A
Ministry of Consistency
by an Alkulana Mentor
Because I have served as a counselor
at Camp Alkulana for several summers, I have been privileged
to witness so many amazing, transformative moments in the lives
of children. I love those moments when a child successfully
completes her first rappel down the tall side of the tower,
or finally learns to swim in the creek. The joy and sense of
self-worth that Alkulana’s summer camp program instills
in so many campers each summer is priceless.
Yet campers are only at camp for
a week or two each summer. We, as counselors, are left wondering
what life is like for campers at home the other fifty weeks
of the year. This fall I am involved in Alkulana’s Mentoring
program, which is only three years old now, and is still very
much in its infancy compared to the ninety-plus years of ministry
the summer camp program has! But these last three months in
the mentoring program have had a profound impact on me. I am
serving as a mentor for John (I’ve changed his name for
this article), an outgoing fourteen-year-old that is careening
perilously through the foster care system. He is an easily likable
kid, but is desperate for love and stability in his life. John’s
parents abandoned him when he was an infant, and since I have
begun to meet with him in September, he has been placed in three
separate foster families. I didn’t know when I was assigned
as his mentor that I would become one of the most consistent
and reliable people in his life.
When John and I hang out, our conversations
often range across the spectrum; we have discussed such things
as school, football, God, the Bible, dating, music, grades,
hobbies, family, and video games. We have gone bowling together,
we have seen a theater production at a local college, we have
played basketball together, and we frequently just hang out
and eat together. I met John this summer at camp, and now I
see him almost weekly. We talk on the phone at least that often.
This ministry, I feel, is a ministry of consistency. John and
I have built up a sort of regularity in our mentoring relationship,
and he has grown to trust me enough to talk to me about the
difficult things in his life. I believe he feels God’s
love because of that consistency. When John had a Christmas
concert last week, only his social worker and I showed up; not
one member of the three foster families was there to cheer him
on. How can you believe that God loves you if you don’t
know what love is? How can you trust in God if you don’t
have anyone you can trust in your day-to-day life?
Alkulana’s summer camp program
is amazing--it truly is a place where the reality of God’s
love comes to life for many campers. But this ministry continues
year-round in an indispensable way through the Alkulana Mentoring
program. A camper like John will hear that God loves him during
camp, but I think the profound reality and depth of that statement
really begins to sink in through the year-long mentoring relationships
that we cultivate after camp ends for the summer.
"Ministry
is not about numbers, but..."
Angela Peters - Long time camp counselor and 2009 camp registrar
As
summer winds down, and I just sent off the older boys for Camp
Alkulana’s last session of 2009, I was struck, overwhelmed
even, by the success of the summer. Among younger, “progressive”
Christians one often hears that ministry is not about numbers.
It is near impossible to quantify something so personal and
intimate. It can even seem arrogant, or at the very least naïve,
to reduce God’s work to such a human standard. Numbers
are the bottom line for business or government, but ministry
should not stoop to such worldly goals. For the first time in
my life, I would argue against that view. I continue to be in
awe, to thank God, for numbers this summer.
34:
the number of children who were served at Alkulana’s evening
of free physicals.
1: one doctor and one nurse who saw all 34 of those children.
2.5: the number of hours beyond the posted time the doctor and
nurse stayed to make sure every child had a quality physical.
6-2-09:
Camp Alkulana was not even in session, and God was already working
miracles in big numbers. Free camp physicals were offered at
the RBA from 5 to7 pm, but the response was so large that the
very last child was seen until 9:15 pm. Most people get frustrated
waiting for 30 minutes at the doctor’s office, but the
last mom and child left with great big smiles, graciously thanking
us for our willingness to do God’s work. This is just
one example of the patient, loving, thankful families who came
through our office that night. The experience was humbling.
52: the number of little girls registered for little girls’
session of camp.
46: the number of beds available at camp in our normal 6 cabins.
7: the number of cabins opened for little girls’ session
in 2009.
6-18-09:
Beth Wright, about to start her first camp session as director,
suggested opening a 7th cabin for little girls. She said she
wants to be able to serve as many kids as possible and sees
it as a good experiment for long- term growth. When presenting
what could have been overwhelming news to the staff, the response
was unanimous. What a blessing to be able to show God’s
love to even more girls!
3:
the number of sessions this summer that were “over”
full capacity.
