- At Camp -

A Baby Skunk is coming to Camp!

2011-03-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

That's right - a skunk!

The little guy will be born sometime in April and come to camp in late May. It will be black and white, and male, just like the one pictured below. And don't worry -- he should be de-scented by the time he comes to camp!

We are excited to have this baby skunk at camp and are currently looking for name suggestions. Please let us know your ideas by leaving a comment. Thanks!

7th - 9th Grade Boys Camp 2010

2010-06-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

On your mark, get set, GO!

That’s sort of how it feels to be a director at Boys Camp. We had a non-stop, action and adventure-filled week at camp. These activities included paintball, capture the flag, Coon Creek, tower, swing, zip ling. With it being Boys Camp, we had much competition including sports tournaments, “Minute to Win It” games, dorm inspection, fishing competitions, etc.

This week, we had 58 great campers that not only participated in energetic sing times, but also were eager to learn God’s Word and look at the vastness of the universe. Our daily themes included God is Big, God is Powerful, God is a God of Order and not chaos, What heaven really is, and now that we’ve learned all this—how do we apply it to our lives?

Though we had to shuffle the schedule due to the weather, we were able to look at Saturn and its rings through a telescope from the new Ridge Observatory. This universe that God has created is so big. Thanks to all the staff and campers for coming…and hopefully you’ve started to catch up on your lost sleep!

Boys Camp 2010

We Released the Wild Brook Trout!

2010-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have come come to camp before and never realized that we have a Trout Raceway that had around 2,200 wild brook trout in it!

In it we raise the trout from the time the are fingerlings (a couple inches long) until they are ready to be released as adults (8-10 inches long). The raceway provides us with a great opportunity to work with the Department of Natural Resources and a local fishing club and the ability to teach and show camp visitors some of the wonders of God's creation.

As the title of this post suggests, yesterday was the big day that we released the trout into local streams and rivers. Other than the DNR, and a few guys from the local fishing club, we were also joined by a group of young homeschoolers who were able to watch the event first-hand. It is always an exciting experience to see the fish swim off on their own, and find little places to hide. And just in case you weren't able to see the trout this spring, we left a few in the raceway until we get the next batch of fingerlings in mid-summer. =)

Lake Geneva CCCA Conference

2010-03-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

The LWBC staff is currently at the Lake Geneva CCCA Conference. It's been a really great trip for them so far. They have all been attending individual tracks, specific to their areas of camp, as well as listening to main session speakers. To see their schedule, you can go here.

The CCCA conference is always an encouraging time to be with other like-minded "camp" people from WI and IA.

Please keep the staff in your prayers, as they're gaining new ideas and meeting others, and as they're traveling back to LWBC on Wednesday.

Thanks!

Mexico Trip Update - Day 6

2010-03-11T21:00:00.001-08:00

An update from Thursday

The crew is currently on their way home (last night when we spoke with Dennis, they were in Alamagordo at 9:30pm). The border crossing on the way out went fine.

The held their outreach program and 40 kids came. It was a great little outreach; they had a carnival, played soccer with the kids, and Mr. Hernandez shared the gospel to kids. Also, they reached out to 15 teenagers from the community. Chris Sanner did some team building with those teens and shared a message.

The hard-working crew finished tiling the kitchen and completed the plumbing (but found out there were leaks, so they couldn't finish it. Please pray that can get done soon!).

They are hoping to return home by 4pm today!

Stay tuned for pictures from the trip....

Mexico Trip Update - Day 5

2010-03-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

(written late Wednesday evening)

Chris Sanner headed up the training on the new elements and it all went really well with the pastors and seminar students. The Lord answered prayer today, visibly to us, when we prayed for the winds to clam down in order to allow the training to take place. So amazing! Also, a few of the girls in our group were able to watch / play with the trainnee's children for the whole time when the parents were getting trained.

We're doing a community day outreach, so we needed to paint the signs for the carnival games - we finished painting those today. Tommorrow is the children's outreach, part two of the elements training, and then the teen outreach in the afternoon. We will be packing up and leaving right after the teen outreach to come back into the US for the evening.

Also, here are a few other things that were accomplished:

The tile is all laid -- just one room is needing grout.
The 10,000-litre tank was filled today and is almost ready for us to turn the water on - hopefully today, still!
Two houses near Anapra were also worked on for two single moms who each have 4 children. One lost a son in the last year due to a shooting (when he was standing near a friend whose brother was involved in drugs and a gang).

Thanks for praying!

Dennis

Mexico Trip Update - Day 4

2010-03-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was a productive day, even though the weather was very hot, which made the work quite exhausting. A few of the team got burned from the hot sun.

The team met with three pastors from the area and one of them shared a challenge in the evening. The Lord has been challenging us all to love each other in the group and those who we are ministering to in Mexico -- especially those who are not as easy to love (John 13:35).

We finished all the Team Adventure Challenge elements just in time for a team of 12 seminary student to go through the course tomorrow! Pease pray for Chris Sanner tomorrow, as he facilitates this in Spanish.

Over the next few days some of the team is going to go help fix up home for families where the mothers have cancer; they'll install doors, pour concrete floor (can you even imagine living with no doors or a dirt floor in your home?), and fix a roof - a very leaky roof.

We should be ready to turn the water at the LCI Center tomorrow. Up to this point the team has had to use buckets to carry all the water from a different location. The team has been working on laying tile in the main kitchen area at the center and it should be ready to use next week!

We sincerely appreciate the prayers, we feel the Lord's hand watching over us.

Please continue to pray for us - for outreach on Thursday and for Chris facilitating TAC tomorrow.

Thank you!!

Dennis

Mexico Trip Update - Day 3

2010-03-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

The trip is going well so far!

We are thankful to the Lord for safety and for the unity of the group working together. Tim Gamwell and Chris Sanner have spoken to us in the evenings and we had a great time of groups praying last night. It went longer than expected, but it was encouraging to all of the group. =)

We have had only one scorpion bite - which is like a nasty bee sting. We have seen other scorpions along with several black widows, but people are being very cautious when reaching into dark spots and before putting on shoes and getting into sleeping bags.

Yesterday, the wind was strong and blew dust and sand around. We experienced problems with sand in the eyes and hair, and the sand pelting the skin was a little uncomfortable. Despite all this, we are still encouraged by the opportunity to work and minister to the people in and around the Carlos Chavira compound (where we are working) and Hacienda (where we are staying).

We visited an Indian community and an orphanage/elderly care center on Sunday (as mentioned in the last update). It is so great to see God's faithfulness in such a poor area! The work went well on Monday with working on the water system at the Chavira compound. Water is very important here in the desert.

The construction of the team building program elements is going well, and we are getting ready for the training on Wednesday. Local seminary students and pastors are hoping to join us on Wednesday to receive training on the team building activities. Hopefully, the first group of local children will be on-site to use the program on Thursday.

The tile in the kichen areas is going well. Mary Ann and Mindy are heading this project, with several helpers. This will allow all the storage and prep areas to get completed.

Keep praying -- thanks!

Dennis

Tuesday Tales {gabe}

2010-03-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Each Tuesday, we'll try to post a review, a testimony or a story from someone who has been to Living Waters Bible Camp. We hope you find these stories encouraging and fun to read!

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If you've been to Living Waters Bible Camp, you know how fun it is. If you haven't, let me tell you this: you'll never want to leave! I have three favorite camps that I like to go to: Father-Son Weekend, Family Camp, and 3rd-6th Grade Camp.

Father-Son Weekend is an amazing camp for the father and the son to hang out and have fun together in the winter. You can go sledding down a hill that makes you feel like you're never going to slow down, go ice skating on a perfect little pond, have a broom ball tournament where you can build you own team and name it just the way you want it. You also can cross-country ski on a path that weaves, turns and has great hills to practice your skiing skills.

Family camp is a great camp for the family to do fun activities together in July. You can do things like: archery near the woods, swimming at a nearby pool, a hayride through the fields when sometimes you feel like you're riding sideways, and fireworks in Viroqua, a nearby town.

3rd-6th Grade Camp is another camp in the summer that is similar to Family Camp but only 3rd through 6th graders can go. Other than the swimming, hayride, and archery, they have a big water balloon fight on the first day and a game called, "Gold Rush". In this game you try to collect hidden stones, painted gold or silver, and get them across the "safe" line before a counselor tags you and you have to give the stones up. They also have a "Counselor Hunt", which is on the last day, when the kids have to try to find the counselors that hide around the camp grounds.

