Back From China

John Vandervelde - Program Director   

Dan Elsen and I traveled to China from March 17-26 to meet with people from a Chinese organization which is based out of Hong Kong.  This organization is involved in several different ministry projects not only in Hong Kong but also in mainland China.  They do Bible Commentary translation, speaking and teaching, and also working with pastors from the underground church.  One of their main focuses is utilizing camping, adventure ministry, and experiential education to share the gospel and develop Christian character in young people.  Their work is similar to what we do at HoneyRock and this organization is looking to solidify and grow this part of their ministry, which is why we were invited to China.

Our time in China was spent both on the mainland and in Hong Kong.  We visited sites, met with pastors, toured schools, and helped the organization develop and refine skills and strategies to maximize their impact.  Our hope is to grow our partnership and invite some of their Chinese staff to come to HoneyRock for training and maybe send HoneyRock students there for training, internships, or even jobs after they graduate.

It was an exciting trip and we learned a great deal.  God is at work in China and we're excited to be a part of it.  If you're interested in learning more specifics about our trip and who we are working with, please email me or give me a call:  johnv@honeyrockcamp.org / 715-479-7474

 







 

Spring Break in Three Lakes, Wisconsin--Equestrian Skills

Becky Webber--Ranch Coordinator

Amidst the many Spring Break classes offered by HoneyRock this year, only one class was actually at HoneyRock:  Equestrian Skills.  Part of my job as the Ranch Coordinator at HoneyRock is the opportunity to teach an Equestrian Skills class to Wheaton College students every Fall Break and Spring Break.

This year there were 6 students in the class: 2 guys and 4 girls.  My co-instructor was Ashley Butman who has been working up at HoneyRock this winter in the Barn.  Coray Watson (who worked here as a Wrangler last summer) volunteered for the week.  We spent the week learning about basic horse care, including grooming, tacking, and
feeding.  We also learned about horse behavior and communication.  During
the riding lessons, we worked on basic position and balance of the rider
on the horse at the walk, trot, and canter.  We focused on using our
body to cue the horse by working with him rather than against him, and
using the lightest cue needed to get the response we wanted.  We also
had a bareback lesson, where Mara made a lovely emergency dismount when
her horse's trot became too bouncy.

We also played horse Pictionary where Daniel won the
prize for the best drawer of all things horsey.  There was also a
rousing game of stick the name of the part of the horse on Posie (who is an enormous draft horse).  There was
some debate over the location of the loin, gaskin, flank, and stifle. 
The grand prize for the winning team was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

It was nice that we had warm weather for the
class, but it made everything melt so we were pretty much riding in a giant mud
puddle.  The class was a lot of fun and it was great to hang out with students from Wheaton for the week. 

REMINDER:  We are now in the final week of our camper t-shirt design scholarship opportunity.  It's not too late to submit your entry!  You can email it to liz@honeyrockcamp.org or call 715.479.7474 ext. 240 with any questions. 

 

Spring Break in Winter Park, Colorado

Scott Eppler--Program Maintenance & Grounds Manager

A group of fearless Wheaton College students opted out of a beach vacation and instead headed to Winter Park, Colorado for Spring Break.  Led by professional ski instructors* Dan Elsen and me, these privileged students got to spend Spring Break tearing it up down the mountain.  With skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced, each of the students was able to improve his/her skills with some of the best skiing conditions possible.  

The class was comprised of 2 girls and 7 guys and they ranged in age from freshmen to seniors.  Not only was it a college class and ski trip, but there was a major focus on community living.  We all stayed together in a large house that is part of the Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA.  We prepared and shared meals together, had new roommates, did daily devotionals,
enjoyed quality time in the van, and attended a local church service together on Sunday morning.  Many a fun time was enjoyed at the pool and sauna at Snow Mountain Ranch.  

It was such a blessing to be able to connect with college students--living with, eating with, hanging out and sharing life for a week.  It was exciting to see relationships develop among the group and see people care for each other.  