55
boys between the ages of 9 and 11 registered for the little
boy’s session. This many little boys is a daunting task,
but we didn’t want to deny any of them this chance to
know God and God’s love; especially knowing the hardships
these boys face on a daily basis. This opportunity may be one
of the few a young boy will get to experience God in a safe,
loving environment.
50
to 73%: the range of percentages of campers who receive free
school lunches. Camp Alkulana holds true to its mission to serve
inner-city, at-risk youth. Unfortunately, eligibility for free
lunches, signifying lower income households, is often a determinant
for future success for children. Camp Alkulana strives to make
a difference in the lives of children in Richmond who have very
limited opportunities. We are thrilled that this percentage
has increased from 30% to 50%.
45:
the number of staff and volunteers that will serve at Camp Alkulana
this summer. This is also the number of people whose life will
be forever changed from his/her experience this summer. The
selfless nature of this ministry, God’s love and presence
at Alkulana, and each and every child’s story, leave all
the counselors with a new perspective. 45 is also the number
of God’s servants, with a renewed commitment to life-changing
work, who will go back out into the world after this summer.
Alkulana
boasts high numbers, and great success. Numbers are not important
in and of themselves. However, numbers matter a lot to me. I
see it more than I ever have, but each number is a person, a
life that may be touched by God. Each additional number is one
more child who desperately needs our love, and even more so
God’s love. We need to take each and every opportunity
to change the world, 1 person at a time.
So
I close with perhaps the most inspiring part of this summer
success: a huge thank you to the countless individuals and church
groups who made it possible. The sheer numbers of people and
hours that got camp ready, the dollars donated, books offered,
prayers lifted up, thank you for your commitment to God’s
glorious work in creating what one camper referred to as heaven
on earth.
Thoughts
on Alkulana’s New Library
Art Wright
As Beth’s husband, and the unofficial “First Dude”
of Camp Alkulana, I often have a “behind-the-scenes”
perspective on various happenings at Camp. One of the best perks
of the job so far is that I have been able to watch as books
have flooded in for the past several months to Beth’s
office. I have enjoyed flipping through the most recent arrivals,
not only to make sure they are all age-appropriate, but because
they are a lot more fun than most of the books I have to read
for school!
In
spite of the large quantity of books pouring in to Beth’s
office and the many hours spent bargain hunting at the local
used bookstore, I remember thinking, “There is no way
that we will ever fill all of those new shelves in the Dining
Hall. There are simply too many!” I was wrong. When I
finally walked into the Dining Hall at the beginning of staff
training, I couldn’t believe it! There was still some
space on the shelves, but more shelves were filled than were
empty! What a tremendous blessing!
The
impact of all of these generous donations is already evident
at camp. I had the privilege of running the library for the
younger girls’ session. On the first day of camp, each
camper stopped by and had the opportunity to check out a book.
It was incredible (and a little funny!) seeing one entire cabin
check out copies of the “Beacon Street Girls” series,
and another leave with several copies of “Diary of a Wimpy
Kid!” Each day during siesta, campers were encouraged
to read their books for at least part of the rest hour. From
my perspective, there were less problems and many campers even
looked forward to siesta because they had the books to read!
I even had several campers return their books during library
hours halfway through the session, having finished their first
book and eager to check out another!
The
most rewarding part of being in charge of the library was at
the end of the session. As they returned their books to me,
I had numerous campers tell me that they were going to go to
their local libraries or bookstores back home to find similar
books or to check out the next book in a specific series to
read!
After
many years of working at Alkulana, I truly believe the ministry
works. Campers leave feeling loved and they have a better understanding
of God’s love for them. Adding our new library only enhances
an already great ministry. Reading is a way to grow and an essential
part of human development. It has the potential to unlock an
inquisitive mind that thirsts for knowledge. It shapes one’s
world-view and challenges preconceived notions. It has the power
to break cycles of poverty through education. Instilling a love
of reading in campers at Alkulana serves to share God’s
love in a tangible way. I am so thankful for everyone that has
already contributed and for those that continue to contribute
to build our library. You are making a difference by sharing
God’s love!
What
Makes a Difference?
Paul Brasler
When
I was 11, my mom sent me for a week to Camp Earl Wallace.
I hated it. Maybe it has something to do with the name.
With all due respect to Mr. Earl Wallace, whom I am sure was
a great person, my camp experience at the camp named for him
was anything but great. Not all of this was because of
the camp named for Mr. Wallace; a lot of it had to do with me.
