- At Camp -

Teleios - Mature in Christ

2016-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

“We proclaim him admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature (Greek: teleios) in Christ. To this end we labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in us.”
Colossians 1:28-29

Is God still working on you? Is He molding you into a servant of the Lord to be useful in His Kingdom? At Living Waters Bible Camp we believe we can help you in preparing yourself for your future calling. Our mission is to train up Servant Leaders for Christ’s service. If your heart is to serve the Lord then please take a moment to review the details.

Teleios is a nine month in-residence training program intended for young adults who desire to discover their calling to serve the Lord. Through service at camp, classroom training, mentoring relationships, Bible study and Bible memorization, Teleios helps train and equip the next generation for service in God’s Kingdom.

Visit the website for more information and to apply for the program.

http://www.lwbc.org/training/teleios/

Still not sure if Teleios is for you? Come for a tour of camp and meet the staff. There you will hear our heart for ministry and ask all your questions in person. The program starts August 7th so you only have a few weeks to make this important decision. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for personal growth and spiritual development! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Ladies Retreat - Speak Life

2016-07-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

So you want to encourage others. How many times have you said nothing, or done nothing because you didn’t know what to say or do that would actually bring comfort?

The truth is, you can’t offer what you don’t have. True encouragement is a flood that overflows from one life into another. God, Himself, is the source of that encouragement. He pours it into your life, steeps it in your own experience, giving to it a rich flavor of empathy. His supply is so great that is cannot help but overflow into the lives of others. In the end, the encouragement you give is not your own, but His.

Join us, here in the valley, for his year’s Ladies Retreat from September 9th-11th. This will be an opportunity to train and better equip your walk with the Lord. We’ll study God’s Word as we enjoy fellowship and fun activities. Our speaker, Kelly Fernandes, from Onalaska WI, will be presenting on this year’s theme, “Speak Life.” Focusing on how to be encouraged and encourage others, we will enjoy a few sessions, some activities around camp, and a silent auction.

Kids Camp I - Created for Questions

2016-06-27T12:04:00.003-07:00

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” This week, camp was a constant reminder to the kids that God, as both CREATOR and REDEEMER, is real and He is their loving, heavenly Father. One staff member reflected, "It was a God-honoring week" overall. Again and again the gospel was presented through the nature programs, class time, chapel, and Foundation Campers. The dorm leaders challenged each other to stay engaged with their campers throughout the week, keeping up energy levels to give all attention to their dorm and always ready to answer questions. A highlight for the dorm leaders was witnessing those “light bulb” moments in their campers after they had struggled through some tough spiritual questions. The motif of the week was “questions,” as many campers wanted to know more about what they had been taught each day. As always, God was at work throughout the week--prompting kids to dive deeper into the Word and showing them His love through the staff and dorm leaders.

Here's what a typical day looked like at Kids Camp:

NATURE PROGRAMS

After breakfast and morning devotions, the kids split up into groups to go to their nature programs. They learned about the effects of the flood in the Bible and God's design of creatures and nature.

SINGING + VERSE REVIEW + CHAPEL

Every year, the campers are taught five theme verses through song. The songs are designed to help them remember their verses better, and at the end of the week the campers present their verse songs for the parents.

ARCHERY

DINO FAIR + POOL

Most afternoons, the big activity is visiting the Westby pool. On Thursday, instead of going to the pool, the kids stayed in the valley for the Dino Fair. Rotating to various stations, they got face paint and played carnival games.

THE FARM

Another highlight of the week is visiting the Felten farm. The campers ride horses, pet the animals, and go on a wagon ride.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

Click here for more photos.

Summer Staff - Training Update

2016-06-15T19:30:00.002-07:00

This year’s summer staff have been thrown into the elements and refined by fire. Through servant-leadership training on various programs, TAC elements, and activities like the climbing wall, each person has been tested physically, mentally and spiritually. Many have had to overcome their fear of heights. Bonding over worship music and prayer, we have soaked our “brain sponges” with all kinds of safety and leadership training as well as teachings from God’s Word. Experiencing creation from multiple heights, we have learned to TRUST each other. (Somehow rock climbing becomes a trust exercise when you know your belayer has just been trained and only knows as much as you do.) In our spare time, we have enjoyed watching the sunsets down in the valley and jumping in rain puddles in the middle of a storm.

Our main highlight (a trend we plan to continue) has been our evening prayer times. It’s been a time of encouraging each other, but also lifting up the other full-time and weekly staff, as well as the campers who will be joining us shortly. The first two camps will begin soon and once that happens we will all be diving into our roles and won’t work as closely together. We welcome your prayers and are beyond excited to experience the work of God this summer!

