archery range, swimming and boating at the lake, bocce ball, games, and drama class. It proved to be a wild and crazy week of camp.

Our goal through Day Camp is to impact our community. First, we provide kids (and their families) with a safe and exciting program that is FREE! Then we structure the week to encourage, educate, challenge and care for each camper. All week long we invite the campers to experience camp with us (the staff) thus inviting them to experience Jesus Christ. When the week is over - all campers go home with a letter from myself and a boat load of stories to share with their family and friends. Some campers also go home to share something extra special - that while they were at Day Camp they heard about Jesus...and how He came to rescue them. Each and every camper who believes in Jesus Christ and puts their trust in Him to be rescued from their sin and separation from God is followed up by a ministry in their local community that is partnering with Arrowhead. These friends of Day Camp have accepted the call to disciple those campers, invest in their families, and invite each of them to experience God's love and forgiveness. We are excited to partner with like-minded ministries who seek to continue (year round) the loving impact we have started here at Day Camp. What a blessing!

Day Camp craft: canvas banners. The kids put down words on the banner using painters tape. Then they smeared paint all over the banner using their hands and feet. The paint dried. The tape was pulled off...and each group had its own banner. Then at the end of the week each banner was cut into squares - one for each camper to take home with them.

Another great craft: the campers really enjoyed these canvas cloth "bookbags" that they could decorate.
Each day we ate lunch outside, picnic style. On Thursday we had eight fire rings going...and each camper got to cook their own hot dog and s'more over the open flame.

A BIG "Thank You!" to everyone who invested in Day Camp at Arrowhead to make it the "Camp for EVERY Kid." What a blessing. Thank you.

Missions Trip to Arrowhead

2008-07-17T19:51:00.009-05:00

The summer is moving right along. At least it feels that way now. Our first Shepherds Camp session (two weeks long) was...crazy, fun, tough, long, exhausting, dependent, successful, stretching, demanding, beautiful, eye-opening, and a GREAT BLESSING. We had 70 campers and 40 staff members. We also had a missions team from Calvary Bible Church of Hanover. It was exciting to see 14 people hop out of the van ready to SERVE and make an IMPACT. They did a great job ministering to our staff and the campers. Not only did they immerse themselves in the program, they also tackled a hefty remodeling project. Seen below is our - completely redone Long Cabin. It has NEW walls, ceilings, electrical wiring, bathroom fixtures, doors, windows, exterior paint, painted floors, bunks, and furniture!

The Calvary team was here for the second week of the session - which turned out to be a VERY difficult week...for everyone. Besides having a full program with tons of staff, a 24 stomach bug jumped from person to person. Most of the Calvary team became ill towards the end of the trip. It was definitely NOT an expected part of their impact here at camp. However, they served well, worked hard, and completed their objectives as a team. God hasn't promised us easy sailing BUT, He has promised us everything we need for life and godliness.

The Long Cabin looks GREAT and he staff and campers LOVED having this special missions team that came to Shepherds Camp just for them.

Revised Update

2008-07-17T19:18:00.003-05:00

This is the first book I read as a young follow of Christ. I didn't know much about the Bible and I didn't know anything about who I was in Christ. BUT, I had just begun an intense discipleship relationship with my Youth Pastor and he asked me to read the first chapter.
I remember being so excited. As soon as I got home I broke it open and ate up that first chapter...with at least four different colored highlighters. Looking back at my copy, which still sits tall on my book shelf at home, I highlighted the whole chapter!

I recommend this to ANYONE and EVERYONE. I don't care who you are, how mature you are, how spiritual you are, how wise you are, or how much you don't like to read. I especially recommend it to anyone who is a new believer.

This book is a GREAT resource for anyone who desires to make disciples. Anderson and Park do a wonderful job of explaining our IDENTITY in CHRIST. The book is full of scripture, which makes for a tangible mind-to-heart connection for the reader.

This book will give you a great foundation for following Jesus.

We're in Full Swing!

2008-07-03T16:07:00.008-05:00

Our first week of Shepherds Camp has begun and we are in full swing.

This is SUMMER...
#63 for Arrowhead Bible Camp.
#46 for the Shepherds Camp Program.
#8 for Kelly and I
#3 for Natalie (who turns 3 on July 11th!)

This week we have:
65 Campers
15 Counselors
3 Co-Counselors
7 Program Staff
11 Service Staff
6 Leadership Staff

Our youngest camper is: 23
Our oldest campers is: 88

DC Count Down

2008-06-28T18:47:00.010-05:00

Day Camp Count Down
22 Days Left

Wow! Day Camp is just around the corner. We closed this year's Day Camp a few weeks ago...with over 100 kids signed up. What a blessing! All of the details are set for great week of camp. We even have some NEW special guests and activities planned for this year's program. You'll have to wait until after camp to find out the details. I can tell you one thing - Day Camp at Arrowhead is going to be a crazy, awesome, fun, exiting, challenging, caring, amazing, inspiring, connecting, encouraging, truth filled week of CAMP.

And get this...every kid has been fully supported - which means that Day Camp at Arrowhead truly is FREE!

That also means, that we have fulfilled our VISION - to be the "Camp for Every Kid!"