By what I've told you, I'm expecting you all want to come to this wonderful camp in Westby, Wisconsin... Living Waters Bible Camp!

-Gabe V.

Mexico Trip Update - Day 1/2

2010-03-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

The crew arrived safely in Mexico yesterday morning after 31 hours straight of driving. Yesterday (Saturday) they were able to visit the LCI main campus in Juarez and plan out the things they will be doing over the next week, including:

design and build 8-10 team building elements for teens/adults
design and build 6 more teaching elements for children.

Today the group went to a bilingual church in Sunland Park, NM (just across the border from Juarez, Mexico). Then in the afternoon they went to visit an orphanage in Mexico, as well as a mission that works with the Tarahumara Indians who live in Jauarez. (The Tarahumara Indians are a group of indigenous people who come from a mountainous area, 8 hours south of Juarez, in hopes to find work to provide for their families.)

Thank you for your continued prayer support!

Keep checking back here or on Facebook for more updates.

Upcoming Event {Mexico Mission Trip}

2010-03-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Our crew of 30+ people will be leaving for Juarez, Mexico this Friday, March 5th. Please keep us in your prayers as we spend the week serving the Lord down there. We're hoping to tile, dry wall, clean and paint around the LCI campus as well as visit an orphanage, hand out scripture materials and to participate in outreach to teens in the area.

We so appreciate your prayer support as we travel to Mexico!

We're Making a Documentary!

2010-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, friends - we need your help!

This summer will be the 40th ANNIVERSARY of Living Waters Bible Camp. Pretty awesome, I know! The story of the camp is INCREDIBLE. Several men of God from different churches thought a farming field that used to grow tobacco could be used to one day help everyone who came there "to be more complete in Christ" (the LWBC vision).

And in order to show his faithfulness in a very visual way, we're making a documentary! We are going back and telling the whole story of God’s work, and then we’re ending it by sharing testimonies of people whose lives have been touched by God at Living Waters, in both small and great ways.

But we need your help - we need your stories! Could you share in a short way how God has worked in your life through or at Living Waters? Maybe you could send a photo that includes you and a camper/counselor/friend at camp (with names too!)!

We would love to hear these stories so that we can just get a small taste of what GREAT WORK God faithfully does when His people faithfully obey Him.

We appreciate your help!

--LWBC Staff

p.s. Here are a few ideas of what you could include in your story/testimony:

How you were introduced to camp (and when)
Important people who encouraged you to go to camp, and your relationship with them
Your first impressions of camp
Your experiences at camp
How the Lord still uses your experiences at camp, today
How the Lord is working in your life today

Also, here’s a very general example of what testimony could look like -- to help you out:

"I'm so grateful to have played a small part in the great work the Lord has done through Living Waters Bible Camp. I first found out about Living Waters when I was in college -- our InterVarsity group takes an annual trip to the camp for a weekend retreat in the fall. Driving down into the valley for the first time, I knew I was entering a truly special place. Through the years, I've been able to counsel, go on the Mexico Mission Trip, help out in the kitchen, explore the beauty of the camp grounds, and get to know many members of the full-time and volunteer staff. (The Lord has surely equipped LWBC with some AMAZING staff members!)

I'm constantly in awe of all that the Lord has taught me through LWBC. He still uses memories of camp today, which help me remember how I need to yearn for him and also, to remind me of his faithfulness. To God be the glory!"

Tuesday Tales {amy}

2010-03-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

Each Tuesday, we'll try to post a review, a testimony or a story from someone who has been to Living Waters Bible Camp. We hope you find these stories encouraging and fun to read!

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We were initially nervous about sending our boys to LWBC for the first time, as we had not visited and didn't know much about it. James and Will were begging to go after their cousins shared with them how much they enjoyed camp the summer before.

In 2008, James attended Boys Camp and Will attended 3rd-6th Grade Camp -- they both came back raving about their experience! What was most striking was their articulation in "boy speak" about feeling spiritually refreshed and enlightened. They had a blast doing all the fun activities like swimming and games, but really expressed a desire to walk more closely with the Lord after their week at camp. I would describe it as a "spiritual high." James said he'd rather go to camp than Disney World! And he asked me if I would consider being a staff in 2009 so he could be a" staff kid" and get to be at camp an additional week.

Sure enough, in 2009, Tim and Mindy Seeley were so gracious in finding a spot for me as babysitter and I was able to bring all 5 of our kids together to camp, while 2 were campers. What a great week of making new friends and basking in the fellowship of believers, not to mention watching the Lord's work in progress as the campers were so beautifully ministered to by the staff. I loved every minute of my time there.

My husband, Joe, has taken the boys to the last two Father-Son Weekends; they come back exhausted but so happy and all have indicated that this is an annual event they won't miss.

The Holy Spirit is alive and well in Westby, Wisconsin. If you haven't had a chance to attend a camp or weekend event at Living Waters, I strongly encourage you to check out this awesome ministry!

~Amy Y.

Mauston United Methodist Youth Group

2010-01-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend! Our first weekend retreat of 2010 brought the annual youth retreat from the Mauston United Methodist Church. The group of 38 youth and chaperones spent time enjoying the winter activities; they all visited the Creation Museum and learned how to find their way with a compass. Dennis challenged the group (young and old) to be daily living out their faith.

Winterama 2009

2009-12-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

Great Food, Great Fun, Spending time with friends, and Learning from God’s Word!

These were the answers the campers gave when I asked why they keep coming back to Living Waters - and Winterama ’09 had all these things and more. God brought 33 energetic 6th – 10th graders to Winterama this year. The campers and the 8 counselors spent time together tubing, ice skating, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing or snowboarding. The annual broomball tournament was won by the “Ice Tigers”, congratulations ladies!

During our chapel services, we were challenged to live with a biblical worldview. I am praying that each of the campers and counselors will have the opportunity to share with a friend about what they learned and why a biblical worldview is the only true worldview.

Thank you to everyone who made Winterama ’09 part of their Christmas break, SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!

Rave Review: New Life Academy

2009-10-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say a tremendous thank you to the whole of Living Waters staff. I just returned from a trip with my class at New Life Academy and I want to say that you changed my life. I appreciated everything you guys did. Serving meals, leading nature classes, and hanging out with us at the rock wall and swing.

I was - and still am - so amazed at the selfless, serving attitude shown by staff and Siler family. I personally feel convicted of being extremely selfish, and after spending a couple days with all the wonderful people I want to change myself more than ever. I never thought that such giving, humble people could effect me so much.

I've prayed for you all so many times since I have come home, just asking the Lord to keep you sustained, doing the amazing work you do and touching so many lives. Again, thank you for that unforgettable weekend.

God Bless You!
~Macayla S.

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Thanks, Macayla, for your kind words. We hope to see you back at camp in the near future!
~LWBC Staff

Rave Review: Hope Christian Academy

2009-09-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Andrew and Living Waters Bible Camp Staff,

Our students and staff were very blessed to visit you at Living Waters Bible Camp. From your greeting on our bus to some of the staff gathering to say goodbye, you demonstrated the love of Christ. From the first time I heard about Living Waters, I was impressed that you (the camp and Dennis) would provide and try to meet the camping group’s needs and desires for preaching and teaching. Dennis Siler did an excellent job of relating to the teens and giving them applications that they could relate to.

Your camp offers quite an impressive array of activities and I feel confident that we could return and do quite a variety of different things from what we experienced. The mud bog stories and applications are still being talked about in the halls of HCA. And many kids overcame their fear of the height to conquer the zip line. Several felt this was an area of significant personal growth – that besides the obvious analogy to stepping off into God’s will when we can’t feel His supporting hand. I’ve heard that talked about more than once too. The fort breakfast and all the associated skills challenges were really fun, although I am still disappointed that I couldn’t throw the hatchet and spit the tree in half – after all, I watched Daniel Boon as a kid do it dozens of times on TV!

Personally, I was blessed to have Tim notice that our bus needed some attention with the muffler and then take the initiative to fix it. We made it home safe and I praised God for a brother who was paying attention to our old bus.

Thanks for all you gave to make our Hope High Retreat memorable. I believe that we will be harvesting fruit from the seeds sown there all year long. May God bless you and your families and the ministry of Living Waters Bible Camp.

Sincerely for Christ-like kids,

Randy Krussow
Principal

Reflections: 3rd - 6th Grade Camp #2 2009

2009-09-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

From the Directors of 3rd - 6th Grade Camp #2:

Although it has been a whole month since 3-6th Grade Camp #2, memories and blessings experienced during camp that week are still fresh in our minds. We had a great group of children who were - for the most part - cooperative, obedient, and eager to learn. We were blessed to have an awesome group of servant-minded volunteers working to serve the campers and each other. It was such a blessing to see the unity in the staff and the care and concern they displayed towards each other and the campers.