Here’s how you can be praying for the 2016 summer staff:

Energy and enthusiasm for the long days and as we are interacting with campers
That our words and actions would be focused in glorifying God
Humble hearts to grow and learn from each day

Heart to Hart

2016-06-01T07:46:00.003-07:00

Almost anyone who has been involved with Living Waters Bible Camp over the last twenty-six years knows and loves the Hart family. About three years ago, they moved to Living Waters, and began serving faithfully as full-time staff. Each member of the family has filled their roles at camp and beyond, whether it be in the kitchen washing dishes, up front teaching a class, behind the scenes taking photos, or among the staff and campers forming relationships and reaching out. However, as it says in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” The Harts will relocate to Wausau, WI by the end of July, and begin serving at Bible Truth Chapel - one of the founding churches of Living Waters This will be a bitter-sweet change, so in light of their upcoming move, I have asked the family to share a little bit about the transition.

What will you treasure most about your time living and serving here at Living Waters?

The whole family will miss the convenience of living at camp, serving alongside the staff, not to mention the view from their house at the top of the hill. Two things Dave says he will miss the most: the camp staff and orange creamsicle floats. “Everyone is such a servant,” reflects Dave. “The staff sacrifices so much to help each other, and this makes camp a remarkable place of peace.”

How will each of you be spending your time in Wausau?

Dave will serve as the “teaching pastor” at BTC. Since the church has a growing number of new believers attending, his role will be to disciple and then train others to do the same. Recently graduated from high school, Aubrey will be attending Northcentral Technical College in Wausau to pursue a graphic design degree. On the side, she’ll still be keeping up her calligraphy and watercolor business (BellePlume), and she also hopes to get involved with CRU. Ethan plans to stay busy taking some college classes, finding a job, as well as getting involved playing music and maybe sports.
Monica has had a busy spring, graduating from the dental hygiene program at Northcentral, getting engaged to Ryan Maurer, and landing her first job, and renting her first apartment in Onalaska.

How can we pray for and encourage you as you make this transition?

Moving in the middle of the busy summer camp season presents a special challenge, but - thankfully - know quite a few people at both ends who can help.

Pray for their house in Kentucky to sell! (Dave)

Ethan would like prayer to find a good friend group and to be able to get involved in Wausau. But more importantly, pray that he would have older guy friends to be mentored and discipled by.

Similarly, pray for Monica as she moves out that she would find ways to get involved in ministry and other areas.

Please pray for Aubrey that she would continue to listen to where God is leading her and not just “assume” the next step. Also, she would appreciate your prayers in adjusting to the new lifestyle.

Sandy admits, “It’s hard to pull your roots from one place.” They will miss their old life and will need prayers for getting acclimated to their new situation.

Hart family, we will miss you and will be praying for you every step of the way!

Meet Our Staff

2016-06-01T07:46:00.001-07:00

From the mountains of Wyoming to the valley of Living Waters.

Hailing from the mountainous, largely desert state of Wyoming comes two of our young, intrepid Summer Staff. Meet Jediah and Adelle Partenheimer! (affectionally known to the camp staff as “Jedelle”)! You may recognize them, as they’ve both worked at camp individually, before they got married in August of 2015. But this summer, they are serving together at camp for the entire summer, as Summer Staff. Why? Well there is quite the story as to how God directed them to camp this year, and you would have to ask them in order to get all the details, but it involves moving half of their belongings to Oregon, and then re-routing to Wisconsin!

Jediah is a hard working, gentle spirited guy who loves a good joke. Other than his muscles, you’d never guess that he has won Wyoming State Championships in Tae Kwon Do. He takes the memorization of scripture very seriously and can do more than just hold his own in a spiritual conversation. He has already contributed so much to the Living Waters facilities and environment, and the summer is only just beginning.

Adelle is our resident artist! (a very talented one, at that!) She has put her fingerprints and brushstrokes all over our dinosaur-themed carnival games we have planned for the summer. She loves to work alongside her husband (and vise versa) and you’d be hard pressed to find them separated at any time of day.

And Camp is just one in a series of adventures this couple’s had in the last nine months. Two of their favorite pastimes are elk hunting in Wyoming, and street witnessing in Oregon. They are both excited to see what God has in store for this summer, and so are we!

If you haven’t yet registered yourself, your kids, or your neighbor’s kids(a joke), it’s not too late to do it! Visit www.lwbc .org to get started!

Keeping Up With Up-Keep!

2016-06-01T07:45:00.004-07:00

The last time you were at Living Waters, you may have noticed the neat and tidy facilities everywhere you go. That is in no small part due to all the hard work volunteers and staff do to keep the resources God has given us in tip-top shape. And there is always something to be done, whether it's detailed spring cleaning or outdoor improvements like painting and pressure washing, camp always has a need for helping hands. In the past, one of the ways we’ve collaborated with volunteers is with a spring Work Week.

But this year we have no Work Week! And why is that? Well we got the answer from Chris Sutton, our one and only Maintenance guy. He says, “Originally, Living Waters was closed during the winter time, and people all gathered together in spring to get it ready for use again; to un-winterize it. We continued on the Work Week tradition ever since, but these days we’re open year-round; we really need year-round help.”

