I'm sure many of you have heard by now, but Ms Helen Kohlmeyer (Ann Kontz's mother) has passed away. We are all rejoicing that she is standing (in a new and perfect body, no less) in the presence of the Lord, but her sweet spirit will be missed on this earth. She leaves a long legacy of ministry and service to the Lord....she loved her Savior til the very end and was very ready to meet Him face to face.

If any of you are wanting to come to her memorial it will be here at BABR on Saturday at 2pm. All are welcome.

And we also lost another dear friend today....Vikki Alonzo's mother passed away today, also. She too had been battling cancer and the Lord chose today to bring her home. Her funeral will be at 10am at Grace Bible Church. Please pass on your words of encouragement to both Vikki and Ann....I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.

Remember that our days are numbered....honor the Lord and serve Him with every breath that has been given to you.....

Hello fellow BABRers....

I hope all of you have rested up from the summer (I'm still working in that!) and are knee-deep in your fall ministries and school schedules.

Things are busy here at camp as we've had groups and workteams already....the schedule looks non-stop for the next couple of months. If any of you want to come and help out anytime, just let me know!

There is a serious prayer request I would like to share with you, although many of you probably know about it already.
Late in the summer, we got the news that Ms Helen Kohlmeyer (Ann Kontz's mom) was diagnosed with cancer. Because of her age and frail health, surgery was not an option. She did start radiation treatments shortly after camp, but it did not help much. So early last week she went into the hospital and is now in her last days. She is ready to go home and meet her Savior face to face....she longs to be in heaven. Many of you know Helen well, as she was our camp nurse (alongside Ruth) for many, many years here at the camp....she has been a grandmother to many of us and has led a life full of ministry and service to the Lord.

Please pray for her, that she will not be in any pain and go quietly....and also for the family, as it is hard to let a loved one go.
I will keep you updated on things, along with the memorial service time and dates.

I miss all of you tons and pray for you often!
If there is ever anything you want to blog here, just let me know...it's open for anyone! :)

Live today like there is no tomorrow!

It's over.....and I'm kinda numb......

It's officially the last day of camp.....I can't believe it.
In some ways it has flown by, but in others it has just crawled along slowly. Either way, the end is officially here and I am, once again, amazed at how God has worked through this camp to reach so many kids.
We had our last campfire yesterday and all I can say is God is so good! Despite our tired staff, God worked in the hearts of so many campers and it was so encouraging to hear them verbally share how their lives are changed by Him. It makes all the late nights and the long days worth it.

This day is always bittersweet.......so looking forward to getting some real rest and spending time with my family, but at the same time, you hate to lose your front row seat to such an amazing ministry. And as usual, I always look back on the summer and think about all the things I could have done better, but like I said, despite our exhaustion and the fact that we are broken vessels, God still used us and never failed to "fill our cup" daily.

As soon as they get all the numbers tallied, I will be sure to post them here.....how many campers actually attended camp, and a rough estimate of how many gave their lives to Christ. Again, God is good!!!!!

Thank you all for your prayers and support over the past 2 months.....we still have another 24+ hours to go, so praying that we finish strong and with no regrets!

We are in our last week of camp....I can't believe it's almost over! In many ways it has flown by, but sometimes I did feel like it was crawling by. Either way, the end is in sight and we are trying to finish well.

It's one of our biggest camps this year....more than 150 teenagers.....and they are a blast! There is a lot of basketball going on this week.....and when it isn't raining, there is volleyball, too. We are thankful for the rain, but it does make quite a mess. The chapel carpet is coated with mud! We'll have to do some major cleaning when all this is over.

Please pray for our staff as we are trying to finish strong.....it's hard to fight against the exhaustion, but with the end in sight, hopefully we can push through.

Be sure to check out the previous blog and watch some of our weekly videos!

Our dear friend Justin Kontz has been putting together the weekly videos for most of the summer.....huge help!!

