Fees and Registration:

Please complete and print the registration form and mail it to Camp Appanoose.

Payment may be made by check or by calling the camp office with Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

Best summer 2012 prices available through January 15, 2012!

Register today for an outstanding summer camping experience!

Fees & Registration:

Please complete and  print the registration form and mail it to Camp Appanoose.

Payment may be made by check or by calling the camp office using Master Card, Visa, or Discover Card.

Payment in full by January 15, 2012 secures the lowest camp fees offered this season!

Christ’s coming was not a celebrated event on earth that first Christmas. Heaven’s greatest gift would have come unnoticed if it had not been for some divinely appointed messengers who alerted some of the local shepherds. Raised at first in exile in Egypt, and later in a remote, non-descript Galilean town, He learned the value of hard work as his laboring stepfather, Joseph, mentored his young stepson through all of the sweat and splinters of the carpenter shop. Working diligently to serve the demands of a growing family, while serving the needs of his customers, Joseph may have often wondered how this boy, so much a developing young man and yet so unique and different from all others, would someday be revealed as God’s anointed One.

Maturing into adulthood, everyday experiences serving in the carpenter’s shop evolved into a life of serving others in fulfillment of His Heavenly Father’s will. Later in His life, Jesus in speaking to some of His followers said, “whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant… for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Perhaps the real spirit of Christmas has little to do with material gifts, and much to do with giving and serving others. Perhaps it is present as we draw our kids from a “getting” to a “giving” mindset. And, just maybe, we will find that getting into the spirit of Christmas, a giving spirit; will bring more joy than we ever imagined!

Give a Special Gift This Christmas

To one (or two or three) of your favorite kids. Give them a week of camp. 2012 brochures are now available and the best prices for the new season will only be good through January 15th

Camp weeks create memories and sometimes friendships which may last a lifetime. Approximately twenty programs planned for 2012 appeal to a wide range of young persons. Each follows an interactive and engaging Bible theme designed to introduce Jesus Christ and apply spiritual priorities to life. Your gift of a camp week could have eternal value to that special young person in your life. Call the camp office if you have questions.

Dates to Remember

December 13 – Friends of Camp Appanoose, 9:00 AM. Begin finish projects in the Pavilion

guest loft rooms. Lunch is provided at noon.

January 15 – Begin Alpha 5:30 PM – Alpha will meet every Sunday through April.

$4.00 per person includes the evening meal. Child care is not provided.

17 – Friends of Camp Appanoose, 9:00AM, Finish work in guest rooms,

craft room, and equipment room. Lunch provided.

20 – Winter Jam – Well’s Fargo in Des Moines. Meet at the Pavilion at 4:00 PM.

$20.00 covers transportation and fee. Call Pastor Pat if you plan to attend.

Bring spending money for on your way home.

February 21 – Friends of Camp Appanoose 9:00 AM. Continue finish projects in loft rooms,

craft area and storage room. Lunch at noon.

March 29-31 – Do Emmaus Weekend (DEW). An opportunity for high school juniors & seniors to

visit Emmaus College, a non –denominational, Christ centered, regionally

accredited Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa. Visit classes; enjoy a variety of

activities with other Christian teens. $45.00 covers cost and transportation.

Bring money for two meals on the road.

Alpha is coming to camp this winter!

Alpha, a practical introduction to the Christian faith, is for anyone interested in investigating Christianity, couples preparing for marriage, or for Christians who want to brush up on the basics. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer wishing to explore the foundations of your faith, Alpha is for you. TOPICS included throughout the course are: Who Is Jesus? Why Did Jesus Die? Why and How Do I Pray? Why and How Should I Read the Bible? Who Is the Holy Spirit? How Can I Resist Evil? Why and How Should I Tell Others? Does God Heal Today? What about the Church?