And that means you! If you, your family, church, or community service group has a spare day or two, we would love your help! We have indoor, outdoor, and rooftop projects that need volunteers of all ages and talents.

Interested? Just give Living Waters a call! We can set your group up with a project that fits your schedule.

We are also searching for a summer staff member that would help in the facilities department this summer. This is a critical role in keeping camp look nice and function properly.

P: (608)634-4373

E: lwbc@lwbc.org

Creation Report

2016-06-01T07:45:00.001-07:00

"This afternoon we are going to light some kids on fire!", teased Eric Hovind from Creation Today as he opened the Coulee Region Creation Conference. Fill a room with excited believers from ages 4 to 88, add two dynamic creation speakers and you have a recipe for a great weekend.

On April 29-30, Living Waters welcomed Tim Chaffey from Answers In Genesis and Eric Hovind as the keynote speakers for the conference. To say they were engaging speakers is an understatement.

Tim Chaffey is the chief curator for the Creation Museum and the new Ark project in Kentucky. He is responsible for writing the text for all the signs you will see in the Ark. He shared many behind the scenes stories, pictures and videos of the Ark project.

Eric Hovind brought his high energy and very exciting science experiments to show the wonders of God's creation. He amazed us all with giant smoke rings and small explosions. He taught the crowd to shoot rubber bands the "scientific way" as an example of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And yes, he even started a few kids on fire! Using bubble solution he created propane filled bubbles. A volunteer/victim from the audience came up, dipped their arm in water, then scooped up a handful of bubbles and Eric lit the bubbles on fire! Of course he reminded all the children "not to try this at home...do it at a friends house."

After lunch, in-spite of light rain, campers went outside to enjoy a variety of Living Waters nature programs. These hands on programs are designed to help campers discover creation for the purpose of drawing them to wonder about the Creator.

Once again, the creation conference proved that Living Waters is indeed a premiere creation resource in the Midwest. We hope you can join us for our fall Creation Adventure Retreat and next sping when Steve Austin joins us for the Coulee Region Creation Conference.

Remember Your Creator

2016-06-01T07:44:00.001-07:00

This year's theme, Remember Your Creator, is going to be extra special. This is a message that is vital for today's youth. Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastics 12:1 to "Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the evil days come." Solomon's God given wisdom still rings true centuries later.

Why ‘remember'? Because we forget. Forget your car keys and you may be late to your appointment. Forget your Creator and your life will unravel before your eyes. Amazingly, even though we are surrounded by reminders of God’s creative genius and power, our days are so busy that we fail to see the obvious, and stumble blindly through life missing all the goodness that God intended for us. At Living Waters our mission is to help busy, distracted people remember their Creator as they rediscover His wisdom, marvel at His power, and bask in His love. A week at camp is filled with crazy fun and friendships that can last a lifetime. But more than this you’ll have close encounters with some of the most amazing evidences of God’s handiwork - encounters you aren’t likely to experience anywhere else.

Take a moment to watch this preview!

As we Remember Your Creator this summer we will take a close look at the major catastrophic events of the Bible including Noah's world wide flood and the extinction of dinosaurs. By looking that these scientific facts we will see the truth of God's word in the world around us.

We hope your family will join us as we focus on this critical topic. Check out the website for the summer schedule, and mark your calendar so you don't forget to remember!

The Rec-Room Wrecking Crew

2016-05-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

God Provides: Unexpected Blessings

Spring is here! Winter has finally gotten the hint and left us for good! Well, at least until November, that is…

Spring means lots of changes and transitions for Living Waters staff too. Lots of preparations are being made for another busy summer of ministry. One of the many planned projects this Spring was remodeling the Rec-room.

A small planned upgrade to the Rec Room grew into a major project when customized industrial windows were donated to camp! We received a phone call from a friend of camp who works for a window company. He said that his company had fourteen windows available to donate to camp if camp could use the extra large windows. How could we turn that down? The old windows in the Rec Room were far from airtight; they had plastic covering them year-round just to keep the kids from blowing away.

God provided the tremendous, unexpected blessing of the giant 9’x5’ windows for the Rec Room. Each window weighs about 350lbs. They were so large that the remodeling crew (camp staff and volunteers) had to shore-up supports in the wall to hold them up!

The Rec-room remodel also included industrial carpeting lines the upper half of the walls (professionally installed by a volunteer), and fancy accent lighting was added along the windows. The fluorescent lighting on the ceiling has been replaced, and the entire ceiling repainted.

If you walk into the Rec Room now, the huge windows and well-lit atmosphere almost makes you feel like you’re standing outside! You can enjoy and observe nature and all the camp activities from the comfort of our cozy and warm building.

God sure knows how to take care of us. We make plans, and think they’re pretty good. But when we allow God to take the lead, He shows us just how awesome His plans are for us. And they are always better than we could have ever imagined.

