Quaker Meadow Christian Camp

Let it snow...

2010-11-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

So folks are in the process of "winterizing" the camp, and lo and behold, winter found them! Last week of October brought some good folks up to shut in parts of the camp that won't be used during the winter, and we had our first snow!

Is that cool or what? (Pardon the obvious pun...)

It wasn't Jakes first snow at camp, but it's fun seeing it again!

It took a couple of weeks to winterize the place, and we do have winter camps booked this year. Hope to have some great show shots coming.

Sorry for the lack of info coming out of camp - we are alive and healthy. We're hoping to get more info up here shortly.

Lives Touched in QM Aren't Necessarily the Campers...

2010-07-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

How cool is this? Cameron Swaim (Hospitality Lead: "Hoss Boss") wanted to be baptized in the lake at QM:

And who better to perform this than by his dad, Mark Swaim, pastor of Garden Grove Friends Church? (http://www.ggfc.org/)

Before you ask, Yes - the water was cold. And it is currently remarkably clear. It was a beautiful day, and a wonderful thing to witness:

A lot of the staff (and others - it was Staff Appreciation Weekend) were there to witness and welcome Cameron:

One of the most meaningful hugs came from Cameron's mom.:

Some of our future leaders are people who learn to serve. This is part of Quaker Meadow's mission - of Winning and Training Youths and Adults for Christ. The involvement of camp in the lives of current, past and future staff is a big part of God's call.

Speaking of staff - they act (play) together with team bonding activities:

Later on that evening, we all worshipped in the chapel:

Please keep our staff in your prayers. It has been a difficult year with the late snows (and delayed work camps). And specifically, pray for our new manager, Jake. (Samantha and Oliver are doing fine.) He has a new family, new job, new problems - talk about a trial by fire! He will need all of our prayer support.

And to leave you all with a common sight around camp:

We covet your prayers. The camp still has some issues that is common for a campus this size in an alpine area. We have been blessed by people who have partnered with the camp, supplying labor and materials. They have all been an answer to prayer - it would have been very difficult to get camp ready without their help. THANK YOU!!!

Getting Ready for Summer

2010-06-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

So two weeks ago, snow covered the ground. Now, the only patch of snow around camp is over on the east side of the upper lake.

The daytime temps are into the 70s, night time into the low 50s. Perfect QM weather! But there are a couple of areas around camp that are still seeing the effects of the snow runoff. Like the 'garden' in front of Cabin 4, where the water fountain is:

Some of you old-timer staff know that this area does this at this time of year. It's not a surprise, but the amount of water is.

You can see some of the water is just coming up out of the ground. A lot of the run off has dried up, so there are only a few places that are muddy. The field is mostly muddy, especially by the amphitheater. Because of the late run off, everything is GREEN! Everything!

And while this *LOOKS* ideal, something to keep in mind is that the insects have also been laying dormant, and ho-boy, they're hungry! If you're coming up, be sure to bring lots of DEET!

What about the conditions of the tent areas? Not bad at all. For the 4th of July Family Camp, I think you'll like it. The ground isn't muddy but it is damp - more like a damp as if you sprayed it down with a fire hose. *Almost* no dust!

For the 4th of July Family Camp, the pool will be ready!

Now we won't lie to you - the camp took a physical hit this year with the amount of snow and a lot of things need to be done. Combine that with some differed maintenance items that have come up and we're very busy here. The repair to the damage to the storage room caused by the bear last fall is almost done. The staff has been great and working overtime trying to get the camp prepped. They've been doing a GREAT job! The chapel roof took a major hit, as well as broken water pipes and valves. The piping is finished and water is flowing, although some finish work still needs to be done.

So we'll leave you with a couple of images of the area as spring has sprung!

We ask for support for two prayer items:

1) As this is being written, Jake and Samantha are at the hospital awaiting the birth of their first child. Please support them in your prayers, for a safe delivery and for the health and safety for such a new family at camp.

2) For the campers coming up this summer. Some will fall under the direct attack of the enemy who will do whatever it takes to keep our Lord's word from reaching hearts and souls. Please pray for protection, for soft hearts and open minds, and for the general safety of everyone.

