the green spot blog

It's time for another  update on whats been going on around camp since the snow has started falling as well as the degrees on the thermometer outside! Yes it is slowly getting colder out there and with all that cold comes ice and with ice comes time to build the ice rink! We have once again transformed our beloved basketball pad into an ice rink. And once again it shall be enjoyed by all who come and skate on it!  We build an ice rink in the winter for two main reasons. Number one for our Annual 3 on 3 Pond Hockey Tournament (It would be difficult to have a Hockey Tournament if we didn't have an ice rink!) And also for our guests to enjoy while they are here during the winter months.   Steph and Christoph have put a lot of hard work and long hours into creating the ice rink this year and we really appreciate everything that they have put into it! For those of you who don't know what goes into making an ice rink or don't know how to make an outdoor ice rink then ...

Hi! It's the Germans: Hannah, Christoph and Fritzi. We would like to share some of our funny, sometimes pretty crazy and confusing experiences here in Canada with you. You think, there's nothing really extraordinary and interesting about your country? YOU ARE WRONG! For us every single day is an adventure and we learn something new. Everything starts with  LANGUAGE: When you try to explain a camper that they have to put on the harness like a pair of “trousers”, (instead of “pants”). Or a boy tells you he will have “belay lesson” and you think he does “ballet”. ACCOMMODATION: Do you live in a wooden house (with carpet on your stairs down to the basement)? We usually don't. The typical German house is built out of bricks and has no plain front yard! We don't have fans in German houses, not even in the bathrooms. FOOD: People with a huge love for Bacon, Ranch dressing, Burgers and Tim Hortons-Coffee. We rather prefer Sauerkraut and ...

Nam e: Ken Famil y : He has been married to Rachel for 9 .5 years and has three kid s. Kiah, Daniel and L evi have been born and raised at camp and love to be here . Hometown: Grande Prair i e/Camp Evergreen (li ve d here for 8. 5 years now) Hobbies/Loves: Gardening, Photography Age: Undetermined Why are you at camp? Cause God says: 'this is home' What do you do at camp? Head cook (and he makes the best cookies ever!) What did you do before you were at camp? I was at a Bible School, worked in a bakery and as a cook. If people were to describe you in one word, what would they say? Joyful When you were five years old, what did you want to be? Fireman  If you were a plant, what would you be? Basil What would your ultimate care package contain? M&M's, chocolate and tickets to a 'Third-Day' concert.

As many of you are aware we are working hard to update some of our facilities out here at camp.  To those of you reading this you are probably thinking that Cabin Fever is what I am referring to here but actually I'm not referring to Cabin Fever at all.  We have just installed BRAND NEW kitchen counter tops!! Yes, it's out with the old and in with the new. Steph working on removing the old counter tops We were excited to have Brad from Legacy Kitchens in Calgary come out to build and install our new counters for us.  He did an excellent job! Before Brad could even start working in the kitchen we needed to remove all the drawers and cupboards as well as well anything and everything that was in the kitchen to start with.  Your probably wondering where we put the whole contents of the kitchen as construction was going on.  Well where else would we put it but in the dining hall!! All the contents of the Kitchen in the Dining Hall There are tw...

As promised, here is an update on the adventures of our German Friends. "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer..." Ok maybe not a red nosed reindeer, but actually REINDEER! Jessica and Hannah have been helping to train reindeer with our friend Monica.  Unfortunately not red nosed reindeer like Rudolph, but I am not joking when I say real reindeer.   Monica owns a reindeer farm and she trains reindeer to take to various events in the area, she has even brought them out to Camp before.  As we all know, reindeer are not native to Alberta so you might be finding yourself asking, "How did reindeer get to Alberta?  Can they really fly?"  No, I'm sorry to tell you that reindeer cannot actually fly but they are actually real!! Many people think that reindeer are the same as caribou but that is not entirely true, they are however in the same family as caribou.  Monica has about 20 reindeer! Jessica and Hannah have gone to visit and help train these reindeer for ev...

Name: Stephanie Erion Age:: 22 Hometown: Calgary Alberta Hobbies:  Rock climbing and Reading Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 104:19 - " He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting." Why are you at camp?  When asked this question Steph responded with, "That's a loaded question!"  In short her reason for being here is God! What did you do before Camp?  Studied Physics at the University of Calgary for 4 yrs. What do you do at Camp?  Everything!  Yup its true, there isn't a lot around camp that Steph hasn't done at one time or another! What did you want to be when you were 5?  A Cop. If you were a plant what plant would you be?  Yellow Gerber Daisy If people were to describe you in a nutshell, what would they say?  Wierd & Nerdy is what Steph answered but people would probably aslo describe her as crazy smart as well. What would your ultimate care package look like? Or maybe just your favour...

