Something To Look Forward To

Took a quick little picture of the view we had this morning.

Here's hoping that this is what Kaleo gets too! :)

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you are enjoying family and friends, and finding space to reflect on the Grace of God wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

Though we are not blessed with a white Christmas here, I thought you might be interested in what is happening on Mount Washington, where we will be in just a few weeks. Two meters of snow has fallen in the past 24 hours (3 meters in the past four days) and it is still snowing. Check it out by clicking here (you will need to get past the flooding in Courtney part - do you have to paddle to your brother's house, Erik?).

Miss you lots! Eat a ton, and we will see you soon.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, KALEO 8!!

Praying

Hey guys, I'm guessing everybody is at that point in their break where things seem a little hectic and a touch stressful, but I really want to encourage you guys to continue to pray for one another. I know it can be tough when you feel like you have a bajillion other things to do, but prayer is one of the most important things on our schedule. Heck, we should be praying MORE (as hard as that may seem) when things are busy. So yah, I hope that everyone picks up their sheet of paper with all the prayer requests and thoughtfully goes through each of them. Don't forget that Jim sent an email with all the requests if you can't find your paper. I hope you are all having a wonderful break and that your Christmas is filled with immeasurable joy :)

OT LIT bloopers

Got bored and figured this was a good thing to work on lol

Another Retreat and Fast

So I was thinking about doing another Retreat and Fast over the break, though I have no idea. I was wondering if anyone wanted to join me. We may not all be able to do the same day because of all our plans but it would still be sweet. Not to mention we could swap stories at the next student chapel, or real chapel. Either way it's been something on my mind to do and to encourage you guys to do too. (Not to mention I'm eating alot of junk food since coming back, a day without food would be me good).

Oh, this is for everyone on my main land. So last year me and my mom did Potters (a homeless minsitry) on Christmas day, we were thinking of doing it again this year. You can really come any hour of the day for however long you can stay, I'll most likely be there earlier in the day (not sure of a time yet) but hey if anyone would like to join me I'd be delighted, just replay here and I'll give the info.

Merry Christmas, Kaleo!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

guess I'll do the first Christmas break post.

yup, i miss you all already.

that is all.

Kaleo Christmas!!

Alright everbody, we just finished our Kaleo Christmas and I thought I would throw some pictures up here, just for fun :) Mind the blurriness, didn't think using flash was a nice thing to use so early in the morning but sadly there really isn't that much lighting in the lobby haha

The life of a Kaleo student...

Well I saw that this blog was lacking in posts so I thought I would be the brave one and step forth. Alright so Erik has decided that we should talk about what has been happening at Kaleo. In the last week we have had a considerable amount of snow, which is apparently an abnormality for Crofton. Quite beautiful.

As in other news, we have just finished our Hermeneutics paper at 5:30 this evening. How joyous a time! Not really. It is always interesting to see people staying up late... or not staying up at all but rather pulling an all-nighter... Sarah. haha.

What else have we done... Oh! We had our DTG this week. And if you have no idea what that means, like I did, it means Ditch the Guys/Ditch the Girls. Sorray Guys! But ya, the girls went to Victoria to the Parkers' house while the boys went to Nanaimo for swimming and Jim's later for steaks. Yum.

Well that is basically all. The top picture is from the guest house, while the other was taken by one of the Brazilians, Henrique.

Well that is all for now! Have a good day! I couldn't think of something else to say.

Oh P.S. No shave November is almost over... Hallelujah! Just a few more days.

Missing you all
hope ur reading break is relaxing but productive
yes i just used the word productive

Jojo

OT LIT VIDEO

I know you've all been waiting for it, so here it is.

Who we are in Christ!

Hey everyone so I found this blog post about who we are in Christ and I think it's really important that we know who we are. The media tries to tell us that we are worthless and does a pretty good job of it I must say. Now it's time to fight back! I'm tired of girls being insecure of their beauty and guys and girls alike thinking that they have nothing to offer to the world! So here is a link to a blog post that I thought helps us realize how much we are worth to God.

http://kcwalsh.blogspot.com/

http://www.revivalorriots.org/archives/1219

The devil doesn't want you to read this so make sure you read it carefully and send it to as many people as you can! Print it off and read it once a week so you don't forget!

God bless :)

Well its been awhile since I last posted up on my blog and I apologize for that. The last time I sat down to write my blog was just after the sailing trip and for some reason I just felt really... uninspired to write anything lol. Its really weird too that I would be so uninspired just after coming off of such a great experience of being on a tall ship for 5 days.

However this week God has been laying a lot of things on my heart and doing a lot of things in my life. But since I do not want to skip over last weeks events, even though I found them not the most inspiring (lol). I am going to write a combined blog of both this weeks events and last weeks.

Well about two weeks ago I went off on a 5 day trip on a tall ship. It was a great experience! We sailed just off the coast of Vancouver Island and many different island off of Vancouver island. There were so many cool and sweet experiences on this trip, especially considering that I never been out sailing on a tall ship before. But probably the coolest and most impacting thing for me on this trip was seeing our whole community at Kaleo grow so much closer on this trip. Being on a small ship for five days kinda forces people to get to know each other better lol but I really enjoyed the evening discussion where Jim defiantly gave us tough questions. I found that it was in the questions when we were made the most opened to each other that we truly grew the closets as a community. Another big impact for me on this trip was just seeing God's glory being shown through all of his beautiful creation. I remember on the very first day just as we started our voyage a whole bunch of dolphin type sea animals started swimming with our boat. It was defiantly a site to see! After the sailing trip ended it was thanksgiving weekend and I got invited to spend it at Nathan Kwon's house which was super sweet as I defiantly missed being back home with my family for that weekend. All in all it was a great week.