I hated the outdoors. I had lived all of my life in the
city or suburbs, and was terrified of bees, wasps, and any other
animal or insect. I was even more terrified of water.
On top of that I had the muscle mass of a walking stick.
For
a camp that was designed to let boys do manly things like swim,
shoot guns and arrows, row boats, and steer a power boat, I
did not exactly fit in. I actually did pretty well with
firing a rifle, and managed to not hurt anyone with bows and
arrows. I crashed a motor boat against some rocks when
I neglected to keep my thumb on the engine cut-off button long
enough. My attempts to row the same boat ended in frustrated
failure.
It’s
sad to admit, but the thing that sticks in my mind 27 years
later was that none of the staff seemed to care about me or
the other kids who did not fit in. Here I was, this bony,
geeky square-peg of a kid, and no one seemed to care.
In fact, I remember several ‘adult’ counselors teasing
me a lot. As I left Camp Earl Wallace, I swore I was done
with camps.
Through
a number of weird turns, I wound up at Camp Alkulana 10 years
later. My expectations of Alkulana were that it would
be similar to Camp Earl Wallace, just more rustic and with tougher
kids. Besides, it also had a much cooler name. While
I was right about the cooler name, I was wrong in other respects.
What
I found at Alkulana, and have seen every year, is that the difference
at Alkulana is in our staff. Working as a counselor at
Alkulana is the hardest job I have ever had except for being
a father to my own kids. I am amazed each year at the
number of older teens and great adults who serve at Alkulana—they
make this ministry what it is.
This
past summer, Alkulana underwent the review process for accreditation
through the American Camping Association. Two camp directors
from other (much larger) camps toured Alkulana during our Big
Boys session. The weather was hot and humid, and most
of the staff had already worked the previous three sessions.
As I walked around Alkulana with the two directors/inspectors,
we observed the counselors and campers engaged in our multi-stage
Bible Study program.
“That
is amazing, one of the directors said to the other director,
do you see how involved they a re?”We were watching two
cabin groups at a Bible Study station.
“Yes,
I replied, making an assumption, the kids really get into this.”
“No,”
he said to me, I meant the staff. He went on to tell me that
at his camp, his biggest struggle was getting his staff to engage
with campers in the activities.
I
smiled. I am not surprised. Our staff are the best
in the business, I noted.
Later
that week, David Powers and I took a group of kids hiking up
Sarabotchee. For those of you who have not had the pleasure
of hiking this mountain, image the steepest hill possible, and
you’ll get the idea. One of our campers struggled
to get up the mountain, trying to give up several times.
David (who is one of the calmest people I know) and I, but more
so the other campers, steadily encouraged the camper who was
struggling. He made it to the top, and we all made it
back to camp. That evening, in typical Alkulana fashion,
David bragged about that young man’s tenacity and the
group’s encouragement. The smile on the kid’s
face who struggled was beautiful, and I doubt that he will forget
this experience.
These
are just two of the countless ways that Alkulana staff give
of themselves each year. For a sample of these relationships,
check out the many pictures on this website. It is through
our relationships with campers that lives are changed—both
our lives and those of our campers. This is what sets
Alkulana apart from so many other camps. The first two
lines of our camp song speak to this:
Come
along
Join our song
If
you are ready to give of yourself to our kids, please join us.
Spring
Mentoring Retreat
Beth Reddish Wright
At
the end of April, fifteen of us from the Alkulana Mentoring
Program packed into a van in Richmond and drove to Camp Alkulana
for an overnight retreat. The retreat comes at the end
of a fantastic first year of the program that Angela Peters
and I started in August. The theme of the retreat
was “journey” and as we journeyed together to Alkulana,
my thoughts were on all of the details and planning that had
gone into the retreat, and whether or not we’d missed
anything. Angela and I had gone through the normal worries
that morning: Will anyone show up? Do we have enough food?
Did we forget any supplies? Will our activities get rained out?
These worries turned out to be in vain. The weekend was a huge
success. We built relationships, ate delicious food, completed
two youth-planned service projects, and had a meaningful time
of spiritual reflection together.
And
still, one moment in particular keeps replaying in my mind.
We were wrapping up the end of our spiritual reflection time
on Saturday night, a time when we spent time navigating through
several individual activities that led us to quietly consider
our own personal spiritual journeys. One of the activities
in which I chose to participate was a “Prayer Labyrinth.”
