NEWSLETTER - (2010-01-28)

It is that time of the year again! Buying presents, playing of Christmas carols on the radio till even Santa’s reindeer have had enough of it, saying goodbyes, tying off lose ends, making new years resolutions and so the list goes on! If all is accounted for, the list will be longer than that of the whole year. And it seems busier too!

So we too have our end-of-year-to-do-list, and first among many is to say our thank you’s for a wonderful, busy and successful year. There was frustration, drama, quibbling and disagreements but those just make us stronger as we learn and grow from it. This year is marked with success, fun, laughter, breathtaking moments, breakthroughs in tough or hurtful situations, precious moments that we’ll treasure in our hearts forever and unexpected gifts to thank our Creator for. We want to say a big thank you to all our regulars that so faithfully support us and stuck with us even when the road was so bad that it served as a KFC Sprinkle Pops factory! And we are grateful to everyone that came for the first time this year with the hope that we will see you again in the future.

While we are on the road subject, we are truly grateful that is has improved by far after a few months’ work on it. Apart from a few potholes after the rain, our road is like a highway compared to what it used to be – maybe not for you but it is for us!

Our ferry was a big highlight this year. What a wonderful way to finish a camp or even start it with - a ferry ride across the lagoon! It was much enjoyed by everyone. To date the ferry has done 55 trips and carried a total of 1451 passengers. To date we have only operated during the week but as we train new skippers we will offer it to weekend groups – however we do not have a permanent jetty so one needs to be prepared to get your legs wet in boarding! We will keep you posted via our web site news page.

The use of our new lowropes course has been very successful too. It proved to be such a diverse obstacle that the different ways it can be used is endless. It can be adapted to each team’s need and the values that came out of each session sometimes left the facilitators at a loss for words. It did not just create a learning experience for the children but also the facilitators!

In August we attended the yearly CAMNET (Christian Adventure Ministries Network) conference, which exceeded all our expectations. The workshops on facilitation were presented on a very high level. New and experienced facilitators learnt how to improve their acilitation skills that we’ve put into practice since and proved to be very successful. We received a goldmine of new ideas for designing new activities that helped us to expand our programming.

On the lighter side of life on the camp, our mice are somehow not mice anymore, but have become Matrix Revolution special agents of mass annoyance! Where they get their special force training is yet to be discovered! Apart from chewing through the staff’s food cupboards, running up curtains, nesting in sleeping bags in a matter of hours (Lynne you know about the family that moved in!!!), they even ate our glow sticks we use on night activities! One mouse had a very enlightening experience and saw the light before the light

of day (and it wasn’t a torch light)! But since all these happenings a grey mongoose has moved in and is keeping this riotous bunch under good control.

The most common sight of our porcupines is on this painted cartoon. Otherwise they make their presence known in the bush scuffing around for food and rudely interrupting a meaningful debrief session after the lifeline. Their appearance remains obscure, but their intimidation is surely successful! Especially when they chase the facilitators home!!

Our resident seal in the lagoon is fat, healthy and enjoys the adoration of many passengers on the ferry. Next to his living in the lagoon our second wonder this year is the lagoon’s mouth that closed very early September. With all the late rains the lagoon has filled up to its flood level a second time and is refusing to breach. So instead of playing on the fields, we swim and kayak there!

It was a privilege for us this year to host the CCSA (Christian Camping Southern Africa) conference. The theme was REFRESH, REFILL, RENEW and our guest speaker Peter Grobler led the morning Bible studies along those 3 points. It was a time for refilling tired batteries, fellowship, fun and learning from each other in the workshops. We had the chairman of Christian Camping International, Dan Bowlin, visiting us, delegates from Russia and a team from the USA doing workshops on children’s ministry. It was hard work for the team and we needed a holiday after that, but the feedback we got was that people went back encouraged with renewed strength and expanded knowledge with some valuable tools to use on their respective facilities.

A special occasion this year was when two of our previous staff members, Jonathan and Yolandi got married this year, another one of only but a few that met here and got married. It was a picture perfect day and a mini staff reunion. They are now expecting their first baby in January 2010! We wish them all the best and lots of blessings with the expansion of their little family.

Not such a great wonder was Maanskynkop that burned down in January. Workers that live at the foot of the mountain chased a troop of baboons away by firing a flare at them. The bushes caught fire and it spread across the mountain, taking several days for the fire rescue team to put it out. In the evenings the mountain looked like it had fairy lights draped over it.

But this is 2009 and soon will be old news. We are already preparing for 2010 and seeing that we have the soccer world cup here, we’ve decided to go big or don’t bother at all. If we can’t beat the crowds, why not join them! Our new Melkhoutkamp (Milkwood Camp)

first two units will be completed and ready for use. It is especially designed to accommodate family groups, but would also be comfortable and ideal for conference groups, senior citizens, leadership or prefect camps and all those that are less adventurous inclined. The camp will be a fully catered camp relieving everyone in a mothering position to enjoy the environment and camp as well. Please contact the office for booking details.

For those more adventurous, we have the mountain property that is waiting to be explored. We’ve done our first and only wilderness program this year that proved to be a big success and we will have that available for youth groups, adventure clubs in schools and anyone else that would like to explore the wilderness. While hiking through the mountain, abseiling, kayaking across the lagoon, sleeping next to the river under the stars and bathing in crisp mountain pools and even horse riding on the beach, we also explore the wilderness of the heart, with stories that mark seasons in our journey that every individual can identify with. Getting a second chance, our choices make us who we are and living from the heart are a few of the themes that we discuss.

This year we had the youth of Somerset West United spend a week with us assisting with camps. It was a privilege to have them and we enjoyed working with them. They formed part of our FIT (Facilitators in Training) team, which is our volunteer program for High School Youth that are passionate about camping and have a calling to serve in the adventure ministry. In this program they get training in facilitation skills, get to work with the team and get opportunity for personal growth and discovery. Anyone that is interested in getting involved with this ministry can contact the office.

BUILDING FOR LIFE PROGRAMME

We also ask that young people be encouraged to consider our “Building for Life” programme for people who feel called to serve for 6 months to a year in the camping ministry. We will train candidates in facilitation skills, kayaking, first aid, drivers or learners license to name a few. They will be involved in all aspects of camp life – programming, cleaning, cooking, maintenance, building and training. They would need to have a love for Jesus as Lord and Saviour, a servant heart, a teachable spirit, a positive attitude, a willingness to step out their comfort zones and the ability to be flexible. They will receive a small gratuity, leave equipped with various skills and most important equipped with people skills through life experiences. A wonderful growing up opportunity!

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS!!!!

*After having explained everything for the evening activity “Stalk the lantern” one kid asked: “Is the lantern gonna be on?”

*After having explained the “Owl Trail” activity, one boy asked: “How would we know which way the arrow is pointing?”

And on this note already looking forward to next year, we wish you a blessed festive season, happy family time, breathtaking moments as you spend time in God’s creation and a peaceful rest from your year’s hard labor. We wish you a successful year for 2010, with added wisdom, no slippery situations and when you do get stuck, may it be to savor a precious moment!

God’s richest blessings

The Wortelgat team

LATEST NEWS

NEWSLETTER
(2010-01-28)