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 Sun Sets on Kanakuk

Sometimes our light goes out but is fanned into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light. - Albert Schweitzer

Todd Rapp, K-West Assistant Director, showed me this quote this morning and made the observation that it describes much of what we do here at Kanakuk Kamps. The history of Kanakuk Kamps is full of people who have had their lights fanned alive by the love and care of our staff. It is some of the finest staff in the world. My daughter received the nicest notes from her counselors this week and we cherish them. I wish they could see the light shining brightly in her.

Just a few minutes ago I sent an e-mail out to the last three year's summer staff announcing a full-time Graphic Design job that just opened up here last week. As I looked out my office window tonight and saw the sun setting I thought of this quote again. I thought of our Graphic Designer Lindsay moving on to another job where she can grow and expand, closer to home. It's my hope that even in the Marketing Department at Kanakuk Kamps that we would fan each other's light, spurring one another on to reach toward the goals God has set before us. To be ready to fan another until their light bursts into flame. We often don't understand why we land places then get moved on, but God has a plan. Our part is to live life fanning like crazy.

As Lindsay leaves, we look forward to the next person that will fill her huge (size 5) shoes. If you know someone with Graphic Design passion and skills, please send the link below on to them.

http://www.kanakuk.com:2008/staff/jobopening.html

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Should you send your child to Summer Camp or Seminary?

Best Friends at Kamp: The Camerons

At Kanakuk, campers have a blast doing all the fun stuff, hanging out with cool counselors, and making great friendships. This past summer the video staff at K-1 interviewed two boys, both named Cameron, both "lefties" and both sorting through deep theological issues.

When I was 8, I was still trying to figure out whether the chicken came before the egg. So I can appreciate the struggle that the Camerons had with the question "Would we be alive if Jesus didn't die on the Cross?" But they seemed to get to the bottom of it in a way that only a child could. Watching this video reminded me of Matthew 18:1-4. Cameron and Cameron gave me pause to wonder if I'm being child-like enough in my walk with Christ.

My daughter has a shirt that says "My Dad can fix anything!" Talk about pressure! She's about Cameron's age and still believes what's on her shirt. I do my best to live up to those expectations. I want her to know that when she comes to me with broken stuff that I'll at least give fixing it a try. The fun part is pointing her to the One who can fix it all. The older she get's the less it seems I can fix things :-)

If something is broken in your life, don't come running to me. God is waiting for you, waiting to give you life through the cross. So, yes, Cameron we become "alive" in Christ through His death on the cross. That's great news and I'm so glad you're already thinking about it.

When you came to Kanakuk during the summer how did it impact your life and your view of Christ?


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Are You Like Sarah Palin?

 

Palin family minus new little guy, Trig.

Ask anyone, I vote, but I'm not political. I figure God already knows who's gonna win, so I spend my energies on other things, but Sarah Palin's explosion into the national spotlight has made me think.

If nothing else it seems to have highlighted the intensely diverse roll of women. Maybe you can relate. At 44 years old Sarah Palin is a self proclaimed "Hockey mom", mother of 5 in a 4 bedroom, 4 bath house, wife married for 20 years, small town church goer, oh, and Vice Presidential candidate! 

It made me think of the many Kanakuk Kamps moms who drive the kids to school, work a job, do the family "books", attend church, serve on school committees, coordinate soccer teams, and lovingly tuck their little ones in bed at night. It's not so different from Sarah Palin's life really. Maybe you don't have handlers (maybe you wish you did?). Maybe you aren't scheduled for a national televised debate tonight, but standing before the school board fighting for character training funds is pretty big. Especially impressive when you spent the 4 hours prior closing a real estate deal, making dinner, and solving pre-algebra problems! What guides you through all that?

We are getting close to rolling out a new kanakuk.com; A foundational start to a new experience for our whole Kanakuk family. My dream of kanakuk.com becoming a "resource for your life" makes me want to stop and consider your diversity. What you are doing, what you are dealing with, what questions do you have, what connections do you want to make with us, and each other? How can we come along side with encouragement for your family throughout the year?

You may not be preparing for the Sarah Palin v. Joe Biden debate but, if you can relate to the hectic life of Sarah Palin, we are right there with you. We all need a solid foundation to stand on. Something absolute to cling to when the pressures get overwhelming.

Consider this today as you spread peanut butter: Psalms 119. It is 176 verses on the importance of relying on God's word for our every need. At least take with you the familiar verse 105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." Take time to read God's Word you won't regret it.

Can you relate to Sarah Palin today? How?

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Kanakuk Kamps Employee Benefit #136

After being without power at my house for over 24 hours, with 7th grade discipleship group, school and work all scheduled for early Monday morning my boys and I got up in the dark and made our way to the K-Kauai Staff building for some light and a warm shower!

Most importantly the long day without power taught our family a small amount of empathy for those in Texas, Louisiana, and the rest of the Gulf residents ravaged by Hurricane Ike and his friends. We live with so much in America and yet have so little margin in our lives. We did fine without power and water for a day. We have Wal-Mart, good friends, and a solid roof over our heads. But, what if we had been without for days, weeks, or even months?

