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Redwood
Glen Newsletters
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The
latest news and events at Redwood Glen
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August
2008
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WELCOME
OUR VISION:
"To
Reflect Christ through Serving Others"
A WORD FROM OUR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
At the
Willow Creek
Leadership Summit in Chicago earlier this month, one of the speakers
challenged us by saying,
"If you want your leadership to matter, lead in the things that matter
to God."
I've spent
time pondering
his challenge as it
relates to the ministry of Redwood Glen and my leadership as I ask
myself,
"Does the ministry of Redwood Glen matter to God?"
The answer
of course is
YES!
Everyday
this very special
place challenges
children, youth, and adults to encounter Jesus Christ and to take
another step of faith with God.
Our 50th
anniversary
celebrations
were great. (See the article
on the right for highlights.) I saw so many friends of
Redwood Glen, and we enjoyed a great day together celebrating what God
has done,
what God is doing, and what God will do in the future as we dream
together.
While
the "scheduled" celebrations are over I
hope and pray that we will continue to celebrate what God is doing
through the
ministry of Redwood Glen daily.
Many of the Summit
speakers were sharing example after
example of the darkness in our society and the world. We however
know the solution.
It's a strong faith in Jesus Christ.
Redwood Glen is a great place where faith is strengthened. People
of all ages, all races, all
worship styles, all cultures, and all languages are able to hear God's
still, small voice
speak into their lives and transform them so to ultimately transform
our
world.
Thank you to all who have been part
of the first 50 years of Redwood Glen.
Thank you to
over 100 volunteers who made our
two 50th Open House Celebrations such a huge success. Thank you to all who have given to
our camp scholarship program.
Though we still need an additional $40,000 to meet our
goal, we know it is possible because all things are possible with
God.
You and I know how many
blessings there are in camping.
Would you consider sharing those blessings and helping us reach
our goal by sending a check or donating appreciated stock?
A gift to Redwood Glen is one of the best ways you can be part of our
next 50 years as you invest in the life of a child.
Thank you for your support.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Jay
E. Nordgaard,
Executive
Director
(650)
879-0320 Ext. 12
exec@redwoodglen.com
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Hello Friend of Redwood Glen
WELCOME
to the monthly
on-line newsletter of Redwood Glen, your local Bay Area Christian Camp
and Conference
Center.
It is hard to believe how quickly the summer has passed. In this
delayed August edition of our e-newsletter, we feature some of the
highlights of our 50th anniversary summer, as well as introduce you to
our 2008 international student summer staff.
If
you would like to
subscribe and receive this monthly newsletter via email, please
register your
address via the link on our homepage (www.redwoodglen.com). |
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50
REASONS TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS THIS SUMMER
Redwood Glen celebrated 50 years of ministry this summer.
It has been an exciting, exhausting, busy few months. To capture
it all, we've assembled 50 highlights.
(Trust us
when we say that there are so many more!)
 One
day was not enough for our 50th anniversary celebration. Two days
of events were planned. (1) June 28th featured a musical
production by Children's Music and Drama camp, a BBQ, an open house,
historical displays, tours, kid's activities, a special 50th
anniversary program, and our 50th celebration dinner, while (2)July 12th featured a musical
production by Youth Music and Drama camp, a BBQ, open house, historical
displays, tours, and kid's activities. (3)
Over 800 people attended our
two day party, with (4) nearly 100
volunteers from local churches, working with the camp staff to
make it all happen.
For Rev. Joan Friesen, who oversaw the celebrations, they were
"exhausting but well worth it. For me, it was a huge success
seeing people who haven't been to the camp in decades experiencing
Redwood Glen through new eyes and seeing themselves as part of a
legacy." Among
these were camp founders (5) Rev.
Gene Turtle, chair of the first Redwood Glen camp committee, (6)
Rev. J. Bryant
Wright, former Director of Christian Education and Camping from
1954-64, and (7) Rev. Douglas L. Siden,
local church pastor during the 1950's and 60's, and Director of Camping
and Youth from
1972-1999.
 Among
the honored guests at our celebration were family members of Dr.