Watch a time-laps video of the project.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Homeschool Family Camp 2016

2016-05-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

As the school year begins to wrap up, Living Waters Bible Camp hosts a family camp that is specifically geared towards homeschoolers! Yes, they are the families who get to do their school in pajamas, and still do schoolwork on snow days. We acknowledge that it's a huge commitment to teach kids every day. With that in mind, Living Waters strives to create an environment that encourages parents to just spend time with their kids, and to enjoy discovering and learning with them. These families get to be the first to experience our new programs for the year, including Paleontology, Waters of the World, Fossil Dig, the Evidence for a Creator Hike, and Extraordinary Animals. Over the four days of camp the families hiked, explored, rode horses, sang songs, climbed, and ate good food.

We had the opportunity to ask the homeschooling parents a few questions. Here are their responses:

Schmidt Family

From: Milwaukee, WI

Number of Kids: 2

How many years have you been coming to camp? This is our first time here.

What do you think about camp so far? It’s been really great. The programs are really fun and engage the kids and are interesting too; well done, as far as content. The accommodations are far more comfortable than I anticipated.

Why do you homeschool? There are many reasons, mainly so that we are the ones who raise our kids, not someone else. And so that we can make sure we are imparting our faith, and spending time together and having close relationships.

Why choose Living Waters? We heard about it, and got something in the mail. It looked great, and the prices were reasonable. And the idea of having a homeschool camp was nice because there are going to be other homeschoolers there.

Boyd Family

From: Chicago, IL Area

Number of Kids: 2

Why do you homeschool? We feel like it’s a great opportunity to spend that time with the kids, and to be able to steer their education so that it is always Christ-centered.

How many years have you come to camp? This is our fourth year.

Why choose Living Waters? Someone we knew had been coming for years and years and they told us about it.

What do your kids like most about camp? They like to be outside in God’s creation and getting to experience new things they’ve never seen before.
Is the value of the week worth the cost of camp? Yes. Even though we’re missing school this week, the nature programs are educational and reinforce being Christ-centered.

Katie Welch

From: Westby, WI

Number of Kids: 5

Why choose Living Waters? It’s close, it has a solid foundation on the Lord, and we love the people here; we love being here.

What is your favorite Nature program? Evidence for a Creator.

And there you have it. If you are a homeschooling family and have never gotten the opportunity to come to Living Waters for homeschool camp, take a look at our website, it has all the information you need to know about upcoming homeschool events: www.lwbc.org

Meet Our Summer Staff

2016-05-01T18:59:00.005-07:00

As the snow is finally melted (we hope) here in Wisconsin, and spring is coming into full bloom, you might be asking…”What would make someone “crazy” enough to commit to working a full summer at Living Waters Bible Camp?” Let’s direct that question towards someone with a lot of experience. Camp kid and long-time volunteer, Jmee Felten, has recently decided to join the ranks of summer staff and can tell you all about her decision!

How did you get involved with Living Waters in the first place?
Jmee was basically raised at camp, since her dad was one of the founding fathers. She went through all the stages that anyone who regularly goes to camp does. For most of her childhood, she was a camper, and then when she was old enough she volunteered as kitchen help, dishwashing for a whole summer. But she wanted to explore serving in other areas of camp to find her “niche.” The following year, she trained at Foundation Camp so that she could become a dorm-leader. Once she graduated from highschool, she took a few years away from camp to focus on school and work.

What drew you back to camp the second time?
God must have wanted Jmee back at camp, because He gave her a “thorn in her flesh” to help her start thinking about serving at camp again. She recalls, “In March of 2005, I found out that I was in need of a liver transplant to save my life, and from then on I haven't been able to have a job because of the stress it can cause on my body. And so after having two transplants I found myself with a lot of free time, one day I noticed on Facebook that they needed help at camp in the dorm leading area and I inquired about it and haven't stopped ever since.”

What prompted you to join the full-time summer staff this year?
“It was during my time dorm leading that I got to feel what it was like to lead a camper to Christ, and it was then I felt led by the Lord that this is where He wants me to serve right now. He may have other plans later on, but for now I believe he is leading me to camp.”

Would you recommend summer staff to others?
“I would highly recommend becoming Summer Staff!!! You get so many things from it!!!! You get to grow in his Word by having studies with the staff, you get to grow in your knowledge in everyday things, you get to have a bond with campers that you meet throughout the summer, and you get another family. The Summer Staff Family.”

Well folks, you’ve heard it from one of the greats! Joining the ranks of summer staff at Living Waters Bible Camp may be an experience you will never forget. My encouragement to you is (and I think Jmee would agree) to pray about it! Ask God how He would like you to serve Him this summer, and if He’s leading you to-- come be a part of our family!

Mother Daughter Thank You

2016-05-01T18:59:00.004-07:00

During our Mother Daughter Retreat last February, Moms and Daughters worked together to make warm fleece blankets. This craft project was a warm indoor option for moms and daughters to bless someone else.

