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THE ZIPLINE
SAM SAYS...
As I sit here in my warm, cozy office, in
front of my high definition monitor, tapping away on my handy dandy wireless
keyboard, having already missed the deadline for completing this tome on two separate occasions, mainly because I was busy
trying to keep our nation from falling off
the fiscal cliff by contributing to the national economy in a grand way at Christmas time through the purchase of gifts that
cost way too much, are forgotten way too
soon and appreciated much too little, if at
all, or so it seems, I am haunted. Haunted
by the faces of little 6 and 7 year old children who woke up one brisk December
morning in the warmth, comfort and security of their homes in Newtown, Connecticut and who, after a probably hurried
breakfast so that they wouldn’t be late for
the bus or car pool, were dropped off at
their typical community elementary school
to begin a typical pre-Christmas elementary school day. Perhaps there was typical
talk of the latest video game or Disney
princess, talk of what to do at recess or
what they wished for Christmas. I am
certain there was learning and discipline
and laughter and chatter and I am also
certain that there was… death, vicious,
cruel, unthinkable, unspeakable, unfathomable death at the hands of a deranged
human being. Twenty children and 6
adults were inexplicably mowed down by
a gunman toting an automatic weapon,
their sweet and innocent lives snuffed out
in a vicious act of cowardice and confusion. Never again would they be allowed
to experience the warmth of a mother’s
embrace, the security of a father’s hug, the
anticipation of Christmas morning when
first awakening on Christmas Day. They
would never be allowed to play little
league or have a dance recital, never be
allowed to try out for the school play,
never be allowed to experience the awkwardness of adolescence or the anticipation of the first day of college. They
would never be allowed to date, to marry,
to bear and nurture children of their own.
All of that was gone, wiped out instantaneously by a hail of bullets fired from a gun
held in the hands of man who, in all likelihood, knew not one of his victims, save his
own mother. The nation mourned…sort
of. The president made an appearance and
I for one thought it was heartfelt, the cable
news shows tried to be somber for at least
one day before beginning the seemingly
endless, mindless chatter of the pros and
cons of gun control. Republicans and Democrats sought to position themselves to
gain from the tragedy (how sick is that).
Flags were flown at half-mast. Churches
held candle light vigils. On the following
Sunday, pastors mentioned it for about 30
seconds before moving on to their previously prepared text. I don’t mean to belittle these efforts and I, as much as anyone,
understand that those of us who were not
directly affected by the tragedy tend to put
it in the back of our minds and thoughts as
much for being a personal defense measure as anything else. But nonetheless,
while we moved on, as we should, all the
families directly affected by the tragedy
were left with the massive pain and confusion of a tragedy that can never be explained and they and we are left with one
haunting question. WHY?? Why did this
occur? Why did it have to occur? Why, if
God is, if he really exists, and if God is
truly a God of power and love, a God
whose birth we celebrate at this very season, why did HE allow this to occur? And,
how could He allow this to occur? Oh,
how I wish I knew the answer to those
questions. Oh, how I wish I could go to
each of those parents and spouses and say
to them in a clear confident voice here is
why this occurred, here is why God allowed this to occur. But I can’t. I can’t
explain this despicable event any more
than I can explain any of the other injustices that occur in our broken world every
day. While I am swiping my credit card at
a record hectic pace, arguing with someone at Best Buy as to who is entitled to the
last remaining gadget of the month, the
fact of the matter is babies all over the
world are starving as their mothers
scrounge for enough food to barely stay
alive. While I am preparing for a party for
150 people at my house complete with
snow machine, fajitas and all the trimmings, civil war rages in multiple countries around the globe and lives are being
snuffed out for no reason in numbers that
will boggle even the toughest of us all.
The sad but unmistakable fact of our existance is that injustice is a constant of the
human condition, fueled by pride, selfrighteousness and, as at Sandy Hook Elementary School, insanity. But, while I
cannot answer the question of why Sandy
Hook occurred or the question of why injustice exists as such a cruel reality in our
broken world, I can say the following with
utmost confidence. GOD CARES. JESUS SAVES. HEAVEN IS REAL. THIS
LIFE IS TEMPORARY. ETERNITY
FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IS SECURE. AT THE TIME OF HIS CHOOSING GOD WILL END ALL INJUSTICE,
RESTORE THE PERFECTION OF HIS
CREATION, BRING TRUE AND LASTING PEACE TO THIS EARTH AND
PROVIDE THE PERFECTION AND
PROTECTION OF FOREVER FOR HIS
CHILDREN. To these truths I cling in the
times when life doesn’t make sense. To
these promises I cling when I lose perspective on the things that are truly important
in my own life. To these hopes I cling
when there is disharmony in my own circle of life. To these victories I cling when
the tragedies of this world leave me in
genuine tears. GOD IS MY REFUGE.