Charles R. Shepherd to whom Shepherd Lodge is named. (8) (9)
& (10) Midge Morash (center) and her two daughters, Anne Johnson and Kim Lazaro (left & right), had never been
to Redwood Glen before. They were amazed at the ongoing impact
their father and grandfather had, especially as the (11) Dr. Charles R. Shepherd Legacy Circle
was launched to support camping at Redwood Glen.
 For (12) George Gulbengay, (13) Mary Twito Chin, and (14) Susan Vandermeer (picture right), a reunion occurred
at the 50th. George and Mary served on summer staff during the
late 1960's while Susan grew up at camp from 1964-68 as daughter of
summer camp managers, Fred and Louise Vandermeer. In awe of all
the changes at the camp in the last 40 years, George and Susan had not
been back to Redwood Glen since the 60's, but neither had (15) Margie Harner, who identified
herself to unofficial camp historian, Larry Jay, as the unknown
"Rubbles" counselor in one of the photos he displayed during the
celebration!
Among
our 50th anniversary guests were former camp managers (16) & (17) Ray and Romona Miller, who served
from 1987-1995, and (18) current Executive Director Jay Nordgaard, who began here in
1999 and shared at the anniversary dinner the 10 year vision for the
camp: (19) "No child left inside."
In pursuit of that vision and in celebration of our 50th, the camp
offered for this summer only $50 registration for all our program
camps: (20) Discovery Camp,
(21) Children's Music And Drama camp,
(22) Jr. High Camp, (23) Youth Music And Drama camp, (24) Adventure Camp at Indian Point, and
(25) Me and Mom/Dad.
With (26) 565 campers, each
camp was at or near full capacity. Under
the watchful care of (27) Brandon
Benziger, 2008 Redwood Glen Summer Program Director, and
assistants, (28) Jeff Rice and
(29) Stephanie Knapp, (30) volunteer directors and staff worked
to make each camp a memorable experience for all. The dedicated
care of the leaders is what makes the difference in the life of a child.
"The sheer number of campers that showed up was astonishing," Brandon
said. "What a wonderful opportunity for more kids to experience
camp and to have the love of Jesus shown them." For Stephanie,
one highlight of the summer was when (31),
(32), (33), (34) & (35) the 5 girls in one cabin all made
decisions for Christ the same night at Discovery Camp. This story
is just one of many testimonies that could be told of how lives were
transformed and blessed this summer.
(36) Our Camp Scholarship Fund made
this once in a 50 year registration possible. For
those who have already given, THANK
YOU! For those who have not yet given, consider investing in the
llife of a child and making camp possible so "no child is left
inside."
None of these summer events would have been possible if it were not for
the hard work and dedication of our Redwood Glen (37) year-round camp staff, who were
joined by an excellent summer crew, which included our four
international students(featured in the staff profile below),
(38) Maria Jose, (39) Karla, (40) Elena, and (41) Isil,
along with (42) Amy Nordgaard,
(43) Matt Stephens, and (44) Matt Mitchell, our
three lifeguards, who
also willingly served wherever
else they were needed.
 If two 50th
celebrations and six program camps were not enough, this summer we also
(45) dedicated the new BBQ hut
to Douglas Powers, who served on maintenance staff from 1975-85.
His family, including widow, Dona Smith Powers (pictured left) with
New Projects Director, Rob Wolf, was on hand for the official ribbon
cutting. A few weeks later, (46) the
new electic cart for the kitchen crew (nicknamed "LoLo") was officially
named and unveiled as Fred, in
memory of Fred Nordgaard, father of
Executive Director Jay Nordgaard.
It has been an event filled summer, full of stories and memories which
will last a lifetime. We are so thankful for (47) the corporate donations that came in
from Creative Paints and J Wood Painting & Restoration to help
spruce up the outside of our facilities, along with food donations from
the Ledyard Company for our celebration dinner, and financial gifts
from Growing Healthy Churches, Christian Community Credit Union, and
Orchard Foundation for our scholarship fund.
Someone once said, "We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone
before us." In our summer celebrations, we also remember (48) those who have passed on, but who
worked and served to make the vision of Redwood Glen a reality.
Their dreams during the last 50 years make the dreams for the next 50
possible.