Blessings to you! More updates as the summer goes on...

When much is asked, much is given.

2010-06-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUAKER MEADOW! Many of you on FaceBook left well wishes to the camp that has turned 71 years old! The road that was given to QM has sometimes been long, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes blessed. Souls have been saved and some of you know that over these many years God called some lives home. Blood, sweat, tears, singing, praising, hard work and hard play have all been a part of the camping experience. QM has a long way to go, and we're glad you're part of it.

On the previous post, things looked rather bleak. Much needed to be done in order to get the camp into some kind of condition to be used - and Praise God that much as done! We're almost ready for the next camp to come up but there's still a ton of work still left - but we'll leave that to the soon-to-arrive staff!

I promised to post an update as soon as we know anything - and these updates came in today.

Here are some comments by some of the folks who were up at camp over this last weekend
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From Jeremy Boyd (board member):
Can you believe it? June is here and the start of the summer camping season is days away. The snow is meting fast, but not fast enough. Overall we had a very productive weekend. Dan (Worthington) was able to get the road open to the fork, but we still can't drive all the way into camp. This was a heroic effort on Dan's part and it was amazing that he was able to get as far as he did. (Board member) Bob (Storar) and his friend Craig were also superstars. They were able to repair the water line and electrical damage in Ruby's, an unexpected waterline break in the Director's cabin, a water leak in the dishroom boiler room, the Lewis Lodge heater, and a lot of other small fixes around camp. We had 4 summer staff for this summer (Robin [head cook], Cameron [hospitality supervisor], Quincey [asst head cook], and Nick [lifeguard]) and 1 former staff (Beth [kitchen]) come up for the weekend and they were also very hard workers. Amazingly, they were able to get the bear mess cleaned up and the dining hall and kitchen area completely setup and ready to have people in camp. Plus they also johnny runed most of the program buildings. (Our new manager) Jake is taking these difficult challenges in stride. He has jumped in with both feet and I was able to observe him manage the staff, fix broken items, troubleshoot electrical issues, learn and understand the water system, organize and prioritize tasks, etc. With all the trips to camp in the past month I have had an opportunity to work very closely with Jake and I am continually impressed with his positive attitude and ability to keep focused on the big job ahead of him without it getting him down. ...

We got Lewis, Ruby's, Hilltop, and the triplex online as well as the Dining hall and Kitchen. Facilities wise, we are ready for (the next camp of 50-60 men). The only issue is that they will have to walk in 1/4 of a mile and the ground in camp is still mostly covered with snow.

The next group that I am worried about is ... coming in on the 10th. This is a 150 person Junior and Jr High camp, so they will be using the main cabins and the chapel. That part of camp is still under quite a bit of snow... so that one could get a little tricky. The forecast has temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's all week and into next so hopefully that makes a big difference.

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From Jake (manager):

The suburban needed both mechanical and electrical repairs for the transmission. The final cost will be about $1,800.00 and the work should be completed in the next few days.

Dan Worthington did an incredible job removing the snow from the road into camp. He cleared 1.1 miles of the approximate 1.3 miles, leaving only 0.2mi uncleared. (This brought the cost of clearing the rest of the road way down, so the road will be cleared out, hopefully in time for the next camp.)

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From Bob Storar (board member):

I just wanted to echo the thoughts of Jeremy and Jake. I would also like to add that personally I truly saw and felt the protection and blessing from the Lord in our endeavors this last weekend. The summary, although pretty accurate in general terms, doesn’t describe the many small and some large challenges that we continued to encounter as we pushed forward to get camp in a position that it could be opened. I was not very hopeful that we would be able to get (the next camp) in next weekend. But thanks to Dan and his tenacity, heart and prowess operating a Bobcat, he accomplished a feat not many could. I estimate that he move somewhere between 13,000 and 16,000 cubic feet of snow over the three days he was there. That was not withstanding having mechanical difficulties with the Bobcat, getting stuck several times and also having a ... potentially dangerous slide down a hillside on Sunday. With all of the challenges he faced he kept a good attitude and focus on the goal. It was a pleasure getting to know him. I was humbled, once again, to see how Great the God we serve is.