Each family brought their own material to camp where they cut and tied these special baby blankets. Together moms and daughters prayed over the blankets before they were donated to the Door of Hope a crisis pregnancy help center. These generous ladies made almost 30 blankets! The Door of Hope gives the blankets to new moms seeking help from their ministry.
The Door of Hope sent us a thank you note for the blankets. The note read "We here at Door of Hope thank you so much for the beautiful fleece tie blankets. Our clients have really enjoyed picking out a blanket from all the wonderful patterns. These blankets have and will bless these precious babies as they grow. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and support."

Thank you to all the Moms and Daughters who worked so hard on the blankets. Click to find out more about the ministry of the Door of Hope

Coulee Region Creation Conference

2016-03-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

This Spring Living Waters Bible Camp will host the Coulee Region Creation Conference. This is an
annual event that you need to make a part of your church training program! We recruit premier nationally known scientists to come and give expert testimony to the wonder of God's creation! If you are a lifelong creation enthusiast or just full of questions this event will give you the training you need to understand God's Word and the world around you.

Join us as we welcome both Eric Hovind from Creation Today and Tim Chaffey from the Ark Project at Answers In Genesis! Eric and Tim are experts in their field and will be revealing truth about creation-based science as well as sharing first hand experience about the massive projects in which they are involved.

Eric is intimately involved with the production of the new 3D Genesis movie. This movie will be a first of it's kind biblical account of creation presented in computer generated graphics. At Living Waters Eric will share with us some behind the scenes detail about the movie as well as three seminars on Creation Science. Dennis Siler calls Eric one of his "favorite creation speakers of all time!"

Tim is one of the chief curators for the Ark museum. Tim has done the research necesary for the museum's exhibits and will be sharing his insights on planning and building the only life size replica of Noah's Ark.

Sessions will include both an adult and children track. Our time will include; Creation Training, Creation Museum Tours, Worship Music, Meals, Snacks, Fellowship and Nature Hikes.

Please visit the website to register today!

Summer Camp

2016-03-24T17:21:00.002-07:00

In the Midwest, winter is long and spring is short. It is the beginning of April so we know that Summer is just around the corner! Here at Living Waters, we can't wait for the Summer Campers to start arriving.

This year's theme Remember Your Creator is going to be extra special. This is a message that is vital for today's youth. Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastics 12:1 to "Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the evil days come." Solomon's God given wisdom still rings true centuries later.

Why ‘remember'? Because we forget. Forget your car keys and you may be late to your appointment. Forget your Creator and your life will unravel before your eyes. Amazingly, even though we are surrounded by reminders of God’s creative genius and power, our days are so busy that we fail to see the obvious, and stumble blindly through life missing all the goodness that God intended for us. At Living Waters our mission is to help busy, distracted people remember their Creator as they rediscover His wisdom, marvel at His power, and bask in His love. A week at camp is filled with crazy fun and friendships that can last a lifetime. But more than this you’ll have close encounters with some of the most amazing evidences of God’s handiwork - encounters you aren’t likely to experience anywhere else.

Take a moment to watch this preview!

As we Remember Your Creator this summer we will take a close look at the major catastrophic events of the Bible including Noah's world wide flood and the extinction of dinosaurs. By looking that these scientific facts we will see the truth of God's word in the world around us.

We hope your family will join us as we focus on this critical topic. Check out the website for the summer schedule, and mark your calendar so you don't forget to remember!

Mexico Update

2016-03-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

In early March a team of 31 strangers gathered at Living Waters to embark on a life changing journey. The bonding began as the team traveled to Juarez Mexico for a week of ministry partnership with Amigos En Cristo. Through service projects, construction and creation programs the team made a significant impact on the children of Juarez and the ministry that serves them. Ironically, whenever a team goes to serve, they always come away more blessed by the experience. Here are a few team member testimonials of the way God worked in thier lives.

18 year old: I saw God working in so many areas this week! The people there were so accepting, kind, and hospitable, and I saw God’s love through them. When we sang together in church, we sang in Spanish and English, praising God together in a way I had never experienced before.
One night, the pastor was playing the guitar in the kitchen, and Shannon joined him with his other guitar, and I played my pennywhistle. We played and sang in harmonious praise of God, and it blessed my heart to see how formerly complete strangers could join in song to praise our Lord and Savior. We have Jesus in common, and we serve Him together. That is beautiful! It was like a small taste of heaven, where every tribe, tongue and nation will join together in praise at the throne of God. I hope that you can experience that joy in your life as you serve the Lord.

20 year old: This mission trip has been an even larger eye opener than I expected. When preparing myself for this trip, I was ready for the worst. I was ready to live for a week in very simple conditions without WiFi or any connections with life back home. I had the expectation of, 'well if they are poor they are going to be far behind when it comes to technology and cultural advances'. One thing that the Lord has taught me on this trip is even though these people live in poverty they make the best out of what they are given. As I meet more people in different cultures I realize more that Americans are very selfish in not just material things but their attitude toward other people that are not American. Americans have a very high ego and look down at people that are not in a nice home or have the most up to date things. This week I have been humbled by the Lord showing me my American ego once again ranked people by expectations of income and happiness. Another thing, I have learned from this trip is to not to complain about anything because I can have a way worse situation. It was also amazing to see that the Lord is working everywhere in every language even though I might not understand it, but knowing that I can still honor and glorify him in my love for Him through my actions.