As we look forward to the future, it is the support of people like (49)
you
that allows this ministry to continue making a difference in the lives
of people for Christ. Words cannot express our appreciation for
your partnership. Thank you. As we move from the summer
into the fall, the work continues, but in all things to (50) God be the glory for all the great
things that have been done. (God may be listed as #50, but God is
really #1!)
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 50th
ANNIVERSARY -
TRIVIA QUESTION
As we celebrate 50 years of ministry at Redwood Glen this year through
2008, we have created a monthly trivia contest to test your knowledge
of the camp's history. Answer correctly and you could win a
Redwood Glen 50th anniversary momento.
Our
May question:
Who
created Sanctuary, the outdoor chapel at Indian Point, and has been the
visionary leader of Indian Point and Junior Adventure Camp since the
late 1960's?
 The answer: DAVID SATO. Unfortunately, on
August 13, 2008, after a long heroic struggle with diabetes, David
Masashi Sato passed on peacefully and joyfully to "the Great Fishing Hole in the Sky," as his family has called it. A celebration of his life was
held on August 16th at First Baptist Church in Sacramento. The family
has requested that memorial donations for this school teacher of 43
years be made to Rancho
Cordova Elementary School PTA,
or to Redwood Glen, where David taught about science and ecology in the
beauty of God's creation. (Click here for a recap of his
life.)
David
and his wife Bonnie are pictured above at Indian Point during
David's last visit to Redwood Glen earlier this summer. In next month's edition of our Redwood
Glen e-newsletter, we will feature more on David, the history
of Indian Point, and David's vision for Indian Point based on in depth interviews with him
earlier this spring. We
will miss the passionate vision and beautiful spirit of this long-time
friend of Redwood Glen.
Congratulations to this month's triple
trivia winners:
- Matt
Brown of Vallejo First Baptist Church
- Suzi
Cassone of Martinez First Baptist Church
- Romona
Miller, former Redwood Glen Camp Manager
Our August
question:
What is the primary focal point at Sanctuary,
the outdoor chapel at Indian Point? And as a
bonus question: When
did David first discover it?
Send
guesses to news@redwoodglen.com.
The correct answer and winner will be featured in next month's
e-newsletter.
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STAFF
SPOTLIGHT: International Summer Staff
Since 2001, Redwood Glen has partnered with CCUSA (Camp Counselors USA)
to recruit the service of international students for the summer.
As an internationally recognized organization, CCUSA has developed a
reputation for providing high quality service for the over 150,000
young adults and 1,000 camps with which they work. Summer 2008
has been no exception with this summer's staff being "one of the best,"
according to one of our year-round staff.
Redwood
Glen's CCUSA 2008 summer staff at the Japanese Tea Garden in San
Francisco's Golden Gate Park: Maria Jose Cruz from Mexico, Karla Perez from Mexico, Elena Kolikova from Russia, and Isil Elveris from Turkey.
Because California is a popular travel destination, Redwood Glen is an
attractive location for internationals. A visa problem for our
original CCUSA participant generated a last minute phone call to Maria Jose. "I was really
excited to get the call to come to California," she said. "My
golden dream is to travel. I really want to know California and
Hawaii. Europe, also."
Along with her interest in travel, bonsais are another passion for this
biology student. With her one year old Japanese bonsai maple,
which is only 5 inches tall, Marie Jose founded the bonsai club for the
city of Puebla, Mexico, where she is from. She is currently one
of its youngest and most committed members. Though the collection
of bonsais at the Japanese Tea Garden are "beautiful" and "stunning,"
she does hope to see the Golden State Bonsai Collection-North in
Oakland before returning to Benemerita Universidad
Autoname de Pueblo, where she will be completing her final
year.
Like Maria Jose, Karla is
also from Mexico completing her final year in college. Though she
"loves it," she is preparing for a hard semester as she completes her
degree in international affairs at the
Tecnologico de Monterey Campus Chihuaua. As she looks to a career
in political affairs with international organizations, she enjoys her
studies in international law, diplomatic affairs, world religions,
world history, and world literature.
It's not all serious academic reading for Karla, however. This
student from Chihuaua also loves dancing, movies, and Harry Potter
books. "I know that they are not the most intellectual books that
I can find," she admitted, "But they make me feel relaxed, so when I'm
feeling stressed I usually read them."