We would love to have you pray for us and our campers as we prepare AND during camp, July 21-25. We believe God is going to make a HUGE IMPACT on kids and families in our local communities. We would also love to hear from you - as you pray for Arrowhead and Day Camp. Keep in touch. Thanks to everyone who has invested in Day Camp. What a blessing. What an IMPACT!

Reject Blessings

2008-06-27T07:25:00.003-05:00

We received an unexpected package in the mail yesterday. Unexpected because we forgot all about last year's surprise shipment. Unexpected because Kyle (whose mom works for Jelly Belly) is not serving here at camp this summer.
I opened the big white box trying to remember what the last thing was that I ordered online. I wasn't expecting a package, but here was one addressed right to the ministry. What a blessing I found inside...16 lbs. of Belly Flops (Jelly Belly rejects). A big, "Thank You!" to Mrs. Stewart. They will be thoroughly enjoyed.

[To Kyle's credit - he lives in California...and the last few summers he has flown out here to the east coast to serve at Rock Mountain and Arrowhead.]

DC Count Down

2008-06-12T09:04:00.011-05:00

Day Camp Count Down
39 DAYS

Wow! Day Camp is almost here. We've got a ton of kids signed up AND they have ALL been fully supported by churches, families, and individuals. Thanks everybody. Arrowhead's Day Camp IS the Camp for EVERY Kid.

This past Saturday was our 4th annual FREE Picnic and Open House. It was a beautiful day with warm weather, clear skies, and almost a hundred people in attendance. It was our privilege to share a picnic meal and the camp facilities with our neighbors, camp friends, staff, Shepherds campers, Day Camp campers, and some new friends who wanted to check out Arrowhead.

And The TRUTH Shall Set You Free.

2008-05-21T06:30:00.007-05:00

Last night as Natalie was getting ready for bed she decided to be disobedient in the process of going from brushing her teeth to sitting on her bed for story time (reading the Bible). Her disobedience immediately led to the consequence of a punishment. Then after some clear instructions, Natalie promptly headed into her room and hopped up on her bed for story time. We sat together as a family, opened up her new Bible and turned to the next story from the book of Genesis. As Natalie squirmed and shifted getting herself into just the right position Kelly and I glanced down at the Bible story and noticed the title.

After a somewhat held-back simultaneous chuckle Kelly read the title aloud, "Disobedience Brings Punishment."

Natalie looked at the Bible Story, looked up at us, and without hesitation said, "Let's not read that."

Now THAT was good for a laugh out loud. I'm sure you will agree, that children are both a blessing and a joy - especially in the unprompted things they say.
It's hard to tell what was going through Natalie's mind. Was she still feeling the effects of the consequences of her disobedience or was it God's Word piercing like a two-edged sword? A little bit of both I suppose.

More Hands!

2008-05-13T20:42:00.009-05:00

Day Camp Count Down
69 DAYS

Things are going very well at the bookstore. When I last checked in a few days ago they had met their initial goal of supporting 15 kids. The wall behind the cash registers is growing with hands...all representing individuals who are making a great IMPACT at camp this summer. Day Camp is FREE...and those names on the wall are making it possible.

Don't forget - Saturday, MAY 17th - the bookstore will be having a huge sale all day AND a portion of the proceeds from the whole day will be given to Day Camp - "the camp for EVERY kid."

I know, some of you are saying, "But I don't live anywhere near the bookstore." Don't worry you can help send kids to Day Camp for free by simply sending an investment directly to the camp.

Who Likes the Circus More?

2008-05-13T20:23:00.010-05:00

Every time the circus comes to town (or near by) Kelly is the first one to say, "Let's go!" For me, the circus is one of those things that I enjoy...once I'm there. This time though I was pretty eager for the experience because this was Natalie's first circus adventure.
Friday night after dinner we headed for town, excitedly talking about tigers and bears and elephants. We tried not to talk about such things as cotton candy, hotdogs. or expensive toys with internal spinning lights. We certainly didn't mention anything about clowns. Natalie's first "costume" experience was Sparky, the Awana 2nd grader's mascot. Sparky came walking out of the main building here at came just as Natalie was about to enter. Apparently, a 5' 7" giant lightening bug/bumble bee has a slightly overbearing presence among small children.
We had an absolutely enjoyable time as a family. Natalie loved every minute of entertainment. She was pleasant and obedient the whole time. She even liked watching the clowns (especially the ones that kept their distance). We steered clear of junk food and those crazy light up toys, of which I heard one dad exclaim, "This thing was 15 bucks!" To top off the evening, when I was at the ticket window a lady came up behind me and threw two free admission tickets on the counter and said, "Here you go. Two people bailed on me early today. I don't need these...enjoy." What a blessing!

Hands for Day Camp

2008-05-05T13:37:00.009-05:00

Wow. Check out all those hands. Do they look familiar? Have you seen these hands before? Is your name on one of those hands?
Arrowhead Parable Christian Bookstore is making a huge IMPACT on Day Camp this summer. Just last week the bookstore began inviting costumers to make an IMPACT on our Day Camp this summer by INVESTING $1, $5 or $10 to help send kids to Day Camp for FREE! The pictures below are of hands placed on the wall behind the store registers. Each hand has a name on it...of someone who invested in Day Camp. After only a few days, 288 people have invested over $750. What a blessing!

But that's not all. On May 17th the bookstore will be having a HUGE SALE and a portion of the proceeds from the whole day will be given to Day Camp. So get to the store - to put up your hand AND to make the 17th a great success.

