No Potatoes

Growing up in a family with 8 kids we supplemented many of our meals in the summer time with the HUGE garden my parents had. I'm serious, this thing was/is huge especially considering that they live in the middle of town in Iowa. It used to be probably at least 3/4 of an acre. As a youngster, it seemed so much bigger than that too.

I remember many times before my dad left for work in the morning he would give instructions for us to help him and my mom out. "Pick a row of beans... Pick the Strawberries.... Weed the potatoes... before I am home from work"

This task seemed so daunting when I was younger. I would put it off just about until I heard his little Mazda truck pull into the drive way and then run out to quick do a poor job at picking the beans. I should have done my chore right away in the morning while it was still cool out and then had the rest of the day to play, worry free. Oh the things we learn. :)

On Father's Day, I went to the store and decided to buy plants to make my own "garden" somewhat for my dad. It is not anywhere close to being as big as my mom and dad's garden, but it does have my favorite veggies in it. I have a cucumber plant, summer squash, tomatoes and two types of peppers. (I need to get some cilantro so I can make my own salsa)

I am worried about it though, because I have NEVER seen veggies grown in pots, like I am trying to do with mine. So this is my test, to see if I have the green thumb like my mom and dad.

When I talked with my dad a little bit about my "garden" in pots, (I have to be careful not to call it a pot garden) he said he was thinking about me as he and my younger siblings were out weeding the potatoes. He chuckled as he said I once pulled up a plant and asked him if it was a weed or not while I was helping him weed the potatoes. He said it had grown potatoes hanging at the roots.

No potatoes for me, I cannot tell if they are weeds.

The Napkin Game

We finished our week of servant leader training and had such an awesome week getting to know the new staff for the summer. They spent the week studying some of the deep things of God and why we even needed to care about the deep things. Jess went through Gospel 101 (a condensed version of what Tyson Guthrie uses at East Iowa Bible Camp). He chose to do this because he wanted to stress the importance of what the gospel is, and what it means to each and every one of us and then how to share it with campers. We need to know God and then make him known.
They didn't just sit and listen to Jess and Mr. Leverentz, one of Jess' professors from Emmaus. (He was the evening speaker) They also did service tasks around the camp and played many games.

Below is a picture of one of the games Jess and Josh Polly, male staff supervisor, taught everyone to play "The napkin game." You should try it out. Get your components to unfold a napkin and put one corner in your mouth. Then, see who can get the whole napkin into their mouth the fastest without using your hands.


Not only is it a fun game to play, it's very amusing to watch as well. :)

Have a great day!

Dig Deep!

Hello all!

Camp is HERE!!!! This week is our Student Leader Training week, and let me just say, I am so excited with what God will do here this summer. Our staff is amazing, and I haven't even met all of them yet. We had a girls/guys night last night and it was such a blessing to see the hearts of these young men and women and their desire to serve God with their time here this summer.

Jess said to me last night after the meetings with the staff, "I love my job. I love that I get to be a part of things like tonight." It is so true. We LOVE camp. We met at East Iowa Bible Camp and I have been going to camp or a part of camp staff every summer except 1 since I was 8. God uses camps in such a mighty way to teach us about his love. I don't know why, but it seems like a lot of things "click" about God when we are at camp.

Jess and I would love if you would join with us in prayer for this summer at Camp Elim. Pray that God would send camper that need Him, and that the staff would be a tool for God to use in those campers hearts. Pray for unity for the staff. Also pray that our theme for the summer wouldn't just be a new T-shirt that the kids get for a summer. The theme is Dig Deep.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

However, as it is written:

"No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived

what God has prepared for those who love him"

but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.