Divine Coincidences

John Vandervelde - Program Director

Have you ever experienced a coincidence?  Sure, we all have.  But have you ever experienced a coincidence and had the thought that there was more going on that it seemed?  Something spiritual was happening.  God was working and it wasn't just mere coincidence, it was deeply spiritual.   Coincidences occur in life all the time and the world normally dismisses them with a chuckle.  I often find myself doing the same thing, but today I'm amazed at how God works in the details and that in all the small things we call coincidences, God is doing something amazing.  There are no mere coincidences with God; he is always working.

I think I experienced my first "divine coincidence" when I was 16.  I went on a missions trip for 8 weeks to the country of Madagascar (the large island off the Eastern coast of Africa).  After working there for the summer my team and I left the island and spent a week resting and debriefing in Moscow, Russia.  It was in 1994 and communism had just fallen in the Soviet Union.  Part of our rest and debriefing was spending a day shopping in Moscow.  Our team divided up into three or four smaller groups and decided to all meet back up at 5:00pm.  After searching all over Moscow for old Soviet military memorabilia my friends and I decided it was time to head back to the meeting place.  As we turned and began to walk back it didn't take us long to figure out we were terribly lost.  Panic set in and despite our experience surviving the summer in Africa and being fully outfitted in Russian military gear, we were like lost little boys wishing we had our mommies.  We frantically prayed, searched for English speakers, and looked at our map which was of course useless because it was in Russian. 

After about 2 hours of combing the street of Moscow looking for our meeting spot and our group, hopelessness set in.  We wandered the crowded streets but just kept making circles.  The streets were so crowded that if you didn't pay attention to where you were going you would run into people or get run into.  Suddenly, not looking where I was going, I slammed into the back of the man walking in front of me.  He turned around, wearing a Yankees hat, and in a hearty New York accent said, "Man, what the heck is your problem!"  It was like he was speaking in the tongues of angels.  He wasn't just an English speaking Russian, he was an American.  I literally hugged this guy.  After the awkwardness I apologized to him and explained our situation.  He was a college student spending a semester in Russia.  He knew exactly how to get to where we needed to go, and he even walked us there.  As we thanked him for his help he said, "Yeah--kind of a cool coincidence we ran into each other." 

As I look back over my life there are so many small coincidences, albeit not as dramatic as my Moscow experience, that I now understand to be more than that--they were divine coincidences.  God is alive and working in the details of our lives, all the details, all the time.  The things we dismiss as coincidences are often the times when God is revealing something about Himself or are times when we need to act. 

So today, as we go about our busy lives let's stop and look for the divine things and the spiritual things that are happening in the details and in the coincidences of the day.  Maybe God is showing us something about himself and/or maybe he wants to inspire us to action.

Prayer Requests

1.  Please join us in praying for Dan, Ann, Craig and the entire Rock Team on the Wheaton campus.  The next two days are a crucial time of student recruiting as they have recruiting tables set up on campus and will be having many conversations with students.  Pray for God to prompt the right students to stop by the tables and talk to HoneyRockers about the upcoming summer. 

2.  We are continuing to lift up Ethan Welsh, nephew of former staff members John and Lauren Welsh.  He is making incredible progress after being struck by a car 5 weeks ago.  Praise the Lord that he is now able to sit up, move around and talk.  Please pray for the continued healing of his body.

Red Square - 2005

A sending place - by Karen Bartos

Karen Bartos - Group Program Coordinator

Today's entry comes from Karen Bartos.  Karen recently graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in Philosophy and Psychology.  She was in the Summer Leadership School (SLS) in 2007 and did the Adventure Ministry Program (AMP) in 2009.  Currently she is on staff here for 15 months serving as our Group Program Coordinator.  Karen's entry today caps off our series on looking at the HoneyRock core values.  Enjoy!