Our vision to make Arrowhead's Day Camp - "The Camp for EVERY Kid" is being accomplished. Stay tuned for Day Camp updates!

Serving God by Serving People

2008-04-30T11:05:00.006-05:00

This past weekend we had a great retreat. A local group of ladies came in for a fun weekend of scrapbooking. For them, it was a retreat from their spouses, kids, routine schedules, daily chores, and the obvious lack of time for scrapbooking. They are one of our long term groups that is a pleasure to serve. Our greatest excitement is the opportunity to - clearly present the gospel of Jesus Christ AND then living out the gospel as we meet their basic needs. The Kerstetters, their daughter and two of her friends drove up from southern Pennsylvania to serve at camp for the weekend. They have been coming up to camp the past few years...making a big IMPACT on the ministry. This weekend was no different. They served in the kitchen, prepared food, cleaned bathrooms, and worked outside to get camp ready for the summer. They did a great job - the group was served well and the camp is looking more and more ready for camp to beginning. What a blessing to have them with us again...serving alongside us - Serving God by Serving People.

We're MISSIONARIES!

2008-04-30T10:49:00.006-05:00

Staff are always listening to me talk about the MISSION of Arrowhead. From the moment they start serving at camp...they start hearing me call them MISSIONARIES. Camp really is a mission field and our staff are the missionaries. I'm not just talking about a short term missions trip. I'm talking about REAL missionaries who are SENT OUT! Our staff pack up all their stuff, leave their family, friends, and local church - to come here to camp for the summer. They pick up and move here to live. They eat here, sleep here, work here, serve here, grow here, hangout here. They come to live with a new people group...a new culture. They come to experience life (camp life) with the local culture (our campers). They in turn, invite the campers to experience camp with them and thus invite the campers to experience Christ.

If that's not a missionary...then who are those people "oversees" that your church is supporting?

Check it out. I was speaking with one of our local staffers who just got back from a missions trip to Mexico. This is what she had to say:

"On the first night that we arrived in Cancun our missions team was gathered around listening to the plan for our ministry to the week. While I was listening I realized that this felt a lot like camp! At the beginning of every week/weekend at camp we do the same thing. We all meet together, talk about the plan for the week, and pray together. God showed me that when we serve at camp we really are missionaries. So often I thought of working at camp as doing ministry, but not necessarily being a missionary. At camp, we serve God by serving people; in the village in Mexico we did the same thing. All of us who give our time to serve at camp are really missionaries ministering to the campers and showing them God's love."

Do you know some of the staff who will be serving at camp this summer? I challenge you to support them as you support other missionaries from your church/family. Pray for them, send them letters of encouragement, come for visit, mail them a care package, invest in their future. They need your support while they are on the mission field this summer.

It's an Explosion!

2008-04-27T10:13:00.005-05:00

Day Camp Count Down
84 DAYS

It's like a Day Camp EXPLOSION! We are continuing to pull together resources, peoples, money, equipment, staff, and all kinds of odds & ends in preparation for Day Camp this summer (which is FREE). We have tons of volunteers from the community. We have a "knock your socks off" program that will challenge, encourage, educate, and care for our campers. We also have handfuls of individuals and families who are investing in Day Camp to help us make camp FREE!

Check it out:
Arrowhead Parable Christian Store has also caught the Day Camp FEVER. Shoppers can invest $1, $5, $10 (or more) at the registers...and a hand print will be placed up on the wall behind the counter. Each hand represents more individuals and families who are making Day Camp possible this summer.
Then, on MAY 17th - the bookstore is having a huge sale ALL day. A portion of the proceeds that day will be given to Arrowhead to support Day Camp!
So...get to the bookstore to see the hand prints and don't forget to stop by on May 17th for the sale.

Our Spring Retreat

2008-04-27T10:11:00.005-05:00

Last weekend was our Shepherds Camp spring retreat. It was a great weekend all around. The weather was perfect...sunny in the 70's. The camp was packed full with campers, staff, volunteers, and new friends. We had all the classic camp activities - crafts, music class, Bible time, games, chapel, and tons of great food. With such nice weather we also had the opportunity to go on hay rides, have a picnic outside on Saturday, and play bocce ball on the new courts. The most exciting part of the weekend was meeting some new friends from Lancaster Bible College. HisStory, a new drama ministry from the college came up for the weekend as our special guests. They performed on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, presenting the gospel to our campers while also having a fun time with some crazy games and skits. They came into a new place with new people as a newly formed group...and they did a fantastic job. We also had a few NEW counselors - who came on staff specifically to serve at the retreat. Shepherds Camp continues to grow and it was a great blessing to have these new counselors serving with us. They were a vital part of a great weekend. As always, our Shepherds retreats are a fun opportunity to see reconnect with all of our camp friends for a weekend where Christ is the focus.

FREE! FREE! FREE!

2008-02-02T10:33:00.003-05:00

FREE! FREE! FREE!

This summer we are offering our Day Camp Program for FREE!
God has given us a great passion to be "The camp for ALL kids!"

Our goal is to see at least 100 kids come through our doors for Day Camp. We've got an amazing program that encourage, educate, challenge, and care for kids in our local communities. The most important part of Day Camp...is the good news of Jesus Christ. We are anticipating another great program with Drama Ministry of Lancaster. God used them in a mighty way to PRESENT, TEACH, and SEND our campers back home with Gospel.