As my wife and I lay in bed last night, listening to a neighbor's generator run, she commented about how people used to live like this all the time, many within the last 100 years. It was one of those reality check moments when priorities get jostled into a deeper, more meaningful order.

My new found empathies go out to all those effected by the storms in the Gulf and the World. To all those sleeping under the stars tonight, wondering where clean water will come from tomorrow, I hope you find shelter and hope. God has a plan, even for clean water.

As I drove to the first stop of the day my wife called and said the power had just been restored. While I'm glad I won't have to get ready for work at Kanakuk Family Kamp tomorrow, it was a nice employee perk (#136) this morning.

Have you been affected by the storms? Share your stories here so we can be praying for you.

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Promises

Rainbow over Kanakuk from the gate of Grant* Holcomb's Farm.

Yesterday I made a to do list, promises to myself that I couldn't keep. In contrast...

God said, Genesis 9:13-15 (New American Standard Bible)

13I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

14"It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,

15and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Tomorrow is "change over" day at Kanakuk. The last term of 13-day Kampers are packing their trunks and fighting over which seat they get in the car on the way here. It's rained nearly every change over day and lots of days in between :-) It's been a wet summer.

On my way to work this morning as I pulled out of my driveway about 9 minutes from K-1 and K-Kountry I could see this rainbow (sorry for the bad picture, laptop cam). I thought about all I have to do today and the poor performance of yesterday. The overwhelming nature of the Fall months to come. About the "rain" that seemed seems to be flooding in at the moment.

It might have been a wet summer, but as I drove the windy road, getting my bearings, I could tell that rainbow sat right over the Branson Kamps including my office. I took it as a promise of a dry arrival for Kampers tomorrow and no more than I can handle today at work.

Are you struggling today, overwhelmed, wondering when the next rain is going to pummel you? Be encouraged, as I have been, that the promises of God control this Earth and all that is in it. That's you and me friends. Fear not the rain. Thanks for the prayers for Kanakuk. Pray today especially for the Staff, they are incredible, dedicated to service. They are relying on the promise too.

My "To Do" list for today:

1. Blog Post
2. Finish Cleaning My Desk
3. Meet with Kanakuk Ministries Board Member Tony C.
4. Fax the confidentiality agreement to BroadRamp
5. Finalize the concept for the Kanakuk Display booth
6. Write content for the "The Story", "The Kamps", "The People", and "The Impact" pages of the new website

Whew...that's enough. Just typing that list I think I felt a drop of rain in my office. I may not get it all done and guess what, it's OK. It's more important that I surrender it all to God. He knows what of that he wants done today, it's His work to do through me. What a relief.

I have two blog post ideas going for tomorrow. Talking about the new website. Or defining the word "connectersationalism". Which would you prefer talking about? Something else maybe?

Now Playing: Out Of The Woods by Nickel Creek

*Grant Holcomb lives a couple of miles from my house and runs a Bobcat, excavation service in addition to his farm work. He's pushed some dirt at my house.

Update: Meeting with Tony C. moved to K-Kauai (lose 30 minutes), not having to finish my desk (gain back 15 minutes). Coffee with JGM (gain back 15 minutes)

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"ChockTalk"

At many of the Kanakuk Kamps, Kampers are placed into tribes for competitions. The two boy tribes are Cherokee & Choctaw. The two girl's tribes are Kiowa & Kickapoo. Our first son, went to Kamp and was put in the Cherokee tribe, and then our our second son was a Cherokee and so our third boy when he's old enough to go will be a Cherokee. Then their sons will be Cherokees and on and on. Our daughter Hannah, attended Kamp third term and she is a Kickapoo.

I was riding to lunch with her yesterday on a "Daddy date" and she was telling me all about her time at Kamp. It sure is fun to get a 7 year old's perspective on the Kamp experience. She was telling me about all the funny skit characters at Kamp, about "The Man" who stole the Bumble Bee on the Spy Party day, and then about the first day of tribal competitions. The boy tribe, the Choctaws, were a focus of the stories. And throughout she was calling them the "Chocktalks". I said, "You mean Choctaws?" "No Dad. ChockTALKS!" I stand corrected. But, most importantly I realized that even to a 7 year old, Kamp is about having an experience that begins your independence. Right or not she has taken ownership of that 13 day period of her life. She stood her ground. I like that. Now over the course of the next year her brothers and I will say "Choctaw" and by next summer she will be too.

She might not fully understand God right now either, she has prayed the sinner's prayer and I have seen an increase in sensitivity to spiritual things, but it's still a little fuzzy. That's how we all are. When we believe in Christ, there is a radical, complete, and eternal change of our hearts but the day to day, Christian life is a transformational process . Us understanding God and God transforming us. We'll do the best we can to help things into focus, to back-up the Holy Spirit's work in her life. If you are around Hannah can you show her what you know about Jesus?


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