Beginning January 15th and each Sunday evening through mid-April, you are invited to join us in the pavilion, from 5:30-7:30, for a family-styled meal, an informal presentation and discussion of the Christian faith. A suggested weekly contribution of $4.00 per person includes the evening meal.

Perhaps you have friends or family members who could benefit from Alpha. Why not come and bring them along? Childcare is not provided however children may attend each session if accompanied by a parent. Contact Pat Amsden at cabar@campappanoose.org, or 641-895-0295 with questions.

Some abbreviated testimonials from 2011…

Thanks to what I have been through in my life and camp Appanoose i have been able to realize that the hard times in life make us stronger if we choose to listen and follow God.

It was my first year but everyone was nice and I had a fun time. I would recommend this camp because the staff is nice and also the food is great. I really hope I am able to come again to try some of the other camps because I know I had a lot of fun at this one.

Loved everything!

This camp experience was very fun and I had a great time. I learned to respect people as in mother and father even camp counselors. We’re talking about facing your giants and I learned to have faith in God…

Through the ministry of Camp Appanoose, God DOES change the lives of young people. It is a privilege to be a part of this great work and we are grateful for 2011 nearly completed, for opportunities to introduce kids to Christ, for friendship and ministry partnerships formed with you throughout the past year.

Itmes Most Needed

• Regular monthly, quarterly or annual supporters! Approximately $7000 is needed to finish 2011 in the black. Please consider a year end (tax deductible) gift.

• Recreational equipment: $300.00 for floor hockey equipment; Ice skates, in line skates or roller skates; Paint ball equipment ($6000.00)

• Baseball backstop for the new athletic field

• 30×60 storage building for tractors and equipment

• Full sized, roadworthy pickup truck

• 1 -New queen sized mattress (60”x 80”)

• Equipment Needs: Trailer type finish mower; Pull behind sickle mower; tractor w/ front loader for moving large hay bales;

• Hay bale rings for horses

Fall Roundup Guests this year enjoyed music, testimonies and a great meal as camp staff recounted the blessings of this ministry and presented some challenges yet ahead. Pastor Pat spoke of the Vision 20/20 strategic plan which is currently being developed for the next phase of ministry at camp. We are grateful for each person who attended and for each person who pledged support. If you were not able to join us at the Fall Roundup and wish to contribute financially on a monthly basis, you may contact us by phone or email cabar@campappanoose.org.

Remembering Adam

On August 27, 2011, a former camper who had spent many enjoyable weeks here as a young man, lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident. Adam Jarnagin, 24, had certainly gained a big place in each of our lives. After graduating from high school, he served four years in the US Marine Corps until his honorable discharge. A number of persons have contributed toward a memorial fund for Adam which will be used for a special project here at camp. You may contribute to that fund by simply noting “Adam” on your check. Our sympathies are with Gary and Kris, his parents, and his two younger brothers, Aaron and Isaac, who are currently summer campers.

He may be the best known giant of all times because his name even today, some 3000 years later, engenders thoughts of magnitude or gigantic size. Standing in full armor and just under ten feet tall, the sight of him was enough to cause seasoned warriors to tremble in their boots! Ironically, this giant warrior is best known for his defeat and death at the hands of a young teenager named David. While his name and size are remembered, little else is recorded about the great giant, Goliath.

David, a young man –perhaps in his mid teens, had already proven himself in the responsibilities assigned to him. Jesse, the aging father, had entrusted to his youngest son the care of the family’s flock of sheep, perhaps a significant part of their wealth.

As a shepherd, he knew to search out green pastures and fresh water, providing for the physical needs of the sheep. He also protected them from the dangers inherent to their existence in the Judean wilderness. When confronted by a bear and later a lion he successfully dominated both beasts for the safety of his flock. David moved from success to success when faced with an even larger obstacle, the gargantuan Goliath.

Perhaps if he had not done well in confronting the lion and the bear, it would have been less likely that he would have had the courage and skill needed to confront the giant. Who could have imagined what lay ahead for a young teen that faithfully did his assigned chores? Along the way, God eventually chose David to be king over His people.