Name: Elisabeth Anna Heslop or more commonly known as Beth Anna Age: 24 Hometown: Irricana Hobbies: Reading, writing, photography, scrapbooking, crocheting. Why are you at camp?  I am at camp because I love horses, love kids, and most importantly I am here because God told me to be here. What did you do before Camp?  Studied Journalism at Mount Royal University What do you do at camp?  I am the Head Wrangler If people were to describe you, what would they say?  Clear and concise.  Practical.  Cheerful.  Outgoing introvert What did you want to be when you were 5?  A police officer.  A nurse(Like my mom).  A journalist. If you were a plant what would you be?  Bachelor Button...For those of you who have no idea what a bachelor button is, here is a picture. What would your ultimate care package look like? Or maybe just your favourite chocolate bar?  Lots of Eatmore bars and new books!

Snow. Snow. And more Snow.  Isn't it fitting that the fall season has come to a close when the snow is here for good.   Our Winter season is now upon us and with the winter season comes snow along with some more information of the staff that will be here for these next few snow filled months. You have already met a good portion of the people that will be here over the winter.  Yes, our favorite Germans, Christoph, Jessica (Fritzi), and Hannah are still here and are going to experience their first Canadian winter!! Don't worry we will keep you posted on all of their Canadian winter adventures (Like Fritzi wanting to learn to  play real Canadian ice hockey!) Now to meet another one of our staff members. Name: Kathrin Strohschein Hometown: Olds, Alberta Age: 20 Favorite Bible Verse: Jeremiah 29:13 -- "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Why are you at camp?  Faith and Obedience What do you do at Camp?  ...

Make sure to mark  JANUARY 12, 2013 down on your calendars!! It's an event you don't want to miss! For those of you who don't really know what the pond hockey tournament is all about, here is the lowdown on what this day generally looks like: The 3 on 3 pond hockey tournament is an annual fund-raising event that we have held for the past 3 years.  It is a Saturday of fun, fellowship, and, of course, some friendly competition!  Everyone is welcome to enter a team of friends, family, coworkers, or any other people you can think of.  The tournament itself is for those who are 16 yrs or older, but everyone is welcome to come on out and cheer on the teams!   Some questions you might already be asking yourself: How do I get involved in this event as a hockey team? Those interested in participating must first recruit a team, come up with a team name, then download the Handbook and Pledge Sheet from our website.  Anyone can recruit a team (you...

Name: Russell Hometown: Calgary Hobbies/Loves: Handbells, Magic: The Gathering Age: 31 Why are you at camp? An opportunity arose for me to work at camp for the summer and fall. What do you do at camp? Cook's assistant What did you do before you were at camp? Worked in financial retail If people were to describe you in one or two words, what would they be? Mustachioed geek When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A paleontologist If you were a plant, what would you be? Rosemary What would your ultimate care package contain? Nong Shim Hot and Spicy Noodle Bowl

Name: Mouayid "Moody" Hometown: Burnaby, BC Age: 18 Hobbies/Loves: Snowboarding, longboarding, gliding, driving the Gator Why are you at camp? "I felt like it was where God wanted me to be." What do you do at camp? Wrangling and maintenance. Favourite Bible Verse: Acts 6:4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to ministry of the Word." If people were to describe you in one or two words, what would they be? Outgoing, positive When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A pilot If you were a plant, what would you be? A sunflower What would your ultimate care package contain? Cookies, sour candy, socks, chocolate, mittens

We woke up to a lot of snow this morning! It probably won't stay just yet, but with the colder weather we can definitely tell that winter is coming. Camp looks beautiful under its blanket of snow, and we are excited about this new season, and even more so since last week we all had a chance to stock up on warm winter clothes! Can't tell whether Koda is excited for winter or not... Colder weather means we can get started on our ice rinks! A little snow and cold can't stop Rolf Christoph, Cam, and Moody working hard

Rise Up, our annual youth retreat for senior high students, was a blast! The cabins and lodge rooms were all filled with students and youth leaders from nine different churches. It was packed! Worship was led by Steve  from Prairie Bible Institute and his team, which included a few Evergreen staff. We again welcomed Sid Koop from Lethbridge as our speaker, and he certainly gave the students lots to think about over the weekend. As usual, it was a very busy weekend, with sessions, activities, and night programming. For the first night, we brought back the extremely popular Cirque de la Groove, but with a few extra circus acts! On Saturday night, campers were once again transported to the South Moscovian airport, and became involved in a Bible smuggling mission to North Moscovia.  Rise Up is a highlight on Camp Evergreen's calendar, and our staff really love it! Now we have to wait another year for it, but in the meantime, here are some photos from Cirque de la Groove. ...