15 year old: Going on this mission trip has been a huge blessing for me. It has helped me grow closer to God, and it has helped me to grow in my willingness to serve others and God. It’s just so amazing to see how complete strangers and people of different cultures and languages can come together and work alongside one another, working together in unity, and not as individuals. How much we accomplished together is amazing.

This trip has also showed me how much I complain and take things for granted, while the people of Mexico don’t have as much, but are so happy. I hope that as I go home, that my attitude will change for the better, and that I will appreciate how blessed I am.

The goal of Living Waters is to create Servant Leaders who walk in humility in service to the Lord. Once again the Mission trip proved to be a fruitful training tool!

Big Red

2016-03-01T11:04:00.003-08:00

It has been two years since we announced the arrival of Big Red: our new-to-us all-purpose truck. After years of struggling with a vehicle that simply was no longer up to the demands of camp, Big Red has been everything we had hoped for. Whether plowing snow, spreading sand, hauling firewood, rocks, or brush – Big Red has been a work horse.

Unfortunately, this winter we began to experience mechanical difficulties severe enough to put the truck out of service - sometimes at critical moments when snow was about to arrive. Several attempts to diagnose and repair the truck on our own resulted in only temporary success. We finally had to send the truck in for major “surgery”, which has resulted in expenditures that exceed available funds.

The good news is that Big Red is back in service, sporting a rebuilt transmission, a new radiator, and new computer module. Total cost of the repair is $5,900. We can never forget the fact that the truck is the result of gifts by generous donors. While it is disappointing that the vehicle needed such major repairs so soon after we purchased it, it is the risk that comes with selecting a used vehicle with 100K on the odometer. We did our best to evaluate the condition of the vehicle, but in the end, issues come with age.

We are confident that the Lord, who provided the truck in the first place, will continue to provide to ensure its ongoing usefulness to this ministry. We appreciate your prayerful consideration, and ongoing support of the ministry of Living Waters.

Mother Daughter Retreat

2016-03-01T11:04:00.002-08:00

Annie Sutton and Jenny Thompson worked with a team of ladies to plan the 2016 Mother Daughter Retreat. This a note from Jenny about the planning and implementation of a Living Waters program.

Planning a weekend program for Living Waters Bible Camp can be a daunting task. Many of you know this. Once the theme is chosen, the brochure is mailed and the majority of the details ironed out, you’d think there would be more nerves on the part of the retreat planners, but there isn’t…there is only excitement! From beginning to end there is such fervent prayer that a peace that passes all understanding comes over the event and for those who attend the program in God’s appointed valley.

Such was the case this year at Living Waters Bible Camp’s second annual Mother Daughter Retreat. We were able to invite Karen Maurer to speak on “God’s Divine Design” for women and girls. It was such a timely topic presented in a fashion that made God’s Word come alive through story, illustration, scripture and video. Even the younger girls were engaged and interacting with Karen during the sessions. Karen also took time during each session to share the story of a woman missionary who made an impact for the Lord and His kingdom. At the end of each speaking time, moms and girls were able to debrief with a 15 minute question and answer time.

We had just under 100 participants again this year…a packed camp. Despite warmer temperatures, we were able to cross-country ski and tube three different times over the course of the weekend. The inside craft area was a major draw as girls and moms worked together to make mini-books and paper stars.

As part of the planning team, I was able to enjoy the weekend with my own daughter making memories and interacting with other couples. I was especially blessed watching one activity where mother/daughter couples assemble a fleece baby blanket to donate to a local pregnancy center. Many of the couples prayed over the blankets for the "moms-to-be" and baby . What a treasure to see girls pray with their Mom! Another highlight of the weekend was the “Mother Daughter Dinner Date” where girls gave their moms a letter they had written and the moms gave the girls letters they had written. It was a powerful exchange.

The Mother Daughter Retreat is the joining of two important things: uninterrupted time together and quality teaching time in God's Word. This rarely takes place in our daily lives so it is important to make camp a critical part of your family's spiritual development.

Why is Camp so Effective?

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Learning is sometimes a complicated process. There are some easy lessons, like learning the alphabet set to a song or memorizing a friend's telephone number. These seem to come easy. However, there are some difficult lessons to learn, like, never stand up under an open cabinet door. Ouch! Other lessons I tried to learn, but never mastered. I still haven't learned where to put the punctuation on a passive noun.

If you are full of information you are called “book smart”. If you are all experience you are called “street smart”. I would like to offer a new phrase to describe the learning that happens at camp as "Camp Smart.”