While many great accomplishments were credited to David, it is important to remember that he moved from success in the smaller areas of life to successes in bigger things. Jesus said that being faithful in small things is to be faithful in much –and faithfulness in those small things is what leads to greater opportunity (Luke 16:10-12).

In observing teenage boys, whom I have fostered, I have seen a pattern in which young men expect failure and may even move through life with each decision prompted by failure. Often they do not comprehend that success in small things (i.e. household chores, a first checking account, mowing and trimming a neighbor’s lawn, building good sibling relationships, even preparing for a test at school) lead to success in greater areas.

The British pastor, Charles Spurgeon, was once approached by a young man desiring to pursue a ministry career. When asked why he felt God was leading him to ministry, the young man replied that everything else he had tried had failed . . . To which Spurgeon replied, “then God is not leading you to ministry because God uses people who are working to make a success of every task in life.”

“Success” is not a bad word. On the other hand, “failure” may not be either if it leads to valuable lessons learned. A retiring bank executive was asked by the young man replacing him the secret of his long and successful career.

He said simply, “Two words – good decisions”. Somewhat puzzled, the younger man asked him to elaborate a little more and tell how he arrived at good decisions. Again the older gentleman said, “Two words – bad decisions.” Failure may be quite valuable when accompanied by a humble spirit willing to learn and change.

PARENTS-Encourage Kids to move from Success to Success

Parents may draw several valuable lessons in assisting their children to move from success to success:

1. Encourage your kids to finish tasks. Failure is sometimes the accumulation of unfinished

projects. Determination to finish each endeavor is a great step toward developing diligence.

2. Chores important to the household or family business may be building blocks to success of both the family corporately and the younger members individually. Assign them!

3. Teach your children to take responsibility for failure and use its lessons as stepping stones for success. Avoid the common tendency to blame others for every undesired outcome.

4. Always remember that a sovereign God is ultimately in control. The courage of David comes from unrelenting faith in His good purpose.

Camp Appanoose offers approximately twenty residential camp programs designed to help your son or daughter broaden their horizons and move from success to success. All programs are Christ centered and led by trained staff. For more information, go to www.campappanoose.org or call 641-649-2491.

REMEMBERING WES – “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Our counselor from the summer of 2010, Wes Lunsford, had hoped to serve this summer (2011) again on camp staff but the Lord had other plans for him. On the morning of July 14, Wes awakened in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, after battling cancer for the past year and a half.

Those of us who knew Wes appreciated his quiet consistency and maturity. Whether as part of the worship team, as a youth counselor, or a friend and encourager, Wes anticipated God’s best. Even in his weakened condition when several of us visited with him a few months ago, Wes looked forward to another summer serving Christ at camp.

It became apparent early this summer that Wes would not be on summer staff. God had better things and gave Wes that ultimate victory over cancer and all of life’s afflictions. A graduate of the Mount Pleasant Christian School, Wes continued his education at Lee University in North Carolina.

While being treated for the cancer which eventually took his life, Wes returned home to Mount Pleasant where he attended the local community college. He leaves behind his parents, sisters and many friends.

January 2011

Dear Friends,

So many of you who support this ministry have become cherished personal friends — and I have known some of you for many years previously! It is often my intention to send out a personal letter after the very busy holiday season. With the New Year, though, summer camp preparations become much more intense and my good intentions are lost. This year I am combining a January camp newsletter with this brief personal update.

As we begin a new year, it is with a sense of anticipation. Now, in the third decade of this ministry, we feel the need to work on a new ten year strategic plan. God has positioned us to serve young persons and we want to discern the way in which we can best do so. “Vision 20/20” will involve the completion and expansion of existing facilities, but even more importantly, it will chart the course for a greatly expanded ministry. God has been faithful to us these twenty-two years and we wish to be faithful stewards of His work in years to come.