For Karla, one reason she participated in CCUSA is to improve her
English skills. Elena,
who returns to Redwood Glen for a second summer, also shares that
reason.
Fluent in Russian, English, and German
(in that order), Elena, who comes from Togliatty, Russia, is also
studying French, will be taking Spanish this next year, and is looking
for a teacher so she can begin studying Japanese.
"I really like everything that is
related to Japan," she confesses. After a visit to
San Francisco Japantown last summer, the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden
Gate Park was a "must see" for Elena this summer, and becameTHE San
Francisco highlight for all our international staff during a city tour
earlier this month.
For Elena, another summer highlight was her first day back at Redwood
Glen. "I was waiting for this day for 9 months," she said.
"I was really happy to see everyone again." A linguistics student
at the Institute of External Relations, Economics, and Law in Russia,
Elena hopes to return to Loma Mar for a third summer.
Though Isil is a philosphy
student, she, like the other International staff, chose
to come to Redwood Glen to improve her linguistic skills. "I
wanted to come alone and be the only Turkish girl so I can practice
English," she said. In the fall, she will return to her studies
at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, where all her courses
this semester will be taught in English. With an
interest in German philosophy, she does not,
however, speak German. This student from Istanbul will study
German philosophers in English
at a Turkish university!
Before she can begin, however, Isil needs to pass the TOEFL exam (Test
Of English as a Foreign Language). She took the test last week in
Fresno, and though she won't know her results until she returns to
Turkey, her time in Loma Mar has helped her to listen and speak English
more naturally.
As a Muslim, Isil has found her
time at a Christian camp to be a "positive experience." She chose
to come to Redwood Glen to experience a different religion. "I
like the way you pray and share feelings," she said. "It's
different in my country."
For Redwood Glen staff, the summer is
full of new experiences and cross-cultural opportunities, not just for
the international students but for our American staff team as
well. Each of us has been blessed, and we have all learned a lot
from "the girls." We will miss them but wish them all the best.
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 METAMORPHOSIS: Redwood Glen's ministry to pastors &
church leaders
Once again this
summer, pastors and their families enjoyed two weeks of Sabbath time
made available by Redwood Glen. A United Methodist pastor from Missouri, Jeff Brinkman, one of our July participants, came to
California for a week, during six weeks of renewal leave. Jeff
writes, "My life has been marked by
what I could call, 'seized upon by God for a purpose.' This is
both a joyful and a painful thing. From time to time, I get
overwhelmed, loaded up, drug down. Being here this week has
allowed me to unwind. It has allowed me to enter into the
presence of God. It has reconnected me with some things that I
needed to touch. It was the highlight of my renewal leave."
Through Metamorphosis, Redwood Glen provides learning and renewal
experiences for pastors, associate staff, and church leaders seeking to
enrich their lives and ministries. The 2009 Pastor's Sabbath
dates will be available around the first of the year. Can't wait
that long? Contact us
about a personal retreat. For more information on the ministry of
Metamorphosis, check out our website.
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Redwood
Glen REFLECTIONS
This
monthly e-newsletter is a communication tool for the supporters,
friends, and guests of Redwood
Glen in Loma Mar, CA. We welcome your comments and suggestions. To ensure that you continue to receive our
e-newsletter, add info@redwoodglen.com
to your address book today. Redwood
Glen is located in the scenic coastal redwoods of the Santa Cruz mountains,
between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz.
We are conveniently located one hour from both San Francisco and San Jose
airports.
For more
information, www.redwoodglen.com.
 
Redwood
Glen, a Bay Area Christian Camp and Conference Center,
is an
accedited member of the American
Camp Association
and a member of the Christian Camp and Conference Association.
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If you have
a Redwood Glen story or an idea for this email newsletter, contact...
Larry
Jay
(650) 879-0320 Ext. 11
news@redwoodglen.com
If you would
like to
subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, please register your email via
the link
on our homepage (www.redwoodglen.com).
THANK YOU! (Our e-newsletter is supported by Constant
Contact.) |
Redwood Glen | 100 Wright Dr. | Loma Mar | CA | 94021 |
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