In this practice, the labyrinth allows persons to simulate their
journey while walking through the labyrinth and praying for
specific guidance. As I walked along, I was joined by
several of our young people who were also walking quietly.
Whoever complains that youth don’t have the capacity or
attention for such contemplative activities is selling them
short. I was beyond impressed by their serious composure
and silent reflection. One by one we reached the center
of the labyrinth, and I found myself standing in the center
with four young people. We all stood there silently, each
working through journeys in our own minds. The power of
standing together with these young people, in the midst of such
contemplation was enough to give me chills. Without even
speaking or looking at each other, we felt…connected.
After several minutes of soaking up this experience, the group
began to turn back to complete the labyrinth. Slowly,
one of us would turn and take a step towards the path, until
we were each navigating our way out.
It’s
been a privilege for me to be a part of these young people’s
lives as they are navigating through what can be a very challenging
time in their lives. They have likely taught me more than
I’ve taught them as they’ve shared their gifts of
leadership and passion for service. More than anything,
I think we’ve just shared a connection—that same
connection I felt in the center of the labyrinth—as we
walk together in this journey we call life.
We
are eager to continue these meaningful experiences when our
second year of the mentoring program starts up next fall!
The
Flush, White Suitcases, Caps, and a Lifetime of Memories
Rev. Jackson Hall
I
made my first trip to Alkulana when I was only eight years old,
a little city kid from Hillside Court. I'd never really
given much thought to staying outdoors or in the woods,
and I never considered what it would be like to have just
the basics without all the modern conveniences of the day. I'm
28 years old now, and I still visit camp regularly. As I look
at how camp is evolving each year, fighting to hold onto it's
traditional, rustic feel while embracing the times we live in,
I appreciate change much more.
Most
people that visit Alkulana today can't remember a time when
there was no Flush. For those of you who haven’t
been to camp in recent years, the Flush is a building containing
toilets, sinks and a couple of showers, which was built in 1994.
Many people who have come to camp since 1994, probably don’t
remember when caps were a camper’s only option.
Back when I was a camper there was no flush, caps was all campers
had. And what are caps? “Caps” is short
for capital—in terms of importance, so in other words,
caps were literally the most importance place in camp.
Simply put, caps are outhouses.
There
are two types of caps at Alkulana (they’re still in use,
by the way, even with the advent of the Flush). There
are camper caps and counselor caps. When I was a camper
the counselor caps were viewed as a throne of some sort that
all campers wanted to sneak into. Once I became a counselor
and achieved my right to use the counselor caps, I
quickly became disillusioned. Caps, it seems, are caps,
no matter how old you are.
Back
in the day, bedtime presented another sort of challenge. At
night each cabin took a white chamber pot (also called
a white suitcase) to the cabin with them. If a camper had
to answer the call of nature during the nighttime they
used the white suitcase. This was because the camper caps
are located on the other side of the creek from the cabins,
and using the white suitcase saved you a long trip in the dark.
Ideally the user would grab a flashlight to assist in this
task (as most people don't have night vision) but that was not
always the case.
Every
morning a different camper had the chore of removing and cleaning
the white suitcase from the cabin. If you were smart, on your
assigned day, you'd jump right out of bed and grab the
white suitcase. If you were lazy, and laid in bed a few extra
minutes, all your cabin mates would get up and increase the
load you'd have to bear. No matter the case, once you were
up, you grabbed the white suitcase by the handle, and walked
to meet Gracie (the camp director) on the bridge. She'd
be waiting for you with one of the most awesome smiles you could
ever see. She'd greet you by saying "good morning"
while the only thing you could think of was how fast you wanted
to unload the wonderful treasure you were holding and get back
to your cabin.
We
would then walk across the bridge to camper caps, and dump our
treasure into the caps. Because camper caps have a fiberglass
bottom, we would often add water to the caps in order to hold
down the smell. I can even remember the magical evening
program that took place one night each session, during which
the entire camp would make a line from the swim hole to caps
and we'd pass buckets of water to dump in caps. Sounds
like fun, right?
My,
how camp as changed over the years. I thank God for Lyn Hadley
(former camp nurse), every time I hear the call of nature while
I'm at Alkulana. Lyn worked at camp for a number of years,
traveling all the way to Virginia from her home in Michigan.
Lyn died in a car accident in 1991, and thought enough
of camp and the campers that she left some money in her estate
to go to camp. Those funds were used to build the Flush,
since she always wanted the campers to have flush toilets.