I also want to echo Jeremy’s comments regarding Jake. Jake is truly a rare find and a blessing from God. His attitude and grace exceeds his years. His heart to see God work mightily through the ministry of QMC is nothing short of amazing. ... I want to praise God for bringing Jake and Samantha to us. Let us commit ourselves to being good stewards of what God has brought to Quaker Meadow Camp.

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As I was assembling this, Jeremy sent over some pictures of the general condition of the camp. For those past staff folks, I bet you can recognize the ground conditions in a week or two, huh?

We had also made a plea for money on the previous, and we needactive. The unexpected cost to the Suburban is only part of the costs we need to cover. Plumbing and electrical repairs have added up, as well as some of the damage due to the snow. (Really, you can never have a freeze without *something* going out...) There is a cost to plow out the rest of the road, but that has been greatly reduced (THANK YOU DAN!). We're not going to dodge around - we really need some folks to step up and help us out. Whatever you can do would be a huge help. Contact Cliff Tracey if you can donate.

And let's not forget the reason why the camp needs this work: to allow the Holy Spirit to impact the lives of people as they come to know and grow in the Lord. To win and train youths and adults for Christ.

Thank you for following along and keeping partnered with Quaker Meadow! Here's to 70+ years to come!

Unforeseen Circumstances

2010-05-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

So this is the end of the Memorial Day Work Camp - that wasn't. Why? Well, these pictures were taken last weekend, and since then there has been a few more inches of snow fallen:

As you can see, there is an extraordinary amount of snow on the ground. The only way to even get into camp was either by hiking, skiing or snow-mobiling in since at some areas there was 6' of snow on the road. Dan Worthington has been up there this weekend scooping out the road with a bobcat (thank you Dan!) trying to get us a path in. There is a crew up at camp getting all the utilities going again and to do an assessment of exactly needs to be done.

And we really need to get in to get some major repairs done. Winter time in an alpine area can tax even the stoutest of buildings, but winter time also brings a new threat: Hungry Bears. We had one particular bear break into the kitchen area just before winter came and made a mess in the front of the dining hall. The carpet needs to be replaced (we want to replace it with vinyl tiles to ease in clean up) as well as some cabinets that need to be repaired.

But he wasn't done yet. Oh, not by a long shot. After the hibernation period was done, he (she?) was hungry so decided to break in to the staff area by the kitchen. He tore a hole in the wall (where the fan *used* to be), knocked over one of the freezers, got into the kitchen, the walk-in refer and the dry goods area. The result? Well....

(We have been in communication with the Forrest Service on what needs to be done with this bear.) We still don't know the condition of the freezer or any of the other myriad of repair work necessary to get the camp up to operating condition. Combined with the snow, and it's going to be a challenging year.

And to add a measure of misery to things, the Suburban's transmission has gone out. Yup, it will only go in 1st or 2nd gear. It's in the shop to get an estimate on what it will cost.

With the bear damage in the kitchen and dining hall, cabinet work and roof issues that need to be done, as well as the added burden of the Suburban's transmission, it is taxing us at a time where our funds are near their lowest. So this is where we need your help.

We don't (and won't) do this here very often, but we need your financial support to help with the repairs. We're looking at a low-ball estimate of $5,000 (before Suburban) for repair work, but that's only if we can do this with donated labor and some help in supplies. If you can help us, contact Cliff Tracy (our accountant/board member) to arrange for a donation. Check, credit card, Pay Pal, good old cash, mulah, a couple-of-Benjamins, green backs - - whatever it takes. This is a short-term need and we will keep you all posted on the condition of camp as the repairs get done.

We need your prayers, not only for the campus but for the staff that will be coming up this summer. It's a transition year and the staff will be challenged in ways that they haven't been challenged before. Please pray for Jake and Samantha as they transition into the manager's spot, as well as their baby (due in mid-late July). We have some familiar faces back on staff but also a lot of new ones. Thank you for supporting Quaker Meadow. We covet your prayers.

