Wonderful Winter Weather Gear: Footwear

Becki Henderson--Administrative Assistant

Today I thought we could take a look at the various and
sundry types of footwear worn during the winter by the HoneyRock staff.  To make this more fun, we will play a game
that involves you (the reader) guessing who is the owner of each pair of footwear.  This is how it will work:  first you will see a picture of footwear.  Then there will be a little explanation of the person.  Then there will be a picture of the person--the secret is revealed!  This will be followed by the next piece of footwear, etc.

Mystery Person #1:

This man occasionally has to wear gaitors with his boots due
to his job of tromping through the snow and grooming the cross country ski
trails.  On any given day you can find
this man driving a tractor, building a broomball court, fixing a fence,
overseeing a timber harvest, moving hay, etc. 
These gaitors help keep his legs warm and dry.  Who is he?

Mystery Person #1 is Scott Eppler (Program Maintenance & Grounds Manager)

Mystery Person #2:

 

This woman, some like to say, was playing broomball before
she could walk.  This is just a rumor,
and one she flatly denies, because she says that the time of year that she
started walking was a time with no ice. 
But anyone who has seen her on the broomball court knows that she comes
from a family of spectacular broomball players and is a champion in her own
right.  She chooses to wear sneakers
during the winter because they are her preferred broomball footwear.  During the day she can be found mopping the
stairs of Chrouser (for the gazillionth time) or cleaning the rental cabins for
our next guests.  Who is she?

Mystery Person #2 is Jenica Kalisch (Housekeeping Specialist)

Mystery Person #3:

 

This woman wears these boots because she thinks they make
her look trendy and cute.  However, she
purchased them for only $30 last year, which leads her to believe that they
were probably trendy and cute three years ago and aren’t any more.  At any rate, they keep her feet roasty toasty
all day as she sits in the office by the front door where all the cold air
comes in when people stop by.  You are
most likely to find her by calling the front office or stopping by to let more
cold air in.  Who is she?

Mystery Person #3 is Becki Henderson (Administrative Assistant)

Mystery Person #4:

 

This man chooses work boots, because his job involves
construction with Bill Long.  He has been
described as “the manliest one of all” based solely on his footwear.  He wears these boots while building cabins,
working in the woodshop, playing broomball, or going for long walks around
HoneyRock.  You would be most likely to
find him in the Village working on Cabin #17. 
Who is he?

Mystery Person #4 is Justin Cope (Project Specialist)

Mystery Person #5:

This woman bought these boots especially for her time at
HoneyRock.  She hails from a MUCH warmer
climate, so she went with big and warm as her main criteria for boot
selection.  These boots keep her feet
warm and dry as she hosts retreat groups, whether she is standing at the top of
Ski Hill or leading a group on a snowshoe journey.  You would be most likely to find her where
people are tubing.

Mystery Person #5 is Ami Frierson (GPA)

Mystery Person #6:

This woman wears these snuggly boots every day as she works
in the kitchen.  She chose these ones
because they were warm and also because she wanted to be stylish. She really
pulls it off, too!  Although the kitchen
is arguably the hottest place in camp (FOR SURE during the summer time) these
boots regulate heat well so that her feet are not sweltering as she puts
together meals and bakes delicious pastries and desserts back in the
bakery.  Who is she?

Mystery Person #6 is Abbey Sanders (Baker)

Mystery Person #7

 

This man picked out these boots because he wanted something
warm and also sporty.  He came most
recently from Texas (a place where no one
wears winter boots) and when he asked around for advice about what to purchase,
the name he heard most consistently was “Sorel.”  That is why he chose these ones, and he does
not regret his choice.  They keep him
warm (and looking sporty) as he hosts retreat groups and manages the Tubing
Hill.  Who is he?

Mystery Person #7 is Luis Cadena (GPA)

Mystery People #8 and 9:

                    

Two days ago, these two men stopped by a Fleet Farm for the
very first time in their lives.  For
those of you who do not live in Wisconsin,
Fleet Farm is sort of the Mecca of Northwoods outfits and accoutrements.  Think WalMart, only more outdoorsy, and that
will give you a fairly accurate picture of this store.  These two men decided that while they were
there they would purchase Carhartts to keep them warm during the Winter Retreat
season.  I am including pictures of their
boots, but I believe that their new Carhartts deserve most of the focus and
attention here, so please enjoy the photo of them proudly sporting their new
overalls.  And, as a shout out to my previous blog entry--these are the ULTIMATE snow pants!  They are perfect for any and all winter activities AND they look great.  At any rate, who are these two men?

  Mystery People #8 and 9 are Matt Ulrich and Steve Hedrick (GPAs)

As you can see, there are many equally acceptable winter
footwear options.  When you are looking
to buy new winter boots (or sneakers) try to keep in mind some of the criteria
that the HoneyRock staff use.  Do you
want serious traction on the ice?  Do you
just want to be warm, no matter what the cost? 
Do you want to try and be trendy? 
Think it over and then choose the winter boot that is best for you.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Liz Henderson--Program Team Assistant

During our staff devotions this week we have been reading through and discussing the book of Colossians.  It has been encouraging for our staff and we have been challenged by many of the things we have read.  One thing that we found interesting about this particular letter from Paul is that he had never actually met the church is Colosse, yet he still thanked God for them and prayed for them.  Paul sets the example of praying for and encouraging the body of Christ around the world even if we haven't personally met them.

As we discussed Colossians 4 today, I was struck by verses 5-6:  "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

As I read those verses I asked myself two things:

1.)  Do I make the most of every opportunity?