I guess she got the last laugh, but really, many of us have
smiled over the years, thanks to her gift.
The
Flood
Abby Wakeland, from 2006
Note:
Abby was a first-time camper last summer, although she has been
to camp many times with her family (her mother and uncle practically
grew up at camp).
I
was so excited about going to Camp Alkulana (Alkulana means
bright eyes). I'd been looking forward to going for about a
year. On the way to Camp, I tried to teach my friend Ashley
the camp song. She isn't a fast learner. We stopped at Ryan's
for dinner. I didn't eat much because I was too excited.
I
was so glad when we arrived at camp. It was kind of late when
we got to Lantern Lodge's winding driveway. (Lantern Lodge is
a house owned by camp that my family stays in while we're at
camp.) I still had to give Ashley a tour of the house and unpack.
We barely squeezed it all in.
When
I woke up it was dark. I thought it was about 6:45. I stumbled
to the dresser and looked at my mom's watch. It was 7:30. I
went to the window and it was pouring! I woke up Ashley and
boy was she surprised!
Later,
we drove to camp. (It was still raining UGGGGGHHH!) It was quite
muddy there. As we walked into the kitchen, we were greeted
by many people, two being my grandparents (Nanny and Pop-Pop).
I ate quickly because I wanted to show Ashley around. I took
her across the bridge to the swings. We spent a long time there.
Suddenly,
a question echoed in my head, which cabin would we be in. Ashley
and I ran to find my mom. She said we needed to find Gracie
(the camp director). Gracie said we got to choose. She told
us which counselor was with each cabin. I wanted to be with
Jen in cabin one. Ashley didn't care.
Jen
took us to cabin one. There were four bunk beds. We got first
pick. I picked the second bed bottom bunk. Ashley took the third
bed bottom bunk.
After
about an hour the rest of the campers arrived. We sat down to
make our sandwiches. We had to say our prayer before we ate.
When we were through, we started to make lunch. Ashley and I
made peanut butter sandwiches.
After
lunch we got a chance to meet the other girls in our cabin.
The rest of the girls made their bed. Ashley and I ended up
on the top bunk because two girls wanted the bottom bunk. Jen
went over some rules with us.
After
about 15 minutes, we went to the swimming hole. Michael (the
second director) went over some simple rules. He also told us
if we wanted to swim in the deep part we had to swim a quarter
of the swimming hole. It was easy for me because I do swim team.
We went to our cabin to change into our clothes.
Soon
enough, it was time for dinner. We ate spaghetti and applesauce.
After dinner, we had free time. Ashley and I went to the swimming
hole for a little while. Then we went to the swings for the
rest of the time. Soon the bell that meant the end of free time
rang. Ashley and I ran to our cabin to meet our counselors.
Jen told us we were having water games for evening program.
Ashley and I were in water baseball first. About halfway through,
it started thundering. Michael got everybody out of the water.
All of the counselors and campers had campfire without the fire
in the Big Lodge. (Big Lodge is a big one floor building where
most inside activities are done.) We sang all sorts of songs.
Eventually, the sad time came where Michael told us to go to
bed. Our cabin went to the restroom and then to sleep.
I
woke to the sound of Jamie (our second counselor) telling us
to wake up and do cabin chores. In about 15 minutes we were
at the flagpole. Soon we were sitting at the tables. After breakfast,
we went to the Big Lodge to find out what Adventure Groups we
were in. Adventure Groups are groups that change every day.
Luckily, Ashley and I were in the same group. First, we had
a cookout. Our group leaders were Suzanna and Junior. Suzanna
told us we were to make chili mac. When we were done, it was
good! After the cookout we had some free time. During that time,
Gracie asked us what interest group we would like to be in.
An Interest group is a few campers and a counselor that you
keep for three days, and then swap. I chose crafts. The bell
rang and we all ran to the flagpole to discuss Interest groups.
In about five minutes I was sitting under the craft tent listening
to my mom explain what we were going to do. It turns out that
we were going to make picture boxes. Everyone had to cut out
pictures they liked from magazines and then glue them down to
small cardboard boxes. Finally, it was free time. You know what
happened next. We ate dinner and part of evening program was
cancelled. Everyone had singing time in the Big Lodge, and soon
went to sleep.
On
Saturday, I awoke again to the sound of Jamie's voice. The day
went smoothly. In crafts we continued our boxes. For Adventure
Group. my group had caving. We finally got to finish our water
games. But no one knew that something terrible was to happen.