This past week we went surfing for three days which a super sick awesome time will not lie!!!! LOL! But yah I had a ton of fun on this trip and once again i just really enjoyed growing closer as a community. On this trip we also started the process of sharing our story with the group and that was super sweet as I got to hear Michael's story. No word of a lie I am defiantly kind of scared to share my whole story with everyone... in fact during this past week I shared some of my deepest struggles and failures in life with one that other guys here, Ryan. I just felt like a 1000 pounds were lifted of my shoulders as I found out that my struggles I was not alone in. It was one of the most liberating things I have ever experienced and I could defiantly feel the Holy Spirit working in us that night. I have never experienced so much laying down of my old self and picking up the new self which God has made me to truly be. Over the past two weeks God has really been speaking to me through Lecrae's song "Identity":

Hair check, shoes check, 
brand new fit looking cool check, 
looking in mirror like "ooooh yes!" 
cover for an insecure dude check, She wont' feel me and they wont like me if I ain't in them J's or them brand new Nikes,but lets dig deeper inside my pysche
when it's all said and done even I don't like me
He live in the gym and his hair stay faded
late model car so they think he made it
but he's Christian he gave his life
but he still ain't satisfied in the savior Christ
still finds his identity in looks and cars
if he only knew that he ain't have to look so hard
If looked in God though it may seem odd he be so satisfied he could leave it all.

[ Chorus ]
I'm not the shoes I wear, I'm not the clothes I buy
I'm am not the house I live in, I'm not the car I drive
I'm not the job I work, You can't define my worth
By nothing on God's green earth, my identity is found in Christ.

[ D.A. T.R.U.T.H. ]
How do I gauge success,Why do I say I'm blessed,
Huh,Is it the car that I drive or the place that I rest or the way that I dress, 
now Is the cause of my pride, 
the stage and the set or my face in the press, 
now Cause the applause it dies
When the praise is less if my face is depressed, 
then/It's cause my value and worth is in the volume of the work I produce in the booth 
It's a prize and a curse if defined by the perks when the truth is through
Man I'm goin' feel like I don't want to live no more, no more, no more
Cause they don't like me like they did in 04,04,04
So, I swallow my pride empowered by God, 
I'm complete in Him
He's got peace God's priest I'm in In 
His presence weak-His strength
Meet His kin We His brethren Read this list 
Me forgiven 
He's dismissed guilt and my sin and
I find my worth cause I'm Jesus' friend

[ Chorus ]
I'm not the shoes I wear, I'm not the clothes I buy
I'm am not the house I live in, I'm not the car I drive
I'm not the job I work, You can't define my worth
By nothing on God's green earth, my identity is found in Christ.

[ LeCrae ]
Got her hair done, toes and nails
is that Her? well it's hard to tell
cause she's caked up in so much make up
It's like she's tryna make up for what she ain't 
but she's a saint but so confused
cause she's been rejected by all these dudes
that tell her on a scale of 10 she's a two
but that ain't true if she only knew
In Christ she is loved she secure and accepted
She'll never be rejected by God who's elected her 
Her beauty is her Godliness
And she ain't gotta try to flaunt it cause it's obvious 
[ Identity is found in the God we trust
Any other identity will self destruct.x2 ]

[ Chorus ]
I'm not the shoes I wear, I'm not the clothes I buy
I'm am not the house I live in, I'm not the car I drive
I'm not the job I work, You can't define my worth

By nothing on God's green earth, my identity is found in Christ.

This song really spoke to me because I often found myself sub-consicenly putting my identity in the things of this world. I found myself, many times unknowingly, trying to live that "american dream" by gauging my success on material things and what other people thought of me. But over the past two weeks God has made it really clear that my true self-worth, purpose, and identity is found in Him. I want to close with this passage that God has laid on my heart to live my life for Him,

Joshua 24:14-15

"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the godsof the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Josh   

  

memo from a modern-day nomad

My dear Kaleo Family:

You are an incredible group of Christ-followers! I can't wait for you to recognize it more and MORE through this intense year of struggle and growth. It filled me with JOY to fellowship with you, and now that I am home in Manitoba for a few days I have some time to record what the Lord spoke to us. Isn't it CRAZY how He wove that morning's chapel with what Cal had been speaking?! I LOVE how He does that! It shows us how intricately He works and just how much He pursues us. Here is His letter to you:


My Beloved,

THIS, what you are walking through, is good. It is for your good. I would not have otherwise orchestrated it; and so trust Me in this. I will accomplish your deepest heart's desire, only wait in Me; wait for Me.

Remember how I have spoken and led you in the past. I have not forgotten you. I am leading you now.

Yes, we are plunging into the darkness. But I want to give you my "treasures of darkness" - faith, hope, eyes to see the unseen, a resolute walk - so that the light of My glory will beam even brighter.

This isn't just about you. This isn't just about your story. This is about My Story - the one that is still unfolding, the one I will bring to completion. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I am the Author and Perfecter of your faith. Remember those who have gone ahead of you. Follow their example of faith.

And so, let Me discipline you, that you may bear more fruit. This will be for your joy and will bring Me praise.