“Congratulations! You Found Me!”

2010-04-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

“Congratulations! You Found Me!” So began one Camp Manager candidate’s resume and application. Needless to say, the application stood out to the members of the Search Committee.

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that after an extensive selection process, Jake Narey has accepted the call to join Quaker Meadow Christian Ministries. Jake comes to us with a background in Christian camping and staff development, an understanding of the dynamics and challenges facing Christian camping in these times, and a passion to be used by God to further His Kingdom via Quaker Meadow Camp. Jake, his wife Samantha, and their soon-to-be-born first child (a boy due in mid-July) will join the Quaker Meadow family in time to participate in our annual staff hiring and plan and participate in our annual Work Camp being planned for Memorial Day Weekend.

Please take a few moments to give a loving Quaker Meadow welcome to Jake and Sam and to introduce yourself. In the next several weeks, they will be planning and accomplishing a move to the Porterville/Springville area. For now, you can reach Jake at Jake@QuakerMeadow.org. Better yet, plan to come to Work Camp over Memorial Day weekend: you can meet Jake and Sam, invest in what God is doing, and catch the excitement as the future unfolds before us!

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Christian Camping has been a great joy and privilege for my wife, Samantha, and I. It has truly been a gift from God to be a part of this wonderful and unique ministry. We have experienced the Lord working in our lives as we seek to be used by Him in the lives of others. As the Lord calls us to Quaker Meadow Christian Camp, we know that He has great things in store and look forward to the work He has for us.

I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Cathedral Bible College in Escondido, concentrating in Biblical Counseling and Apologetics. I am currently working on my Business degree with an emphasis in Accountancy to be completed in June of this year.

Samantha and I have served in the Christian Camping Ministry for over seventeen years combined. We met at Palomar Christian Conference Center while Samantha was serving on staff and I was attending a men’s retreat. We have been married six years and are expecting our first boy this summer.

Our prayer for Quaker Meadow Christian Camp is that it continues to eternally impact the lives of all who come in contact with the ministry. There is no greater privilege than to serve the Most High, providing a place for people to develop a lifelong commitment to Christ, and grow in their personal relationship with Him. What a blessing!

Feel free to come by and visit. I would love to get to know you and hear your stories and memories from Quaker Meadow.

Jake Narey

Update

2010-02-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

We wanted to update you on a few things going on at camp.

First, many of you have no doubt heard by now that Mindy Worthington, wife of former QMC Board member Danny Worthington, passed away this weekend. This was after a 15 year battle with a brain tumor. Surgery 4 1/2 years ago left her mentally intact, but a prisoner of her body. The surgery had terrible complications, leaving her unable to speak or to blink her eyelids (this complication left her virtually blind. Danny's love and care for her these last 4+ years have been nothing short of heroic. The stress he has been under has been incredible; financial difficulties caused them to lose their home last year.

For those of you who do not know the Worthingtons, suffice it to say that the Quaker Meadow story and the Worthington family story are closely tied. Danny particularly - but really the whole family - have a deep love for Camp, and have invested years (and generations) into its ministry.

Mindy was a lovely, dear lady who fought a very difficult fight. We are very sad, but we are also given hope that her old body has been taken away, and she now has her new body. Yet, we still are sad. Such is the way of the human condition.

Next: Do you want to serve on the Quaker Meadow summer staff? We are currently accepting positions. Go here: http://www.quakermeadow.org/employment/summer-staff-positions

Snow: The snows have been heavy at camp this year. This is to be expected with an El Nino event. We have had some folks go in to check on the condition of camp, and so far, we're doing OK. We are concerned about the deep snow levels and are keeping tabs on it. After the last break in by the bear, we haven't had any other major critter problems. One of our Board members, Jeremy Boyd, and his wife, Christine, snow-shoe'd in this last weekend. He reports that: There is a lot of snow up there right now and lots more fell while we were there. So far everything is holding up quite well. All the buildings are still secured and seem to be doing fine. There weren't any recent snowmobile tracks or foot prints in camp so people seem to be staying away, so that's also good.