Sunday
was miserable, because it was raining and muddy. We were stuck
in the dining hall playing BINGO all day. After dinner, my cabins'
job was to sweep the dining hall. Turns out it was safer for
our cabin to stay in the dining hall until it was time for bed.
Ashley and I took our medicine and quickly walked to bed.
On
Monday at breakfast, Caitlyn told me we might have to be sent
home. I thought nothing of it. Then Gracie told us that the
rain made the creek rise 9 feet, which caused the gas tank for
the stove to rip off of the wall, and the bridge was gone. I
didn't hear much, because I was downstairs taking my medicine.
There was so much mud on the kitchen floor that I couldn't believe
it. I got up just in time to hear the Warm Fuzzy story. In about
15 minutes, we were in our cabin packing up. All the kids left
right then. I didn't leave until the next day, because my mom
was too tired. All the kids kept themselves busy until they
left.
I'll
never forget that experience,for one reason and one reason only-
because it happened at my favorite place in the world.
Behold
the Harmless Hornet
Paul Brasler
I
was taking a break in my room in Lakeside Lodge this summer,
when I noticed a small hornet’s nest in a tree outside
my window. I hate stinging insects, but I am fascinated by the
structures they create. Over the next two weeks, I watched the
nest grow.
During
my first summer at camp, in 1992, I had a different sort of
encounter with a hornet’s nest. Camp Alkulana was a lot
smaller then; we didn’t have a number of buildings that
now stand, and we did not have the tower. Of the existing buildings,
many require a lot of maintenance on their roofs, which is how
Davo discovered the hornet’s nest in a tree over the parking
lot.
He
told some of the other male counselors, including myself, and
we immediately deduced that the nest was a threat and needed
to be destroyed. I admit that I would like to say that this
was a reality, but in fact, the nest stood about 25 feet off
the ground, was barely visible from the ground, and was nowhere
near where our campers or staff congregated. In fact, we probably
would have missed its very existence were it not for the roofing
project.
The
other point of our interest is that we are guys. Men, especially
young men who don’t know any better, like to blow things
up, destroy things or get involved with anything having to do
with fire. Before we knew it, about eight of us were thinking
of ways to take down the imminent threat to the safety of our
camp. “It was for the children,” we said.
Gracie,
our camp director, found out about our plans. She voiced her
opposition, but like any other good leader, weighed the situation
and decided that she would simply let us do what we wanted to
do, with the understanding that no one (save the hornets) would
get hurt.
So
here was our plan. After the kids went to sleep, we would use
a pre-assembled pole with a rag soaked in kerosene to light
the nest on fire. Yes, we were definitely hi-tech. Doing things
in this manner was also a good way to assuage our love of destruction
and fire. Ostensibly to make sure that, in our stupidity, none
of us got hurt and we did not burn the camp down, Gracie and
several female staff took up positions behind a screened-in
porch near the battle zone.
We lit the rag (i.e., armed the weapon), and raised it toward
the target.
When
then discovered that our calculations were wrong and that the
pole was about three feet too short. To compensate for this,
we backed up Gracie’s truck, and stood in the bed of it,
and re-deployed the weapon. It impacted perfectly with the target.
You
may not know this, but hornet’s nests are largely made
of paper. The nest caught pretty quickly, but in doing so, part
of it detached and came crashing to the ground. That piece,
still on fire, landed right under the gas tank of Gracie’s
truck. Several of us ran to get buckets to put out the fire,
while one of us kept his wits and actually moved the truck away.
The rest of the colony was destroyed, and as warriors after
a battle, we surveyed the parking lot, which by our flashlights,
was covered with many bodies of the fallen. None of us were
stung.
Gracie
and her companions emerged from their sanctuary, one of them
muttering, “and now the nightmares will end.” They
laughed at us, sarcastically commenting on our bravery.
At
our staff devotional the next morning, Gracie said she would
like to read from a little-known psalm:
Behold
the harmless hornet
He doesn’t want to hurt anyone
Especially when he builds his nest 25 feet off the ground
Behold the brave male counselors
As they set fire to the harmless hornet
We had a good laugh at our own sense of righteousness.
I’ve heard people say that with age comes wisdom. While
I do not consider myself wise, I still chuckle at my sense of
determination those years ago to do something that really didn’t
need to be done.
I left the nest this summer alone.
