Cascades Camp Blog

Current Prayer Requests Include:

• The effects of the shift in our economy has not failed to reach Cascades.  Please pray that with this slowdown and the general “tightening of belts” that God’s ministry here at camp would still flourish so that more people may come to know Him.
• It is that time of year again when we begin to search for our the 2009 Summer Staff.  Please join us in prayer for these young men and women.  Ask God to guide their hearts and prepare them for the good work they will be doing here.
• We are in the process of getting our Master Site Plan re-approved by Thurston County.  Pray that this process would go quickly and smoothly so that we can move forward with the plans for growth at Cascades.
• We would also greatly appreciate your prayers for God’s guidance and vision as we plan for the future of Cascades.

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Current Prayer Requests Include:

• We have a large guest group here using our facilities.  They have elementary aged students and we just want to pray for their program and that God would speak to their kids.  Pray also that they would have a great time while they are at Cascades.
• More of our summer staff are leaving each week.  Please continue to pray for their transition into life outside of camp.  Some of them are still working on plans for life after summer.  Ask that God would lead their hearts and open/close doors to make His path clear to them.
• Kelsey “Beasley” Holloway, our camp pastor, is leaving tomorrow afternoon.  Praise God for her presence at Cascades this summer and pray that she would have a safe trip back to Chicago.  Also pray for our staff as they adjust to working without her extra support!
• Cascades hires interns to help sustain camp year-round.  Currently we are in the process of discerning which staff would fit well into those positions.  Pray that God would lead this decision and prepare the hearts of those He wants to serve at camp throughout this next year.

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Current Prayer Requests Include:

• This is the last week of campers at Brightwood Station and Camp Timber Rock.  So please pray that the counselors and other staff would give everything that they have for these last few days.  Also, pray that all the campers that are here would feel God’s love and presence in their lives.
• At the end of this week we have our first wave of staff leaving as well.  Pray that their hearts would be prepared for life away from camp.  It can be a tough transition and we just ask God to guide them wherever life may take them.  Also, pray for those staff that are sticking around and that they would be able to finish out strong whenever they are going home!
• This week we have a few guest groups here.  One of them is a group of disabled adults.  Pray for their time at camp-that it would be a fun change of pace for them and that they would be able to see God through their leaders, our staff, and the beautiful outdoors that God has blessed us with!

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  Current Prayer Requests Include:

•  Sunrise Ranch has it’s first group of junior highers, Brightwood Station is filled with junior campers and Timber Rock is in it’s biggest week of the summer with just over 100 junior high campers.  Please pray for these campers as we head into Friday night’s D.O.S. which stands for “Discipline of Silence”.  Campers are given the opportunity to spend time with God and reflect on what they have been learning all week.  This night is a crucial night in the lives and faiths of many campers that visit Cascades.
• Pray for the guest groups that come and use the facilities at Cascades.  Our desire is that we can provide a space for their programs to run smoothly so that each guest at camp can experience God and grow in their relationship with Him while at Cascades.
• Keep our nurse Tena (Kristen Engebretsen) in your prayers as well.  Like I mentioned earlier, with the large numbers of campers at Timber Rock, this is one of the biggest weeks of the summer.  Which means that Tena is SUPER busy trying to distribute meds and care for numerous campers.  She does a fantastic job, but please continue to lift her up in your prayers!

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  Current Prayer Requests Include:

• Please keep praying for our kids programs and the camps that we have running all summer long.  In particular pray for the High School camp that is going on this week.  Our desire is to really pour into the lives of these students as they are so often faced with the pressures of the world.  And our prayer is that we would be able to equip them to live fully for God.
• For many of our staff this is the half-way point of the summer.  Please pray that they would have the stamina to serve God with their whole heart as the summer goes on.
• Also, right now there are several people on staff who are sick.  Please pray for healing and continued health for those who aren’t sick!
• In the middle of all that is going on in our Summer Programs, we also have to be looking ahead to what’s coming up next.  Right now we are working on some planning for the Men of Faith, High School M.U.D. and Thunder Retreats.  Pray that God would have His hand in the planning and preparations for these three large events.