To see some of his pictures, head over to the QMC Picassa site here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/qmcpics/Winter2010?feat=directlink#
Camp Manager: The job posting for the camp manager position is now over. A selection committee has been formed and they are going over the applications. (Checking it twice...) It will still take a few weeks before we are able to announce who the new person will be.

Summer Camps: We are currently booking camps for the summer. The prime dates are almost gone - so if you are thinking about a camp, we encourage you to go to the Quaker Meadow web site http://www.quakermeadow.org/ to check on dates and prices. We will need an increase in campers over last year to help us out financially. Of course, you can also donate directly to the camp.

We are also going to book some service camps to deal with work that comes with having a camp in an alpine area. More on this later....

The Stake Bed: Last, the stake bed. Staffers and campers alike know that the stake bed truck has seen much better days. We're looking at replacing this vehicle, so if you know of a good deal, let us know! (You can use the 'contact' page on the QM web site.)

Prayer requests: For the Worthington family in this very difficult time. For the snow - we need the water, but not all at once. For camps - we need to book some camps and "fill the beds" in order to help us stay afloat during these difficult economic times. A replacement stake bed truck.

And most of all, for the campers, counselors, camp directors and staff for this coming year at Quaker Meadow. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work with them to win and train youths and adults for Christ.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Quaker Meadow - the board, staff, campers - the works! As a treat, Carrie Calderwood posted some pictures from this last summer on her facebook account here: http://www.facebook.com/#/album.php?aid=99471&id=535572005&ref=nf

Enjoy!

Camp Manager

2009-12-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

We are currently posting for the camp manager position. If you're interested, follow this link!
http://www.quakermeadow.org/employment/camp-manager-position
The deadline is January 16th, 2010.

Not another one!

2009-11-29T11:20:00.001-08:00

So, we've been going through our insurance company about the repairs and losses incurred from a bear being trapped in the Ruby's storage room. However, insurance won't cover everything -- and now it's even more interesting.

ANOTHER bear was able to get into the storage room! We're not sure why, since a LOT of what was there was destroyed and removed. The only thing we can figure is that the new bear smelled a scent of the old bear. And this bear also broke into the kitchen area. While there was not major damage, there was damage indeed.

Bear Picts

2009-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures taken of the bear incident. Hope this helps you get a clearer picture of what happened up there!

http://picasaweb.google.com/qmcpics/RubySBearIncident#

A Bear In The Closet

2009-10-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our guest blogger this time is Carrie Calderwood. I asked her to write down her recollection of what happened with a rather difficult, and hopefully singuler event so we could get it from the source. We are all proud how our staff performed and behaved in this rather difficult situation. (Some of us more than others :-) I'll see if we can post some pictures soon. - Tom

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It was Friday, October 9^th, when Cameron Swaim, Missy Michaelsen, and myself were making our way up to our home away from home, Quaker Meadow. Upon entry, we all noticed an unusual amount of water on the ground with its source being Ruby’s II. I parked the car quickly, fearing a leak had sprung in Ruby’s garage ruining all the linens. I was the first to examine this catastrophe, only to find that it wasn’t coming out of the garage at all. To the left of the garage was an electrical box next to the store room door that had water pouring out of it like a hose! As I relayed this info to the others, I noticed it coming out from under the store room door as well. I didn’t have the keys to open it, so I called the other two over. Cameron was the first to respond. He unlocked the door but was only able to open it a crack for the water pressure behind it was too much, regardless water gushed out like a mini-river. At this I ran inside to call Terry Taylor. I figured this was something she might want to know. I told her all I knew up to that point, and promised to keep her updated with any new info.

Just then my daring counterparts came springing into the office where I had just hung up the phone. They were talking excitedly at the same time. I heard the words “bear”, “pipes”, “bear”, “ruined”, and I think “bear”. In my disbelief I asked them very eloquently to clarify, “A what?!” “A BEAR!!!” They told me this time in unison. At this I picked up the phone and redialed. Terry’s response was very much like mine: we all laughed at the situation, for although none of us expected it, we weren’t the least bit surprised. I mean, it’s Quaker Meadow after all! “Hey, be sure to get good pictures!” She told us.