And he has even uploaded them to youtube so we can all enjoy them.....


http://www.youtube.com/BABRCampVideos

ENJOY!!!!

I know, I know.....I have slacked the past couple of weeks. I hit the wall same time last year! Week 5 usually does me in!

But just to catch you up on all that the Lord is doing here at BABR, I'll briefly highlight the past couple of weeks.
Week 6 was the biggest week we've EVER had.....we maxed out with over 180 campers....they were everywhere!!! We had to kick the work team out of their bunk house and use it as a cabin.....that particular cabin had 25 campers (girls) in it!!! Man was it loud in there!
But we had an amazing week and even with all the chaos and noise, God did such a wonderful work here at camp and in the lives of so many campers! But we were so tired by the end of the week and the weekend never looked so good!

God really pushed us all that week and there is no way we could have made it through without HIS strength! It's so amazing to see Him take over when we are weak and exhausted.

Then, we entered week 7......we went from the largest week to the smallest week......what a shock! And the camp was so quiet with only 72 campers....less than half of the previous week's number! Insane!!!!
But again, God was faithful and made it fruitful, despite the small numbers.

I am feeling the fatigue of the summer.....as we slowly crawl through the weeks, the signs of exhaustion are starting show. It's just in the little things mostly....like putting the milk in the pantry instead of the fridge, and taking clothes out of the dryer and putting them right back into the washer again. And everything is MUCH funnier by week 8.....I've laughed til my face hurts!! It's good for my weary mind!

Thank you all for praying, even if I haven't kept you updated the past couple of weeks. Pray that we finish strong!!!!

It was a short week because of the 4th of July, but it was still a very tiring week. We squeezed in all the fun stuff....water fight, mission impossible, skit night, campfire, etc. And again, we had a great group of campers....no major discipline problems, thankfully. They seem to be a younger group this week....lots of tiny ones....really cute! But I know sometimes the younger ones can be more draining for our staff.....I know several of them are looking forward to the weekend and some good ole fashion r &r!

Of course we are all feeling the strain and exhaustion of the past 5 weeks....there is really nothing we can do except try to get rest. We are way past our own strength and having to fully rely on HIS strength. It's a good place to be....God is very real right now for those who are allowing Him to refuel us and be our everything.

Thank you for your prayers.....

Week 5....can you believe it!!???

I can't believe we just went over the halfway mark.....4 weeks down, 4 more to go.

It's another junior camp so we have the little ones again. I love this age! And 2 of my kids are campers again, so the house is a little quieter this week.

We just came off a long weekend and I'm praying that the staff took advantage of the extra time. I hope they have found the enthusiasm they had the first week....I need a little dose of that, too!!! My family and I left town for the weekend and got some much need rest. It was so nice to get away and not even look at the camp.....as much as I love it, I need to leave the confines of the fence every now and then :)

It's a shorter camp week because of the 4th of July....we started camp on Tuesday instead of Monday. We, as a staff, enjoyed a fireworks show and cookout last night. I think our staff had a good time just veggin', eating, and ohhhh and ahhhhing over a firework show.

Thank you, Lord for the long weekend and extra sleep and rest.....

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday already.....tomorrow this week will officially be over and all the campers we have grown to love will be heading home.
It's been a great week and I think (actually, I KNOW) the campers have had a ton of fun. We have had 2 workteams this week and they have both done an awesome job. They have challenged our kids with games ("In It to Win It"), they have challenged them to memorize Scripture, and they have challenge them with God's Word.....it's been a good week. And even though we were small in numbers, there have been some BIG decisions made. We heard about many of them at the campfire last night....what an encouragement to see a little guy, who can barely reach the microphone, tell the crowd of 150 people that he accepted Christ in his heart this week.....and that was just one of many announcements. Many kids shared how they had once rejected God, His Word, and His free gift of love, but now they have decided to do the opposite and accept Him and all He has to offer. Please pray for these kids as they head home this weekend....pray that they will have support at home.....pray that someone will help them get to church.....pray that they will remember the songs, the messages and the love they heard about here at camp.