Bear patiently with one another. Be generous. This will bring a deeper trust because I have promised to never leave you or forsake you. I will provide for you, as I shepherd you. For I the Lord do not change.

with steadfast love,

your Abba


(Romans 8:28; Psalm 37:4&7; Isaiah 40:29-31; Isaiah 49:8-16; Isaiah 45:3; Philippians 1:6; Revelation 22:13; Hebrews 13:7-8; Hebrews 11; Hebrews 12:1-3 and 5-11; John 15; Ephesians 4:2; Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 23:1; Malachi 3:6)


A few words of encouragement for this year:

1. Be faithful in the little things. Be faithful with other people's time - with your friends, your church, at camp. Obey your leaders so that their work will be a joy, not a burden. (Hebrews 13:17)

2. Wait patiently. What you are hoping for will come. So, enjoy the journey.

3. Be thankful. We have so much to be thankful for! Look to what you have been given. Take time often throughout this year to reflect on what you're thankful for. It will help you to not miss it.

I love how He has chosen you to walk this path of grace for such a time as this. My love and prayers are with you!

i just like to thank everyone for there prayers and words of advice in chapel today, I love how on the first time we are able to just come out and say whats realy been on our hearts so we can work threw it together as brother and sisters in Christ.

one of my favorite versus in the bible..probably the one thats had the biggest impact in my life and its the verse "Its no longer i who live but Christ in me" and this verse has just given me such empowerment everytime i think of it. My friend calebs dad told me a quote "If God is with you why not.." and hes is absolutly right, like if u look around and think about the all powerfull God that made everything starting from the atom all the way up to the very galaxy we exsist in! and then if u think about how mercyfull and perfect HE is...and then you mix these things with "Its no longer i who live but CHRIST IN ME"...that exact all powefull God who made everything who loves everyone.Who does not fail! and He resides in you. So why not climb this rediculously high mountain,why not pulll a cord that will send u flying down from a high hight, why not even change the church forever..why not save a soul, i feel alot of people in this world are missing this kind of mentality where when you have God backing you who can stand against you.The song our God says it perfectly " and if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us and if our God is with us then what could ever stop us"

so if you are ever having doubts thinking if u can do something or what if it dosent work out just keep having faith and trust that OUR all power God is backing you up and that you are not alone.

Stephen wants YOU!!

Stephen Wanhella wants YOU to enjoy Kaleo!!

im at kaleo hanging out with tyler

Kaleo 8...

IS HERE!!!

An Intriguing Journey

I am intrigued with this year of Kaléo! Already, before you have arrived, it has been an interesting journey, and I look forward to what God has in mind for us. A number of people here have said to me that this will be a “year of grace.” That sounds good to me, and I am excited to what how this year will play out and what God will do in it.

I have a couple of news items for you, in which God’s grace will continue to show itself. First, this is the statement that was made to the Qwanoes staff team on Monday morning:

A decision was made by Qwanoes, and accepted by Jim Badke, Kaléo Leader, that Jim will continue to serve as the Kaleo Leader until the end of May, and he has agreed to train a new person during the year who will become the Kaleo Leader after that point.

Jim and Qwanoes hope to maintain a close relationship in the future, which could include working in cooperation for possible new opportunities.

This current Kaleo year will look similar and be run similar to past Kaleo years. One difference will be that Qwanoes will be seeking to hire a potential new Kaleo leader as soon as possible. The plan would be for that person to observe and learn, and gradually become more involved as the year progresses.

Both Jim and all the Qwanoes leadership look forward to this new Kaleo year and are excited about how God will work in the lives of these new students. Jim and the Qwanoes leadership see this year as an opportunity to model a good transition for all involved.

Just to clarify, it means that I will walk through this year with you as your Kaléo Leader, beginning to end. Someone, yet to be identified, will join us at some point and learn the role over the year, taking it up fully in the Summer of 2011. I will conclude my time at Qwanoes at the end of May, and move into whatever it is that God has next for me after a break this summer.

On to the second news item. A little while ago I told you that Amanda Rubert will be our Student Life Leader this year. Yesterday Amanda told us that, as much as she wants to help with Kaleo, she had made this decision on her own without clearly hearing what God was saying, and now feels that she needs to move back to the US this year. So sadly she will not be with us this year. She is hoping to visit early in the semester and meet all of you, and assures us of her prayers throughout the year.

We are in the process of finding someone to take up this role and will appreciate your prayers. In the meantime, we are as ready as ever to welcome you here, and we know that (in this year of grace), God will provide! To assist us, our Assistant Director, Jay Kennedy, will come alongside Tyler, Janet and myself in the role of Assistant Kaléo Leader. Jay is a Columbia Bible College graduate with a Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation Leadership, has ten years experience in senior leadership and adventure programming, and will be a great help to the team. Plus, we have the fulltime Qwanoes staff team. Please free to contact me if you have questions.

See you Wednesday! So far, we know we are picking up Mike, Jordana, Heidi, Sarah, Erik, Nathan, Josh, Brent and Anna M. If you are expecting a ride from us and are not in that list, please call me ASAP (250-210-0364). Can’t wait for you to arrive!

Three Cheers!

Hip-Hip Hooray! Kaleo is in only three more days guys, I hope you're as stoked as I am! Pack up soon if you haven't already, and hopefully you guys have all the stuff that you need. We're going to be starting our incredible journey real soon :)

Fore? No! Four!!!

well, ladies and gentlemen, it is now four, that's right, four sleeps (yes, i still count by sleeps!) until our worlds are turned upside down. are you ready?!

what are other four things, you might ask? well, four is: the number of Gospels, the number of seasons, the number of suits in playing cards, the number of years in a Presidential office term in the US, the number of Beatles (though not still alive), and the number of years between each Summer (or Winter) Olympics!

some fun trivia for you!