The central theme and message of the Bible was clearly taught during the evening chapel services, and staff and campers alike were challenged to be “firmly planted” in the Word of God. Morning classes, taught by husband/wife teams, focused on aspects of the life of a tree and how it applied to the lives of the camper. After breakfast each morning, campers were encouraged to participate in a time of personal devotions with their counselor and a few of their cabin buddies. During this time, campers were taught what a quiet time could look like, so they could take this skill home with them and practice it daily.

The highlight of the week for us was the salvation of two of the campers; both children willingly and boldly shared their testimonies with others (one shared it in front of the whole group on Friday evening). We praise God for these two decisions and for any other decisions that were made that we may not be aware of (and may never know of). Another highlight of the week happened at the registration table the first day of camp when one of the campers who had attended camp last year and had accepted Christ as his Savior let us know that he had been reading the Bible we had given him last year. Pointing to the Bible, which he carried under his arm, he informed us that he had started reading in Genesis and was up to the book of Numbers. What a blessing!

We feel privileged to have been a part of this memorable week and look forward to serving God at LWBC!

-Tim and Mindy S.

Rave Review

2009-09-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Dear LWBC,

I wanted to thank you and your staff for an outstanding week of camp this summer. We sent one of the young guys from our church and he accepted Christ while he was there. His mother stopped me on Sunday while I was heading downstairs to teach Sunday School . She was so excited and kept talking about how great camp was for her son. I’m hoping to use her excitement (and her son’s) to generate interest in bringing several more next year.

Thanks and God bless!

Tim Chaffey
(Director, Speaker, Author - Midwest Apologetics)

Reflections: Family Camp 2009

2009-08-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

From Kelly Siler:

There may have been just a small amount of families, but that definitely didn't hinder the magnitude of how God worked in the lives of those of us who were able to attend Family Camp 2009. We were we able to enjoy great food, wonderful fellowship, and a short retreat (Sunday through Wednesday) with our families down at camp.

While the kids were out experiencing nature programs, the parents were blessed by the video series from the 2009 "Focus on Marriage" Conference. Though it was originally broadcast as a national simulcast conference, we didn't feel like it was at all second-rate. The Lord still used the speakers from that conference to make a deep impact on our marriages -- the foundation of our families.

I think it's safe to say that we all left camp encouraged, well-nourished, and with a purer love for our spouse and family. Oh, and I probably shouldn't talk about how much fun we (the parents) had playing "Digital Praise" one evening because I'm still not sure if we broke a rule by "dancing" at camp or not...

=)

Reflections: Girls Camp 2009

2009-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

From the Director of Girls Camp 2009:

This year at Girls Camp we had the privilege of seeing the Lord's amazing power moving in hearts and lives! Our theme this year was Firmly Planted on God's promises with the tag line of "God's promises are always, always, always, always true!" Opening our Monday chapel time with staff testimonies, the staff had the opportunity to share how God has been faithful in their lives. During our camper testimony time at the campfire on Friday night we had the joy of seeing the girls be able to apply the things they were learning to their own lives. The schedule was full of a wide variety of activities, everything from a glow in the dark party to our 80's banquet. We are so thankful to have been a part of the girls' lives for the week and really count it a privilege to be used by the Lord in this way!

-Missy

Reflections: 11th and 12th Grade Camp 2009

2009-07-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

From the Director of 11th and 12th Grade Camp:

11th and 12th Grade Camp was a great week spent reviewing the foundation of Christianity. John Lyman was the guest speaker for the entire week and he carried the campers through 5 major topics including who God is, why we should believe the Bible, our human state, sin and salvation, and future events. Many of the campers and staff began asking great questions by mid-week.

Rain changed our plans multiple times, including our overnight camping trip. We drove two hours to hike in the rain and then drove home again. I like when God changes our plans because it means He is in charge – not me. We were also able to do the tree climb for the first time. The view from 75 ft. in the air is amazing!

The highlight of the week was the influence of one of our campers named Jacob. Jacob lost his father and sister a couple of years ago in an auto accident and he also suffered traumatic head injuries. His comments tell it all: “I lost my father, my sister, and half of me, but I love God.” Jacob challenged all of us to live each day as if it were our last.

-Vince

Reflections: 3rd - 6th Grade Camp 2009

2009-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

From the Directors of 3rd - 6th Grade Camp:

Deb and I felt truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve along with our staff and the LWBC staff last week at 3rd-6th grade camp. Even after many years of coming to Living Waters the excitement of watching the valley fill with campers never dwindles. 65 campers made their way to camp to take part in as many activities as possible along with learning more from God's Word. Lumberjack Day, a visit to the Felten farm, water day, campfires, scavenger hunt, and a 50's ice cream social night were just a few of the things enjoyed by all.

We had the privilege of seeing 4 campers profess salvation, and a couple of others be built up in their faith. What tops it off is reading through evaluations and seeing comments like, "I wish camp was longer" or "I loved my counselor/teacher" or best of all, "I will see you in Heaven, Mr. Felten". May God receive all the glory and His Kingdom multiplied.

-Tim & Deb

EMR Youth Leaders Retreat at LWBC

2009-07-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Amidst the mission trips, small groups, outreach BBQ’s and planning next year’s calendar, there’s not much time left for equipping volunteers, discussing vital issues, connecting with other youth leaders or just getting away to unplug and letting someone else minister to you for a change. We’d like to invite you to our inFOCUS Emmaus Youth Leaders Seminar, September 18-19, 2009 at Living Waters Bible Camp in Westby, WI, for a weekend of sharpening and refreshment. We look forward to seeing you there! Click here for more info or to register

Looking for a New Administrative Assistant

2009-07-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

We are currently looking for a full-time, faith supported, Administrative Assistant at the LWBC. Please click on the following link to view the full job description.

Feel free to contact the camp for more specific information regarding this position, or to express interest in this position.

Thanks!

Inspirational Stories: Boy's Camp 2009

2009-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

From one of our Boy's Camp counselors:

"I left camp on Friday to attend a wedding back in Minneapolis. I decided that I wanted to return to camp after the wedding so I could hear how Friday went and also be there for goodbye's on Saturday morning. So I drove down the hill towards camp at 12:50am Saturday morning wondering if the boys of Ottawa would still be awake. I noticed the lounge light still on at Ottawa as I parked my car. I was so anxious to find out what had happened at camp while I was away.

I walk into Ottawa and Kaleb, Matt and Steve are in the lounge with five campers. They wanted me to guess what had happened that night. It turns out that two of them had accepted Christ and one had re-dedicated his life. They were all just *beaming*. They each told me how they had accepted Jesus into their lives after the Chapel time. They told me about how the three of them stood up at the campfire and told the others of their decisions that night. It was so fun to hear all about it. They individually had each thought through things and made their own decisions for Jesus. Praise God!

We all hugged each other and then sang some praise some right there in the lounge until 2am. Amazing! I could see changes already in each camper. Saying goodbye on Saturday wasn't so hard, since they were secure in Jesus."

Reflections: Boys Camp 2009

2009-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

From the Director of Boys Camp:

We had a fantastic week at Boys Camp 2009. The weather was hot, but that just made water activities that much better. This week we studied the summer theme of "firmly planted". These guys learned the lessons from the life of David. The theme verse of Jeremiah 17:7-8 was the focus of the week -- "blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord in storms, avoids sin, abides deeply, and produces fruit."

Some of the fun things this week were paintball, capture the flag, making pinewood derby cars, making bread, learning about maple syrup, climbing the tower, doing the zip line and giant swing, basketball and archery tournaments, and anything that relates to water.

Both the staff and campers were great. It would be hard to beat the quality of these 46 young men we had as campers this week. We had minimal discipline issues to deal with and were all encouraged in how they seemed to desire to learn more about God and his Word. The highlight of this week was the entire day of Friday. On Friday, we had four young men make decisions for Christ and one rededicate his life. Please pray for the campers. Pray that they would take what they learned at camp and truly apply it to their lives... and not only for a week or two until the "camp high" wears off. We hope and pray that these young men will continue to grow with Christ and that they will be on fire for the Lord.

A warm thanks to all the campers, parents, Boys Camp, and LWBC full-time and summer staff who made this wonderful week possible!

Tom D.

