Friends are Friends Forever

In the words of Michael W. Smith "friends are friends forever." As the theme song of so many closing days or "goodbyes" this is the first song that comes to mind as we close Kamp for the summer. Today Kampers are packing. They are exchanging contact information and promising to become friends on Facebook as soon as they get home. They are soaking in every last event from the blob to the zipline as they get excited about getting to see their families when the gates open at 4pm.

Today is my last day of work here at Kanakuk and I can't help but think about all the blessings this place has given me. I began as a Kamper here when I was 8 years old in teepee 2 at K-Seven. I attended Kamp for 8 years then I went on staff in college and worked at K-Seven. The Institute and K-Life have shared a huge part of my life over the past 4 years and now I have worked in the marketing department for the past 2 summers. Needless to say, this place holds a big piece of my heart.

I know I am not alone in feeling this way. Whether you're 8 and this was your first summer, or your 70 and came to Kanakuk as a child yourself, you know how this place really is different. This place has molded how so many of us follow Christ. It has influenced how we interact with others in an "I'm Third" mindset. It's led us to our best friends, taught us about accountability and built us into mentors for those younger than us. As so many of us leave here tomorrow we will have heavy hearts to leave family, but we will also be grateful, for a summer that stretched us, challenged us and molded us to be a little more like Christ.

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

A Summer for the Whole Family

It has been another Incredible summer at Kanakuk Family Kamp K-Kauai! "Protect this Hut" is a theme that will remain in the back of the minds of many families as they go about their lives back home. An incredible speaker lineup, a fantastic staff and a phenomenal collection of families are all the ingredients that went into a fantastic summer at Kauai!





We are looking forward to next summer which is already nearly full! As of today we have three spots open for next summer and we know those will go very quickly. Registration will open for summer 2013 on June 1, 2012 so stay tuned. Thank you so much for such a great summer. Looking forward to seeing you next year!

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

Equipping the Future

Walking up the K-2 hill towards the upper fields the other day, I found myself surrounded by guys and girls all heading in the same direction with lime green books in their hands. There must have been at least a hundred and fifty of them piling into the chapel at K-2 for a class with no bats, no balls, no ropes or tennis shoes required. They laugh and exchange stories from the day as they find their seats in the chapel. A few minutes later Debbie Jo take the stage and discussion begins.

Discussions and lecture carries on for the next hour in this small chapel in the Ozarks. This class, called K-Equip, has been offered at K-2 for many summers. Lead by Joe & Debbie Jo White and Adam Donyes, the class is targeted to equip Kampers with a deeper Bible knowledge. When it first began it was a small group of students who wanted to learn more about the Bible. Over the past few years, this class has exploded into one of the most popular classes at K-2.




As I sat in the back pew of the chapel and listened to scripture being read by a Kamper it was incredible to see how attentive all the Kampers were. They were taking notes and asking questions with significantly more insight than I ever would've had at their age... or lets be honest, even more insight than I have now.




To see these high school students choose to be studying their Bible over spending time on the lake or at the pool was awesome. Seeing their hunger for the Word, their passion for learning and their desire to be leaders back in their community was humbling. We should be so thankful for the blessings the Lord has given us in these amazing future leaders!

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

Lunch with a Beat...

Today the marketing department at Kanakuk was invited to join K-Kountry for a little lunch "Kamp Style." We were all so excited to get to experience lunch at the Kountryside before the end of the summer, especially on such a cool day! So seven of us headed out of our A/C offices towards Kamp where we were greeted by a tremendous amount of energy and excitement. As soon as we walked through the gates we found a group of the guy Kampers who were sitting in "bumblebee," a time when Kampers are recognized for their outstanding efforts that day. Costumes, cheers and laughter were all around us and our Kamp experience was just beginning.



After "bumblebee" we headed down the road where the girls had recently finished a masterpiece of artwork with chalk. A few of us did hopscotch and truly relived our childhood. We waited in line-up with all the other Komo (girl) barns as we could smell the delicious food awaiting us inside!




Dinning at Kamp is a whole different experience. Food is served family style, teaching kids how to serve each other before themselves. Beyond that, there are few manners required. And if you ask nearly any K-Kountry Kamper what their favorite part of lunch is, I would be willing to bet they would say dancing. From the moment they set foot through the door the music was pumped up and the Kampers were going crazy with all their dances. Whether they were getting food, standing on their benches or cleaning up at the end of the meal, they were dancing and loving every minute of it! There was even a brief interlude to one song where all the Kampers knew to grab a utensil and dishes and bang on them as loudly as possible. It was a hilarious moment as all of us "adults" at our table looked at each other wondering if it would be inappropriate if we joined in too. We left K-Kountry with full stomachs and smiling faces. It was a delightful time-out from our day.




Meals at Kamp are a blast and we are so thankful we got an opportunity to experience one first hand. Parents, we will say in advance we're sorry if when your Kampers get home they feel like every meal there should be dancing... try it, it's bound to put a smile on your face the same way it did ours!

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

K-Seven Kamper win's BIG!

One of our Kampers, David Mullings (second from right), had a big win with his baseball team this summer. His team, El Paso Heat won the State of Texas - USSSA Little League - West Texas Division Tournament. The team had an unbelievable season as they went 22-7. We are so proud of you and your team David!

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

Kanakuk-isms Monday "UnReal/Super Deal"

Anticipation and excitement race through your mind as you arrive back at Kamp, check in, and find out where you will be living while you're here. For the younger Kampers its the anticipation of who their counselors are and if they will be able to survive without their parents. For the older Kampers, however, the excitement is for one thing and one thing only... "will I be in UnReal/Super Deal?"


So what is all the hype about you might ask? Well being in UnReal/Super deal you are identified as the oldest in the entire Kamp. You're the leaders, the chiefs/princesses, you set the bar and the example for all the other Kampers to follow. Along with the responsibility of being the Kamp role models comes a few perks to being the oldest.


Throughout their time here the Kampers in these cabins may get to go on an extra trip, get an extra party or even get elected to lead their tribes the next summer as the chiefs/princesses. You have your own cheer, the biggest cabin and often you have been to Kamp with the same group of people for multiple years.

UnReal/Super Deal truly is a good deal. And a great way for kids to learn what its like to have so many people looking up to them.

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