GOC Newsletter Jan_Mar_2014

Camping & Urban Youth Ministries
Jan-Mar 2014 Report
Annual Banquet
I am very excited about our banquet this year! At the banquet we will be
blessed to hear from William O. Washington, Senior Vice President for
Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Trinity International University.
William came to know the Lord at Great Oaks and served on summer
staff here. He is going to share his testimony with us and talk about his
experiences as a staff member.
In addition to hearing from William, Chelsea Armstrong will share her
testimony. Chelsea currently is studying at Southern Illinois University.
She started attending camp as an 8 year old and spent the following nine
summers at camp. The past two years Chelsea has been involved with
camp by serving as a summer staff member and volunteering at our
monthly TRAIL retreat weekends. She is committed to helping children
like her who are growing up in difficult circumstances. At the banquet,
she will share her story of how God has used Great Oaks to impact her
life.
In my nine years at Great Oaks, I have never been more encouraged and
more excited about our banquet. So what are you waiting for? Put the
date on your calendar and invite a friend! If you would like to attend,
please RSVP to the camp office by April 3rd.
• Celebration • Testimonies • Food & Fellowship
• Highlights from the Ministry • Auction & More
Planning for a lot of good stuff this summer!
Summer Prep
When it’s too cold to work outside, we head inside and work on preparing
for our summer season. Winter gives us time to put together the curriculum
and plan for the special activities that take place at camp. We are earnestly
working to ensure that our programs are well put together so that when the
youth leave our camp, they not only had fun, but also had powerful conversations and discussions which point to God’s salvation.
Along with preparing the program, we are also trying to find staff for the
summer. This is always a daunting task as we fully rely on the applications
that come to us. Please pray that God leads others to work at our camp and
praise Him for the summer staff that are coming back this year.
One way for individuals/churches to help out the summer program directly
is by providing some supplies the camp plans to use this summer. Many of
the supplies we need could be sitting in someone's closet unused. Please
check out the list of supplies on the back page to see if you can help us.
~Mark Andrews, Camp Director
Great Oaks Camp • 1380 County Road 900N • Lacon, IL 61540 • (309) 246-4005
www.GreatOaksCamp.org
January-March 2014 Report
Winter Retreat
TRAIL Stepping up
At the last retreat, our TRAIL campers helped us lead the 11-12 year old boys and
girls who came to camp last summer. We had about 32 children in total attend the
retreat. The TRAIL campers performed skits, lead games, helped with meals, and
set the standard of behavior for the other children to follow. It was a great joy to
watch the TRAIL members step up and see them lead the younger campers.
One instance that stood out in my mind was during our Saturday night debriefing.
Jasmine spoke up and said that she would like to do a better job letting the campers
know that she was there for them and not there just to socialize with her peers between her responsibilities. The next day I noticed Jasmine interacting with the
younger campers all day. She went sledding with them, played broom ball with
them, and even sat with them during meal times. It was great to see her evaluate
herself and commit to making improvements. It looks like we have a future counselor in the making.
Difficult Conversations
At the last retreat weekend, I had the chance to sit down and have a conversation
with Marcus. Marcus wanted to talk with me about some of the recent struggles in
his life including being expelled from school and drug use. He shared with me that
he knows the Lord and tries so hard to do the right thing, but often time fails. He
finds it so hard to change in the environment that he lives in because he is
constantly surrounded by people who make poor choices and expect him to as
well. As he continues to describe his life and all the obstacles he faces, I can’t help
but wonder how anyone makes it out of an environment like that. Marcus’s story is
very similar to many of the other campers who come to Great Oaks; the obstacles
they face are enormous. The only hope they have to overcome them is the hope
that can only be found in Jesus. I feel so honored to work at a ministry dedicated
to serving the at-risk youth of Peoria, and am privileged to tell them about their
only hope, Jesus.
~Tyler Keene, Executive Director
Supplies Needed for Camp
Want a way to help out the camp? We are in need of supplies for camp. Could you
consider donating any of the following items? These don’t need to be new. They
can be used items which you do not have a need for anymore.
Craft supplies: flower pots, beads, lanyard string, glue, markers, and acrylic paints
Water guns/Water balloons/Water balloon sling shot
Small prizes to give to campers
Sleeping bags/pillows (some campers come to camp unprepared or not having certain supplies for camp)
First Aid Kits
Rainy Day Activity Kits: Decks of Cards, activity books, games
Bibles
If you would like to help provide any of these items or have some other items you think
might be helpful, please contact Mark Andrews at mark@greatoakscamp.org or call us.
Maybe get your church involved. Whatever you donate will help campers have a great
camp experience.
Great Oaks Camp • 1380 County Road 900N • Lacon, IL 61540 • (309) 246-4005
www.GreatOaksCamp.org