The learning that takes place at camp is a whole new level of learning. At camp, you learn information, you experience it hands on, and it all comes together in a powerful loving Christian community. Camp is where God takes information and life experience and binds them together through the power of His Spirit working through a community of believers. This is why learning at camp is so effective.

Perhaps you have a story of how you experienced lifelong learning at Living Waters Bible Camp. Do you have a story of how the combination of information and experience came together in the caring, natural environment of camp? If so, please share that story with us. Can you tell us about that story? Send me an email and tell me how Living Waters Bible Camp taught you a lesson that changed your life.

Summer Opportunity

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“For me it was the community--knowing every day I would wake up and be working with people I love working with, and that we were all working towards the same goal.”

“For me it was the community--knowing every day I would wake up and be working with people I love working with and that we were all working towards the same goal.” Former (and now returning) summer staff member, Chad Frasier, summarizes his experience serving on summer staff at Living Waters Bible Camp. Aubrey Hart, also a returning member, has fond memories of the group being “like a little family.” Serving on summer staff at Living Waters Bible Camp is a wonderful opportunity to not only be a part of a close-knit community, but also to be trained in leadership skills and grow closer to the Lord.

What is the greatest blessing of serving on summer staff?

Besides the staff camaraderie, returning member Jacob Eisermann said his favorite part was seeing first-hand how God uses camp to influence kid’s lives to learn about or refocus on God; whether through being out in nature, from the teaching time, or through the relational impact of one of the staff.

What are some of the challenges?

You are living with the same people for eight weeks (which is also the best part!). And you are kept very busy. Being pushed to your limits, there is opportunity for growth.

How has being on summer staff made you better equipped for life and ministry?

“I feel better trained to lead and coach individuals that I'm working with, and that I am responsible for, but also how to better submit to my supervisors and to understand what goes on behind the scenes in a ministry. Seeing why certain decisions or rules are made,” Chad commented.

Aubrey mentioned that summer staff helped her in the growth area of leadership and responsibility. It also forced her to have a dedicated time in the day to focus on her relationship with God which carried over when she went back home.

Jacob shared that he learned miracles still happen. What do these miracles look like? “Coming into the family of God is a miracle.”

How can I get involved?

“There are tons of ways you can serve at Living Waters Bible Camp, anywhere from photography/videography, office, teaching nature programs, helping keep camp as good looking as ever in maintenance, and helping kids encounter Christ through leading them as a dorm leader. There are also so many more weekly opportunities that are just as awesome.” (Chad)

Where do I sign up?

You can start by filling out an application on the Living Waters' website at: http://www.lwbc.org/volunteers/summer-staff/

What are the dates?

Training starts June 8th and the last camp ends on August 10th.
Applications are due no later than April 1st. Hurry, because positions are filling fast!

Please consider and pray about this opportunity to serve the Lord on summer staff at Living Waters this year and be a part of a growing community.

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

1 Peter 4:19

New Website

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Yes, you read that right! Living Waters will be releasing a new website soon!

We frequently get compliments about the look of our website but we don't plan to rest on our laurels. The website needs to change to stay current. The last time we upgraded our website, smart phones were a wish list item for most people. Today, more and more people are accessing the internet from phones and tablet devices. We desire to make the Living Waters website a positive experience for you and your friends, so, in the next few weeks we will release the new website with a whole new look.

We hope you like it!

In The Begining God...

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Living Waters Bible Camp's vision is to be a premier Christian resource for leadership development

and creation experience in the Midwest. We use God's creation to train people for service. Perhaps you've been to camp for one of our Creation Conferences or you've experienced one of the many summer nature programs. If you have, you know how we love to point out the awe and wonder behind God's creation. Jesus used creation to explain the Kingdom of heaven and God uses His creation to draw us nearer to Him.

Two creation resources that Living Waters often draws from are Answer In Genesis (AIG) and Creation Today. We have partnered with their team members once again for our upcoming Coulee Region Creation Conference. This event is in coordination with multiple churches and ministries for the purpose of providing top notch creation training.

Join us as we welcome Eric Hovind from Creation Today and Tim Chaffey from AIG. They will be sharing insights on Creation Science as well as first hand experiences with two major creation events on the horizon. Eric Hovind is working on the Genesis 3D movie, a first class visual depiction of the Genesis account. The movie is scheduled to be released later this year! Tim Chaffey will be telling us about the new Ark Encounter being built by AIG. This is a life size model of the Ark and Tim is the head curator for the museum project!

If you or your church are interested in finding out more, please visit the website.

We hope to see you at this unique collaboration between creation ministries, to provide learning, worship and resources.

When Helping Hurts

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According to Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert's book, "When Helping Hurts," the numbers of

Americans who have gone on short term missions trip were: 120,000 (1989), 450,000 (1998), 1,000,000 (2003) and 2,200,000 (2006). "Americans spent $1.6 billion on short-term missions in 2006 alone." The authors look at the results of this ground swell of short term missions trips and ask the question, "Are we really helping people?" Unfortunately, many times the answer is "no". In fact many well-intentioned mission trips are a misuse of resources and can create an unhealthy dependence for native people.