Since my role at HoneyRock has shifted, I’ve been again thinking about HoneyRock’s overall mission, and thus how my specific role within it has changed. 
I have been a college student and counselor periodically involved with
HoneyRock for the past three years, and have experienced God’s work in this
place on those levels.  Yet now I am part
of the winter staff, and I find that, not surprisingly, my role and perspective
have changed.  Not to say that I will stop
growing from my experiences here now – good heavens, far from it – I’m pretty
sure that this stage of life will be as formative as if not more formative than college itself.  But instead of a student-participant to be intentionally
poured into, I am part of the team that facilitates and does the "pouring in".  This team’s general mission is that of
preparing students for ministry, which is necessary for the ministry which
HoneyRock does accomplish in summer camps and winter retreats.

In the Summer of 2008, I merely
visited HoneyRock for a weekend while camp was in session.  I felt oddly put out by not getting to be at
HoneyRock for the entire summer, but thankfully a conversation with Nancy Long changed my attitude.  Rather than
flaunting the privilege of being at HoneyRock all the time, she reminded me of
her role as a provider and minister to those who do pass through.  (Note: “flaunting” is never something of
which Nancy
would be accused.)  While HoneyRock does
become a proverbial "home" to many people through the intense experiences and
family-like community, it is not a stopping place. And instead of pouting about
that, we can rejoice in the fact that what is done on camp property has
ramifications beyond HoneyRock, for God’s work is present here at HoneyRock, on
earth and eternally.  As I, and we,
prepare our specific areas for another season of learning, keeping this
perspective gives us the peace through which to take joy in the particulars of
life.

News and Events:

1)  8 new Graduate Program Assistants (GPAs) arrive on November 30.  This crew will be here for 9 months.  Please join with us in praying for them.

2)  Winter retreat season starts on December 27.  We still have space available this winter; spread the word.

Karen working on the ropes course this past summer.

Round-Up 2009

John Vandervelde - Program Director

This past Saturday, November 7, was the 6th Round-Up I've attended (1 as a student in 1999 and 5 now as a staff member).  I asked Bill Long the other day how long we've been doing HoneyRock Round-Up.  "As long as I can remember - since camp started," Bill replied.  He's worked at HoneyRock for over 30 years.  Round-Up is an event held each year on the Wheaton College campus which serves three main purposes.  First, it is a time where campers, counselors, staff, and parents can reconnect.  There are lots of hugs at Round-Up and you can hear people sharing memories of the summer everywhere you go.  Second, Round-Up is a time to get excited about the upcoming summer.  The new brochure is circulated and parents begin talking with their kids about what programs they want to do.  Finally, Round-Up is a time to introduce new families to HoneyRock.  On Saturday I had conversations with a few families who were invited to Round-Up by HoneyRock families.

This year approximately 350 people came to Round-Up and climbed on the rock wall, swam in the pool, played soccer, and had a great time.  Somehow these 350 people also consumed about 150 Little Caesar's pizzas.

For those of you who were unable to attend, we hope you will be able to make it next year.

We've created a photo album of the event for you to enjoy (located on the left side of your screen).  Pictured below are a few samples from that album.   

Have a great day!

Rob Ribbe Shares on "Disciplined Reflection" - Core Value #7

Rob Ribbe - Director

Today we hear from Rob Ribbe who is on sabbatical in South Carolina until April.  He took a break from his books and computer screen to share his thoughts on one of HoneyRock's unique core values: Disciplined Reflection.  If you want to keep up on the Ribbe's adventure down south, you can do so through their blog:  http://ribbesinsouthcarolina.blogspot.com

Have you ever gone to a movie that stirred you up, that raised big
questions, made you weep, or totally ticked you off?  Were you with a
group of friends?  Did talk about the movie?  For how long? 

It seems like most of us approach movies at the theater or shows on TV as
a way to turn off our brains, just "relax" or pass the time.  Once the show
is over we move on to the next thing.  If we take the time to talk about it, it is
usually for a short period of time and involves deciding if it was a "good'"
movie or not.  How about Sunday morning?  How often do you take an hour
or so to
reflect on or talk with others about what you just heard and how it relates
to life?  Is your conversation about as long as it takes to
evaluate the sermon or service?

I wonder sometimes if this
isn't how we generally approach life. We bounce from one thing to
another, seldom taking time between events to ponder what happened,
what was significant, or how we were Jesus in that place with those
people.