We will close out this evening with a big Award's Chapel.....it's always bittersweet to see them go. My body and mind desire the rest and "quiet", but my heart wants to hold these kids here a little longer......Lord, protect them and guide them in your paths.....

It will be a long weekend as the 4th of July is on Monday so camp won't start until Tuesday. The extra day of rest will be so helpful. My family is planning on getting some much needed rest and try to have some fun in the midst of it all.
Happy Fourth of July!!!!

We are back to having the "little ones" at camp again. After a week of having teens, the juniors seem so small! But they are lots of fun and they love to be goofy :)

We have a smaller camp this week....just under a hundred. But it's a great group of kids and a lot of fun. The staff kids chose this week to go to camp so there are about 8 of them in camp this time....2 of mine are there, so that leaves 2 at home....a little less stress in the house now...and it's quieter when I come home in the evenings!

Our staff is doing well. Last week they seemed a little tired but most have found their energy and enthusiasm again. Should be a good week!

Tonight we have the waterfight and that's always a blast. There's something about pouring a big bucket of water over a little kid's head that really just "bonds" you to them! They love it! And it's a nice relief from this heat we are experiencing.

Even though it's a smaller week, we are still praying for God to do BIG things......


I'll keep you updated!

Teen week was mostly a success.....
In the spiritual aspect (which is the most important), it was great. The speaker was amazing and the teens were very receptive to God's Word. Although I know there were some who left without making a decision for Christ, many left with a lighter load, knowing they have a Savior who loves them and died for them. Please pray for these teens as they enter back into their "real lives", where many of them live with temptations, fears, worries, hunger, etc.

Tomorrow starts a new week of junior campers and I am praying we will have the enthusiasm and love for the kids we had the first week. Wes and I had weekend duty this weekend and we tried hard to provide some down time, some fun, and some "sleep" time....hopefully everyone benefited from it.

I love my job....but pray that some of the joy lost last week will return, full force!!!

I am really feeling the "later nights" of teen week. Most of us are only averaging about 5 hours sleep because every night is a little later than junior weeks. But it's been fun and worth it :)

There has been lots of basketball and volleyball tournaments going on....it gets pretty serious!....it's fun to watch. Another thing that's different about teen week is the night of field games. We spend one evening playing soccer, football and ultimate frisbee. My hubby gets VERY into the football aspect of it.....jersey, 'facepaint', etc. Thankfully we ended with only minor injuries!

The waterfight last night was SO refreshing....it's been very warm here. Although not many kids participate (teens are too 'cool' for things like that!), it was a lot of fun. We did have one injury...another staff member fell and busted his head open....but he is fine, after a couple of staples had to be put in. He's a pretty tough guy so it didn't slow him down much!

Please pray for safety this week....teens are a lot more active so we need extra protection.

The speaker this week is AMAZING!!!! And I'm not just saying that because he is our pastor's son :) He has such a way with teens and is such an effective communicator. There are kids here that won't open up to anyone and he has managed to break down walls and get them to pour our their hearts. God is really using him in powerful ways....please pray for him as well (his name is Aaron) as he continues to share God's love with these teens. It is a heavy emotional and spiritual load and he takes the task seriously (although he is having MUCHO fun as well!!!!). God is working in the lives of many teens this week.....many have already made some kind of spiritual decision...whether it be to finally surrender their life to Christ, or to let go of some sin that has been hindering them. It has been an exhausting week, but at the same time it's been an amazing week.....worth every late night!!!

Thank you all for praying! Please continue....the week is not over yet!!!

Week two wrapped up beautifully with many kids making decisions for Christ! Praise the Lord!