I was reminded of the ever-present HoneyRock connection wherever you go.  It was amazing to have a random Wheaton College/HoneyRock connection with an usher at the church we visited.  We also witnessed the value of having the HoneyRock logo on the side of all our vans:  a former HoneyRocker saw the logo and met us at the van at the end of a long day of skiing.  We enjoyed the conversation we had with him.  

On the ski front, the conditions were outstanding!  We had fresh snow 4 out of the 5 days we were there (including one day with 10" of fresh powder!)  Many local skiers reported that we were there during the week that had the best ski conditions of the entire season.

*professional ski instructors: i.e. love to ski and enjoy teaching others how to ski

Spring Break in Moab, Utah--Backpacking & Orienteering

Rick Masters--Adventure Ministry Program Manager

Since Moab, Utah is a bit of a distance from Wheaton College, the students and the other trip leader and I who were a part of the Backpacking & Orienteering trip had the opportunity to spend lots of quality time together in the van getting to know each other before beginning the backpacking portion of the trip.   

There was an eclectic group of students which provided many great
perspectives on life and worship and the exploration of a brand new
territory.  There were distinct challenges that were
necessary to get re-focused and re-oriented and get connected
back to what is really important in life.

It was interesting to bring students out of the pressures of everyday life in Wheaton (classes, grades, homework, ministry, sports, relationships, activities, etc.) and place them in a situation where the only pressures were eating, sleeping, navigating and getting to the next camp site.  That difference in pressure made for many conversations on meaningful topics like life after college, our church lives, and our relationships.  It also allowed us plenty of time for fun card games like Mafia. 

These students went on spring break, and instead of focusing on themselves they focused on each other, which made living in God's creation so rich and powerful.

 

Three Lakes/HoneyRock Fun Night

Liz Henderson--Program Team Assistant

Once a month the Three Lakes Elementary School hosts a Family Fun night where they provide a free dinner and games for students and their families.  On Friday night, HoneyRock hosted the fun night at Three Lakes Elementary School.  Dell Ledbetter made a delicious dinner for everyone and most of the HoneyRock staff attended the evening.  We enjoyed the opportunity to connect with different families in the community.  After dinner the GPAs ran a bunch of games and activities for the kids.  One of the most popular activities was the climbing wall and the kids who came had a great time. 

We were also promoting a special camper scholarship for local students.  Any student in the Three Lakes or Northland Pines School District can come to an entire camp session for only $150 (the cost of the registration deposit).  We are hoping that many students from Three Lakes and Eagle River will attend camp this summer.  For more information, call 715.479.7474 ext. 301.

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for all the GPAs as they travel to various places around the country for their two-week spring break.  Pray for their safety and also for them to have a fun and relaxing time connecting with friends and family.


2. Continue to lift up John Vandervelde and Dan Elsen as they are in China this week meeting with past HoneyRockers and learning how HoneyRock can be involved with a university and camp over there. 

The Giant Swing

Liz Henderson--Program Team Assistant

While we were at the CCCA Wisconsin/Iowa Super Sectional at Lake Geneva Youth Camp, we were able to participate in a variety of adventure activities during our free time.  Many people chose to rock climb, or play volleyball, basketball or tether ball, but the most popular activity by far was the Giant Swing.  

On Wednesday afternoon, I did the Giant Swing with Scott Eppler (HoneyRock Program Maintenance and Grounds Manager and a proud member of the CCCA-WI Cabinet) and Kara Hoxworth (a former HoneyRocker who is in the Leadership in Camp Ministry Program at Timber-lee Christian Center).  Many HoneyRockers who attended the conference did the Giant Swing.  Some screamed louder than others!

HoneyRock will be ompleting construction of a giant swing at HoneyRock this summer.  Ours will be smaller than the one pictured below and will be a group belay activity.  We are excited to introduce this new element into our ropes courses.

Here we are before our adventure on the Giant Swing.

A lovely action shot of Kara, Scott and me.  If you look closely you can see Scott pulling the rip cord.

Pictured
below are the scared faces Bridget Pyle, Candi Reynolds and Mary Elise Ducworth before they got on the Giant Swing.

Bridget, Candi and Mary Elise right after they pulled the rip cord.  See how excited they look?