We are talking and sharing with many churches, businesses, and individuals in the community - asking them to send kids to Day Camp for free. The financial support is coming in and we are excited to climb the ladder to 100 kids attending camp for FREE this summer!

We would love to have you make an IMPACT this summer by investing in our Day Camp program. Send a kid (or a bunch of kids) to Day Camp this summer.

What an Encouragement

2008-02-02T10:24:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we served a group of college students from Cornell University. Throughout their retreat the students drop encouraging notes to other students in their bags placed around the game room. The group made a "staff" bag and at the end of the weekend they gave it to us as an encouraging thank you.

Check it out: you can click on the picture to enlarge it.

Do You See It?

2008-01-17T15:09:00.001-05:00

This morning Natalie said to Kelly, "I don't like the man. I don't like him." With a puzzled look Kelly asked, "What man?" "The man in my bedroom. I don't like that man." Natalie said.

It's one of those times as a parents (or perhaps just as a dad) when you're not sure if you have a dilemma. Is this really an issue? What if she doesn't sleep at night? What if she has nightmares? I certainly don't like the idea of that. Can I cover it with a towel? I can't hack saw the thing off of there...we're borrowing the bed from our close friends.

It's kind of cute and serious at the same time.

Errowhead Eggrolls

2008-01-06T17:38:00.001-05:00

We had our first retreat of the new year (and the winter season) this past week. The group has a crazy schedule and we only serve them breakfast and snack...so, I did the cooking for the weekend. I decided to try a new recipe that I had over Christmas. I'm happy to report that my Egg Rolls were a hit. The campers ate them as fast as I could make them and send them out to the line.

Check out the Arrowhead Recipe Book
(click on the link to right, in the blue box).

Night Rider

2007-12-12T09:28:00.001-05:00

All week Natalie has been asking to go on a hayride...just her and I. She tells anyone she talks to on the phone that she is going on a hayride.

So...the other day I got the tractor out to drive the camp road in an effort to break up the ice that had just started to soften. However, by the time I got things settled in the camp office and had the tire chains in place...it was dark. But that was no reason to cancel the "night ride" as we dubbed it. Down the driveway, all the way to the mailboxes, and back again. As we left camp Natalie's first questions was, "Can we see the llamas and horses down the road?" After explaining that it was too dark she realized the error of your question. On the plus side though we did see Christmas lights on the neighbor's house at the end of the road. Nothing screams "Merry Christmas!" like blue icicle lights.

Here's Natalie and I on our Night Ride.

Ducks and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

2007-12-12T09:14:00.001-05:00

As many of you know Kelly and I were with McKenna at University Hospital in Syracuse for the whole month of November. We are so very grateful to be back home as a family to enjoy the time we have with McKenna. Our goal is to continue caring for her, keeping her as healthy as possible...which as you can see, is going pretty well. Kelly and I will be sending out family updates from two sources.

1) This blog
2) McKenna's "Care Page" at www.carepages.com.

You will need to sign in (create an account - which is free and safe). Then you can visit McKenna's care page any time you would like and when we make updates to the care page you will receive an email automatically.
McKenna's Care Page is listed under "McKenna Joy".

Our Fall Retreat

2007-10-31T09:02:00.001-05:00

A Fantastic Fall Retreat!
Wow what a turn out! Everything from the campers and staff, to the weather was AMAZING! We had an overwhelming response to this fall's Shepherds Retreat. Thanks to all of our local counselors and a bunch of out-of-state counselors, 66 campers attended the retreat! What's even more amazing is that we had another 16 campers on the waiting list who were unable to come to the retreat. You can bet that we will be ready with more counselors for our spring retreat this April. We also had a huge amount of staff including counselors, program, service staff, leadership staff, and volunteers. We had 30 students and young adults serving at Shepherds Camp. That's AWESOME! As I mentioned before even the weather was a great turnout. Sure, it was a little chilly and even rainy on Friday...BUT, the sky cleared up, the sun came out, and the temperature rose a bit on Saturday allowing us to go on a few hayrides. Comfortable hayrides in late October...now that's a turn out. The campers and staff also had a great time weaving baskets and crosses for crafts, singing all of our favorite songs from the summer, and as always - enjoying some really good food.

What a blessing to see many of our friends from the summer. We love these retreat opportunities to reconnect and continue presenting the good news of Jesus Christ. From crazy games in the gymnasium to evening chapel...it was a GREAT weekend at camp.

Hayrides & Hot Cider

2007-10-22T13:54:00.002-05:00

It Really is Fall.
Last Thursday we invited all of our Day Camp kids from this summer to join us for a evening of fall fun. The main event of the evening was a hay ride down the road, through the woods, and around the lake. We also enjoyed hot cider, marshmallow roasting by the fireplace, and games in the main building. We had a good turnout with a dozen campers, parents, some friends from our neighborhood, and a few new faces too. It was a great time to reconnect with our campers and meet some parents, while having a blast at camp. And of course (and I don't mean to rub it in), the weather was unseasonably beautiful.

Do You Buddy Walk?

2007-09-20T18:29:00.001-05:00

"Let's Go!"

But, if you can't go..."Let's Pray!"