We have just entered week 3.....TEEN WEEK!
I've heard many of our new staff express how nervous they are about teens coming....and it's understandable....they can be intimidating. But really, when it comes down to it, they are just kids at heart....just in bigger, more awkward bodies :)
One thing they do love is basketball.....it has been non-stop since registration started this afternoon at 1pm. They only time there were no balls bouncing in the a-frame was at dinner and chapel. They love it! As much as they love the game, my prayer is that they will learn to love the Word and their Savior just as much. It is a little more challenging to reach teens in this day and age...so much more going on in families, schools, etc.....so many more distractions, so it seems. But hopefully, when they come here, most of those distractions are lifted and they are able to peel away some of the "layers" in their life and see the Lord for who He truly is and what He can offer them.

Please be in prayer for these teens. Even though they are laughing, smiling and enjoying their camp experience so far, they are carrying burdens that are heavy and wearisome. Pray that we, as a unified staff, can help them find relief from it all....help this camp to be a 'safe' place for them.
I'm excited to see what God is going to do this week!

We are halfway through the second week of camp and it's going well.
We have a good group of campers and are staff are really hanging in there. We had one counselor go down at the waterfight and ended up with a large bump on her head. She is pretty much out for the week, but recovering well. Thankfully we have good wranglers too, that can step in when they need to. God is good!

Yesterday was another victory for the girls in the massive tug of war game.....BUT, they did outnumber the girls almost 2 to 1. But regardless...a win is a win....right girls!??!!!!

Last week was a disappointment in the verse memory department.....plenty of girls said their verses and books of the Bible, but only THREE boys said theirs.....boo!! But we are praying that this week will be more of a success, and that many kids will choose to hide God's Word in their hearts.

It was yet another good game of Mission Impossible last night with (praise the Lord) no injuries! And the boys redeemed themselves and won the game!

The speaker is doing a great job going over some of the characteristics of God and touching on some of the issues that Christians (even little ones like what we have here this week) deal with. Several kids stayed behind last night (and it wasn't even skit night....yay!)....pray that many more will decide to let go of their doubts and fears and decide to ask the Lord to be their Savior!

Pray that we finish well....again. And that we will not give up on even one camper.....no one left behind!!!!!!

Week 2 has begun!

We have about 120 campers (not as full as we thought it was going to be).....WAY more girls than guys. But we've had a good start so far.
We had a couple staff that were wranglers last week step up as counselors this week....pray for them, as it takes time to adjust to the new role. It seems like we have a good group of campers so hopefully they will make it easy on our staff.

I'm interested to hear what the speaker is going to talk about this week.....he started off tonight with Gen 1 and how BIG God is....the power of God exposed in His ability to just 'speak' light into existence! Praying God will 'speak' with that same power to these camper's hearts.

I'll keep you updated! :)

We finished strong!!! Well, at least our summer staff did (I came home a little early on Friday night to hang out with my kids). I am pretty impressed with our staff this week....most of them gave more than 100%. This morning they will have the opportunity to 'decompress' and just allow themselves to turn into a big puddle. They are spent physically, emotionally, and spiritually.....please pray that they will get the rest they need this weekend so they can be just as energetic and excited about next week's group of campers.

Friday nights are always fun.....it's pizza night, we have a huge rocket launch, Friday night Award's chapel, ice cream sundaes and root beer floats, and "parties" in the cabins. But with all that excitement going on, we encourage our staff not to relax too much....there are still campers who have not made a decision for the Lord and sometimes they wait til the last possible minute to do so....it will be interesting to hear if any campers did that.

Thank you all for praying this week.....just as we encourage our staff not to grow weary as the summer progresses, I ask the same of you. Please don't grow weary in praying for us as the weeks go by....we need just as much prayer later in the summer (if not more!).

Now off to get some rest.......:)

Another late night......

Last night was our 'funtime program'.....we laughed our way through about 15 silly skits put on by staff and campers. We had a great time!
Afterwards we headed down to the campfire circle for a time of singing, teaching, and testimony time. My heart was blessed as I heard camper after camper stand up and announce that they had given their heart to Christ sometime this week....God is so good!

What a privilege to serve here in this ministry!