New Kitchen Manager

2009-07-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Please join us in welcoming Tim and Mindy Seeley and their family, as Tim has recently joined us as full-time staff, here at LWBC. Rachal will be passing the baton on to Tim in the position of Kitchen Manager over the next month. We are sad to see Rachal go, but delighted to have the Seeley family serving with us at camp.

Please greet their family with a warm welcome next time you're at Living Waters!

Meet Our 2009 Staff!

2009-06-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Current Full-Time LWBC Staff

(Top, L-R: Tim, Chris, Andrew, Aaron, Ray, Dennis; Bottom, L-R: Tim, Joy, Rachal, Missy, Dan)

Male Summer Staff
(L-R: Tim, Andy, Jesse)

Female Summer Staff
(L-R: Caolae, Abby, Kristen, Brittney)

Group Shot of 2009 Summer Staff

Current Prayer Requests

2009-06-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

As we kick off summer camps, we have lots of prayer requests! We appreciate your prayers. Here is a list of a few current requests:

Campers

That their hearts are ready.
We have a lot of room for all camps – we need more campers!
We combined Family Camp #1 with/into Family camp #2 and still have room for many families!
Safety for all.
We are encouraging families struggling with the current economic state to not be afraid to ask for help so they can be encouraged form the Lord.
Pray for Work Week and helpers. We have lots of shingles to put on. We have lots of staining and cleaning to do.
Foundation camp started Saturday, June 13th.
Boy's Camp starts this weekend.

Staff

That they come filled with the Holy Spirit and “ready to give an answer”.
That they come rested and ready to give their all.
We are all have full schedules but are enjoying serving together – pray Satan stays out of the way!
Pray for the staff as the fall will be just as busy or more than the summer months. We will need help with food service and activities. We have 7 new groups scheduled between this spring and fall that have signed up since asking the Lord to fill some spots in the schedule.
Pray we find a replacement for Missy.
Ray and Kelly started the beginning of this month as part-time Marketing Manger. We hope they can be of help to inform people of where they can be involved at Living Waters Bible Camp.
The Seeleys start the end of this month.

Finances

Were holding steady until this month when the impact of less campers signing up meant less registration fees coming in. We are at over a $20,000 drop in fees.
The staff worked real hard this winter and we just received an $11,000 return from our pre-pay propane account. This is a praise to help with the other shortfall.
Pray we don’t run worried or fret but are careful with all the Lord brings in.

Thanks for praying!

On behalf of all the staff,
Dennis

Letter of Praise: Helping Hands for Christ

2009-06-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

The following excerpt is from a letter from the co-director of the Helping Hands for Christ ministry, that brought a group of 2nd – 8th graders to LWBC in early June:
____

Dear LWBC,

I wanted to send a quick note of thanks for the amazing experience you and your team provided for the children and parents of our ministry. From the second the children got off the bus until we arrived home, I didn't hear a single child complain of being bored or cold, even with the constant rain on Saturday, because they were continuously learning and having new experiences.

The manner in which you provided the message of Jesus Christ to these children and their parents was absolutely Spirit-led. I was very impressed with how each activity had a message within it about our Lord. This is exactly what I was looking for as I prayed for a camp for these children. Originally, I tried to find a camp closer to our homes, but just didn't have a good feeling about the camps I had contacted. Immediately upon our first emails, I felt that we were supposed to come to your camp. I do believe that was the Holy Spirit letting me know this is where the kids were supposed to be! I cannot emphasize enough how the delivery of the message of salvation was perfect for where these children, and their parents, are in their lives.

Thank you so very much for all that you and your team did to help these children on their journey!

Sincerely,
Helping Hands for Christ, Inc.

A Note from Missy

2009-06-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Dear LWBC Community:

Two years ago almost to the day the Lord laid it on my heart to move back to my hometown. I spent a lot of time in prayer and searching out His will, mostly to my shame, because apart from God’s prompting it was something I had no desire to do at all. I talked to Theo, Dennis, and John L. about the process of what I needed to be doing to really search out if it was His will. God was really showing me through things I was reading and through prayer that it was what He wanted me to do, but He never worked out the final details.

Over the last two years, the desire has never left and I continued to pray about it and I often wondered if I missed something. The last time I went home I came back with the desire being even stronger. The Lord allowed this desire to come back right before I was starting my 20-day fast (through The Lord’s Table course). I started the fast wanting to commit this to prayer during this time.

Half-way through my fast the Lord answered me in such a clear way that there was no ignoring it. I talked to Dennis on Friday and told him I wanted to take the weekend to seek some confirmation that it was what He truly wanted me to do. Well, He spent the weekend confirming that it is what He wants me to do.

This is a very exciting and scary step for me in my life. I know this is a desire God has given me because - apart from that - the desire is not there. I LOVE camp, Westby, the chapel and those of you who have really become my family here - it will truly be heartbreaking to leave you all.

I would really appreciate your prayers during this time! All that this decision entails is starting to set in and I am so excited... but also thinking I might be crazy. :-) I do rest in the fact that even though this will be hard, He will take me through it and He will supply my needs!

Love,
Missy

New Marketing Manager

2009-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I (Ray Siler, your previously slightly anonymous blogger) joined on our staff here at LWBC as our part-time Marketing Manager! I'll be overseeing the "media side of things". I will be splitting my time between website maintanence, blog updates, email updates, social networking, print media, as well as video/multimedia.

I'll be helping out 2-3 days a week, but will work from home quite a few of those days. I'm planning to be down at camp at least one day per week, but the majority of my work can be done from a remote location, so heading in to camp won't always be necessary.

My wife, Kelly, will be helping me out in a few of the aforementioned areas, as well, so we - as a team - are excited to serve, here at camp!

Help us Help the Needy in Jaurez, Mexico

2009-06-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

Dennis Siler’s son Matt is serving the Lord down in Juarez, Mexico at Life Challenge International (LCI). Life Challenge helps thousands of people every month by providing food, clothing, school programs, supplies and labor to repair homes, and helping families start up and find jobs.

Matt is currently at Living Waters Bible Camp and is going to be driving the old LWBC bus to Mexico on June 27; please pray that it makes it there! This is a rare time to have so much space for larger items to get to where the needs are great for a large quantity of people.

What follows is a short list of items that will help continue to assist in how God is using LCI to help transform a community with His truth and love. If you are able to donate any of these items please e-mail Dennis (at) lwbc (dot) org and we will make arrangements. (Please note: the items will need to be loaded into the bus no later than June 27th.)

Thank you!

___

School Supplies

Backpacks
Pencils
Notebooks
Chalkboards

Office Supplies:

Commercial copiers
Fax machines
Printers

Construction and Building Supplies:

Tile, Lumber, Tar, Roofing, Plywood, etc.
Steel - such as: angle iron, channel, tubing, etc.
Power tools, hand tools, shop tools such as: table saws, joiners planers, etc.
Plumbing materials - especially water pumps and pressure tanks
Commercial doors and steel frames 36in.

Kitchen Supplies:

Any type of stainless steel commercial kitchen appliances, refrigerators, shelving, sinks, tables, pots and pans, utensils, etc.
Food service equipment – consumer and commercial
Kitchen appliances, cookware, tables, chairs, etc.
Dry and canned food

Audio/Visual Equipment

Amps, Mics, Projectors, Cords, DVD players, Christian DVDs , etc.

Miscellaneous

Pairs of front bicycle wheels to make carts for starting up micro businesses (street carts)
Mattresses for the beds
Shelving for the stores and shops
Sorry - we do not have any needs for clothes at this time, except for blue jeans or good tennis / hiking shoes

Staff Training Videos are online!

2009-06-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

For all those who plan to be staff at camp this summer but were not able to come to Staff Training Day in April, we put videos of the sessions online! Now, instead of having to watch them on Saturday before camp starts, you can watch them from the comfort of your home. =)

As a reminder, everyone who plans to be a staff this summer has to watch all the videos if they didn't attend the weekend (as required by law). Also, we apologize in advance for any black spots in the videos and that the equipment is not quite top of the line.

Thanks.

Follow the link to to watch the 2009 Staff Training Videos.

Family Camp #1 Canceled

2009-06-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

We regret to announce that we'll be canceling Family Camp #1 (the week of July 5th - 11th), as well as any TST’s who were planning to serve during that week at camp.

For this summer, we've decided that it would be best to combine Family Camps #1 and #2 in order that both the campers/families and staff are able to get the most out of their time at camp. However, we are still planning to host a full week of family camp in July next summer (and those thereafter).

