White Lake Teen Camp and Family Camp 2007

“What did you like best about your first Teen Camp?”

“Well, for two years I’ve been waiting to use those power tools!”

With great anticipation the Kids Campers (who share the campground in a parallel program) watch the Teen Campers wield drills and saws, and are eager to join the building crews when they “graduate.”

Making a virtue out of a necessity, Teen Camp these last three years has been an educational construction site. Under supervision, the teens have built sturdy bunk beds and family bunk houses from scratch. This year they also scraped, painted, and repaired the old cabins.

Most important always has been the building of young lives. Learning basic carpentry, playing paintball, swimming at the lake, listening to Bible lessons, hanging out with old and new friends—the entire program is designed to instruct and encourage teens to follow Christ fully and faithfully.

One highlight of Teen Camp this year was the small-group discussions with Day Top clients, who gave their testimonies of God’s grace and power that rescued them from drug abuse and addiction. They warned of early exposures and choices that led to disaster.

White Lake RP Church has reached out in love with the life-changing gospel to this therapeutic community (www.daytop.org) over many years. The teens remembered them in their daily assembly and prayer meeting.

After a week of Kids/Teen Camp, the multitudes arrived for Family Camp. Three-generation families, far-flung cousins, rookie and veteran campers all made up the White Lake family. The twelve-member RP Short-Term Missions team, which included five who had grown up together at White Lake, capped their summer as counselors at Family Camp.

Pastor Matt Kingswood from Russell, Ont., RPC preached brilliantly on Philippians 4, admonishing all to mind our minds, practice what we preach, think true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable thoughts, and never tire of doing what is right.

Morning classes for all ages, afternoon recreation and swimming, evening activities and campfires, psalm sings, spectacular star gazing on the quad with glimpses of the International Space Station, and many meetings of minds kept everyone busy. The theme was rodeo, complete with a real cowboy, horses, square dancing, Pastor Robson’s wild stallions and famous watermelon bowling, and little kids’ “sheep” herding.

Past director Mike Tabon joined the panel of experts for the Quiz Show, “Are You Smarter than the Kids?” Andrew Ashleigh tried on King Bobo’s crown for Skit Night. Completing her 32nd and final year of duty, nurse Gail Huggins spoke of her love for White Lake as a young mother before and as a young grandmother now. Jean Smith recalled being at White Lake the day World War 2 ended, when all the church bells rang and the campers were allowed to stay out all night.

Every year more memories are made at White Lake. Every year Jack Ramsey adds another chalk mark (#66 this summer) to his life attendance plank in Cabin 2. Young White Lakers grow up to become camp teachers, counselors, young people’s officers, corporation officers, staff, tireless supporters, and parents and grandparents of campers. Many leadership roles today are filled by people who once attended Kids Camp or Junior Camp or Teen Camp or Family Camp. Imagine what the next bunch of bunk-building hammer swingers will accomplish! “The Lord builds up Jerusalem, brings back her captive sons. He binds up all their wounds and heals the brokenhearted ones” (Ps. 147A, The Book of Psalms for Singing).

—Karen Moberg

Walton, N.Y., RPC

Bradley Johnston, pastor

It was with great rejoicing that the congregation received into membership Timothy and Rachel Beers and David and Susan Fitch.

Some members of the Walton RPC had a retreat at White Lake Camp. This is the first year the congregation has tried this, and, even though the numbers were small, good fellowship and study were enjoyed by those who attended.

Pastor Johnston has finished a series of sermons in the book of Matthew. In September he began a study in the book of Joshua.

There was a good attendance of children and parents at the annual Released Time picnic earlier this year. Lots of food, along with a good evening of fellowship, preceded the showing of the movie Facing the Giants. With a new school year commencing, the Released Time program for public school students has begun once again. One day after sending home permission slips there were 51 children signed up.

—Bev McCready, correspondent