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  Current Prayer Requests Include:

• Independence Day Family Camp begins tomorrow-please pray that God would meet people through the worship, speakers, and events of family camp.  Also, keep praying for safety, especially around the waterfront and at the ranch.
• Similarly, pray for our kitchen crew as family camp is one of the biggest weeks they have all summer long!
• We have two very gifted speakers come to share with us during family camp.  Rev. Ruth Hill and Rev. Harvey Drake will be giving challenging and encouraging messages during the morning and evening sessions.  Please pray that God would speak through them and bless them as they share with us.
• Please continue to pray for the hearts of our summer staff.  We have a great staff this summer (like every summer!) and we just always want to be lifting each of them up to the Lord as they serve and grow while they are here.

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  Current Prayer Requests Include:

• We are in the midst of our first week of campers, please pray that our staff would find the rythm of their work and be able to minister to the campers that are here right now.
• Independence Day Family Camp is just around the corner and safety is always on our mind as we plan for such a large number of guests to come to Cascades.  Please pray that this camp would be safe, fun,  and exciting as well as a time of spiritual growth.
• Continue to pray for the hearts and lives of all the campers and S.A.L.T.s that come to spend time at Cascades.  We ask that God would move in their lives and help them build a strong foundation of faith rooted in Jesus Christ.
• Praise God for the beautiful sunny weather!

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  Current prayer requests include:

• Due to rising costs in gas, food, and electricity Cascades is working hard to become more and more energy efficient. We ask that you would pray for God’s blessing over these efforts.
• Our summer staff arrived last Friday and since then we have been training and preparing for service at camp this summer.  Pray that each staff member would KNOW that God intentionally brought them to this place and that He will do great things in and through them this summer.
• Please continue to pray for safety at camp.  Pray that God would send His angels to surround this place to keep any accidents from happening and that He would keep any persons with ill intentions away from Cascades.  Camp is a special place for kids and guests to have the opportunity to come and be care-free and we just ask that God would preserve that for many many years to come.
• Similarly, please pray for the campers and guests that are coming to camp this summer.  Pray that each person that God desires to reach through the ministry of Cascades would find their way to camp.  Pray that their hearts would be open to the work that He will do in their hearts and lives while they’re here.

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  Current prayer requests include:

• General Preparations-We are getting closer and closer to the beginning of summer and there are still plenty of things to get done around here.  Pray that all of the last minute details fall into place so that each guest at Cascades would experience a carefree and spiritually fulfilling visit to camp.
• The Father & Son Weekend-This spring weekend begins this Friday.  We ask that you would pray for more father/son pairs to sign-up as registrations are low for this fun weekend.  But more importantly we hope that you would pray for a powerful weekend for all those attending.
• Girls on Horses-The mother/daughter Girls on Horses Weekend at Sunrise Ranch is this weekend.  Pray that moms and their daughters would be able to come and experience God as well as grow closer to one another.
• Arrival of Leadership Staff-The first wave of summer staff is set to arrive this Friday with the majority of our leadership staff coming on to prepare for summer.  Pray that these leaders would cling to God this summer as they are being asked to help support their peers and the ministry of Cascades.
• Summer Safety-Cascades is a large camp with many activities running simultaneously throughout the summer.  Every year one of our biggest prayers is that God will bless us with an accident free summer.  Pray that God would send His angels to surround and protect every person that enters the gates of Cascades.
• Camp Pastor-Our Summer Camp Pastor, Kelsey Holloway began work today.  Kelsey just finished up her first year at North Park Theological Seminary where she is working on her Masters of Divinity.  Please pray for her strength and health (both physically and spiritually) as she pours into our summer staff.

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Current Prayer Requests Include:

• General Summer Preparations-We have a lot of work to do to get Cascades ready for all the campers and guests that will be around this summer.  Some of these projects include:  finishing a log cabin, trail maintenance, getting the waterfront ready, getting the camp vehicles into good working condition, etc…  Pray that these projects continue to go quickly and safely.
• Memorial Day-This weekend is our Memorial Day Camp-Out.  Please pray that the hearts and lives of people attending would be touched and changed.  Also pray for safety as people enjoy camp and that they would have a great time while they are here!
• Grandparents and Grandkids Retreat-Praise God for the amazing retreat last weekend.  Not only did we have great weather, but Grandparents and Grandkids alike had a blast while growing in their relationships with one another and with God.
• Praying for Summer Staff-The transition out of school (whether that is graduating high school, finishing up another year of college, or graduating college) is always a difficult one.  The environment of Cascades is an entirely different world than an academic setting.  Pray that each person coming out to work on staff this summer would have a smooth transition into their time of service to God at Cascades.

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