Operation Jumbo Candy Drop

Apologetically, this story should have been told earlier. However, those who receive our print newsletter did read it (this is a plug to give us your mailing address so we can keep you updated). So, please allow me to tell this story retroactively...

...Earlier in the summer, a local repair man came to fix our broken, walk-in refrigerator. And as conversations often do, a conversation about the refrigerator’s repairs led to a conversation about the man’s other job – a mechanical job fixing private airplanes. As the workman expanded on his responsibilities with planes and his ability to fly them in order to detect problems, Charlie Reid, the Cove's Director, concocted the idea of a massive candy drop from the air to the kids down on the ground at camp.

It was a secret and…a hit!
Nevermind, a great story to bring home.

Operation Candy Drop was only one festivity our campers enjoyed this summer. There is also archery, boating, lyric dance classes, basic photography, swimming, and crafts. Plenty to stay entertained. I wish this page offered more room for all the Kodak moments this summer supplied.

As thrilling as Operation Candy Drop was, there was an even grander story that began to play out in the lives of our campers.

“Who’s Tha King?” was the theme of this summer’s residential camp. Each chapel session the campers listened to a story of a leader in Scripture who had to choose which masters he/she would take direction from – an earthly, temporal god or the Eternal God. Examples of both choices were given and at the end, the campers were challenged to ask and answer this question for themselves. The lessons on kingship directly corresponded with the salvation message. Over 40 campers accepted Christ as their personal Savior throughout the summer!
Without taking away from the momentary thrill of Operation Jumbo Candy Drop, the immensely awesome story is Jesus’ sacrifice for us and what that daily means for us. We rejoice in power of the Gospel to make us see clearly who is truly worth serving.

Close Call

As sent by Charlie Reid, Sunshine Cove Camp Director, late last week...

Folks,

Just a quick update from Sunshive Cove to let you see a bit of what has been taking place at camp. August was very rainy! You can check out the pictures to see how high the lake got.

Also, check out the tree that fell during a storm a couple of weeks ago. it was giant one, but just missed Spruce lodge! Thankfully, the Lord kept it standing past our summer season, and let it fall when we (almost) have time to clean it up. Dave Phillips did most of the cutting, and a work crew from Bethel College came to split and stack the enormous amount of wood…

Sunshine Packs Its Bookbag

Summer wouldn't be complete if it did not include a block party. Hot dogs...candy...games... prizes... music ... and Mayor Daley Jumping Jack Inflatable House. (Before it was even blown up, the kids had formed a line in expectation.)And...backpacks? Yep, Sunshine coupled the local block party with our back-to-school backpack drive. A variety of brand-new backpacks filled with school supplies were graciously given to us by Willow Creek Commmunity Church in Barrington. Over 100 backpacks were given to area youth, many of them attenders of our Summer Blast Vacation Bible School. So now, I suppose, the summer is complete.

Summer W-rap Up

It's been too long since we've updated this blog! We know! But, I'm guessing your house looks a little like our "house" these days. Sunburns are fading, backpacks have been bought, school supply lists are a thing of the past, and each member of your family is trying to make a new schedule of games, clubs, appointments, and meetings a routine. But, since I am one who cannot get enough summer sun or the leisure summer so well imposes, I'm going to take you down memory lane, recounting our staff's activities as a way to give you a picture of our summer days. Join me?

Dave Clark finished his season coaching the Warriors, our high school basketball team. They ended the season with a 5-4 record, but that stat hardly reflects the improvements in perseverance and discipline they made. We are quite proud of our team and of Dave, who I can tell you from personal experience, was the most animated coach in the league, giving his full attention to the team.

Dave also spearheaded the annual trip to Bozeman, Montana at the end of July, with some of the young men from our community (in fact, some of the same guys who were on our basketball team). Six youth and two staff families (the Roys and the Blodgetts) made a 2-van, 22-hour caravan out West! Word back here in the city is that they are not coming back to Chicago. No, really, just like years past, they greatly enjoyed their time in the Word together, devotioning together alongside rivers and overlooking Canyons. Their hosts from Springhill Presbyterian warmly opened their doors & showed the guys the ropes to outdoor, mountain fun.

Ann, as she always does, sufficiently held down our fort. (My, we are going to miss her when she relocates to L.A. this fall!) She brought Woodlawn moms of Wednesdays to our Sunshine Cove Camp in Michigan, where the parents had an inside look at the kids' days at camp. The other days of the week, Ann teamed up with our other staff members, bringing Bridge Builder teams to their various site visits across Chicago, making corresponding phone calls and flyers, and taking a field trip to the water park and to the Clark homestead in Michigan (pictured below). She took upon herself for us, the anxieties associated with group dinners, birthdays, and the vast amount communication it takes to keep our staff on the same page we travel to and from camp all summer.

Vince taught another semester of After School Matters classes in business and web design to local high school students, all while continuing the major communications and messaging upgrade, which includes hosting our own e-mail and website. He also made sure our evening classes in computer literacy and Microsoft Office applications continued to be held for area adults. Our summer intern, Dave Perkins, and a part-time instructor, Jonathan, offered some relief along the way.

Pete and Nikki Blodgett (our newlyweds) came back from their honeymoon only to dive immediately into youth activities, like the Summer Blast program we'd wrote to you about in our last update. And, alongside that summer outreach endeavor, is our weekly ReCharge discipleship group, which we continue to hold and which we have plugged in approximately 30 more youth. Pete held another hip-hop Friday - an event we call foCus. This outreach will regain its consistency throughout this school year.

Aaron, besides celebrating the arrival of a baby girl into the Roy family, also led our Bridge Builder program. This week-long urban ministry school, as I would describe it, reached roughly 200 participants from churches and college campuses around the country.

And the rest of us of here in the city...we keep the family checkbook in order, plan the parties, go to meetings, write the family Christmas newsletter, greet our guests as they spontaneous arrive at our door, and make sure to periodically call "Aunt Brenda" in Washington with an update on the family. In actuality, my guess is that our duties would be a bit uninteresting if we outlined them. I think you can read between the lines though. :wink:

As you can see, our life on a large scale mirrors your life. Just as you are preparing for a new routine of activities, so are we.