It's My Birthday and I'll Blog If I Want To...

Yikes! How did it get to be September 10th, five days before the start of Kaleo Eight? I hope the whole year doesn't go this quick!

I have some news for you! A while back I sent you an email to let you know that (sadly) Kristie Voth would not be returning as Student Life Leader this fall. Kristie is doing well and is anticipating the new opportunities God is opening up for her. Though she is sad to not be with you this year, she knows that - in everything - God moves to bring about good for those who love him and are called by him, and that he is already doing that for her and for Kaleo.

We now have someone in place to take up the role of Kaleo Student Life Leader, and it is someone who has the role before! Amanda Rubert was the SLL for Kaleo Three, Four and Five, as well as Head Counselor at Qwanoes for several summers, and she has agreed at this late hour to step in and help give direction to the program this year. She brings with her not only Kaleo experience but a deep sensitivity to what God is doing in the world and a active interest in and love for the young leaders he is raising up in our culture. She is an English Major student and will be a great help to you with academics, but she is also an excellent mentor and listener. You will love having Amanda as one of your leaders this year.

So, here we go! We are so excited to have you with us until April! What will happen in those seven months?? "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

5 days!!

There are no other people doing count down posts so as long as I don't get too lazy it's up to me!!


I know your all expecting a picture with a five but too bad!! Get it? It's the circle of fifths; so funny no? We've got all year to crack bad jokes.

Ohh yes on the side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM!!There's your picture with a five in it :P

hi

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=11

Hey did you know that Eleven is a Stormer number, a Heegner Number, and a Mills number? Whatever that means......yay for wikipedia!! Did you also know Eleven is the number of days untill Kaleo8? 

Where are you that the speed limit would be 11? That's the best questions on this post.

Hey, Take A Look!

Hey Kaleo Eight, all 27 of you (yep, the guys won out - 13 girls and 14 guys - or maybe I should say the girls won out!): I just posted the first four weeks schedule for this fall! Check it out, fire any questions or comments at me, and let's see how it looks in real life in less than two weeks!


By the way, if you will need a ride from the airport, ferry, etc on the 15th, please let me know as soon as possible. Otherwise we will assume you are arriving here on your own steam. Feel free to come any time that day, but preferably before 5:30 PM (and in my mind, the earlier the better!).

See you soon!

are you excited yet!?

days 'til Kaleo!

Some Summer Reading For You!

Imagine you had a friend who was blind, and he had his house set up so that he knew exactly where everything was and how many steps from the couch to the TV and where in his room the dresser was. One day when he is out, you go into his house and move everything around - and don't tell him. Instead you just wait for him to come home so you can watch the fun.

Okay, that would be mean. Really mean.

So we don't want to do that to you. When you arrive here September 15, you might discover that some things are not what you are used to or what you expected. So to keep you from bashing your figurative shins on the figurative furniture, we have something for you:

Ta dah! The Kaleo Student Life Handbook, coming to a mailbox near you. It is also online (click here) and in a link to the right, if you want to get a head start.

This handbook will give you all the ins and outs, ups and downs of life at Camp Qwanoes as a Kaleo student, so we would like you to read it before you come, and hopefully we will never have to refer to it again. Oh, except for the Academic Format Guide and research help, which you will - I'm sure - refer to often.

Please let me know if you have any questions about what you read! We want to help you in any way we can to get ready for this adventure! See you soon!

So after working at Muskoka Woods, a summer camp, since the start of summer, I am more tanned than before. Also, my dreads are coming along nicely! I work with 7-9 year olds and lead them around camp to each of their activities, going by the name of "Stride". I got that name due to the fact I chew a lot of gum. It isn't terribly interesting, but the kids enjoy trying to find out my real name. It has been super fun, even though it is exhausting, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Hope you guys are having a good summer as well! :)

Coming soon... Kaleo 2010

Hey All!

My name's Rebecca Christink, and I am terribly sorry that it has taken me so incredibly long to post my side of the story for next year!

Wow! This is very exciting for me! I am more than looking forward to sitting on the dock swaying our feet back in forth just touching the water in conversation and prayers about our amazing Maker!

That's why I signed up for Kaleo.

So, where do I start. This is weird just talking about yourself. Alright I'll go with this:

For the past two years I have been working as a freelance photographer, I mostly do weddings, but on occasion I'll do family portraits, landscape, events etc.. boring boring I know. haha I'm just kidding... I love my job. I DO! It's just.. That's the thing I'm curious about in the last couple years of my life. Why isn't my job in whatever I do and whenever in life I do it that important to me? I wanna do something more in life and be known in life for more than what I do. I wanna be known for being a disciple of Jesus. I wanna learn how to follow him better, and I want people to see me and know that somethings different in that person and want a part of it!

This is what I want to "do" in life! At least that's the most important thing that I've decided on. It's a good start, I think.

I have been attending a church in my local town called Grindstone Valley Bible Church.. It is a really great church and will be hard to leave, but leaving into something great- KALEO EIGHT? (haha sorry I type how I speak ....eek)

Alright- So I'm so thrilled to meet you all in September! I'm excited to soak in this year and take whatever God throws at us! You all seem absolutely lovely and there will most definitely be some adventure ahead!

See you guys in just a month and a bit- this time till then is going to just fly by! I know it!


GOD BLESS.
ciao- rebecca christink.

UPDATE!!