Please note that there is still is room for more campers during Family Camp #2 (August 8th - 12th), so be sure to tell those who you think would be interested in joining us for that camp! We want to make sure that families with financial needs are not hindered by the cost so, please let us know if you would be interested in a scholarship.

We are sorry for the inconvenience and are very thankful for your understanding.

God Bless,
LWBC Staff

Meet our New Baby Bison!

2009-06-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you follow us on facebook you may have already seen our newest camp animal addition - Tilly, the baby bison. She arrived at camp last Sunday and was only three days old when we got her. She is still pretty small right now, but she has a spunky little attitude.
At the moment she is living in the investigation station, sharing space with the peacock, while keeping an eye out for the other animals that live in there in the summer. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will be able to fence in a more permanent home for her up on the prairie, so you will have to look for her there next time you come to camp!

We have a new bus!

2009-05-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

About a month ago we purchased a new bus for camp. It seats a max of 72 people and, with our other bus, we should be able to transport almost all of the larger camps without needing to use the vans. By the time you see the bus it may have a new paint job, but until then here is in all its yellow/orange glory!

Now off to the pool!

Homeschool Family Camp 2009

2009-05-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Home School Family Camp was a blast. One dad said, "It was a privilege to be a part of this week." Another seven-year-old camper said it was "the best week of her life."
Many of the families enjoyed sleeping in the covered wagons, going to sleep looking at the stars and waking to the geese flying over low. Several shared that they enjoyed the new format and flexibility of staying at camp for either 2, 3, 4, or all 5 days.

Want to know who is attending your camp this summer?

2009-05-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already noticed, we recently created a new LWBC profile page on Facebook. Yes, it is true that there are already two Facebook groups for fans of LWBC, but we decided to make a new profile page because it allows us more options to connect with those of you who are on there, and it will hopefully be a bit more interactive. So be sure to become a fan!

As part of that new profile page we added each camp this summer as an "event". All you have to do is click on the link to the camp/event you are attending and it should show you some of the other people on Facebook who are going to your camp. Exciting, isn't it? When you are there make sure to add yourself as someone who is "attending" your camp/event, and be sure to tell your friends to add themselves to the event as well. The more people who participate, the more accurate and useful of a tool it will become!

Busy Spring at LWBC

2009-05-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy spring at LWBC and a lot has been going on! We're sorry we have been slow in updating the blog. Well, we've been busy building a few things at camp for this summer...

In conjunction with our summer theme "Firmly Planted" we built a little "Sugar Shack" where we will show you how maple syrup is made from some of our trees at the camp. Below is a picture from the outside, and you will just have to wait until you come to camp in order to find out the mysteries of what goes on inside... =)
We have also been working on some of our trails, in preparation for the summer. The "Adventure Trail" was pretty steep at one part, so Tim and Joy built a nice little stairway.

Pretty good-looking, isn't it?

Music Ministry Workshop Canceled

2009-03-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

Due to lack of response, we will not be holding our Music Ministry Workshop this year.

Mexico Mission Trip Update #2 - From Dennis

2009-03-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

We thank the Lord for what He has taught us, what we have seen, and the work we were able to accomplish on this trip. During our evening study times we were encouraged and challenged as Tim Gamwell and Matt spoke to us. It is great to see that the Lord is teaching Matt so much as he serves here. It was also encouraging to be able to visit other ministries and see the work the Lord is doing through them.

A few praises from the trip…

We were able to complete the projects they had set aside for us to do; we tiled two bathrooms, a large kitchen and four bedrooms as well as built 30 bunk beds.
The Lord allowed us to travel down with an excess amount of food. We were able to leave it there to help in the community or with other groups that come to serve.
The transmission on the big blue van appears to have just overheated; it has been running fine all week.
We were thankful for safety on the trip. Other than increased police and military, we didn’t see or feel any increase in danger.

A few prayer requests…

Pray that our trip home would be safe.
Pray that the transmission on the van would not have any problems.
Because of the current conditions in Juarez, most mission groups have stopped traveling there for a time. Tim is still leading groups through LCI, so pray that the Lord will bring the group in order to accomplish the work that needs to be done.
We are headed over the border today (Thursday), in order to meet pick up the bus and transfer our stuff back to it. We will be staying in Texas tonight and hope to be home by noon on Saturday.

Thank you for your prayers!
Dennis

Mexico Mission Trip Update - From Dennis

2009-03-09T12:42:00.001-07:00

Our trip down was good except for the 40 mile detour we took when I took a wrong turn. When we got to the place we are staying in Mexico a leak in the transmission in of my big blue van started pouring out, not sure if it was just overheated or if we need to make other repairs. We thank the Lord it didn't happen on the trip down - God is good!

It is hot and dirty down here and our hearts are already being plowed. Matt spoke to our group and just about tore us up in committing our hearts more completely to the Lord. Pray our hearts will be ready to receive all the Lord wants to teach us.

We saw Bill Polasak and Parker Gamwell in church this morning. It was encouraging to hear that Bill (7 months after his stroke) is still printing tracts at the rate of over 2 million per year; and Parker just had one of his books on the Basics of Christian living printed again for India (now totaling over 650,000 copies for that region alone). It is incredible to see how God is using both of them in spite of their feeble bodies.

As far as safety goes it appears no different than past years except there are more searches and more police and military around.

There is so much work needed down here! It would take all night to convey just what we have seen so far. We went by one area today and saw over 10 new houses being built near the place Matthew is staying, all of them being built with pallets and cardboard. One looked nicer than the rest as the pallets looked all the same color. It brings a smile but also a sad heart as this is what some of the local people are looking forward and excited about, and reminds us again that we truly have so much.

Our materials are not delivered to the site yet for the bunk beds, so we will start a little later in the morning.

Thanks again - I appreciate your prayers!
Dennis

Regarding Online Registration

2009-03-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you know that our online registration is not yet up and running. Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.

Please stay tuned and we'll let you know when it does go live (hopefully soon!).

Thanks!

New Kitchen Manager

2009-02-04T10:29:00.001-08:00

Some of you may know already that our current Kitchen Manager, Rachal Siler, is planning on moving away. This means that we are in the process of looking for a new Kitchen Manager to fill her position.

So if you have large kitchen management experience and would like to serve in a Christian environment then send us an email for more info on this position.

Thanks!

Start thinking about summer...

2009-01-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

Because we sure are! We're working on getting the summer brochure printed and sent out to your house! To view the brochure now, click on the image below.

Not sure if you're on our mailing list?
Want to update your mailing info?

If so, contact Missy: missy (at) lwbc (dot) org.

Mauston United Methodist Church

2009-01-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

The youth group from Mauston United Methodist returned this year for their annual winter retreat. This year, 40 students (3rd through 11th grade) and 8 chaperones came for a weekend of fun in the snow and time spent learning about some of the wonderful gifts that God gives to us.

We focused on the gifts of eternal life, creation, friends, and the Word. We also got outside to learn about Wilderness 1st Aid, Outdoor Survival and some students were able to go on a Winter Scavenger Hunt.

Snow Days!

2009-01-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

Join us this Sunday, January 25th for our second "Snow Days" event!

Cross-country skis, tubes and ice skates are available for use.

Winterama 2008

2009-01-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

The theme of God’s provision and grace continues to be central to the ministry of LWBC, and Winterama 2008 was another opportunity for campers and staff to see God’s mighty hand changing lives.

With a total of 26 campers and 7 counselors, Winterama 2008 was filled with opportunities for people to build relationships and to share encouragement. In many ways the smaller numbers gave more people the opportunity to gain from being at Winterama, and there was less opportunity to get lost in the crowd.

Our theme “Giving a Defense”, challenged us to defend our faith and answer some hard questions about where we came from, how we can live for God, and what happens when we die. One young lady prayed to accept Jesus as her Savior during the retreat, Praise the Lord!

Thanks to all the campers and staff that made Winterama 2008 a weekend to remember.

Winterama Open to 6th Graders

2008-12-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

Contest: Renaming "Winter Fun Days"

2008-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, creative types, here's an opportunity for you to shine.

We're trying to come up with a new name for "Winter Fun Days" (our annual community-wide open house here at LWBC)... but we're out of ideas. We need your help! Email Missy with your idea by 12-noon CST on December 12 or leave a comment on the blog (along with your email address). If we choose your title idea, you'll win a camp t-shirt.