Next weekend is the 10th annual Buddy Walk of Binghamton. The Buddy Walk is an awareness event for Downs Syndrome. This is a fantastic nation wide event that has a GREAT turnout here in Binghamton. This year's Buddy Walk is being held at the Ross Park Zoo - less than 10 minutes away from camp. If you can not come out to the walk I would be grateful for your prayers. Shepherds Camp (myself and some staff) will have a booth at the Buddy Walk and our goal is to meet tons of new friends who live right in our community.

Last year's Buddy Walk (with poor weather) attracted 700 people who walked to raise awareness for Downs Syndrome. This year they are hoping to have OVER 1,000 people. Wow! What an amazing opportunity to INVEST in our community. Please pray for us and the IMPACT we can have at this event and in the lives of individuals who respond to the invitation to attend camp.

Bocce Ball Anyone?

2007-08-15T09:49:00.001-05:00

Bocce Ball Invitational Tournament!
Yesterday evening the Arrowhead Shepherds Campers hosted the Bocce Bulldogs. Our 1st Annual Bocce Ball Invitational Tournament was PERFECT. The weather was great, we kept the bugs under control, the athlete were geared up, and the crowd was excited.

Through a few contacts and conversations God has begun a great relationship between Shepherds Camp and the Special Olympics. We praise God for His leading as we continue to fulfill our vision of making an IMPACT on our local community.

The Special Olympics has just introduced bocce ball and we are their very first tournament site. Local Special Olympic athletes and their families came out to camp for this very special event. We also had a few friends and special guests who came to enjoy the games. One of the special guests was Peter Quinn a reporter from News Channel 34. He got great footage of the tournament and included a few interviews. Check out some of the tournament action below...

Spiedie Fun

2007-08-10T08:51:00.001-05:00

We have a new family tradition starting. Check out the caricature Natalie and I had done at Spiedie Fest.

Natalie is just as cute as a cartoon.

We're Still Kick'n...

2007-08-08T13:05:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that McKenna is 2 weeks old already. We had her 1st check-up today and she weighed in at 7lbs.5oz. (she was 6lbs. 13oz. when she was born). She is a very good natured baby. She sleeps well and when she's awake she's very content just looking around and soaking up her surroundings. Natalie is adjusting well. She still needs to be reminded to be gentle with McKenna, but overall you can tell she loves her little sister. Here are some recent pictures of our girls...

It's a rough life sunbathing by the pool all day!

1st Family Photos...

Over the weekend, my sister Megan and her husband, Aaron were here visiting. While they were here, we made a trip out to the annual Speidie Fest and Balloon Rally. Natalie enjoyed seeing all the hot air balloons and is still talking about them today. As you can see from the pictures, McKenna was less than impressed and decided to sleep through the whole event.

And for those of you who haven't heard, we did decide on a middle name for McKenna. Her name is McKenna Joy!

It's AMAZING.

2007-07-25T20:53:00.001-05:00

3:30am - "Ben, wake up I think it is time to get packed."

4:15am - "I think we have everything...let's go."

4:30am - "Watch out for that deer! Woah, it's was a buck."

5:00am - "On a scale from one to ten, are you sure the pain is an eight? You seem way too relaxed."

5:30am - "Alright Mrs. Myers we need to fill out a some forms before things get started."

6:00am - "What? You're ready to start pushing. I'll call the doctor."

6:06am - [the doctor] "I hope I don't get towed...I parked in the President's parking space."

6:26am - "Here's your baby girl. Does she have a name?" "Yes, McKenna.

10:30pm - "What a day! Praise God! Enjoy the pictures."

Half Way Baby!

2007-07-17T16:05:00.001-05:00

Summer Blitz!
Things here at camp are absolutely crazy! Here's a quick run down of the past few weeks to keep you up-to-date.

Natalie's Big Month of Milestones:
Natalie turned 2 years old on July 11th. We had a small party with cake and ice cream. Natalie was more excited about the food than the fact that she turned two. Just a few days ago Natalie moved across the hall into her new room, which we have dubbed her "big sister room." That same day we sat down as a family and had a discussion about how big sisters don't use pacifiers. As the discussion came to a close we took Natalie's pacifiers and threw them in the garbage. Since then Natalie has only asked for her pacifier a couple times...and she hasn't cried or thrown a fit about receiving "No" for an answer. This parenting thing is pretty easy [sarcastic grin]. We will see how it goes with two kids at the same time...which should be any day now with a due date of August 5th.

Day Camp
Our first week of day Camp is here and gone. It was a wild and crazy week full of activities, special guests, awesome food and some amazing presentations of the gospel. We were blessed to have a Drama Ministry team with us from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Each day they preformed dramas and mimes giving a tremendous presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, each afternoon the campers went to Drama Class. This was hands down the most enjoyed program element. The campers asked about Drama Class every day. They could not wait to learn the dramas they were seeing each morning. I was blessed to hear that many of the campers were going home each night to perform the dramas and mimes for their parents. Some families even worked together making up their own dramas. It was great to see the gospel presented in a dynamic way each day...building on the day before...and then become a very tangible activity that our campers took a hold of and made their own.
We also had some very special guests and friends from the community like: Sign Language Class with one of our past staffers who is deaf, Horses from the therapeutic riding center just down the road, and our local meteorologist Steve Prinzivalli who came and shared about storms and bad weather. We also had a surprise visit from Samantha Hensell (from the local tv station) who brought a camera and did a story on Day Camp. Needless to say it was exciting to have such a great outreach into the community through the media. Oh yeah, the campers also went nuts over the fact that they were going to be on TV.
Most of all though, we are praising God for a fruitful week of ministry. Through God's grace we were a part of one young camper's decision to receive Jesus as his Savior. What a celebration to see God's love and mercy take away darkness and usher light into a life. Please join us in praising God for the great things that only He can do.