Hello fellow Kaleoites! So I am currently building houses in Lethbridge Alberta where for some reason it seems like the wind only comes when we are about to sheet the roof, which is very scary!
Framing is going good and I deffinately enjoy it, but this next week I will be going to counsel at Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp where I counselled at last summer as well. If you could pray for me as I do that, that my heart and mind will be in the right place as I lead Jr. high boys that would be wicked! Other than that and framing for the rest of this summer I have been longboarding alot. I now know how to slide quite good (as seen above) and bomb hills with my friends in Lethy. We actually clocked ourselves at forty km the other day which is pretty good for the few hills we have in lethbridge. Anyway..I guess that's all the update I have thus far. Hope the summer is going well for everyone!

-Dryden

...let the praises ring!

Hey everyone,

About two weeks ago, I wrote a post about the job i was in and how i was struggling. Praise the Lord, it has totally turned around. This past week has been so good. We've just finished our week of Vacation Bible School and I headed up the crafts which was really cool. I'm not really all that creative but I got to explore that side of me a little more while working with some really cute kids.

One fun story: one of the grade two leaders was teaching her kids the memory verse and needed a way to help them remember where it was found which was Psalm 119:50. So she says "I'm 119 and she's (her co-leader) 50". One of her little girls goes, "You're 119!?" The leader says, "Yes, I'm 119," keeping up the pretense for the sake of learning the verse. The little girl gasps and goes, "You're beautiful for your age!!" One of the best moments of the week!

Sunday is our church service that we dedicate entirely to Children's Ministries. What that means is that we invite the kids that came to VBS and their parents to church on sunday where the parents get to see a little of what VBS was like, and so does the rest of the church. Worship is kid-oriented, the children's pastor does a lesson, and it's a bunch of fun. Afterwards, we have a picnic lunch for the kids and their families. If you could pray for that and for God to work in the hearts of those that come, that'd be great!

Coming up are a couple of weeks of field trip programs where safety is so important so continued prayer on that would be phenomenal.

You're all great and thank you so much for praying for me!

Romans 15:13,

Holly

FINALLY MY FIRST POST lol wayy toooo long :/

Hey!! sooo this is my very first post! :/ my excuse is exams! lol anyways just thought i would share a bit about myself and how pumped i am for this september!!!!! :D Anyways i am from London, On and have lived here all my life! I am 18 years old and am loving every second of it! I just graduated highschool a couple weeks ago and am still taking in the feeling that i am out of there.....it feels amazing! Ever since i went on a missions trip two summers ago to Africa i have wanted to go away from London again! Once i found out about Kaleo i knew it was for me! The fact of being with other christians and exploring BC anddd being able to learn more about God and what he has coming for me is just what i was looking for! Ever since i found out that i got accepted it hasnt left my mind! Anyways more about me! I grew up in a christian home which has helped me alot! I went to a christian elementary school until highschool! Once i hit highschool i got to see what the world was really like and started hanging out with the wrong croud... luckily for me my rents and christian friends helped me get back on track! I also thank God for that!! I accepted God into my life when i was 6 and kept asking him to come in every year until i realized that he stays in my life after once :p (finally realized that once i turned 10 lol). i went on a missions trip when i was 16 with 8 of my christian friends! That changed my life in ways that i could never imagine!! after seeing how little they had and yet how happy they were with God in their lifes in helped me realize how lucky i am for what i have! That opened my eyes up to the reset of the world as well and helped my realize what some people are going threw around the world. Ever since then God has been closer to me then ever before!! I am currently involved in worship at my church North Park playing drums! I am also currently helping out with various day camps teaching kids about God. Soo thats the update about my life so far!! Can't wait to meet you all in september!!! Have a good one!! :)

Sup K8'ers?

So I've been working at Qwanoes this past week already and we're all getting ready and really excited for kids to come tomorrow, and for it to be a great summer!

On a related note, I've been talking to a bunch of people that have done Kaleo in the past, interns from previous years, both our interns for next year, and some fellow K8 peeps. I just wanted to let you all know how great and life-changing our year is going to be. It's really hard to grasp just what Kaleo is all about just from the website and stuff like that, so talking to these people is really eye-opening. The relationships we are going to make with each other are going to last for years to come and I can tell you all that none of us are probably going to want to leave after our year is over. I just wanted to say how excited I am and how much I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of the crew :)

With excitement,

Stephen

oh man.

hey all! so it's been a while since i've posted... well, a while for me. i've been trying to refrain from posting =)

first! i just want to say how stoked i am that activity on the blog is picking up and that we are hearing from new Kaleos. every time another person joins our family, it adds to my excitement for next year. i am praying for all of you as we prepare for next year. i pray that God would prepare our hearts for what is to come, that He would grant us unity as a group, and that we would be changed next year. i think about next year and i realize that we are going to become each other's family and community and i don't know about you, but that thought pumps me up. i can't wait to get to know all of you.

second! i am asking you all for prayer. this summer, i have been hired as the Children's Ministries Intern at my church. i have been given a lot of responsibility and i feel like i'm not going to get everything done that needs to be done. i also don't feel like i have enough help so i ask that you would pray for people to come alongside me to help me as well as for a relief of stress about the job. also, please pray for the kids who are coming to our summer programs. we often have a lot of community kids come and i ask that you pray for God to work in their hearts and prepare them for what they are going to hear and for opportunities for those on staff to share Jesus with these kids.

that's all for now!

Numbers 6:24-26,

Holly

PS: is anyone bringing a car with them to Kaleo?

Finally Sent!

Good news! The long-awaited Kaleo Acceptance Package is finally in the mail! Look for it this week. I will post it on this website in the next couple of days as well, in case your mail is taking a while to get to you right now.