GOD IS MY STRENGTH. THE LORD
IS MY SHEPHERD. I weep for the families of the fallen children and teachers of
Sandy Hook Elementary and I weep for
those around the world who are befallen
with tragedy and I weep because I know
that I have 9 (almost 10) grandchildren
who, but for the circumstances of life
could just as easily be the victims. But
through my tears I give thanks because the
only thing that ultimately makes sense in
this world is the love of God born in a
manger to end the senseless injustice of
the world and to secure eternity for those
who believe. And that is why we celebrate,
that is why we give thanks, that is why we
worship. At this time of year, every year, I
am thankful for the wonderful children and
staff of Camp Ozark. My sincere wishes
for a blessed Christmas-SAM
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Camp Ozark Staff Updates this
Christmas Season!
Now that all of your presentations are complete, papers are
turned in, and finals are over, you
can sit back to relax and reflect on
this semester. We hope this past
summer isn’t so far in your rear view
mirror that you’ve forgotten about
all the good times and great friends.
Hopefully this Zipline will bring
back some memories and keep you
updated on what everyone’s doing.
Let’s be honest, we really just want
to know who is still dating!
There’s no better place to
start than touchdown Jesus! You’ll
have to ask Meredith Raley about
this historic statue she saw on her
visit up to Indiana to see Ryan
Binkley. Next, we travel on down to
Starkville Mississippi to confirm the
newest Ozark fling with Brittany
Bales and David Shrock. Speaking
of some Ozark old-schoolers, I don’t
see how we can go any further without officially announcing Kacie
Kirk and Jake Mullins. Great for
you Jake! Kacie always did love
planning special events. Supposedly,
Conner Jenkins found love in Baton Rouge with a true LSU Tiger
who he is eager to introduce to everyone. Word on the street is that
Hayley Cox and Nick Seifert are
still meeting for their morning devotionals somewhere near the large
gym. Top staff is still hoping that
their co-counselors are in the cabin.
The Ozark office has had its share of
love this season with our very own
Luke Woodley coming down to see
Katie McCasland and Thomas
Griffin visiting his new co-worker/
girlfriend Ali Donelson. We’ve also
been hearing stories of quite a few
trips between Starkville and Auburn, maybe we should ask Ann
Anthony and Wesley Hazel about
that one. I think we can call that
official. The engagement stories
were also not in short supply this
fall. I know every one of you saw
Josh Wren travel all the way up to
New York to ask for Caitlan Tanner’s hand in marriage. If you
missed the video just look at your
Facebook news feed, there’s sure
to be a link. Colin Conrad and
Sarah Voncannon also made it
official and will be tying the knot
before too long. How about our
very own Chris Ann Daniel getting engaged over Thanksgiving to
Aaron Grotzinger? Their wedding
won’t be too far from camp. Jaclyn Hazelwood also tied the knot
this fall with Tim Reed. They celebrated with Ozark friends from all
over. I even heard that Debbie
Priddy was there. Blake Atwell
stepped up as best man in his older
brother’s wedding, better known as
Michael Fratwell. The Ozark/War
Eagle family has another new
member with Darrick and Leslie
Seaton announcing the arrival of
Dez Parker, their new baby boy!
We know everyone’s heart melted
at the sight of Bhrett Isaiah Hoercher in his Cardinals uniform, just
like his dad. I think he already has
a full scholarship to Harvard.
Mary Clayton and Jason Dunn
are also expecting their 2nd child in
2013! Last but certainly not least,
Angela and Stephan Shaw will be
expecting a little one this summer.
What a joy!
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It seems that all of our
staff members are busy with adventures this Holiday season.