Happy titling! =)

Staff Meeting Updates: November 2008

2008-11-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

Recently, Dennis, Andrew, and Missy traveled to Minneapolis to meet with the leadership of Campus Crusade TREK group. Midwest Regional Director, Pete Henschel, commented on the great value of LWBC and the TREK program. We're thankful to continue this partnership with Campus Crusade and are excited to keep growing the program.

Currently, Tim, Joy, and Aaron (Program Caretakers) are working on the maple syrup house - also known as the "Sugar Shack", where maple sap will be boiled into syrup. Yum! =)

Missy has been keeping busy working on getting out a year-end letter. If you're one of the 1,800 people on the LWBC mailing list, keep your eyes open for this letter - it should arrive to your mailbox shortly!

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Winter Events!

2008-11-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

We’ve had a lot of events going on at camp lately. We recently had Young Adult Weekend as well as Creation Camp. We had a full house for Creation Camp and it was great to have Mike Riddle from Answers In Genesis as the guest speaker.

Next, we'll be hosting Winterama and Father-Son Weekend. There's still space in both groups, if you'd like to join us! Just click on the image for each respective brochure.

Also, to view all upcoming events going on at camp, you can check out the website at: www.lwbc.org.

Event Postponed - Leadership Training with Tim Kight

2008-10-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Leadership Training Conference with Tim Kight will be postponed.

For more information, check out lwbc.org or if you have any questions feel free to email Dennis Siler at dennis@lwbc.org or call 608-634-4373 x22.

Dennis in Juarez

2008-09-25T13:51:00.001-07:00

Please keep our Executive Director, Dennis Siler, in your prayers; he's been in Juarez, Mexico from the 21st and will be there through the 27th of this month. He's serving alongside Life Challenge International, a ministry that is overseen by Tim Gamwell. To read how you can pray, specifically for the community of Felipe Angeles in Juarez, please read a post from Matthew Siler here.

Thanks!

Upcoming Event - Leadership Training

2008-09-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Elevate Your Leadership Effectiveness

Are you passionate about leading others? If so, you're encouraged to join us for an intensive three-day workshop with Tim Kight of Focus3 from October 20th-23rd at Living Waters Bible Camp near LaCrosse, Wis.

This workshop will prepare you to teach the "Life in Focus" curriculum to others by teaching you to effectively understand how one can manage his/her thoughts, feelings, and actions as he/she responds to the ever-changing circumstances of life. By learning these skills, you'll be equipped to equip others with the biblical principles - or life skills - at the heart of excellence in Christ.

Tim Kight was overwhelmingly received at the Wisconsin / Iowa CCCI Sectional and has been a much appreciated speaker at past national conferences.

Cost: $525 includes three days of food, lodging, training, as well as all facilitator tools.
Note: The fee of $525 is a significantly-reduced fee from Tim's normal rates - we're offering his workshop at this price in order to help ministry leaders help train others.

For more information, check out lwbc.org or if you have any questions feel free to email Dennis Siler at dennis@lwbc.org or call 608-634-4373 x22.

To register, please email Missy Wetterling at missy@lwbc.org or call 608-634-4373 x21.

The New Jackson 5

2008-09-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Andrew Jackson (LWBC Guest Groups Coordinator) and his wife, Melissa, welcomed baby Ezra James Jackson on September 7th, 2008. Ezra weighed in at 8 1/2 pounds and is a healthy (and cute!) little guy. Please keep them in your prayers as they adjust to life with three children!
Congratulations, guys!

We're Back in Action!

2008-09-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, we're incredibly sorry for the delay in posting!! Please keep our blog in your feeds! =)

We've wrapped up all our summer camps for 2008 and most of the staff were able to take a few (much needed) retreats, since we've had a couple weeks of break. We hosted Ladies' Weekend here this past weekend, September 5-7; it went really well. And now we have guest groups scheduled most days from now until November! Check out our calendar for more details and click here to download a brochure for most of the upcoming events.

Since we're back in action, we'll be sure to keep up-to-date on this blog. We're so thankful that you're interested in keeping up with what's going on at Living Waters Bible Camp!

3rd - 6th Grade Camp

2008-08-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

As we sit back and reflect on what has happened over the last several months with the preparation and ultimately the implementation of the 3rd-6th Grade Camp program, we can't help but see the workings of our great, sovereign God! We saw God's blessings, His guidance and direction, and His careful leading. As requested, He renewed our strength daily. Three young people accepted Christ, and a few children made assurances of salvation. We had an awesome staff that worked well together and evidenced a desire to serve God by serving the campers.

One of our main goals going into camp, besides making sure that the Gospel was clearly proclaimed and that the children saw the love of Christ in all of the staff, was to encourage the campers to renew their spiritual strength daily by implementing a time of personal devotions with God into their daily schedule (not only while they were at camp, but also when they went home). Starting Monday morning right after breakfast, we explained to the campers the importance of feasting on the Word of God daily to provide us with the spiritual nutrients we needed to get through our days. We had each dorm divide up into small groups and find a spot outside/ inside/ or wherever they chose. The counselor in each group led and instructed the children in what a personal devotion time with God could look like.

It was such a blessing to walk around camp every morning after breakfast and see small groups of children participating in devotion time with their counselors. One group of girls huddled all together around their counselor on the rock between the foot bridge and lodge, two other groups laid claims to the foot bridge (girls group on one end, boys group on the other), one group chose the bell tower, another the swings, another group took up residence on the new cement bridge over the dry wash. No matter where the groups met, the campers listened and participated in the reading of God's word and praying.

We pray that seeds were sown into the hearts of these young people, and the desire to feast on His Word continues.

Praise God for an exciting week at camp!!
-Tim and Mindy Seeley

Camper Quotes

"I learned that God never breaks His promises."
-Martin E.

"GREAT camp, great food, great teaching, and great counselors."
-Mario D.

"My favorite things about camp include riding the horses, meeting my counselors for the week, and becoming their friend."
-C. Jackson

"It was the best week ever."
-Leela F.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:
For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

7th and 8th Grade Girl's Camp

2008-08-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

In planning Girls Camp this year, it was on our hearts to focus on "hypocrisy." Girls in this day and age are bombarded with so many lies that tell them who they should and shouldn’t be. We wanted to take the week to help them understand that with God’s help they can take off all the “masks” they have been wearing and be the person God created them to be. We focused our class time, chapel time, and even our activities around this theme to help them further understand the importance of living without masks. One of the highlights of the week was our formal Masquerade Banquet. The girls wore actual masks that they had make earlier in the week and at the end of the evening we had a ceremony where we removed their masks and gave them each a verse to help them remember that with God’s help they can be who He wants them to be. We are very thankful for how the Lord worked in the staff and the camper’s lives during our week!

-Missy W.

Camper Quotes

"I appreciated that my counselors always let me talk to them, about anything, even if it meant waking them up at night."
-Cheyenne K.

"I really liked learning about different missionaries in the messenger pilots program."
-Maggie D.

"This week at camp, I was just reminded how fulfilling following Jesus is."
-Emily R.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:

For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Reflections: 11th - 12th Grade Camp

2008-08-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

[coming soon...]

Camper Quotes

"Camp really really opened my eyes this year. I'm happy that I know how to serve our Lord better and just how big He is."
-Jon L.

"I loved that my counselors were energetic and tons of fun to be around. They were also easy to talk to about life and spirituality."
-Matt B.

"Since this was my last official year being a camper, I tried to challenge myself a lot and I am praying about summer staff next year!"
-Megan L.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:
For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Celebration Saturday and More Upcoming Events!

2008-08-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone is invited to enjoy an afternoon / evening of fun, food and fellowship at Living Waters Bible Camp on Saturday, August 16th, 2008. Join us and hear how God worked in the lives of campers and staff throughout this summer.

Schedule:

3:00pm Enjoy activities such as basketball, kickball, and hiking
5:00pm Dinner will be served at the Fort
6:00pm Reports and testimonies will be given from the summer
8:30pm We'll end the evening with fellowship around a campfire

_______

Mark Your Calendars - More Exciting Upcoming Events at LWBC

2008

September 5-7 LWBC Ladies' Weekend
October 18 Lumberjack Day
October 24-26 Young Adult Weekend
October 31-November 1 Creation Camp
December 27-30 Winterama

2009

January 23 - 25 Father Son Weekend
March 6 - 14 Missions Trip
March 20 - 21 Music Ministry Workshop

Be sure to check out the camp website and the lwbc blog frequently for more details about these upcoming events! To receive our blog updates by email, sign up here:

New Bridge!

2008-08-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

After many delays, we were able to get the "Box Culvert" / bridge put in over the dry wash, at last! We are so thankful to all that have helped with this process and to the Lord for providing, once again.