2010 was a year in which we were pleased to experience a significant camper attendance increase along with very encouraging feedback and response from campers. Our newest program, La Semana Aventura Con Dios, after several years of anticipation, proved to be an effective outreach to the Hispanic youth of our area. Several times last summer, we reached our new, expanded camper capacity which underscored the fact that a future need will be additional bunking capacity.

The new chapel was used to its fullest due to the generosity of Donna Maurer, several faithful volunteers and many other friends of the camp. Rocky High Adventure Camp moved to a new location in the Medicine Bow Range of Colorado in preparation for future growth. With many blessings in the past year also came some very real challenges, perhaps the most significant of which has been short term debt. Approximately thirty thousand dollars is needed at this time and we have set a goal to raise an additional three thousand dollars per month in regular support for camp ministries during the coming year.

On a personal note, 2010 brought about some very significant developments in my family. In March, my cousin Dutch married Vanessa in San Clemante, CA. We are proud of Dutch and Vanessa and so happy to have a new cousin in the family. In late June my son Kammal returned home after being away for several years–what a blessing! Then on July 4th, the daughter of another of my cousins, Ashley married a young man from Canada.

Tyler and Ashley have made their home in Canada where he is a wilderness outfitter. In August, my foster son, Dominick, was able to participate in the Rocky High Adventure Camp while Kamaal and I spent about five days with cousins Dory and Molly, their seven kids and Molly’s parents in a couple of rustic cabins along the Poudre River Canyon. September brought another addition to my family as Donald came to live with us as a foster son.

Now that we are in the New Year, we are looking ahead to our parent’s sixtieth wedding anniversary on February 23rd. Dad turned eighty on the sixth of January. My sister, Cynthia, continues to serve with us here at camp in the area of development. My sister Diana and her husband Ron live on acreage outside of Runnells where they hope to build a new home.

May God bless each of you who give, pray, and support us with friendship.

Serving Christ at Camp Appanoose,

Pat Amsden

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

Sharing recently with a friend of the camp a few details of the 2010 camp season, one of our best summers ever, I mentioned that, after camp, we were facing some very significant financial challenges. “Isn’t that just like the Lord,” said our friend, “to bless us greatly and then present us with some real challenges to our faith.” My mind went back in time to a number of examples in the Bible such as Elijah’s fear of Jezebel after the great miracle on Mount Carmel. Along with great evidences of God’s power, provision and blessing, often comes severe stretching which God designs to push our faith to a new level. HE is pushing us to a new level, here at camp, and while we attempt to move ahead, it is with the continuing reminder of our dependence upon Him.

JUST AHEAD IN February 2011

• Best summer camp prices available through February 15. Register now, pay in full and save. You may pay with MC, Visa or Discover if you wish (requires a phone call to the camp office).
• Hangtime – every Saturday night from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. for teens. Activities and Bible study.
• FOCAS (Friends of Camp Appanoose) will meet on February 15 and March 15 for fellowship and service projects (lunch is provided)
• February 23rd; Ray & LaDonna’s 60th Anniversary. Cards may be sent to the camp address.

MATCHING GIFT Opportunity for Camp Appanoose

Up to 15,000.00 may be matched in special gifts for the ministry of Camp Appanoose. Act now — cut off date for this great opportunity has not yet been set!

ROCKY HIGH ADVENTURE Camp held again this year in the Rawah wilderness and open to teens, ages 13 and up, Rocky High is a life changing, unforgettable experience. Register while space is available. Camp Appanoose is licensed through the National Forest Service.

A Big Thank You …

…to the two families who provided the camp with a new 2011 Chevy HHR, upon hearing of our vehicles needs.