Please look it all over, notice the various forms to be filled out, and feel free to contact us with any questions you have. Can't wait for you to arrive!

Hey Kaleo 8!

Well, after a while of trying to post on this blog i realized that i hadn't accepted the invitation to be an author of this blog!! Guess i'm not an expert on this stuff.. had a good laugh anyways!

I suppose I should share a bit about myself, well, I was born in Sask, raised in Ontario, and currently living in Alberta. I'm 18 years old and have been out of school and working for a year now at my parents restaurant and also at a furniture store. I love being outside, pretty much any sport with my favorites being swimming, skateboarding, snowboarding, strongman training, hackey sack (if this is not a sport it should be). Some other passions include Jesus!, friends, food and music.

I invited Jesus into my life one year ago, the best choice of my life after making a lot of bad choices. I grew up in a Christian home with my dad being a pastor for most of my life. I have recently been to Mexico twice on mission trips to build a gymnasium for a Christian school in Juarez.

Anyways, enough about me, I can't wait for September and to get to know all of you!

Got Dreadlocks :)

So after close to a year of wanting dreadlocks, I finally got em :) From the black bandana in my previous post to this! They took a very long time, but they are definitely worth it. I am not sure how long I will keep my hair like this, it may be a couple months, it may be a couple years, I'm not really sure. We'll see what happens I guess. If you have any questions 'bout them, feel free to fire them this way :)

Kaleo 8

Hello Kaleo 8!!

Now that I have finally figured out how to write one of these blogs (after serveral attempts), I guess I'll tell everyone a little bit about myself. I am 18 years old, and currently finishing up grade 12 ( I just had my grad ceromonies and banquet this past week). Like Daniel, I am a fellow Medicine Hatter and I have pretty much lived in Medicine Hat my whole life. My father is a pastor, so I have grown up in the church and a Christian atmosphere. I love singing, and frequently sing on my church's worship team. I also like sports (whether it be watching, or playing them), and played on my school's rugby team for four years. My favorite sport though, is football, and I am a die-hard Saskatchewan Roughrider's fan (eventhough I was born and BC and have lived in Alberta for most of my life). There are also many other things that I would like to do in the future like travel, missions, learn to ballroom dance, and learn spanish. Right now though, my life is pretty much consumed with finishing school and work.

I am so excited to meet everyone and see what God has instore for us this coming year!!

Jocelyne

Dos!

Kaleo 8! Wow!

What an incredible blessing it is to be apart of this year! My name is Janet Broening and I will be the other intern for this 2010/11 school year. I did K4 in the 2006/07 year as well, with Tyler. There are so many great memories, lessons, and challenges from that time, and I am excited to share those with you, but most importantly share in making new memories and learning new things with all of you as we embark on this adventure together!

I am currently in Abbotsford, BC, getting ready to come over to Qwanoes for the summer, and not exactly sure of my position yet. I have been going to the university here in Abbotsford for the past two years in the Science program focusing on Biology. I am currently living with family friends--a couple and their two kids ages 2 and 4. Very entertaining and never dull!

A few things about me...I'm from Prince George, BC which is a decent sized town in the middle of BC. Naturally from being up north, I enjoy most outdoor activities. I love running, hiking, and have recently gotten into rock climbing a bit more. Growing up I spent a lot of time at the ice rink figure skating, and I still like to go when I can. I love food--sharing a meal or a cup of coffee with someone is one of the ways I really like to get to know people. I love that God has a sense of humor:)

I have many hopes for the year ahead of us. Like Tyler said, this year is going to be a difficult one, but extremely rewarding. My prayer for you is that your hearts will be prepared for what is to come, and that you will trust that God is good and his perspective is accurate. I encourage you to be open and honest with yourself and one another as you go through this journey, as God has such good things planned! He wants to reveal himself to you in ways you could never imagine. And I am so excited for that. I am counting down the days that I get to meet all you lovely people!

Kaleo Intern Numero Uno

Well hello there

My Name is Tyler Cassidy and i will be one of the Kaleo interns this year. I am currently working at camp as the head wakeboard and waterski instructor and am loving it (except for the fact that there is no sun). This is my fifth summer on staff here at Qwanoes, and it feels like the first. But more than a love for camp is my love for kaleo.

I did Kaleo in 2006/07 (also known as K4). I did kaleo right out of Highschool, and really had no idea what i was getting myself into. i became a follower f Christ just one month before Kaleo, and had no idea what i was doing. If someone would have told me i would be here working with you guys some 3 years later i would have said they were nuts. Yet after my time at kaleo i then went to briercrest college, to take my BA in youth min which i am currently going into my fifth year. (yes i know its only supposed to take 4 but hey, who's counting). MY joy is to work with youth and young adults, encouraging and discipling. Really i would say i have one of the best jobs in the world, from working with the Cit program here last year to being the Kaleo intern this year. It doesn't get much better.