Special Olympics at Arrowhead
Construction of our new Bocce Ball courts is underway. At the tail end of this week we are going to be putting up two Bocce Ball courts. The courts will have two purposes. The first is the addition of a new program element for Shepherds Camp. The second is preparation for a Bocce Ball Tournament that we will be hosting for the Southern Tier Special Olympics. That's right, the Special Olympics are coming to Shepherds Camp! We are very excited and thankful for God's leading as He continues to give us success in meeting our goal of reaching out to our local community. What a blessing to be able to invest in the lives of our neighbors and friends.

Oh Baby?
We're heading into turn three. It is the proverbial Thursday of summer. We have less days left and more days done. Even though things are going to get busier there is the anticipation of "the best is yet to come." We have four weeks of Shepherds Camp ahead of us. We also have a baby coming VERY soon. Don't forget the Spiedie Fest and the Bocce Ball Tournament...and those are just the things we are expecting.
Stay Tuned, we will keep you up-to-date.

Summer...

2007-06-23T10:18:00.001-05:00

Ready or Not...Summer is Here:
After a week of Staff Training our first group of the summer has arrived here at camp; an inner city ministry from Washington D.C. The leaders have a clear passion and vision for the youth in their community and they have been thoroughly enjoying their time at Arrowhead. Their program is focused on the spiritual formation of students in the face of the cultural influences of media. Beside the normal camp stuff like tons of good food, swimming in the lake, foosball, and basketball in the gym; they have program activities revolving around the media. The group leader wrote two plays which the campers are practicing and will perform tonight for the whole group. All of the campers have broken into groups which have been spending time creating inspirational films for their peers. Their films will be shown tonight after the plays. They have been a pleasure to serve and a joy to partner with. It is exciting to see believers who understand their community and are seeking to meet their actual needs. The interesting thing about it is that even though this group and camp are very different...we are like-minded and our passion is much the same.

Shepherds Camp is Just Around the Corner:
Sunnnnday! Sunnnnday! Sunnnnday! (for those of you who know the Buck Arena down in Harrisburg) Shepherds Camp begins on Sunday with our first two-week program. You can't get any more excited than this. We passed last year's numbers a few weeks ago AND we have over 35 new campers! With a total of six weeks of programming we have closed the first two programs. We are praising God and watching the third program increase. Just the other day I was talking with the mother of one of our campers. She said her son David already had his bags packed and they were sitting by the door. What an amazing IMPACT camp has the lives of so many individuals in our community...who otherwise wouldn't hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Let me again encourage you, thank you, and implore you to join us - by praying for Shepherds Camp and by praising God for all the amazing things He is doing the lives of the developmentally disabled.

What's New at Camp:
This year's newest and hottest activity is down at the lake. We have replaced our diving board with a two-tiered jump tower. That's right! Looming tall above the dock, campers soar through the air screaming with joy as they plummet to the water below. The new jump tower is a very exhilarating method for getting wet and cooling down in the summer heat. Of course you can try it when you come to visit.

Baby Report: It has been two years since I started writing this "camp correspondence" which has come to you in several different formats and frequencies. Remembering back I think one of the primary reasons for starting News from Arrowhead was the Baby Report. Well, here we are again. We officially have 43 days left until our second little girl is due to arrive. That's only six weeks away. Kelly and I are feeling the days count down and waiting has lost its luster. We are both ready for her arrival. The sooner the better I say. We will definitely keep you updated.

GoodSearch Update:
We just passed 10,000 searches for Arrowhead. Just by using GoodSearch as your search engine, GoodSearch will be donating over $100 to camp. That's not too bad - $100 in seven months. Thanks to everyone who has been GoodSearching for Arrowhead.

Never a Dull Moment

2007-06-05T09:22:00.002-05:00

This past month we have definitely enjoyed the warm (sometimes HOT) weather. Natalie absolutely loves being outside. Some of her favorite activities include: kicking her soccer ball on the blacktop, throwing the Frisbee (which she can throw perfectly about 15 feet...but you never know which direction), riding one of her cars, tricycles, or wagon and SWIMMING in the lake. Last week we jumped in the shallow end together as a family. Natalie was jumping around, laughing, splashing, and kicking. She was all over the deep end running back and forth from me to Kelly. The water was certainly chilly, but refreshingly fun. In the past few weeks we have been blessed to have many family and friends come up to camp to visit. In fact, we've had visitors the past three weeks. The weather has been great and nothing beats sharing the ministry of camp with loved ones. Natalie loves having guests at our house. On the weekend the Grandma and Grandpa were visiting...Natalie (feeling a little spoiled) got carried away with licking the chocolate-beaters. We were standing in the kitchen talking and in just a few short seconds I turned around to see Natalie attacking an empty bowl. When she came up for air she just smiled with wide eyes and dove back in, licking the inside of the bowl clean.

