A much belated post…

After getting back to Dryden from our weekend trip to Round Lake, we returned to the guesthouse of Northern Youth Programs (NYP). We were blessed by the hospitality of the staff (thanks, Beth, for the yummy food!) and enjoyed getting to know them throughout the week. Our family spent a good deal of time practicing our singing for the upcoming family camp and catching up on our rest from the weekend meetings in Round Lake.

Beaver Lake Camp’s “Family Empowerment Forum & Gospel Sing” began on Friday at 7:00pm. The schedule for the weekend was full of music, preaching, testimonies, sharing, fellowship, food, and family fun (like tractor rides, a dunk tank, fireworks, and more!). Here are some pictures of the amazing weekend.

How do we sum up the weekend?

Jonathan—I liked singing.  It was fun.  I really just liked it all.  That was probably the best trip to Canada I ever had.

Daniel—It was really fun! I really enjoyed myself. The people at the headquarters [guesthouse] were really hospitable and the kids at camp were fun to be around.  I’m glad I went.

Abigail—For me, it was an encouragement to see several hundred people getting together for Christian fellowship at Beaver Lake Camp.  It was really fun seeing a few old friends and meeting new ones.  It was especially fun spending a lot of time with 3 younger kids… Edward, his little sister Bryanne, and their friend Kaya.  Another one of my highlights was at the end, on Sunday night, when all the singing groups got up on stage and sang together.  Our whole time in Dryden was great!

Deborah—Being at Beaver Lake was such a huge blessing that I can’t even begin to describe it.  I loved listening to the singing, fellow-shipping with many wonderful people, and connecting with some of the children.  Some of my favorite experiences were when all of the singers and musicians sang together on stage to close the weekend, and when my sisters and I stayed up till around 2:00am doing dishes and laughing with the Headquarters staff!  God truly blessed us in so many ways.  I praise the Lord for this wonderful experience and will never forget it!

Sara—What a blessing to be at Beaver Lake Camp for the weekend!  The Lord provided many opportunities throughout our stay to serve others… from singing as a family, to giving piggyback rides and building relationships with kids, to washing dishes late into the night (or rather, early morning!).  It’s easy for me to think of what I got out of the weekend as being a lot of fun, but I truly believe that I had the best times while serving.  I am grateful for the opportunities to serve and look forward to seeing what else God has in store for our family as we serve Him together.

Kim—WOW!  What a great trip!  And what an encouragement to see all these families together, hearing the testimonies of God’s faithfulness, and visiting with folks that we met in Round Lake that were at the camp.  Staying at the guesthouse was a great blessing as well.  What a privilege it was to see God working this summer!

Kent—As you can see, we enjoyed our time at Round Lake and Beaver Lake.  As a husband and dad, there’s not much else I’d rather be doing than serving the Lord as a family.  Together, we saw Him working – in our own hearts and in the lives of others.  There were eternal decisions being made and people were getting right with God.  That by itself was amazing.  But there was so much more.  I echo the sentiments of my family.  It was a great time, and it was a joy to serve with other believers who have an eye on the everlasting.  It leaves us wanting more.