There were still two others coming up as staff, Dennis and Kathy Trzeciak who were also informed of the situation and took action with rangers and police before making the drive up the mountain.

In the mean time, Cameron, Missy, and I turned off the water, and opened the door to let out what water we could and hopefully the bear. As we stood at a safe distance we theorized that poor creature was probably in there for about two weeks. That during the last camp he was able to get in and pushed the door closed behind him. As he was resting after having all the Cheerios and Bisquick a bear could eat, they locked up camp on their way out, thus locking him in. We were able to see most of the damage through the half opened door. He (we decided the bear was a guy, and that his name was Geoff after a fellow QM staffer Geoff Breshiers) panicked and in his desperate attempt to escape tried to go through the dry wall ceiling. In so doing, he brought down a beam and broke a water pipe. We don’t know how long the water had been running, it could’ve been two weeks ago or just earlier that day.

Still, with all this going on, we had a camp to prepare for. So we closed and locked the door again to make sure everything else was ready to accept campers. When the Trzeciaks arrived they said the Fish and Game services who would normally come up were on Furlough that day due to state budget cuts, but not to worry, the police promised they had dispatched someone who would be there in about two hours… they never came.

That night, when all the campers were asleep, we resolved to open the door through the night to let the bear come out. We thought maybe all our screaming and laughter from before might’ve caused the bear to reason it’s now safer in the prison than outside. My heart went out to the scared little teddy bear. Well, actually, it wasn’t so little. I sneaked a peak at it before the campers arrived, Geoff was a big bear! We found the gnarled door knob from the inside as it washed out with all the water. The way he thrashed the room and ceiling showed his horror and desperation. I kept telling the others as we fell asleep that night that I wished I could bring the bear inside where it was warm and dry, and feed him chicken noodle soup and pet him as I sang him to sleep. They laughed at the idea and told me I could be the one to open the door... So I did.

That morning, five hours after the door had been opened, we looked inside and sure enough, our friend was still there. Cameron and I talked to him sweetly, like one might coax a scared puppy. We could tell Geoff was not doing well. He seemed sick, and we figured on top of everything else he was probably severely malnourished. But he hadn’t moved from his spot and campers were beginning to walk the camp grounds so we had to close it up and try the Fish and Game services again.

All five of us staffers gathered around the phone in that little office, as Dennis called Fish and Game, “It’s just the same recording I got yesterday.” I decided that was unacceptable, “Give me the phone.” I demanded. So I called 911, and told them of our situation, reminded them of their broken promise, and ordered them to do something about it immediately. “Stay by your phone, you’ll get a call in about 10 min from Fish and Game” and the promise of the dispatcher was fulfilled. I talked to man named Doug who said he was on is way.

We spent the morning waiting for this Doug guy and his team. At about 11:30a, they finally arrived with full gear and two trucks with guns and ammunition. At first they had the persona of “I know what I’m doing, I’ve done this before. Step aside, we’ll save you!” But as they assessed the situation, they realized it was not your average call. The store room is a windowless, cement wall room, with only one door and the bear was behind it. There was no electricity going to that building, we had turned it off for obvious reasons. So all they had to do was go blindly into a room where a large black bear sat waiting in the darkness with only one exit. We tried to tell them we think Geoff is sick, and that he hasn’t moved from his spot even with the door being open for so long, but all they heard was “You’re walking into a trap”, and “a HUGE bear is waiting for you!” Soon their strong, heroic posture shrunk into a nervous second-guessing boy scout. They took a look at the bear after much hesitation and came out with the conclusion, “That’s the biggest damn bear I’ve ever seen!” They shooed everyone indoors as they feared “it might turn into a rodeo.” Disappointed to not get front row seats, we complied.

About an hour and three tranquilizers later, they asked the staff for help to pull the limp mass of wet bear out of the room. Gladly accepted, just thrilled to be able to tell people “I’ve touched a live, wild bear!” We got it loaded, and took many pictures, then waved good-bye to our new friend, Geoff the bear.