In
Memory of Ciel Michaels
Paul Brasler, Chair
Alkulana Support Team
I
met Ciel when I first came to camp as a counselor in 1992. Her
son, Ben, was also working as a counselor at the time. Like
many of us who come down the camp driveway, Ciel was ‘hooked’
on Alkulana’s ministry during her visit to the camp.
Ciel
served in a number of roles at camp and in Richmond: staff trainer,
camp nurse, advocate for the ministry, surrogate mother to more
than a few campers and counselors, and as a member of the Camp
Support Team.
It
was in that last role that I got to know Ciel well. Ciel had
an amazing ability to see the end product of an idea, while
also remaining on target and not lose sight of the big picture.
Ciel understood finances and their importance to ministry. But
it was her compassion and deep-seated commitment to the people
served by camp that drove her.
I
used to joke with Ciel that she couldn’t talk about Alkulana’s
ministry for more than a minute without tearing up. She had
an immense desire to talk about the changes in people’s
lives that camp created, and never held back the ways that she
had been touched, and had seen others touched, by the ministry.
It wasn’t until I was older that I fully understood that
tears can often convey so much more than words.
Ciel
fought cancer for a long time. Even when she was sick from chemotherapy,
she would come to meetings or would email me ideas. Ciel went
to be face-to-face with God in June. I miss hearing from her,
and the entire team will greatly miss her wisdom and insight.
Goodbye
Ciel, and thank you.
Free
Falling
Laura Taylor
Droplets
of freezing mountain mist clung to me as I stood at the edge
of the cliff. "I need you to step over the edge so I can
harness you in," my co-counselor, Ronda, said. I closed
my eyes and tried to steady my breathing before I took a step
out onto a smaller ledge. I threw my arms into a death grip
around a tree trunk extending diagonally from the face of the
cliff. Ronda looked out at me and laughed. "Calm down!"
she said, "Or I’ll throw you off!"
I
smiled nervously, pretending not to notice the deadly pit of
jagged rocks two hundred feet below. "You’ve gone
off the tower at camp a hundred times before," she reassured.
"You just have to trust yourself." I knew she was
right; I knew that I could do this, but I was scared. The first
few steps over the edge were definitely the hardest part. It’s
a difficult transition between standing on firm ground and then
having to trust the entire weight of one’s body to a skinny
little rope. My legs and arms began to tremble as I lowered
myself. The muscles in my hands and fingers grew tight and cramped
from clenching the rope. I knew that if I let go, if something
were to go wrong, I could fall ...I could die. I shook the thought
from my head and looked down at my other co-counselors who were
cheering me on. "I can do this!" I thought to myself.
I regained confidence and took another step down, but just as
I made contact with the surface I lost my footing and slipped.
My body slammed hard against a rock causing me to slip downward
a few feet. I scrambled to regain my stance but I began to panic.
I looked quickly up at Ronda, and then down at my belay, Travis,
who held tight to the rope to keep me from slipping. "I
could die" I thought again to myself. Well, if there was
any possibility that I was going to die, I was going to heaven!
Tears streaming down my face, I threw my head back and began
praying. "Dear God, I’m sorry that I fought with
my parents! I’m sorry that I was mean to my little brother!
I’m sorry for cheating on my chemistry quiz! I’m
sorry for every bad thing I have EVER done!.........I REPENT!!!!!!!!!!!"
Heaving
myself forward, I looked down to realize that everyone standing
below me was laughing hysterically. I realized I wasn't crying
anymore, and then I began to laugh too. I was laughing so hard
that for a moment I forgot that I was dangling some hundred
feet above the ground ...until of course, I looked down. I remembered
exactly where I was, and I panicked again. "You’re
doing fine!," Ronda shouted down to me." Trust yourself!"
she smiled. I smiled a half doubtful grin and thought "Trust
myself? ...trust myself?!" For the first time in my life
I had absolutely no control over what was happening, and I was
scared. But, I soon realized that the only way I was going to
make it down alive would be to just calm down, take it one step
at a time, and ...trust myself. I was determined.
I
did finally make it down the cliff that day. I kissed the sweet
ground and thanked the Lord, vowing never to do it again. As
I was sitting there trying to catch my breath I realized something.
I had just rappelled down the face of a two hundred foot cliff!
I did something that I never would have imagined I could do.
"I’m proud of you!" Ronda said, sitting down
beside me. I was proud of myself too. It may have taken me close
to an hour, but I overcame my fears and I did it!