We're Having a Picnic
This past Saturday we had our 3rd Annual FREE Picnic. In the past it has been a great source of exposure, hospitality to the community, and a great way to build relationships...and this year was no different. We had about 85 people in attendance for a very beautiful and sunny afternoon. Everyone had their fill of Hamburgers, hot dogs, cole-slaw, seedless watermelon, and few other fixings. Then families and friends scoured the camp playing table games inside, basketball outside, swimming at the lake, and even a hayride. This year we were blessed to have a large number of our campers and their care-providers at the picnic. We also met several families from the area who came to see to the camp. It was a great turnout for a great day.

Summer is Coming Soon
Well, if you didn't notice...it's June. Summer is definitely here. Our Staff Training starts in just two weeks. Then begins a jammed packed summer of Loving & Serving at camp. In the meantime we've got a big wedding back home in the Hanover area. Then we'll be hurrying back to put the final touches on camp and working with some of the leadership staff.

Soul Thirst & Sabbath

2007-05-10T06:10:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure and privilege of going on a weekend retreat with about 10 other guys from the Lancaster, PA area. The retreat was hosted by Lancaster Bible College (LBC) and lead by my mentor and best friend who is now a professor at LBC. This was the third installment of "Soul Thirst", a weekend retreat for student ministry leaders. Each retreat focuses on a specific spiritual discipline, through discussion and experience. On this Soul Thirst we looked at the discipline of Sabbath or rest.

I was very excited for this retreat, especially because the summer is fast approaching. I was praying that God would use it as a weekend of preparation for the summer, which He certainly did. Entering the weekend I actually felt rested. This past year has been a good one for me. I haven't been burned out by work and ministry. My plate isn't SO full that I'm going crazy while getting nothing done. I've also spent good time with my family after working during the day and on the weekends. I'm very thankful for the rest that I have had in this full time ministry.

As we drove from LBC to the retreat cabin I was excited to think that for once I was going to go on a retreat where I wasn't going to be completely convicted two minutes after it began. On the other hand, I was very eager to explore and experience the discipline of Sabbath AND to learn how God wanted me to change my life to be more like Jesus in that area.

We had a great weekend with beautiful weather. The whole retreat was designed for us to be challenged with God's Word concerning the Sabbath AND to experience times of Sabbath within the retreat weekend. I must say that disciplining yourself to rest is much easier than disciplining yourself in Fasting or Solitude & Silence. I found myself to be rested as I predicted. My body physically didn't need to nap during the day so I was able to spend a good amount of time reading, praying, journaling, and eating. I also enjoyed meeting a bunch of new guys from the Lancaster area and seeing some guys that I knew from previous Soul Thirst retreats.

Through the Soul Thirst retreat God brought to light something about the rest I have been getting. Yes, I've been getting good rest. Yes, I'm not burned out by the ministry. Yes, I'm taking care of my first priority - my wife and kids. BUT, when I was resting I wasn't always resting in Him. The purpose and the effectiveness of Sabbath is - that God is the One we are to rest in. Sure we can rest by taking a nap or reading a book or some other pleasurable activity, but those things should not be where we run to for rest. The key behind Sabbath is asking God to show you what things in your life need to go...so you can rest, and what things need to be added so you can rest and find delight. The Sabbath is characterized by a lack of work and the presence of delight. In Genesis, God created the world in six days. Then on the seventh day He declared that creation was complete and He said, "It is good." God also gave us the commandment to observe the Sabbath - a time to cease working and delight in what is good.

I had a great weekend and I definitely grew closer to God through His Word and experiencing the discipline of Sabbath.

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

2007-05-10T05:19:00.001-05:00

Last week Kelly and I were up late cooking food for a retreat I went on this past weekend. Actually, it was more like I was helping Kelly cook. Anyway, it was late at night when we finally finished cooking. I grabbed a few bags of trash that we had made and headed outside. I hopped on the golf cart (which was still outside from earlier in the evening) and drove to the dumpster down at the maintenance area. I threw the trash in the dumpster and hopped back on the cart. Sitting on the cart for a moment I heard something on the other side of the fence behind me. I paused and listened carefully thinking I didn't really hear anything. Then I heard it again. It was a gentle noise, as if something was taking it's time, meandering along the other side of the fence. By that time I was definitely intrigued to see what it was going to be. The noise faded away...but came right back further down the fence on my left side. I was expecting to see a cat or a possum squeeze under the fence on its routine trip to the camp dumpster for a midnight snack. Then I thought..."What if it's something else? What if it's a raccoon or a dog or a raccoon with rabies." So I continued waiting, listening and watching the bottom of the fence just 15 feet away. After what seemed like an eternity I became impatient. "What was it?" Then I decided I had had enough. I was just going to drive the golf cart out around the corner and see what this thing was. As I moved my foot to the gas pedal, grabbed the steering wheel, and looked up...
I saw a massive dark shape slowly and quietly sneaking around the corner by the gas tanks. There was no question about it. It was a bear! As it came in plain view my eyes scanned from its back to its head. Oh yeah, it was a bear! Like any red-blooded American standing between a black bear and its evening meal (with barriers on either side)...I yelled, "Woah!" I know what you're thinking..."Ohhh, real manly." Well, it was a very deep, "Woah!"
Before I could blink the bear turned and ran. Immediately the thought entered my mind that I couldn't see this bear any more, I didn't know where it went or where it was, and to get home I was going to have to drive around that fence. So I hit the gas pedal, threw my hands up in the air, and starting growling and yelling. I rounded the corner by the fence and just caught a glimpse of the bear heading out around the trailer about 30 yards ahead. I could barely see it (no pun intended) which made me realize that I didn't have my flashlight on. So I continued down the road after this bear yelling, waving my hands in the air, while fumbling to turn my flashlight on and drive at the same time. In just a few short seconds I passed the trailer, scanning camp grounds rapidly...but it was gone. Maybe it ran straight for the woods behind the staff cabins or sprinted up towards the main building and down into the woods by the lake...I couldn't tell. With a slightly elevated pulse I turned around and drove back to the house eager to tell Kelly.
So there you have it. That's my bear story. It's been a while since I've seen a bear here in Brackney. I saw them all the time during my freshman year of college in Wisconsin. But, it has certainly been a good while since I've seen a bear or come that close to one by myself.
There are a few important things everyone should know about black bears:
1. They usually are more afraid of you than you are of them.
2. They will be more afraid of you if you look bigger then them. If you can - stand up straight, raise your hands, and yell.
3. Bears usually only attack when they feel threatened. For example: If they are cornered, or if you are in between a mother and her cub(s).
4. Bears can run faster than horses in a 1/4 mile sprint. So if a bear does charge you...don't just run away. Run to the nearest building and get inside.
5. Being in a group of people is usually the safest situation. If a bear charges you and your friends, the only thing you have to worry about is whether or not you are the slowest runner in the group.
6. These helpful hints only apply to black bears. If you encounter a brown bear, kodiak, grizzly, or polar bear...say your prayers and get into the fetal position.