Last day of camp.....Lord go before us!!!

Well, we survived our first night of Mission Impossible (a night game, similar to Capture the Flag). The campers (and the staff) had lots of fun and it went on until almost midnight. So needless to say, it was a little more difficult to get up this morning. But the Lord always supplies our needs....even the need to be able to stay awake today!

We have a great group of campers this week and they are full of energy and excitement. They have enjoyed everything, from the chapels, to the waterfight, to the family-style meals. They even were smiling and laughing during the spontaneous "Flash Mob" number we did for them at breakfast yesterday (Mandissa's "Good Morning" was our song of choice)!!!

Although they are having a great time, that is only one of our goals for this camp.....the other one is to bring them closer to Jesus, or to introduce them to Him for the first time. That is happening as well, in the morning/evening devotions, the daily chapels and one-on-one time with the counselors/campers. Please continue to pray as our staff work tirelessly to bring the Gospel and the Word to these little ones.

Day 4....bring it on!!

First full day of camp....DONE!

Well, we have officially finished our first full day of camp.....and it went well! Praise the Lord!

We have a slightly smaller camp (only about 110 kids) and so it made it a little easier....most of the counselors only had about 5-7 campers. At our counselor meeting yesterday everyone said it was going well for the most part.....no really difficult kids and everyone seems to be having a good time. The staff are having a good time, too....although they haven't had much time to really get tired yet :)

We had our massive waterfight last night and BRRRRRRR!!! it was so cold because of that wind! But it's all about the kiddos!
Today will be a busy one....we have the regular activity classes plus a huge tug of war after dinner and then our "night" game of Mission Impossible (late night!).

And I know some of you are wondering about the fires we are having out here. Right now we are still just getting smoke, but not enough to really be harmful. It is predicted to cross over into New Mexico sometime today....but it's south of us. Please pray for them to get it contained and that it won't affect us. At this point, it's still 0% contained.

But we are still moving on with camp and focusing on the campers and the Gospel. The Lord is good!!!
Thank you all for your prayers and please continue as we finish out these great first week of camp!!!

BABR Campout

We just spent 2 nights deep in the CO forest.......what a beautiful place!!! Sometimes I wished the Lord had called me to that state!

We arrived on Wednesday night....after we unloaded and set up tents, we headed to the Bar D, a country western dinner and show. Those cowboys sure can sing and they know a few good jokes, too. It was a good night of fellowship.
Then the next day we headed to Ouray....a quaint little valley town. We spent a few hours there, soaking in the hot springs and shopping. Again, I could easily move there! We finished off the night making smores back at the campsite....again, another good day! Scattered all through out those days were many sessions with Dino, our lead counselor.....he challenged us to get out of our comfort zone....he shared his heart.....and he gave us the tools to be the most effective ministers of the Gospel this summer. What a great place to reflect on the mightiness of God, His love for us, and His faithfulness! So thankful for that time away, surrounded by new (and old) friends!

So we will spend the next couple of days just resting and getting ready for the upcoming week...our FIRST WEEK OF CAMP! Everyone seems so excited.....praying they keep that excitement!!!

Military training

Well, one day of training down!
We spent a lot of time in 'session'....sharing our testimony, discussing prayer, learning more military moves (bounding, clearing houses, etc) and just getting to know each other. I am enjoying spending time with this group!

Today we will "play" camp, going over the schedule, procedures, etc. This is more my area since I run the daily schedule of the camp. It's always a fun day as we get to go around to the different classes and learn the ins and outs of camp life.
Everyone seems to be getting to bed on time.....I think they are tired each night. I know I am! It's a lot of info to take in...I already know all of this stuff and it still makes my head feel like it's going to explode! I know it's gotta be hard on the staff! But they seem to be enjoying every minute of it!

thanks for praying for us as we work through this week and prepare for the upcoming months!

And so it begins...