Kathleen Underwood visited her
sponsor child in Rwanda over
Thanksgiving. Elissa Estopinal
will be stepping up to the big
leagues as she accepted a full
time job in Atlanta, Georgia. Bo
Buser is proudly displaying an
LSU diploma.
Our staff tailgates were a
blast as we gathered in College
Station, Texas and Starkville,
Mississippi. We caught up with
other staff members, ate way too
many chicken strips, and watched
the Aggies prove their worth
within the SEC. The LSU Tigers
were slightly afraid to come by
the post– game tailgate, but we
decided the Ozark family is bigger than school rivalry. The Aggies stepped up against the Bulldogs and the maroon team prevailed. Oh wait, there was a little
too much maroon on that November day.
Speaking of maroon, our
very own Ryan Buscha has been
dressing out for the Texas A&M
football team. Whoop! Brandon
Vickery is still playing baseball
for Mississippi College and Kate
Doviak is cheering on all the
other athletes at Clemson.
We hope this gave you
somewhat of an idea on what
other staff members are up to. We
have loved getting to see friendships grow outside of camp and
all throughout the year. Have a
very Merry Christmas!
It may have been a while since a few of you visited Camp Ozark, but we remain grateful for your time
and investment in Mt. Ida Arkansas. Many of our “Camp Ozark Old Timers” are in the midst of graduating
school, building a family, building careers, and even traveling around the world. It is very apparent that many
of our former staff members hold onto the first flame of tribal competition, Maximum Enthusiasm, in all that
they do. Speaking of world traveling, Melissa Hinn and her family will spend next year journeying through
two or three developing countries, leading research and strategic community development in post-conflict
transition contexts. What an adventure! Eli Riveire is working as an Adult Services Librarian in Lexington,
KY. Not only has she scored a full time job, but Eli will be getting married in October. Matt Hand, an Aggie,
is busy fighting off fires in Fort Worth and serving as a husband to his Longhorn wife. A house divided isn’t
so bad, but remember “No Caddo can marry an Osage, and no Osage can marry a Caddo.” Shawn and Heidi
Faulkner reside in San Diego, California with their four sons. Shawn is currently directing the ministry of
CRU High School. A few hours North in Menlo Park, former lake crew member Kurt Williams lives with
his wife and two children. Their son of two years is already preparing for Lake Ouachita with his extreme interest in wakeboarding. Owen and Krista Field are enjoying NYC during this Holiday season. They are busy
helping the victims of hurricane Sandy and contributing to the 2nd annual toy sale for families in Brooklyn.
Speaking of New York, Freeman and Candace Field are currently working with a ministry that aids local
churches in NYC. They spend each Sunday strolling through Central Park. Sure beats pulling the Laser Tag
wagon every day, doesn’t it Freeman! Brian Dandy continues to rule the Real Estate market in NW Arkansas, while Clay Ellis does the same way down in Del Rio, Texas. Michael Alley continues to two-step his
way into DFW lore. His motto, “If it’s Thursday night, the boots are on!”
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Recruiting Update!!!
We had a tremendous fall recruiting season, due largely to your efforts on the campuses we have
visited. We are waiting to hear back from many of you so please get back to us as soon as you know your
plans for the summer. You can either e-mail Debbie or contact the staff member you interviewed with if you
have any questions or want to commit to come to Camp Ozark this summer!
Debbie Priddy, Recruiting Coordinator
Debbie@campozark.com
Here are the Camp Ozark Spring Semester Campus Dates or Interview Dates. Members of the
recruiting staff will typically arrive on your campus the Sunday before the show dates listed below. Plan to
bring your friends by our table during the week and also to the video presentation so we can meet them.
Interviews will be conducted the days following the video presentation and throughout the week. We want to
see all of you, so look for updates regarding our campus visits. If you have any questions about recruiting,
please give us a call or check out the Staff section of the Camp Ozark website. See you soon!
January 21st– 25th: Auburn & ACU/TCU
January 28th– February 1st: Mississippi State & Texas A&M
February 4th– February 8th: Texas and Vanderbilt/Union and Delta State/Rhodes
February 11th– February 15th: Clemson/Alabama & Ole Miss
February 18th– February 22nd: Trinity/Texas State & ULL/La Tech
February 25th– March 1st: Baylor & UNT/SMU/DBU
We hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy time with family
and friends. We look forward to seeing you on your campuses very soon!
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