Name: Cam Hometown: Calgary Age: 18 Hobbies/ Loves: Talking like a Canadian, EH!  Impersonating Bob,  Playing more instruments then he can count on his fingers & singing in the shower.  Why are you at camp? Right now, its the best way he feels he can serve God.  What do you do at camp? Chase after kids, clean bathrooms & put glow sticks in Cody's bed?  Favourite Bible Verse: 2 Kings 2:23-24 .. because of the she-bears..  If people were to describe you in one or two words what would they be? Energetic & Joyful  What did you want to be when you were 5? Entomologist .. which is basically the  study of insects.  If you were a plant what would you be? Venus fly trap What would your ultimate care package look like? lots of peanut butter stuff, coke & cookie dough

This year at camp, we have had three staff members join our team all the way from Germany! They are all spending just under a year volunteering with us in all areas of camp work. Christoph and Jessica (but most call her Fritzi!) arrived just as the summer began, while Hannah came in the beginning of September. We have loved having them here, and we asked them a few questions so that everyone could get to know them better: Christoph - @ La Groove. Rocking the golden locks. Name, age, hometown: Christoph, 21, Deisenhausen Hannah, 19, Gebersheim Fritzi, 18, Steinheim Hobbies/Loves: Christoph: Every kind of sport, and survival skills (He's our resident campfire expert!) Hannah: Being outdoors, campfires, hiking, camping, and cherry blasters candy Fritzi: Ballet, drama, being with friends, and playing guitar Of all the places you could have gone to volunteer, why did you choose Camp Evergreen? Christoph felt God's call was to Canada, and he wanted to work at camp, ...

Name: Chelsea Hometown: Airdrie, AB Age: 24 Hobbies/Loves: Playing Sims (She didn't answer quickly enough so this is what I've observed... But actually she really just loves children and hanging out with friends and also has a soft spot for animals.) Why are you at camp? "Because I love camp!: What do you do at camp? Program staff; running activities, cleaning urinals and going wherever I'm told. Favourite Bible verse: Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength." If people were to describe you in one or two words what would they be? Crazy-loud, giving.  When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A Veterinarian If you were a plant, what would you be? A Tiger Lily What would your ultimate care package look like? Or maybe just your favourite chocolate bar? Dark chocolate, cracker snacks, and fun sticky notes and coloured pens with a note from Mom. Hint,...

Next on the Who's Who at Camp Evergreen is Sarah, and that's me! I've been writing some of the blog posts this season. Weird to write about myself, but here it is! Hometown: Rocky Mountain House, AB, but my current home is in Kelowna, BC Age: The prime number that comes before the square of 5. (So, 23.) Hobbies/Loves: I studied classical music (French horn) at university, and I love it! I also love learning about anything and everything; mostly math and languages and world history. Why are you at camp? It's one way I can serve God at this time in my life. I also love the community of staff at camp, and being able to work with my friends. What do you do at camp? Challenge Course (zipline) staff, but also everything from leading team-building activities to washing dishes to painting walls to clearing snow to hosting meals. Favourite Bible verse: Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my feet." His word is like a lamp, not a h...

Name: Cody Joseph Bourassa The 1st  Hometown: Calgary Age: 91... Maybe 19/pretty much 20.  Hobbies/Loves: Drumming, the places you can go while hiking but not hiking itself, warm blankets, green tea/tea that tastes like earth like matcha or Yerba Mate (I can imagine Lacey's "that's sick" face right now) buff stickers and sour candy.  Why are you at camp? God made it possible What do you do at camp? This summer I lead out trips and did a tonne of dishes in the spring and fall.  Favourite Bible Verse: Just wrote a blog about this one! (Here it is if you are into that kinda thing. http://cody-bourassa.tumblr.com/ ) Romans 5:1-5 1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produce...

Name: Lacey Hometown: Red Deer, but Lethbridge for the past five years Age: 87... or maybe 24. Hobbies/Loves: Singing, Reading, Sleep, Chai Tea, Anything Scotland   Why are you at camp: Jesus What do you do at camp: Assistant Cook Favourite Bible Verse: Genesis 41:19 ("I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.")    If people were to describe you in one or two words, what would you want them to be? Supremely Awesome. When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A Ballerina  If you were a plant what would you be? Ficus ... (Don't be sad if you dont know what this is... We had to Google it too!)  What would your ultimate care package look like? Or maybe just your favourite chocolate bar? Nestle Crunch

Hey! Well, Fall has begun here at Camp Evergreen. Actually we are already a month in!  The leaves are changing as well as the weather. And we continue to hold on to the hope that winter will stay away for just a little bit longer. So far this fall has been jam packed with groups from youth groups on the weekend to team building days with school groups.  It has been a month full of fun and enthusiasm as we continue to zip kids down the zipline, jog the jugs across the playing field, canoe the canoe pond, and boulder our newly completed bouldering wall. Though we run the regular fun activities, we still have to do the dishes and clean the bathrooms, but we do the best we can at making those tasks fun and enjoyable as well.  Kathrin, Steph, Sarah, and Lacey's favourite times have been in the dishpit singing along to their favourite childhood Veggie Tales Songs!  Veggie tales makes everything more fun for most…Taylor seems to have her own opinion on this m...

Hey Peeps! Summer might be fading with the colour on the trees but it's still very alive in our memories. Things like Bacon playing his bagpipes up to the Tuck Shop before he got pied and Sid Koop sharing the word each day with us. Here are some pictures to (jug 'n') jog your memory: And above all - do not forget that God loves you. Fiercely.