Wow! It was been a great start to our staff training....these kids are excited and ready to get busy with the ministry they have come here for! I have really enjoyed being reunited with old staff and getting to know the new staff (East Coast Girls, Rm 3, holla!!). They were put through some pretty trying and difficult team challenges tonight but accomplished them with flying colors. I was amazed with their level of team work and confidence, and ashamed that I actually thought they wouldn't be able to do it. I'm impressed!

We have some beautiful staff this year....I can see their hearts are just eager to grow closer to God and to be used as a vessel to reach these campers. I feel really good about this group and am looking forward to seeing how God is going to use them in the next few months.

Often my job doesn't allow for much time to sit and get to know many of the staff on a very personal level....it's go, go, go! But I have a burden to really change that and get to know them more. I have prayed for them by name for some time now that I almost feel like I know them.....I'm looking forward to spending the next couple of months chatting with them, laughing with them, and praying with them.
This year our emphasis is on prayer. I'm thankful for a camp director who is burdened to make this an emphasis....it is so vital to this ministry. Even tonight I have been challenged, as Nanette (our lead girl counselor) shared some points on the subject....I know I don't do it enough. I'm looking forward to being challenged in this area and seeing others grow as well.

If I weren't so tired, I would load pictures tonight, but it's late and I have to be up and at 'em tomorrow. These next 2 days are long and intense as we spend time going over the Gospel, what it means, how to share it, the power it gives, etc. We will also be going over camp policies, rules, schedule, expectations, etc. Usually by the end of the day on Tuesday, their brains are full and they have a glassy look in their eyes! But then we will swoop them away to beautiful Colorado and they will be able to enjoy God's creation and soak in all that they have learned.

Please be in prayer for these young people this week.....there is much to do and little time to do it. Thanks in advance!!!

Staff Updates

SUMMER STAFF 2011

GIRLS:

*Sarah Tucker (30)….all summer (medical)

Katie Bounds (18)….first 6 weeks

Sarah Peshlakai (17)…..all summer

Jessica Armstrong (18)….all summer

Nanette Beyale (18)….all summer

Kylie Welch (19)….first 4 weeks

Maddie Higginbotham (17)…..all summer

Jayme King (17)….first 6 weeks

Ellya Kennell (18)….all summer

*Miriam Griffioen (16)….all summer

*Kelly Sandretzky (17)…..6 weeks

*Ashley Kerr (16)….all summer (medical)

*Jessie Cooper (16)…..first 4 weeks

*Leah Arjay (16)…..all summer

Holly Knox (15)….all summer (medical)

Jessica Platero (17) ….all summer

Jaynanne Kinsel (17) ….all summer (medical)

Genevieve Barrigo (16) …..all summer, except week 8

Katelyn Hilderman (17)….all summer (medical)

Annette Torres (17)….last 3 weeks (references)

Haley Allen (16)….last 3 weeks (references)

Shelly Tsinne (20)….week 6 and 7

GUYS:

Stephen Hunkup (22)…..all summer

Rob Nickles (41)…all summer (medical and reference)

Delano Gon (19)…..all summer

Josh Finger (20?)….all summer (all of it!!)

Joshua Plummer (18)….all summer minus week 6

Matthew Knox (18) ….all summer

Tyson Log (23)….all summer

Christian Paiva (17)…..all summer (medical)

Joshua Bounds (16)….first 5 weeks

Ty Platero (17)….all summer, minus 2 weeks?

Tyreil Thomas (18)….all but the last week

Parker Gray (16)…..month of July

Kyle P….all summer (medical)

Andrew Kontz (15)…first 4 junior weeks

Josh Hillis (16)…..week 1, 5-8 (all of it!)

Dalvin Gon….2 weeks (3^rd and ?)

Timothy Gon ….week 3, 7 and 8

TJ Sowers (16) ….all summer, except week 2 and 3 (all of it!)

If you have a 'medical" or something by your name, that means we are missing those pieces of info...be sure to have it all ready by the time you get here! :)

SUnday, May 29th!!