Thanks for reading. Tell me about your bear story. Click on the word "comment" in the white box below.

They Grow Up So Fast...

2007-04-25T06:27:00.001-05:00

Natalie is now officially using a "Big Girl Bed." Oh my! Today it's a big girl bed and tomorrow it's off to college. Well, at least that's what everybody tells. Let's look on the bright side though. When Natalie goes off to college, we will have served 21 years at Arrowhead. That's a whole lot of summer camps, winter retreats, work groups, and staff trainings.

I think we'll just focus on this summer...and take them one at a time.

Sunday afternoon we took Natalie's crib apart and converted it to a big girl bed. When it was all said and done Natalie was ecstatic. When we asked her about her new big girl bed (talking it up to get her used to the idea) she would yell and jump around...and then tear off running through the house to her bedroom to throw herself on her new bed.
So far things have been going pretty well. The first night she got up several times until we explained that she needed to choose to stay in bed or she would choose a consequence. Since then she only gets up once or twice before she really should.

Reality is setting in that Natalie is most certainly - growing up.

Easter

2007-04-16T09:55:00.001-05:00

Family Update:
Here are some pictures from Easter. Natalie, Kelly, and I (and the baby) traveled down to southern PA for the weekend.

Winter Storm BLASTS the Northeast!

2007-04-16T09:40:00.001-05:00

As you can imagine, I'm getting pretty sick and tired of writing about snow. It's April 16th for crying out loud. Actually, I don't mind the snow at all. I would choose cold & snowy over hot & buggy any day. The only thing I'm not so crazy about is sideways snow. Sideways snow is down right nasty. I know what you're thinking, "Just keep your back to the wind." Yeah, well...easier said than done. One false turn and you've got a face full of blustery ice crystals. Sometimes you run into a situation where you have to shovel a path and you just can't get your back to the wind. See what I mean.

To any extent, we got a bit of snow overnight and it's still coming down. [We are thankful that the power hasn't gone out] I'd say we're at 10" or so.

The commute to work this morning was a bear. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper.

For those of you who don't like snow...just relax and have some fun.

Snow?

2007-04-06T11:37:00.001-05:00

Snow? "Hey, wasn't that a paragraph heading in a previous Blog posting?" That's right, the white is back. Temperatures here at camp have plummeted in the past week...causing it to snow the last two days. I didn't think the weather man knew what he was talking about until I woke up Thursday morning and saw the ground covered in a white fluffy spring snow. It almost confuses you enough to say, "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Easter."

Check it out:
Here's something for all you moms and dads.

Nature/Technology: Africam - click on the "Nkorho Stream" (below the "home" tab)
Live streaming video from Africa. Guaranteed to supply your family (or just your kids) with countless hours of fun (automatic babysitting). I'm just kidding. Actually it makes for a fun activity several times throughout the day. Natalie likes checking the computer to see if Africam shows any wildlife. Even if it doesn't, you can hear live audio. Note: Night time is great...because birds and insects are flying to the watering hole which shows up great on the night-vision camera.

Wish List Need
In the past year or two we have seen a good growth rate in new campers for Shepherds Camp. As the number of new campers rises we find our need for new/more office equipment rising as well. One of those needed items has been on our wish list for the past year. A document scanner would be a very helpful and efficient addition to our camp office. It would alleviate the stress and time we spend copying information, faxing information, and discussing information between full time staff (and our camp records).
I'm asking you to prayerfully consider making an investment to the camp for the purchase of a document scanner. If you have any questions, please give me a call or shoot me an email. bkarrowhead@frontiernet.net, 570.663.2419

Count Down

2007-03-30T10:14:00.001-05:00

DAY CAMP - COUNT DOWN
101 days until Day Camp at Arrowhead