A little bit about me i guess would now be in order. I like long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. Well thats not true, but those things are great. I love getting to know people, i love to listen and here what the lord is doing in the lives of his people, and cannot wait to here what he is doing in your lives. I am addicted to the outdoors, i love anything from biking, to rock climbing, swimming, or even a good croquet match. But more than that i love being out in creation with my lord. Also huge into the arts, love music (tho i cant play any instruments, i have been known to be a mean ipod dj ) love to paint and draw as well as photography (www.tylercassidyphotography.blogspot.com). And i guess if i had to choose a favorite activity it would be snowboarding. Its been my passion for many years. I was actually planning on running a snowboard ministry this year, yet the lord has called me to something far greater.

my hope for you is that as you prepare for this year you would allow the lord to soften your hearts, that you would let him work so powerfully in your lives, for this year is going to be a difficult year. Tho it will be good it will come at a price. There will be heartache, there will be sacrifice, the lord will tear down, yet there is hope and good news, for he will heal, he will mend, and he will restore and rebuild that which he has torn down. continue to use this blog throughout the summer, post your thoughts and feelings, ytour joys and your apprehensions about this coming year, and more than that let each other, and us as the leadership team know how we can better pray for you as this year fast approaches. The lord is already growing our heart for you, and i know i am so excited to meet you guys.

Hello Kaleo 8! It such a blessing and privilege to be able to attend this program. Just today I received my acceptance letter. I truly believe God has called me here, so that in some way I may glorify His name. I am truly so excited to meet all of you guys.

My name is Daniel Lloyd. I am 19. I graduated from the Centre for learning@home in 2009 in Medicine Hat Alberta. Throughout my life, I have been greatly involved at my church being a youth leader and worship leader. I love pretty much all sports. My favorite though would probably have to be ball hockey. I love playing acoustic and bass guitar as well. I am also a Lifeguard for the city of Medicine Hat. My favorite hobby is probably driving on my motorcycle or playing worship music.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for us next year. God bless all! I look forward to meeting all of you.

Your brother in Christ,

Daniel

greetings and salutations!

first off, did anyone catch the quote there? if so, please comment and tell me!

so pretty much, i just wanted to see if there are any Kaleo 8s who still haven't posted yet. if so, i really would love to hear from you. I have been incredibly encouraged by all of your stories and uplifted by your excitement for next year.

hey, if you have anything you need prayer for, holla at me. i would love to pray for you!

~Holly =)

Called... :)

Hello Kaleo 8! :)

Well... the title has double meaning (*enter oohs and aahs here*... or not:). First? I was CALLED by Jim a couple weeks ago telling me that I'm accepted to Kaleo! :) :) Woohoo! And second? "Kaleo" means "called" (if Google is correct:) and I really believe that God has called each of us to attend Kaleo in the fall as part of His plan for our lives... and I'm SO excited to see the ways that God will work in us and through Kaleo 8! I'm super excited to meet you all... and to see how God will draw us closer to Him and to each other during those 9 months! :)

Anyways, here I am, rambling on and on, and I haven't even introduced myself yet! My name is Heidi and I'm from the lovely Okanagan (Vernon, to be exact:). I graduated in '09 and have been living at home this past year. I worked in the fall and went to India on a missions trip in January (my second time), which I absolutely loved. I'm really excited for this coming year- with Kaleo in the fall and counseling at Qwanoes this summer (I'll meet some of you?:). I know it's going to be a year of stretching and growth (for all of us!), a year when I'm pulled out of my comfort zone. But I know that in April 2011, I will look back and see how God was working and this year will be another testimony to His faithfulness!

Unlike some of you, I haven't been looking forward to Kaleo for years. In fact, I didn't know Kaleo existed until February! I was actually on the Briercrest website, considering applying for a degree program there, when I saw the Kaleo link! God definitely orchestrated that one, and I'm really trusting that Kaleo is where He wants me this coming year!

And a bit of randomness... I love sunshine (not a huge fan of rain- haha, this coming year on the Island will either change that fact or intensify it:P), the smell of freshly mowed grass, my Jesus, the colours yellow and blue, spending time with my family (2 brothers, 1 sister:) and friends, ministry, kids, the sound of water, sunsets, smiling, my mom's hugs, peanut butter (definitely peanut butter:), and bunny hugs (yes, I spent some of my growing up years in Saskatchewan. You true B.C.-ers refer to these as "hoodies" or "sweaters" :)

God bless you guys (and ladies!:)! Keep serving Him! =D

We're at camp and...

LOVE: Holly and Sarah!

Hi there...

Well, I am 18 years old and I guess I am the first official Torontonian in the bunch :) Yes, I am from Toronto, Ontario, and I have lived here all my life. The furthest I've ever been out west has been Regina, Sask. My sister lived there, and that's how I heard about Kaleo. SO I've never been to BC before and I absolutely cannot wait to go!!

I'm doing an internship this year with the youth ministry at my church, and taking courses to receive a certificate in Christian Mission in the mean time.

I would describe myself as a pretty artsy person. I'm really into theater; acting, directing, reading plays, you name it. I developed a passion for it at the arts high school I attended, where I studied it for four years. I don't quite know how to describe my taste in music, but I like watching lots of movies. I loooooovvvvvve to travel! I'd like to go pretty much everywhere or do something crazy like the Amazing Race one day :P I like to eat Thai food, drink tea, and smile and laugh every chance I get.

I'm exited for all that God is going to do in and through us next year! Can't wait to meet you all,

Julie

>('_' )> <('_' )< >('_' )> >('_' )> <('_' )< >('_' )> >('_' )> <('_' )< >('_' )>

I guess I'm one of the oldest so far... My names Nate, I'll be turning 21 in August. I'm from Vancouver,BC. Some of you know me already from camp.

My interests are: Music (Anything from Metal, Alternative Rock, Industrial, Trance Dupstep to Classical, Pretty much anything besides Country) Working out Swimming (Did competitive swimming since 9), Got into Running since four years ago(I train with a half marathon clinic), recently got into Tango/Salsa dancing which i hope to continue. I'm a HUGE fan of movies - seen more movies than i want to admit. My other hobbies include Video / Graphics Editing (AAE, Adobe CS3, Vegas Pro, etc) taking naps, traveling, taking naps, music, taking more naps.