It all starts this Sunday.....staff training week! It's the "kick off" to what is sure to be an awesome summer! We will spend the week learning about the camp, the culture, each other and even a little about ourselves. There will be plenty of fun times (team building games, getting to know you times, etc) along with some serious moments added in there (learning how to share the Gospel effectively, presenting your testimony, etc). It's always a good time of fellowship.

About halfway through the week we pack up all our stuff, drive about 4 hours and will end up in the middle of the beautiful Colorado mountains to spend a couple days camping. This year we will be staying at Chris Park, just outside of Durango. We will head over to the Bar D the first evening (GOOD FOOD!) and then, we will drive about an hour on the Million Dollar Highway and spend the day in Ouray, swimming in the hotsprings and shopping. Be sure to bring your camera because it is BEAUTIFUL there!

We'll wrap up the week with a couple more sessions and then before you know it, the camp week will start, bright and early Monday morning!

I am so looking forward to seeing all of you and spending the summer together, ministering and loving on all the hundreds of kids that will come through the camp. I hope you have prepared your heart for this experience.....I hope you have spent much time before the Lord, asking Him to use you in mighty ways this summer. I am praying for each and every one of you, by name, as you prepare to come out here. Can't wait!

And just a reminder......everyone is to be here by Sunday dinner (5ish) on the 29th. If you are not going to be here, you need to let me know asap....and you have to have a pretty valid reason, since staff training is a requirement :)

Love you all,
Christy

Sweet Sarah

Meet Sarah.....our "wrangler of the year"!!

Hey, my name is Sarah Peshlakai and I've been coming to Broken Arrow Bible Ranch since I was 9. I experienced 7 wonderful summers there as a camper until I was able to join the staff as a wrangler last year!
My favorite animal is the horse and my favorite pass-times are photography and music. So, if you see me around this summer, I'll probably have a camera in my hand or be singing to myself as I work down at the ranch stables! My favorite colors are black, silver and purple and my favorite band is Barlow Girl. I just finished up my junior year in homeschool highschool and I'm still waiting to see what God has for me in my future. I can't wait to see/meet you all this summer and I look forward to what God has in store for us as we begin this summer of ministry!

Pray

Just wanted to pass on a prayer request concerning one of our favorite counselors....

Melissa Torres is still awaiting news on whether she will need surgery this summer.....if so, she may have to miss working camp this summer. It would be our loss, as Melissa has become a leader among our staff and really loves the campers and the work here at camp.
We know that God has everything under control and Melissa will be exactly where she is supposed to be.....we just ask that it be here, with us, at camp! :)

Please join us in prayer concerning this matter.....

Thanks guys!!!

Just a little "taste" of the upcoming summer...

Thought it would be fun to post a little blast from the past to get you excited for the upcoming summer!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdffm3f8QrQ&feature=related

Check it out!! :)

Josh Finger....future army dude!

Meet Josh, coming back to work one last time before joining the service.....

Hey, my name is Joshua Finger and I am happy to be able to come back for my second full year at BABR I just finished high school an I now have a job as a Military Police officer for the Army National Guard. I enjoy music, I am the oldest of four kids, I enjoy being out side, meeting new people and a cant wait to get to BABR.

Delano....need I say more? :)

Meet Delano.....an old timer of BABR.....

My name is Delano Gon and I'm from Gray Mountain, AZ, but most of the time I'll just say the Flagstaff area. I'm 19 years old and although I decided not to take classes this past school year, I plan on starting my sophomore year in college this fall most likely at NAU. My favorite color is red, my favorite food is just about anything (I guess steak is right up there), and my favorite movie is Saving Private Ryan.
My future plans include majoring in something in the field of music. I was in to engineering but I feel God is pulling me in this direction. Other then that, I don't really have plans for my future as I'm just guna wing it with God haha.
My hobbies include playing basketball and playing the drums. I'm still in the process of learning on the piano. I am currently in a band and we're still trying to get things done so no we're not recording yet haha.
This will be my 13th year at BABR (10 as a camper, 3 as staff) and I am more excited than ever of going back and serving God!