In
tough situations it’s sometimes hard to be strong and
try to figure out what to do. That day I learned that I have
the strength to do anything. Of course, I still get shivers
at the thought of rappelling down that cliff, but now I know
that I can do it. I can do anything that I set my mind to. All
I have to do is relax, have faith in God, trust those around
me, and most importantly, trust myself.
A
Fish Tale
Donald Holliday
I
love to fish. I love everything about it; the relaxation, the
anticipation and, of course, the big catch. The past two summers
at Alkulana I had the awesome opportunity to take some of the
male campers fishing. I quickly learned that taking four or
five boys fishing takes a lot of the relaxation out of the sport!
Instead it was replaced with being hit in the head with bobbers,
constantly untangling fishing lines and getting the fishing
hooks out of the trees. We sure did catch a lot of “tree”
fish! I also learned that I had much more patience than I ever
dreamed I had.
This
past summer however, showed me the incredible joy that can come
out of fishing. I can remember one specific day, where I was
fishing in a canoe with one of the boys. It had been a typical
day fishing; stuck lines, broken poles and no fish. I would
quickly fix his pole so he could get back into the action as
soon as possible.
I’ll
never forget the moment when he hooked his first fish. His line
was going crazy and he was getting really excited, so I coached
him on how to reel the line in. He reeled it in and sure enough
he had caught a small-mouth bass, which was his first fish he
had ever caught. The smile on his face will forever be ingrained
on mind and heart. It was the biggest, most sincere, smile I
have ever seen. In fact, you may have thought he had just caught
the biggest fish in the world, and to him he did.
To
me, this is exactly what Camp Alkulana is all about. Boys and
girls like him have been able to experience many ‘firsts’
because of Alkulana. I know that wherever life leads him he
will always remember his first fish that he caught at Alkulana.
I know that I will. I felt God’s love and presence that
day in way that I had never felt it before. I know in my heart
that he felt God’s love that day too, even if he did not
have a real understanding of God. However, I know that he will
look back on that moment, maybe many years down the road, and
he will know how real God is and how much He loves him.
Recovering
From Reality
Michael S. Williams
This
past summer we had thirteen inches of rain at Alkulana, and
had to spend a month putting the place back into order to make
it safe enough to allow about 200 kids to experience the outdoors.
We looked at this as a struggle and a test of our faith. Sadly,
in retrospect, for the kids that had never experienced Alkulana
before, they knew nothing different and had the time of their
lives in the five-day sessions they had at Alkulana as opposed
to the eight and twelve-day sessions we usually have. We were,
indeed, humbled after being made to trust God as opposed to
blaming him.
As I have processed and recovered from the reality of this past
summer, the impact it made on my life and the increased strength
it gave me in my faith, it also allowed me to look back at some
other challenges I have been blessed with in my 20 years with
Alkulana. I sat around the Alkulana campfire several weeks back
(thinking I was going to fish, while not realizing that fish
don’t care much for movement in cold weather, thus relegating
my experience to sitting around the campfire reflecting on the
ministry of Alkulana), and was humbled at how arrogant I realized
I had been with respect to how those challenges were actually
blessings.
While
Alkulana’s mission remains to minister to the many children
we serve from inner-city Richmond, the reality is that Alkulana
reaches so many more through mission trips and retreats. In
being part of (and helping organize) several of these in the
past years, I have witnessed first hand the far-reaching impact
of Alkulana’s ministry through the blessings we have faced.
I have yet to experience a summer where Alkulana’s physical
plant didn’t need to be patched, repaired, re-engineered,
re-thought, and in the case of this past summer, almost re-built.
These blessings brought out several area wide youth from the
local community, youth from my church in Winchester, men from
Richmond, the local Millboro Community and Winchester, VA. In
each of these situations, I met no-one that left Alkulana feeling
anything less than blessed.
In
my 20 years in this Christ-focused ministry, I have seen children
and adults come to know the Lord and accept Christ through this
aspect of Alkulana’s ministry. Savings and credits to
God’s kingdom that came about as a result of circumstances
many of us at Alkulana wished never happened. How arrogant and
self-serving of us.
If
this past summer (and my last visit around the Alkulana campfire
on a cold winter night several weeks back) taught me anything,
it was to Praise God (as opposed to blaming him) for the many
challenges he has given us, and (most assuredly) will continue
to bless us with.
“Be
joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
Lost
in Camp
Paul Brasler