I had a sincere friend ask me recently, "How was your week?"  I
answered with a short phrase like "fine, not bad, okay."  As soon as I
said it, I realized how unthinking that response was.  I then asked him
how he determined what a good week was.  He gave me a very thoughtful,
God-centered answer that listed a few criteria that were significantly
different from how I would have answered the question.   (I'll save his
answers for another time because they were really good!)


Disciplined reflection brings depth and purpose to our lives. 
During HoneyRock programs most participants (including leaders) live
through an almost continuous stream of experiences that have much to
teach us and show us.  It is our goal to take time in the midst of all
the activity to press the pause button and ask what happened, why it
was significant, and what it can teach us about living more healthy,
God-honoring lives.


This year I have been given the gift by Wheaton and the HoneyRock
team to have a sabbatical.  I write from South Carolina.  I've only
been gone a month (though it seems like much longer than that) and am
taking this time away from the busyness and responsibilities of life in
the Northwoods to truly and deeply reflect on life, family, ministry. 
So far God is teaching me a ton!  (This too I'll save for another
time).  It just re-enforces to me the importance and power of
disciplined reflection, in God's presence and under the Holy Spirit's
guidance, as a life-giving spiritual discipline.  Barriers to
disciplined reflection seem to be busyness and fear.  Reflection is not
efficient--it doesn't get a task done.  It also requires us to think
deeply and share with others from the heart.  It is really a bummer to
miss out on the many fantastic God-moments that happen each day because
we don't take time to pause and ponder.  We also miss the opportunity
to give to and receive from each other the encouragement of seeing God
at work.  Give it a shot today and see what God says.  I bet it will be
good!

Purposeful Challenge - Core Value #6 - by Lee Christoff

Lee Christoff - HoneyRock Partner

Today's post is written by Lee Christoff.  Lee is a long time HoneyRock camper, staff member, and now partner.  As a volunteer he has served countless hours in nearly every capacity possible.  We are so grateful that Lee is a part of our ministry - I think you'll really enjoy reading his post today.

Over the two summers before seventh grade, I attended a soccer camp. But the summer of 1996 was going to be different. My mom attended HoneyRock as a camper when she was younger, and she encouraged me to give it a try. I was nervous because it was going to be my first extended stay away from home, and because I didn’t know anyone else who was going to be there. Nevertheless, I signed up for a 2-week residential camp session, and a few months later, I arrived at HoneyRock as a camper.

During my first day at camp, I knew that this place was different. For one, the food was amazing. But more importantly, it was the first time in my life where I was given a great deal of responsibility. Instead of running through a series of soccer drills all day, it was up to me to choose the activities that I wanted to do. If I wanted to go to an activity with a new camp friend, then we had to coordinate which activities we signed up for. If I worked hard enough at an activity, then I could earn an award.

Just as I had made some new camp friends and settled into the daily schedule of camp life, our counselors told us that we were going on a camping trip. We packed our personal belongings, split up and packed the group gear and trip food, and paddled away from camp. Shunning the offer by our counselors to get a brief canoeing lesson, our cabin was out on our own, and we were ready to conquer the wilderness! Well, we felt that way until our arms were sore after 10 minutes of zig-zagging across Long Lake.

Stopping for a rest break (where the wind had blown us to the shoreline), our patient counselors again offered to teach us how to canoe, and we readily accepted. We paddled the rest of the day until we reached Seven-Mile Lake. Considering how long we had paddled, that the name of the lake suggested that we were seven miles away from camp, and that we hadn’t seen another person all day, we felt like we were in true wilderness. Our group was out on our own, and the success of the trip rested on our shoulders. We set up tents and gathered firewood. Sometimes we struggled to get things right but we ultimately made it back to camp safely.

During that camping trip, our counselors shared the Gospel with us. They noted that God was with us in the wilderness, and would be with us when we returned home. They talked about how (like we had on the wilderness trip) everyone struggles in life, but through faith in Christ, we could overcome any obstacle. They described their relationship with Jesus, and pointed us to stories in the Bible where God was faithful to those who believed in Him.