Here are a few photos of the bridge repair process:

Two Upcoming Events

2008-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Family Camp #2: August 9th - 13th

For those who haven't had an opportunity to get away with your family, our second Family Camp would be a great time to spend together in a fun, Bible-based environment!

We'll be offering many of the same activities as Family Camp #1 and we'll be using Walk Thru the Bible's Old Testament Seminar for our teaching time curriculum. It's coming up quickly, so be sure to sign up soon!

For more details, click here.

Costs:
Ages 13 & up $187 each
Ages 8-12 $156 each
Ages 3-7 $104 each
Max $750 per family

Please note: We've tried to cut the cost for this camp as much as possible in order to make it affordable to all who would like to come. Please contact us for more information.

__________

Life in Focus Training: October 20th - 23rd

Life in Focus is about the pursuit of excellence in Christ. It is not about do-it-yourself techniques for personal fulfillment or hyped-up motivational strategies. Rather, it focuses on growing in Christ and building the character and courage necessary to live effectively for Him. Life in Focus presents ten biblical principles - or life skills - at the heart of spiritual maturity.

This 3-day certification workshop will prepare you to teach Life in Focus to the people in your ministry by equipping you to equip others with the life skills at the heart of excellence in Christ.

Costs:
$525 per person

This Includes:
Workbook/Facilitator Guide
PowerPoint Slides
DISC Behavior Style Assessment
Lodging
Food

For more information, click here. To register for this training workshop, please email us or contact Missy at (608) 634-4373, ext. 21.

Check Out the Archives

2008-07-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out the *updated* posts for Foundation Camp, Family Camp #1, 9th and 10th Grade Camp, and 4th - 6th Grade Camp!

Reflections: 4th - 6th Grade Camp

2008-07-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

Once again, excitement ran high as campers filled the cabins for another week at LWBC. As the week began it was evident that God had placed in our care campers that needed Christ along with Christian love and friendship. Watching God work in these campers' lives was a sight to behold. As counselors gained the campers' respect and trust, we saw relationships build to the point that they were waking up their counselors to ask questions concerning their lives.

As the week continued with awesome nature programs, interesting class and chapel times, and special events, God worked in an incredible way by convicting 8 campers to accept Jesus Christ as Savior on Thursday night. The week culminated as campers stood up at the campfire to proclaim to the entire camp that they "GOT SAVED" this week. May God receive all the praise!!

-Tim and Deb G.

Camper Quotes

"I liked the counselors. They were like my nice older sisters."

-Bethany G.

"This camp really opened my eyes about God."

-Phillip B.

"I didn't know that an owl's head can almost turn all the way around!"

-Lydia D.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:
For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Even More Flooding

2008-07-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

There were more floods yesterday.

At around 4pm, three and a half inches fell in about 75 minutes. It washed out the road over the dry wash (most of the gravel and moved the drain tubes) again - the one we happened to be working on fixing! It is discouraging, as it adds work, inconvenience, and a lot of extra expense. BUT it also provides opportunities for us to wait on the Lord and see how He provides and what He teaches.

There are many things we are thankful to the Lord for:

We are thankful it hasn’t severely affected one camp as of yet, as sufficient repairs have been made quick enough to not stop any ministry. We are thankful no one has been hurt though any of the storms. We are thankful for lots of willing, helpful hands here this summer, since we're having to carry a lot of supplies by hand across the dry wash.

Also, through this, we are realizing that God brings storms into our lives to break out the weak, provide a place for new life and also to firm up and strengthen us for future opportunities for the Him to be glorified. We have received a few opportunities to talk to people about the faithfulness of the Lord through all of this and we just desire to keep praising Him through it all.

Please pray for us (Chris, Aaron, Tim, Joy, Andrew, Dennis, Missy, and Rachal), as well as the summer staff members, as we work to clean up from yet another storm. We appreciate your prayers a ton - please don’t stop as we finish weathering these storms.

Here are a couple of pictures:
... and for some video footage, click here.

God Bless.

More Flooding and Road Repair

2008-07-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Another storm came in at 4pm last Thursday, July 10th - with wind gusts that were as much as 60-70 mph! The results of this storm were no less saddening than the previous ones, but the Lord provided safety; we're very thankful that no one was injured.

At camp, a couple dozen trees were torn down and the baseball back stop was severely damaged from a large tree falling on it.
At the house at the top of the hill (the old Siler house), a 75-foot section from one of the large trees in the yard fell and put a two-foot hole in the roof and busted several windows.
We'll keep you updated but, Lord willing, insurance should cover the costs of the damage done.

Also, we are so thankful to the Lord for the $25,000 that has been received so far in order to fix the damages to the road. Thank you for your generous contributions. If the Lord lays it on your heart, we are still in need of $5,000 for the remaining repairs.

Work is in progress to get the road bridge fixed. We're hoping to get the bridge finished by the end of this week!
Once again, thank you for your prayers.

Reflections: 9th - 10th Grade Camp

2008-07-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

Reflections from the Director

When you put 70 9th and 10th graders in one place for a week, something’s bound to happen, right? Well, it did. Those 70 teenagers accepted the challenge to offer their time, talents, treasure, and temple to God, and to have a committed relationship to His Son, Jesus Christ. Two campers took the first step in their walk with God, and accepted Christ as their Savior during the week. One of them lives 10 miles away from LWBC, but wanted to go to a different camp. When her parents asked her to go online and find a camp closer to home and less expensive, God brought her to Living Waters for the first time. I have a good feeling it won’t be the last time she’s in the peaceful valley! Praise God for each one of these 70 young people and their 15 counselors. Let’s pray for them as they begin school and put into practice the things they’ve seen and heard.

-Ken H.

Camper Quotes

"I learned that you're glorifying God if you are being persecuted for your faith."
-Mike M.

"All my talents can be used for God."
-Billy P.

"This camp really turned me back to Christ. I had almost totally cut myself off from God but camp really turned my entire way of things around."
-Anonymous

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:

For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Reflections: Family Camp #1

2008-07-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

Family Camp 2008 was a wonderful time shared by over 20 families. The group spread over the full continuum of the age spectrum - with ages randing from two years old to grandparents. The 37 children, 6th grade and under, were treated to a safari each morning during their lesson times that were headed up by Luke and Anita H. Our 34 teens were challenged daily by Jason and Kristin C. as they studied the book, Do Hard Things. The adults were blessed every morning by the ministry of Keith L. as we thought about the different types of love.

We shared lots of laughs and fellowship throughout the days at the pool, the softball field, the golf course, Patti's house, the archery range, the dinner tables, and - of course - at the evening adult special meeting time!

As always, the LWBC camp staff did an excellent job of preparing for us, and the nature programs were all well worth attending - even though there were no bats! Thanks to everyone at camp that made this week possible! You make it so easy for the directors!

-Kurt and Lori F.

Camper Quotes

"It was great working with the youth and seeing them get excited about living for Christ more vibrantly."
-Kristin C.

"Teenagers can make a difference in the world."
-Jacob H.

"I learned that I shouldn't just let people see I am a Christian by what I don't do, but what I DO do."
-Laura H.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:

For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Emailing a Camper

2008-07-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have a friend/child/sibling who will be at camp for a week? If so, I'm sure they'd love to get an email while they're there!

It's easy to send a little note their way... and it's faster than sending a letter in the mail (just in case it's already too late in their camp week). Simply send an email to LWBC and write the camper's name in the subject line. (You can always write to a counselor/summer staff member, as well!) Then write your message in the email body, just as if you're writing directly to them.

They'll be blessed by your email note at the next meal time!

Reflections: Foundation Camp

2008-06-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

This year, there were 40 young adults in attendance at Foundation Camp. This was an excellent group of young people - we thank the Lord for the many young adults interested in learning more about building a solid foundation.

This year's teaching and training fit under three components of Christian Maturity - Self Control, Godly Wisdom, and Responsibility. We trust that the two weeks of two hours per day in Bible Study plus many hours of teaching, a good amount of service projects, along with a couple of opportunities to witness on the streets will not only impact the lives of those who attended, but impact the building of God's Kingdom around the world.

Additionally, the time in the fort area and covered wagons was an excellent setting for training, as there are some natural opportunities to serve one another, as well as minimize the many distractions of the world.

It is truly a great privilege to serve with the other leaders in this program to help train young adults interested in impacting others for the glory of the Lord. As the culture is changing and hardening quickly, it will take mature individuals to help meet the culture's needs.

