Summer Is Coming
The calendar says end of May, the weather outside says spring, and we all know that summer is coming. A sure sign of summer at the Kroeker house is a brand new pair of Crocs for myself. Had you told me several years ago to try Crocs I would have refused. However, I found a pair in Camp Evergreens lost and found and have been wearing them ever since. (No not that first pair!) I find them very comfortable, you can wade through creeks, go on hikes, and if needed, throw on the back strap to go in “all wheel” drive! I even like the “prickly” feel inside of brand new Crocs.
Another (more important) sign of spring is the hiring our summer staff. Most summers we have a good idea of what summer is going to look like and how many staff we need to hire. This summer, not so much! In spite of not knowing exactly what summer will look like, all of our camps have currently hired staff and recruited volunteers, or are in the process or hiring. We get asked a lot what summer will look like. Unfortunately, like yourself, in some ways we have no idea what summer will look like. Vaccinations are here, and it looks like we recently passed the 50% mark of Canadian adults receiving their first shot. But who knows what our local health authorities will let us do.
We are basing our summer plans on what we were allowed to do last summer. And that is where the wild card (or million dollar question) comes in. Will we be able to do what we did last summer? We are currently planning on running Day Camps, Overnight Wilderness Camps, Family Camps and Family Rentals. While summer will still look significantly different, we do anticipate that we will still be able to share the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ. While our campfires will look different, the Gospel message remains the same.
How can you support us? By praying for us. Your prayers are so important. Pray for wisdom and safety as we navigate Covid. Pray for the staff and volunteers that are needed. Pray that as we share and portray Christ’s love to families that would not normally attend our camps, that many would come to know Jesus. A second way that you can help us is by volunteering. More than ever we will need volunteers this summer. Our camps are still not in the financial position to hire as many staff as a “normal” summer. And third, as hard as it is to continue to ask, we still need your help financially. It’s been over a year since children have been able to stay overnight at our camps. School groups, scout groups, youth groups and summer campers are the main source of revenue that has been all but shut off.
Thanks for partnering with us!
Bob “Ranger” Kroeker
Executive Director