The end of the session came too quickly, and I headed back home. Over the next year, I kept thinking about the things that my counselors shared.

I returned to HoneyRock as a camper over the next several summers. Each summer I learned more about God. The summer before eighth grade, I accepted Jesus into my life. I continued to grow in this relationship over the following summers through wilderness trips and high school programs. Eventually, I was asked to serve as an assistant counselor. I continued to serve afterward as a counselor for residential and high school programs.

So many impactful moments happened at HoneyRock that I can’t fit them all into one blog post. The experiences I had at HoneyRock inherently shaped who I am in ways that are hard to verbalize.

Nevertheless, a common theme throughout each of these experiences is the idea of purposeful challenge. In terms of tangible experiences, I earned a master’s award in swimming, learned how to use a map and compass on wilderness trips to Lake Superior, roofed a house, and eventually led my own cabins of residential camp and high school students. While the experiences themselves were inherently rewarding, the results of these experiences were even more meaningful.

Unlike the soccer drills, the lessons I learned at HoneyRock are enduring. I have learned perseverance, trust, service, and patience. The challenges at HoneyRock are not intended solely to be challenging but are designed instead with a greater purpose in mind. Putting campers outside of their comfort zones allows opportunities for character development and opens up discussions about faith.

I continue to support HoneyRock through the Partners' program. Many of my friends from HoneyRock are emerging leaders in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. In tandem with the other core values, the purposeful challenges that HoneyRock provided are paving the way for their futures as Christian leaders.

Truth - like yeast in the dough - Core Value #5

John Vandervelde - Program Director

The other day I was at our local grocery store here in Eagle River buying the weekly load of food for my family.  As I wandered through the aisles, filling the cart and checking off items from the list, my phone rang.  It was my wife, Kari, and she had forgotten to include something on the list.  She was planning on making pizza and needed yeast for the dough.  I added to the list some packets of yeast, the kind suited for use in a bread machine.  I think I had only seen yeast maybe once or twice before in my life.  It took me a little bit to find it in the store, but eventually I did.  As I picked up the little packets of "Red Star" yeast, I was amazed at how small and light they were.  I shook the packets and could hear and feel the tiniest bit of powdery substance inside.  Knowing how important yeast is in the process of baking, I marveled at how something so small could be so important.  I thought about how useless the dough would be for the pizza if it didn't have yeast worked through it.

Jesus talks about yeast in the Bible.  In Matthew 13:33, he tells a parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."  If you look through Bible commentary books on this verse, there are several interpretations given trying to explain what Jesus meant.  Truly, there are multiple layers of teaching going on here in this parable.  One of those layers is Christ teaching us about the truth of the Gospel being like yeast that is worked into our hearts, our lives, our communities, and our world.  This yeast causes change and, ultimately, causes growth.

At HoneyRock, our goal is to have the truth of the Gospel and the principles of the Kingdom of God worked in, like yeast, throughout the entire ministry.  Truth is not just the foundation that the ministry is built on; it's more than that.  Teaching and living the truth in all our programs, everyday, is what were aiming for.  We know that when the truth of the Gospel and the principles of the Kingdom of God are worked through our programs, like yeast in the dough, they will cause growth and change in peoples' lives, change in their communities, and change in the world.

In a world that screams to our young people that there is no absolute truth, HoneyRock stands against this current.  We stand for truth.  There is absolute truth, and it is found in the Bible which tells the true story of a God who created us and loves us.  A God who loved us so much that He provided for us His only Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven, and His life and teachings show us how to live our lives as agents of this Kingdom.  Through His death and resurrection, He makes reconciliation with God possible, and provides life, hope, healing, and transformation to broken people, broken communities, a broken world, and a broken universe. Finally, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the grave provide eternal life in heaven for all those who believe in Him.

Today and forever, this is the truth we're standing for, and we stand with millions of others all over the globe.  Thank you for standing with us.

-Pictures from Saturday's HoneyRock Round-Up will be up soon on our Facebook Page and here on the Blog.