2.)  Are my conversations full of grace?  Am I wise in what I say?

My challenge for you today is to ask yourself the same questions.  Are you taking advantage of the opportunities God has given you to encourage others?  Do your words and conversations reflect Christ?

What can you do?

Today we are praying for Haiti and the people who are hurting there.  We are also praying specifically for those Wheaton College/HoneyRock alumni, students and friends who are serving there. 

The devastation in Haiti has gripped all of our hearts in a powerful
way, as I am sure it has yours.  We all can do something.  Give, pray, go, encourage...something.  I hope this picture encourages you to action today.

One Night in a Snow Shelter...

Liz Henderson--Program Team Assistant

Over the past two weeks, HoneyRock hosted the Wheaton Academy Winterim Girls' Wilderness Trip.  The group was led by GPA Micah Shires and Aimee Daniels, a Wheaton Academy teacher.  The first few days of the trip were spent at HoneyRock learning wilderness skills and how to cross-country ski while wearing internal frame backpacks. 

Then the girls departed HoneyRock on cross-country skis for four days on the trail.  The girls spent the first two nights of the trip in outlying HoneyRock cabins (Black Bear and Salt Lick).   But the final night was to be a true winter wilderness experience: the girls built quinzee snow shelters to sleep in.

I had the incredible privilege of joining the girls for part of their trip, including the night in the quinzees.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with quinzee snow shelters, either because you've never seen one, built one, or slept in one, allow me to explain. 

First, you have to shovel a big mound of snow.  For efficiency, two of us shoveled snow while the third wore snow shoes and packed down the snow.

Then, you have to allow the snow mound to sit for several hours so that the snow can bond.  See how happy we look after an hour of intense shoveling and snow stomping?

Then comes the arduous task of hollowing out the interior of the snow mound leaving walls that are approximately 12 inches thick.  It's a team effort because one person scoops out snow from inside the shelter while the other shovels the snow away.

Here are two of the girls after they completed hollowing out their quinzee.

Now you're ready to lay down your ground tarps, insulating pads, and sleeping bags, and prepare yourself for a great night's sleep.

So, if you've never had the privilege of sleeping out in the snow, I would highly recommend building a quinzee.  It's much warmer than a tent, and it's way cooler than sleeping out in a cabin!

A Day to Remember

John Vandervelde - Program Director    

I grew up in Holland, Michigan, a small town right on the shore of Lake Michigan.  Holland is a beautiful Dutch city full of kind people and hundreds of churches.  It is also one of the "whitest" places on earth.  In fact, I can count on one hand the number of African American students who attended my high school of 1,000 kids.  Now matter how hard my parents tried to expose us to the diverse world around us, it was tough in such a monochromatic place as West Michigan.

Our family was not a big TV watching family, but we never missed an episode of "The Cosby Show".  All six Vanderveldes would pile on the couch and floor in front of the TV and laugh at the good, clean humor and reflect on the meaningful lessons taught by Dr. and Mrs. Huxtable, and their five kids.  The first time I remember learning about Martin Luther King Jr. was through this show.  As a young child I remember the Huxtable family gathering around their TV in silence as they watched a black and white showing of the famous "I Have a Dream" speech.  It may not have been the first time I heard or saw that speech, but it was the first time it sank in as being a serious moment in American history.  After the show ended and we turned off the TV, I remember talking with my mom and dad about Martin Luther King Jr. and about the injustice he was battling against in our country.  I instantly had great respect for this man of God.

My next major exposure to Martin Luther King Jr. was in high school when I read "Letter From the Birmingham Jail".  The letter gave me goosebumps then and still does today.  It inspires me to stand against the injustice we find in our world.  I encourage you to click the link above and read the letter for yourself today.

The question is often asked, "Are race relations any better in our country today than they were during the Civil Right Moment of the 1960s?"  The answer varies depending on who you talk to, but there is no doubt that racial injustice still exists in this country.  I think a better question to ask is, "What am I going to do about the racial injustice I know exists in this nation?"  I think today is not only a day to celebrate the life of a great man, but a day to reflect on our own hearts and lives so we can weed out the sin of racism we find.  Remember the Kingdom of God is about healing, justice, and reconciliation.  Let's be agents of the Kingdom of God today!

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" - Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail

A Word from our Winterim Interns

Kent Smith and Drew Cochrum--HoneyRock Winterim Interns

Whether we are eating in the dining hall, playing broomball out on
the ice courts, or walking through the halls of Loberg Lodge, we often
get blank stares.  The unspoken question is obvious... Who are these two guys? 
We aren't the right age or gender to fit in with any group here at
HoneyRock right now. So what is our story? Our names are Drew Cochrum
and Kent Smith.  We are seniors at Wheaton Academy and are planning to
attend Wheaton College next year.  We are here at HoneyRock for ten days
as interns. This being our ninth day, we can both confidently say that
this has been a great experience.

We came into the week thinking that we would be learning about
camp maintenance.  Our sights were set too low.  We did learn a lot about
maintenance.  We built canoes and log cabins under the expert guidance
of Scott and Bill.  However, we also learned a lot from the GPAs here at
camp, especially Steve and Luis.  Steve showed us how to be blunt and
yet godly at the same time.  Luis taught us about the serious side of
life.  All of the counselors showed wisdom during the good times, the
bad times, and even during the ugly times.  We come away from our
internship with a greater
understanding of construction, camp life, and caring for one another as
a God-centered community.  So that's who we are.  Thank you, Honeyrock
Staff for providing an amazing ten days!