What's Not to Love?

Our summer staff are at their best when they're crazy! They know how to work hard and play hard. This summer they learned how to overcome physical exhaustion, spiritual testing, emotional highs and lows, long days and short nights, and all this in eight very short weeks.

Our staffies arrived on June 12th and left on August 8th. These 22 amazing young people are now a tight-knit "family." They exude and enjoy amazing unity and oneness in serving Jesus together. They worked side-by-side in mud, in the kitchen, cleaning bathrooms, leading worship and games, cabin leading, teaching, praying, challenging each other and being challenged. This is our best staff yet (do I say that every year?)!

Thank you, staffies, for being a fine example of rebelling against society's low expectations of youth and doing hard things. You not only took the Do Hard Things challenge, you met, exceeded and exemplified how God can use youth to accomplish His purpose. You are all valued and loved and appreciated and MISSED!

Thanks for serving Jesus at Jonah this summer!

Our God is Greater!

The following song quickly became our theme song this summer. Through many challenges and blessings, the lyrics of this song could be heard starting up with one voice, and before long, we'd all be singing this together-at midnight or 6:00 am, whenever and whatever was happening at the time.

We're certain that we serve a God who is greater, higher, stronger, healer, awesome in power, and standing for us!

Please read through these lyrics and listen intently for the staff and campers' voices singing at the top of their lungs in praise to our great God!

"Our God" by Chris Tomlin
Water you turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There's no one like you
None like You!

Into the darkness you shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There's no one like you
None like You!

Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer
Awesome in power
Our God, our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
What could stand against?

Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer
Awesome in power
Our God, our God!

Summer Camp Recap and Rejoice

The summer of 2010 started with our first annual Jonah Family Reunion on Saturday, June 12th. At 10:00 AM, the summer staff arrived, and by 1:00 PM they were greeting and serving many of you. This great new tradition of the mingling of old and new Jonah friends and family is worth repeating! The Reunion was followed by a week of Staff Training, and then eight camps and one community fairlater, we ended with hugs and tears-and strong new
friendships-on Sunday, August 8th.

Our overall theme this summer was Do Hard Things (from the book by Alex and Brett Harris). The staff and campers were challenged to rebel against the low expectations society has for teens and to choose to do hard things now in living for and serving Jesus. Our speakers, worship leaders, cabin leaders, and support staff all learned and lived this theme. Our campers were challenged to choose Jesus, and so many young lives were changed!

There's nothing like a week of camp to speak into a life of a camper, and there's nothing like a summer to change the life of a staff member. We give God the glory for so many great things He did here at Camp Jonah this summer! Be sure to check out our Photo Gallery for a look at Camp Jonah 2010 Summer Camps!

Making a Stand for Jesus!

I was very privileged to witness the baptism of three young men last weekend who decided to be baptized to show their commitment to live their lives for Jesus. The first one in the water spoke to the fact that attending Camp Jonah this summer solidified his faith in Jesus! Two of my nephews (Austin & Derek Beatty) also stood for Jesus through baptism.

One day like this makes the whole summer worthwhile!

Available Retreat Dates

Exactly four days after summer camp ended, retreat season started! We've got a pretty full schedule of retreat groups this year, but there are a few openings for those of you who still are hoping to bring your youth group to Jonah. Here are some available weekends... Please call me as soon as possible if you're interesting in booking your retreat with us! We'd love help you tailor-make the best retreat ever!

September 17-19, 2010
October 29-31, 2010
December 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, 2011
March 4-6, 11-13, 25-27, 2011
April 29-May 1, 2011
May 13-15, 2011
June 3-5, 2011

Goodbye, Lollipop!

Molly "Lollipop" McKinney has been deeply involved with Camp Jonah since she was a young teenager. A year ago, after her college graduation, she came back home to Trout Lake and within days stepped into the secretary role here at Jonah with great ease and so much talent. We knew she was home for just a short time, but from a selfish viewpoint, her time here has been way too brief! Molly was the one solely responsible for all those beautiful Camp Blast emails that you received over the weeks of summer camp!

Blessings, Molly, as you move to Walla Wallanear some awesome friends, and as you start your master's program in just a few weeks. If you weren't so talented, maybe this good-bye would be a little easier! We love you!

Hello, Ish and Flutterby!

For the last few years, God has provided some staffies for us that desire to learn more about camp behind-the-scenes. We call them our Interns. This year we have two! Both Ellie "Ish" Vawser and Sammi "Flutterby" Vestal have felt God leading them to join us this year. They co-directed the staff and camps this past summer, and after a few days off, are ready to dive into retreats, winter camps, and then summer camps all over again. In the middle of all this, they'll cook, clean, mow lawns, shovel snow, help with projects, and serve Jesus joyfully!

Pray for them as this job sounds easy and fun, but is truly challenging. If you'd like to support either of them financially or as a prayer partner, just let us know.

Welcome, girls! We're glad you're on board!

Prayer List for Our Faithful Prayer Partners

PRAISES:

1. 96 more campers this year than last year! 96 more kids got to have fun and be challenged to take the next step in their walk with Christ!
2. Thanks, Drake and family, Sammi and Ellie, and Turbo, for covering for us so we can go on a family camping trip this week!
3. We're so grateful for an amazingly successful, God-honoring, life-changing season of summer camp!
4. We are working away on plans and permits now, so that we can wisely spend the grant money awarded to us by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for remodeling our Bus Barn! We're still in shock with this huge gift!
5. We saw God's hand so much as He presented trials (especially personal, family things for our staff) this summer, and then as He walked us through each one!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Molly, our secretary, just finished her last day in the office (thankfully, she's still going to do some work off-campus for us). Pray for her as she moves to Walla Walla, starts her master's program, etc. Pray for wisdom, fellowship, and lots of blessings! She's already missed and she's only been gone an hour!
2. Pray for all of us as we transition from summer camp to retreats and try to find a little rest in the middle of it all. This transition is always a little harder than we think. Pray for us to get renewed physically and spiritually.
3. Please pray for us to be thankful in all things. A friendly little reminder from Jeff-and very hard to practice.
4. Please pray for wisdom in the Bus Barn remodel/grant process. $94,000 is a LOT of money, but we need to spend it wisely in order to do everything we plan on. Pray for us to seek and know God's will each step of the way.