ITEMS MOST WANTED List

• Carpet for the new chapel and adjacent rooms. ($3000.00)
• 2 Commercial/Industrial strength vacuum sweepers
• $300.00 for floor hockey equipment for the new gym
• Ice skates, in line skates or roller skates
• $200.00 per camper for paint ball equipment ($6000 goal – equipment for 30)
• Baseball backstop for the new athletic field
• $9.00 per chair for up to 30 stackable chairs for the outdoor chapel
• 30×60 storage building for tractors and equipment
• Full Sized, Roadworthy pickup truck
• Two new queen size mattresses (60” x 80”)
• 40-50 gallon electric water heater
• Trailer to haul lawn tractor – provided, Thank you!
• Oster (or comparable brand) 5 cup food processor

CAMPAPPANOOSE.ORG

Our new website is in the process of being updated thanks to our web providers; G.Rrafics, Inc. Please visit Camp Appanoose.org for our latest version of the site. We hope to include the monthly newsletter at that site!

Pitching A Tent At Christmas

Angel choirs, shepherd pageants, and quaint stables, in this season, sometimes deflect our minds from the crude realities of what happened that night so long ago in Bethlehem. John wrote (1:14), “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt (literally ‘pitched a tent’) among us, and we saw His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” God the Son in a sense pitched His tent among us and became, for a brief moment of history a part of our camp. Living out the human experience in all of its harshness, He did not become like us. Experiencing the brutal sting of poverty, racial hatred, religious hypocrisy, betrayal, social injustice and ultimately a wrongful death sentence, He emerged with an aura of glory, demonstrating the perfect balance of gracew and truth, a balance unknown to humanity. From an impoverished Jewish family, in a tiny vassal state at a time when Rome ruthlessly subjugated virtually all of humanity to its pagan whims, He lived within the time and space of His native culture, never losing sight of a mission which enveloped all families of the human race. His death for sin was His greatest accomplishment, setting the stage for the ultimate miracle of resurrection. His followers, down to this very December of 2010, have been left with the commission of ambassadorship, proclaiming reconciliation to God to fellow inhabitants of this cold world.

For twenty-two years now, God has given this agency a ministry of reconciliation. Pristine camp experiences do not mask the harsh realities of ambassadorship in a very broken world. God calls us to serve, sometimes literally pitching a tent, while living among those we serve. It is a challenge to live out the loving kindness of Jesus while never slighting the truth of Christ. People Sometimes say, “Isn’t your work rewarding?” The obvious (and honest) answer is “yes”, but not an unqualified “yes”. Between many mountain peaks are some long and treacherous canyons. Not every day is a “happy day”. Often God brings young persons to us who are skeptical, secularized, hostile and very broken, although they may not know it. Increasing numbers of the kids we serve have been raised as “leftovers” from relationships that did not work out. Unmet emotional needs, exploited passions, a Godless outlook on life, and narcissistic personal values do not create

We are, however, a redemptive ministry! Our mission is not primarily social change, or youth maintenance, or despair, but one of transformation. Paul writes that God made Christ, “who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Through a miracle which only God can produce, He is in the business of creating new creatures in Christ. Those persons are characterized by the passing away of old things and the coming of new (II Corinthians 5:17, 21) Increasingly as the years have progressed we have seen the absolute need for the gospel message and for Biblical teaching which gives foundation and structure to the message of good news. Entering the second decade of this new millennium, we are recommitting ourselves, in this ministry structure called Camp Appanoose, to Christ’s redemptive work. In coming months an extended vision for this ministry will be presented. Vision 20/20 will assess immediate ministry needs in light of long term goals, and then chart a course of action for the next decade.

An operating deficit and several urgent material needs have not lessened the passion of those of us who serve at camp. God has shown Himself faithful these past twenty-two years and He will meet our current needs. As we attempt to raise an additional three thousand dollars a month, or thirty-six thousand a year, we ask you to pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will continue to raise up laborers who will be willing to pitch their tents where the need to know Christ is so great. Pray that He will raise up others who will fund the efforts and pray that He will show you how that you may be involved.