I'm a bit of an intravert.

I was born into a Christian Family and went to a Christian school called Pacific Academy. One of the experiences that stood in my faith was my outreach trip to Jamaica. We volunteered at an orphanage called "City Of Refuge" in Kingston, Jamaica. It was touching to see that the orphans while having absolutely NOTHING were so happy with Gods blessing.

Although I've been a Christian all my life a humbling experience was in CIT 2009 when Jim taught us the truth meaning of being a follower of Christ which is not just "having a relationship with Christ" but leaving and following in his word. Besides all the fun stuff we'll be doing, i hope this year would be a rewarding experience and a step closer in my walk with God.

I got mike sitting next to me as I'm writing this. He says "Konnichiwa" Can't wait for Kaleo to Start!

KALEO

Alright, I've put off writing one of these for long enough so here it goes.

My name is Stephen Wanhella, I live in Ladner, British Columbia, and I'm 17 turning 18 a month after Kaleo starts ;) I'm finally graduating this year as well so I'm pretty excited about that. I'm definitely a bit of a musical person so expect hearing a lot of guitar during Kaleo as well as a lot of Christian metal being blasted :)

I'm kind of a camp veteran, and that's how I came to learn about Kaleo; it's always kind of been an attractive idea, but I tried to forget about ever hearing about it once I found out how much it costs haha. So earlier this year, I found out a couple people I know had already applied for it, and I got the idea back that it might be a good thing to be doing for me too - mainly because I don't know what direction I'm heading for in life and I'm down for a life changing year :P I still wasn't sure about it at that point so I started praying quite a bit about it, and the idea I got from that was "yes". The cool thing about when I was praying about it was when I asked how I could ever pay for it, the answer I heard every time was just "trust me".

Anyways, I'll be applying for another summer at Qwanoes pretty quick so hopefully I'll see some of you there :)

Looking forward to a great year,

Steve

Hey hey hey!

Hellooo. My name is Mary and I am from the little town of Duncan, BC. I graduated last year and I wasn't sure what I was going to do after high school so I just put going back to school on the back burner and I focused on leaning new things from my parents like how to smoke some salmon (something every cowichan girl should know :P ) and how to change a flat tire, quilting, knitting, cooking and I recently learnd how to get a perm and I am thankful that it turned out better than I thought it would. I love doing crafts and hiking to the top of the beutiful mountains that surrond my town, SO beautiful. Anyways this year has been amazing! I used to not talk to my parents, not becasue they were mean and I hated them but because ever since my "awkward teenage phase" I just didn't talk to them. So this year I have grown quite a bit closer to my family and I love it.

At the beggining of the year I kept on runing into Jim Badke and and he would always tell me to sign up for Kaleo and I would always respond with an excuse. Until one day... I didnt have one, I had run out of excuses so I took it as a sign from God that I should probly just see what happens if I apply. My parents aren't Christian and they just aren't religious at all so they didnt really understand why I wanted to do this and were complaining about the price but being the awsome and supportive parents they are let me go. It was quite the process for me to get accepted but God deffinatly was working his little miracles and somehow he made it happen and I AM SO EXCITED to meet all of you and go one this journey with you! :)

Hello?

Hey everyone I finally decided I should make a post haha...
I had a strong feeling that God called me to Kaleo after looking at other options, I applied and was accepted about a month ago, and I'm really excited to be going there.
I am from Coaldale Alberta where I grew up. I just turned 18 last week and the first legal thing I did was get a costco card! so im pretty pumped about that right now. I am just about finished school with only physics left, then I plan on working through the summer. I like doing pretty much anything outdoors but I spend most of my time biking, and longboarding, backpacking, and snowboarding in the winter. I am really stoked for this year and all that God has in store being at Kaleo, I also am looking forward to meeting you all, so if you want to talk or ask me questions that would be sweet!

-Dryden

Hi! I'm Holly and...

...i'm stoked to be posting on this blog because it means that I got into Kaléo!!

I'm Holly and I am 17, turning 18 this year! I am currently in grade 12 and I can't wait to be done with it. I love to laugh, sing, read, dance... all kinds of fun stuff! I also love people in general so I can't wait to meet all of you!

I'm not going to post my testimony cause I'll save that for Kaléo, but I do want to tell you how I came to be posting on this blog. So the last time I posted on a Jim blog to introduce myself was in March of 2008 when I applied for CIT at Qwanoes. I ended up doing both CIT and LIT which were amazing, but before and even more so after LIT, I felt like I really wanted to do Kaléo but I wasn't sure if it was God's will for me. I struggled with that a lot because I really wanted to do it. Another factor was that my mom wasn't stoked on the idea of Bible school. In fact, she was completely against it. My mom loves the Lord but didn't want me to go to Bible school; she wanted me to go straight to university. I promised her a year of university and then I get to do what I want. That was the agreement.

Fast forward approximately 3 months and I really felt led to apply for Kaléo, but that wasn't a part of the agreement. I went to my mom and told her how I was feeling and she said it was okay. Not only that, but she was behind me 100%. That was a complete 180 and my signal that I needed to apply. So I did my application. And then did it again. And then again once more. But it finally all went through and here I am!

I'm so excited to go on this journey with all of you and even more excited to see how God changes us and works through us! It's going to be a great year!

If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask! I ask a lot of questions, so I don't mind them. =)