God Bless,
Dennis S.

Camper Quotes
This camp was unique in that we asked each camper to write out, specifically, what they would take home and try to implement in their lives from this point on. Here are just a few, of many, wonderful quotes:

"Thank you for these two weeks - they have impacted me more as a Christian, and as a person, than anything in my whole life."
-Phillip K.

"A good leader listens. I need to listen first and speak second."
-Garrett S.

"I learned that my relationship with Christ is like a marriage relationship - I need to learn to be 100% sufficient in him."
-Jessica K.

"I am a citizen of heaven, and as such, I am an ambassador for Christ. I desire for the world to recognize this by the way I look, speak, and act. Not only that, but I hope for them to desire to be citizens of heaven by watching me and other believers as we follow Jesus."
-Sharayah J.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:
For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Reflections: 3rd - 5th Grade Camp

2008-06-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

"What a wonderful week to Renew Your Strength! This was the smallest but most personal camp we have ever directed. One night all the campers, counselors and kitchen helpers were up at the Adirondacks. A few of us below heard them singing late into the night. To hear children's voices echo throughout the camp; it was one of the best feelings we had - how God used that moment to strengthen us!

We were blessed with a close-knit group of staff, working together with a common purpose - to minister to the campers with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We felt "renewed" by the opportunities we had to plant "seeds" all week; by sharing our testimonies and taking care of the campers as a parent would. It was wonderful to hear children reassuring their salvation to want to understand what they had done earlier in their life. Many shared their testimonies - how they came to know Jesus as their Savior. We give God the glory for the work that was done; we pray that each camper will grow in the knowledge of our Savior. May God continue to bless His work through the ministry of LWBC."

In His Service,
Rick & Shari L.

Camper Quotes

"I liked waking up to the sunshine at the Adirondacks."
-Rebekah

"LWBC is terrific, excellent, and magnificent. I totally want to come back."
-Gabe V.

"I liked the activities. It was my first time shooting a bow and arrow."
-Alex M.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:

For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Foundation Camp Service

2008-06-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

This week there are two camps taking place at LWBC; 3rd-5th Grade Camp and [week two of] Foundation Camp. (We'll provide an update on 3rd-5th Grade Camp later in the week!)

Yesterday, Foundation Campers headed to LaCrosse to do street evangelism and surveys. There were a number of people who were willing to engage in open conversation about the Lord. It was an exciting thing to witness three professions of faith in Jesus.... we really saw a lot of answered prayer.

Today, the Foundation Campers were able to serve in Gays Mills area (approximately 30 miles south of LWBC) - the place had been pretty badly damaged by the recent floods. There has even been talk of relocating the town a mile away because of the damage. We helped out in nine homes, gutting out water-damaged areas as well as cleaning out basements. Some basements still had multiple inches of mud and up to 18 inches of water (which was needing to be completely cleaned and pumped out). We're thankful to the Lord that we could help them out; the families were very appreciative and said we helped save them a couple weeks' worth of work (in just one day). A handful of these families are even preparing to move back into their homes soon! It was a really neat opportunity to serve in a nearby community.(A photo of all the Foundation Campers and staff)

For more information, you can read a news story here and see photos here.

Reflections: 7th - 9th Boy's Grade Camp

2008-06-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Director

"It was another great Boy's Camp. Something we were encouraging our boys to do this week was to pray in public (in our group). One by one they all did it...

In cabin devotions on Thursday morning and Thursday night we ended with prayer requests and a nice prayer meeting. After class on Friday they all prayed around the table and lifted each other up in prayer.

I was very encouraged to see these young men learning one of the most important tools for any Christian group's survival - prayer!!"

-Mike L.

Camper Quotes

"The staff and the cooks were amazing."
-James Y.

"I appreciated that [the counselors] were nice, patient, kind and encouraging."

-David H.

"One thing I learned from the Nature Programs is that the world needs more missionary pilots."

-Joe D.

Photos

Here are a few photos from the week:

For a complete set of this week's photos, click here.

Summer Camp Schedule

2008-06-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's official. Summer camps have begun! We just wrapped up 7th - 9th Grade Boy's Camp today, and Foundation Camp is still in progress. Please pray for the Foundation Campers if the Lord brings them to mind. They have one week left! We'll be sharing pictures and details of what took place during this last week at Boy's Camp. Be sure to come back to get the Director's update!

Here's a calendar of what the rest of the summer looks like. Don't worry - it's not too late to register for some of the camps! Call or email Missy for more details.

Flooding at the Camp

2008-06-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

We have had another round of strong storms that brought over 9 inches of rain. This has caused some major flooding problems again. A ballpark estimate of damage is anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 - that is just an estimate and could end up being higher. Last night, as stated on the news, there are over 100 roads in Vernon County under water or washed out.

The road that goes over the dry wash is completely gone and parts of the main road have washed out again, as seen below:

Thanks to Jon Lyman and Matt Siler, we have a good video time line of the flooding. This really shows the amount of water that goes through the valley when we get heavy rains - it is amazing what water can do! Also, photos of the damage are posted here.

Last night, the Fire Department had us totally evacuate camp. So we quickly found places for our 12 summer staff, the 35 people that are here as a guest group, and the few that were here helping with Work Week. We are thankful that we had room for everyone and told them all we wanted to add a little adventure to their week!

Special Note: There is a lot of work to be done to clean up before campers come on Saturday, June 14th. We are thankful that it is currently Work Week and that we have some extra hands to help clean up. We would really appreciate any help you could give! There is a lot to be done to get camp ready for the summer without the flooding and now there is even more clean up to be done.

Please let us know if you are able to come and help out by contacting Missy at 608.634.4373 x21. We are having some problems with the phones and internet at times and are sorry for any inconvenience that may cause you. Again, please let us know if you plan on coming so we can plan meal times accordingly. Thanks!

Staff Training in Progress

2008-06-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

Our summer staff arrived this past Wednesday and hit the ground running in order to prepare for the arrival of campers, which is in less than a week. We've been going over the essentials (the rules and policies) while also providing messages, sermons, and other forms of Bible studies in which they're able to participate.

On Saturday, they started with program training and then moved on to Team Adventure Challenge (TAC) training. We were hoping to move along at the same pace with tower, zip, and swing training but we have been really held up by the rain/floods (more to come about this in the next post).

The group is very excited and ready to go - they're already spreading a testimony of attitudes of service to the orchestra group that is having a retreat here right now.

Summer Staff - At Your Service

2008-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Lord has pulled together an awesome group of staff for this summer - we're so grateful for each one of them and for the service they're providing for us... and potentially for you! Please welcome:the young women (b: Brittney, Alyssa, Sarah; t: Caolae, Beth)

and the young men (b: Ben, Scott, Stephen; t: Dan, Caleb).

And here's the whole group: (all full-time staff and full-time summer staff)

"County Board Votes to Restore Jersey Valley Lake"

2008-06-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, the Vernon County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a plan to fix the Jersey Valley dam (in order to refill the 58-acre lake).

This subject is of importance to LWBC because, as many of you know, Jersey Valley Lake borders the camp property and was used for many camp activities before it was emptied because of an incident in 2004.

A brief summary of the recent article is as follows:

The board has agreed upon putting over 1 million dollars into the restoration of the lake.
They paid researchers to come up with an idea for a new dam that would eliminate the problems the lake had, and that dam is what they have approved to build.
The deadline for the final plans for the DNR is October of this year - though there has been a history of delays in the past.

Click here to view the complete article.

Summer Camp is Approaching

2008-05-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Our summer program is quickly approaching. In about two weeks from today, some of the staff will start arriving for training (June 4), and in about four weeks our summer program will be in full swing (June 5-6). This summer's theme is "Renew Your Strength" and we have planned a host of programs to teach each camper how to do just that though what God has taught us in the Bible, and through His Creation! Come join us for a great time of fun and learning with your friends!

Also, for anyone who would like to help us prepare the camp for the summer and doesn't mind getting a little dirty... we are hosting Work Week from June 8-14. It is a great way that you can practically support what the Lord is doing at LWBC. Give us a call if you are interested: 608.634.4373.

The Living Waters Bible Camp Blog!

2008-05-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official blog of Living Waters Bible Camp! We have started this "web log" as a way to update campers, staff, and visitors about the latest happenings at camp. We hope to provide updates year-round, to have new posts every week through the summer, and bi-weekly posts through the non-summer months. So check back often and be sure to check out our official website for any other camp related information. Thanks for your interest in what the Lord is doing at LWBC. God Bless.

LWBC Administration