Meet Arkansas Madi......

Meet Madi from Arkansas........

I'm Madi Higginbotham, I live in Arkansas, and I first came to camp in 2008 with a workteam from my church. I loved being here and working so in 2010 when I got a chance to come back I got really excited about working here all summer. This year I can! I ust turned 18 and I'm graduating from high school next year and hope to go to UNM and get my business degree. I love working with kids and animals and cooking! I'm really excited about this summer!!!

A newcomer for July

Meet Parker Gray, a newcomer who will be joining our staff for the month of July......


My name is Parker Gray, I live in the little town of Combine, Texas, and I attend Crandall High School. I play several instruments...Bass Guitar, Piano, Harmonica and I sing. My daily life usually consists of school, play practice, music, sleep, and unusual multiple viewings of my favorite movies..."Inception, Shutter Island, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Sweeney Todd...etc, etc..." (As you can tell I love movies)
Anyway...
Im 17 years old, and will be a Senior next year.
My Favorite color is White
Favorite food - Pizza w/ Jalepenos, Bacon Jalepeno Cheeseburger (Or just anything in general with Bacon or Jalepenos...)
Favorite movie - (Well THATS already been discussed hasn't it...)
Favorite T.V. show - That ones hard... either Glee, House, American Idol, Raising Hope, The Nanny, and/or ANY Law and Order (preferably SVU, but as long as its not that awful show CSI...blaaah)

My future plans consist of hopefully becoming a fully employed actor. Working in TV, Radio, Film, maybe multiple community theaters...(maybe Broadway..?) And if that doesn't work out, just Directing or doing ANY sort of theatrical work. And if my luck is THAT bad, i'll probably become a Mommas Boy and sit on the couch :)
Thats about all I can think of myself (Im not that conceited) But I am SOOOO looking forward to working with y'all this summer (I know deep down y'all are cracking up, because I just used the word...y'all), and I can't wait to meet all my friends again from the Winter Retreat!
Have a good rest of the year, and God Bless!

UPDATED Staff List

SUMMER STAFF 2011

GIRLS:

Sarah Tucker (30)….all summer

Katie Bounds (18)….7 weeks (July 17^th)

Melissa Torres (22)….all summer

Sarah Peshlakai (17)…..all summer

Jessica Armstrong (18)….all summer

Kylie Welch (19)….first 4 weeks

Maddie Higginbotham (17)…..all summer

Jayme King (17)….first 6 weeks

Ellya Kennell (18)….all summer

Miriam Griffioen (16)….all summer

Kelly Sandretzky (17)…..6 weeks

Ashley Kerr (16)….all summer

Jessie Cooper (16)…..first 4 weeks

Leah Arjay (16)…..all summer

Holly Knox (15)….all summer

Jessica Platero (17) ….?? (possibly will lose her spot if she doesn't let me know exactly what weeks she is working!)

Jaynanne Kinsel (17) ?? (same as above!)

Genevieve Barrigo (16) …..all summer

Katelyn Hilderman (17)….all summer

GUYS:

Stephen Hunkup (22)…..all summer

Rob Nickles (41)…all summer, minus one week

Delano Gon (19)…..all summer

Josh Finger (20)….all summer

Joshua Plummer (18)….all but one week

Matthew Knox (18) ….all summer

Christian Paiva (17)…..all summer

Joshua Bounds (16)….first 5 weeks

Ty Platero (17)….all summer

Tyreil Thomas (18)….all but the last week

Parker Gray (16)…..month of July

Kyle P….all summer

Andrew Kontz (15)…first 4 junior weeks

Josh Hillis (16)…..all summer

We only need about 3 more guys and about 2 more girls....then we will close it off. If you know of anyone planning on sending in an application, better tell them to hurry!!!

Looking forward to working with all of you!

Christy