February Winter Blast 2011 : Breaking Generational Poverty

Jaheim and JaKee.  Camp Beechpoint HERE WE COME!

I love Camp Beechpoint!  February Winter Blast was a BLAST!  I love being with kids.  I love the hugs when kids come back to camp and realize I'm still there for them.  I love creating an environment where kids are successful.  I love the schedule of caring for kids.  I love serving meals and keeping track of gloves and fussing about brushing teeth and getting us all somewhere.  I love mediating a dispute so that everyone is happy and can move forward.  I love laughing over silly stuff.  I love helping kids experience something completely new.  I love, love, love teaching God's Word and making it's truths real and accessible to kids.  I love the good-bye hugs.  I love camp!

Top row: Tah'Jae, Rayan, Megan, Curtynaija, Manijah, Jada

Bottom row:  Amarrea, Mia, Annalise, Chanel, Jalise, Mya

Roasting marshmallows during the night hike.

Curty tryna decide how she feels about these marshmallows.  Gotta love the nails. :-)

Our first winter blast in the new dining hall.  This is 1/3 of the dining space.  Praise God for his provision of this facility!  It's a blessing to not have to serve split meals and to be able to host larger retreat groups year round.  We've been able to use this facility for conferences and banquets and weddings ... just another way God provides funds to keep camp accessible to urban youth.

The Great Klondike Derby - team building activities for all!  One camper gives verbal directions to a blind- folded partner to avoid the cones.

Shardae trying to walk without dropping the egg on the spoon.

This one is a favorite activity! 

One of my supporters had her Sunday School class make blankets and hats for Winter Blast campers!  The girls were so thankful for their blankets and the letters from the Sunday School kids and had fun writing them back!  Thanks Kathy and Courtney!

This is my favorite picture from Winter Blast, lol!  I wish I knew what I was saying to Mya when this picture was taken.  Whatever it was it made her happy. :-)  Love this.

Trying to get eveyone to jump rope in the gym.

Curtynaija and Manijah making a giant thank you sign for Chef Marissa.  We never take pics in our cabins, but I love that camp is so....homey.

Kadavion told us that before camp he wasn't too sure he wanted to come.  (Praise God for the adults in his life who love him and fight for him to have opportunities to hear the Word!).  At camp he participated in 3 teaching sessions centered on Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  At the end of the last session Kadavion asked his Bible teacher "How do I break the chains of generational poverty in my family?".   The older boys stayed in class for an extra 20 minutes to hear the discussion!  Pray that Kadavion's mind will truly be renewed and that he will embrace the life available to him through submission to God!