Each March, Living Waters leads a group of missions minded people join the Living Waters Mexico Missions trip. At the start of the trip each member is given the book "When Helping Hurts." Together, as a team, they read and discuss the book to ensure their efforts are effective in helping the native ministry in Juarez, Mexico. For the past twelve years we have partnered in ministry with Amigo En Cristo to reach the lost in the desperate community of Juarez. We desire to support the exciting ministry there. By doing this Living Waters provides the training necessary to make sure short term missions are effective.

We are looking for hard working individuals who would like a taste of the harsh reality of ministry in a third world country. God will surely challenge and grow you on this special trip committed to serving Him.

The deadline for registering for the Mexico Missions Trip is fast approaching! If you are planning on attending this life changing short term mission trip, please register today. To find out more,visit the website.

On The Road For AWANA Programs

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Does your church host an AWANA program? Are your children involved in an AWANA program?
If so, then you need to have Living Waters as a guest speaker for your program!

This Winter and Spring, Dennis Siler will be on the road visiting AWANA programs to share a council time lesson and to tell boys and girls about the summer camp program at Living Waters Bible Camp. Many churches request him to come every year! One AWANA Commander told us the kids look forward to when Living Waters visits their church because "Dennis is always energetic and engaging with the kids." Dennis, or another staff member, is able to bring a topic or present a topic of your choice. If you would like, Dennis can also bring an animal from our investigation center to help illustrate a creation message.

The program would conclude with a short presentation for camp including a video (if time allows) and summer camp brochures.

If you would like to request Dennis to come to your AWANA program call the office 608-634-4373 or email Dennis at dennis@lwbc.org.

Living Waters...Re-treat You Right!

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For many of you who come to camp during the summer or to one of our Living Waters hosted events throughout the year (Winter Recharge, Creation Conferences, Ladies Retreat etc.) you may have wondered what goes on at camp the rest of the year. "The Current" sat down with our Guest Groups Manager, Andrew Jackson, to talk about our ministry among the wide variety of Guest Groups we serve each year.

Q: Explain Living Waters' guest group philosophy?

A:Guest Groups provide our staff and volunteers a unique opportunity to fulfill the mission of Living Waters. We partner with all our groups to design a retreat experience through which the gospel can be heard, and young and old can be challenged to serve each other while enjoying activities in God’s glorious creation. Beginning with the initial face-to-face or telephone conversations, we seek to understand the goals and objectives that a group has for their retreat, and then, along with the group leaders, we build a retreat to meet those goals and objectives. A school group may be looking for a retreat that will challenge their students towards unity, or a local church may be looking for a family retreat to encourage deeper relationship; knowing these goals, we are able to propose teaching sessions, programs and activities. This personal touch is why groups choose Living Waters and why most groups return year after year.

Q: Why do you like hosting groups?

A: My goal in hosting a group is to connect with the group leader and to serve him/her in a way that allows them to enjoy the retreat just as much as their group. In my communication prior to a retreat, I endeavor to answer questions, and finalize details that might be causing stress. And then, while the group is here at camp, I try to be available to answer questions, and solve problems, so that the group leader can focus on their ministry to the group.

Q: Why do groups choose Living Waters for their retreat?

A: The feedback that I receive from groups points to the service their group receives while they are here at camp. Whether it is the cleanliness and beauty of camp, the great food, the fun activities, the great Biblical teaching; all areas of camp are dedicated to serving each group. Also Living Waters offers services that other camps can't offer. We provide everything from creation programs to leading worship. In fact some of the groups even utilize Dave or Dennis as session speakers. This allows us to provide purposeful teaching and training throughout the entire retreat experience Living Waters.

Q: What does a retreat experience do for a group?

A: This question goes back to the goals that a group has in coming to camp. A youth retreat that comes to camp in February will have a more relaxed time of relationship building, while they dive into God’s word and enjoy our winter activities. A youth retreat that comes to camp in August, may have the same goals of spiritual growth and deeper relationships but they will spend their time on the TAC course, or canoeing on the Kickapoo. Developing a retreat based on goals allows for each group's experience to be unique.

Q: How does someone start a retreat for their group?

A: If you are interested in planning a retreat for your school or church, here are a few things to think about:

The Audience – Who is the retreat geared towards – youth, adults, families?

The Purpose of the retreat – What are the goals and objectives that you are hoping to accomplish through the retreat?

The Dates – The “when” is sometimes the most difficult part of planning a retreat.

The Help – Planning a retreat and running a retreat requires people. Who are these people and what are their roles? Communicating with these people is key!

The Schedule – What will the retreat look like? How will the retreat accomplish the goals and objectives?

To find out more about booking a retreat at Living Waters Bible Camp, please visit our website or contact Andrew at guestservices@lwbc.org.