Walking Your Family Through Pain

The following email was sent from Joe White to all Kanakuk families that we have valid emails for. Not all of you can receive emails so he wanted me to share this with you.

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Dear Kanakuk Families,

Last night I was in the home of a truly amazing mom. To her husband, her three kids and to me she is every bit of that and more. Double-mastectomy, months of chemotherapy and then the tragic loss of her close friend. I learned a lot last night in that home. Her family, and quite honestly my family, and much of our greater Kamp family tonight are wanting help when life becomes exceedingly difficult. How do I help my kids understand? How do I help my kids walk through sadness and difficult circumstances that are beyond my control?

Over the past three days, I have penned my best thoughts and some things that I have learned over the years from my long time friends Dr. Gary Smalley, Dr. James Dobson, and mainly from 36 years of priceless conversations with our Kamp families who also have asked, “Where is God when life doesn’t make sense?”

Click here to read: Walking Your Family Through Pain

In His strength,

Joe White

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The Lord Lives!

Do you ever read Proverbs and the Psalms by what day of the month it is? I do, and today the 18th Psalm verse 46 reminded me of an old church camp song from when I was a kid. The chorus was straight from scripture...

"The Lord livith and blessed be the Rock and let the God of my salvation be exalted."

The version I'm reading tonight is slightly different, but in my heart the words above are forever burned. Those memories from summers at camp reminded why it's so important for me to be here today making sure that I do my small part in helping Kanakuk connect with you.

Before Christ came to earth God was my salvation, my Rock and He's alive! That's exciting to me. I hope it is for you too. Does any one have memories of that song from your childhood? If I could carry a tune I'd post audio :-)

Facebook friends make your comments in the original post at Inside Kanakuk.

Official Kanakuk Statement

The following statement was released by Kanakuk Kamps COO Doug Goodwin on 9/15/09.

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Statement from Kanakuk Kamps
by Doug Goodwin

Our camp family was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the allegations involving a former employee. The alleged behavior is counter to everything we believe in, everything we stand for and everything we work to instill in the young people who come to us seeking to grow personally and in their relationship with Christ.

Our prayers and thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we have worked closely with authorities investigating this matter.
Most importantly, we have offered our assistance to the alleged victims and their families. We are committed to protecting their privacy, and we cannot say anything further about the allegations at this time.

For years, we have had very clear policies and extensive training in place for all staff regarding appropriate behavior. Our staff members go through background checks. In light of this situation, we’ve reviewed and, where appropriate, updated our policies to reinforce our commitment to the families we serve.

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E-Mail to All Kamp Families RE: Former Employee

The following email was sent to all the valid family emails that Kanakuk Kamps had on Monday at 4:30 pm. We know not all of you received it for one reason or another and wanted to make it available here. Thank you for your many emails of support.

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Dear (Kamp Families),

For the last 34 years, Debbie Jo and I have poured our hearts and prayers into this beloved place. Therefore it is with a heavy heart that I am writing to you today regarding a difficult situation.

Because you are an important part of the Kanakuk family, we wanted to make you aware that earlier today, the Taney County Missouri prosecutor filed a four-count criminal complaint against our former employee, Pete Newman. As you may know, Pete Newman was employed at K-Kountry. The prosecutor’s criminal charges allege that Pete engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with adolescent boys, including some who had been Kanakuk Kampers.

When we became aware of this situation we took immediate action, terminating Pete Newman’s employment. Since that time, we have been working closely with the affected families and appropriate authorities. We reported what we knew to investigators and stayed in contact throughout the process, providing whatever assistance we could. We have also offered our assistance to the impacted families. Our fervent prayers are with those who have been impacted. We look forward to the completion of the legal process to ensure that justice is served.

As you know, Pete Newman’s alleged behavior is counter to everything we believe in, everything we stand for and everything we work to instill in the young people who come to us seeking to grow personally and in their relationship with Christ. In fact, for years, we have had very clear policies and extensive training in place for all staff regarding appropriate behavior. Our staff members go through background checks, personal interviews and extensive training on our policies.

We understand the difficulty that this situation causes you and your children. We pledge to work with you to help you address questions your children may have. Kanakuk is a family, and families often face challenging times. We also pledge that Kanakuk will continue to do all we can to champion efforts to prevent inappropriate behavior from occurring at any camp.

If you have questions or concerns about this situation, please e-mail me at joe@kanakuk.com.

Thank you for being part of the Kanakuk family.

In Christ,

Joe White

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