Blog Archives
The forest has come alive!
Over the past few weeks camp has not only been filled with the voices, laughs, and energy of students in our Outdoor Education program but also by the sights, sounds and smells that spring has arrived. Signs of new life are all around.
As you drive up to camp just before Bethany Pines (another camp near us) the hillside is covered in a white spring flower. As you walk around camp little sprouts of life have popped up everywhere. The California Black Oak has buds ready to produce fresh leaves. The plant life is coming back to life and so is the forest, as it is once again filled with wild life. Over the past weeks I have seen rabbits, deer, stellar jays, mountain quail, robins, bunnies, and woodpeckers all going about their spring activities.
I had two stellar jays trying to build a nest on my window ledge just outside of my room. It was fascinating to watch the process; I would see the jays fly up to the window with twigs in their mouth and try to build their nest. The only bad thing about having a pair of birds making their nest outside your window is that as soon as there is a little light they are busy at work. You hear the flap of their wings, the scratching of beaks and twigs and lots of chirping. At first it woke me up on a daily basis but over time I was able to get used to it.
On Tuesday we put out our wildlife cameras and can’t wait for the images that we get from those. Check back from time to time and when we get some good images we will put them up on the blog. We are still holding out for a bear. Camp does happen and spring is a time for lots of happenings!
- Matt
Fly swatters
Awhile back, it was a monumental day for LRCC and our visits to churches on Sundays. We had staff at four different churches throughout Southern California and were able to attend the Foothill Conference Assembly.
At three churches our staff was talking about the ELCA Malaria Campaign and at the fourth church we were doing a Camp Sunday promoting an upcoming Day Camp that will be happening at the church in the summer.
While camp has been in the ELCA Malaria Campaign for the past nine months this was only my third Sunday off the mountain doing a church visit for the ELCA Malaria Campaign. These church visits are still very new to me and it is fun for me to meet and interact with individuals from different congregations.
A few conversations that stood out to me from yesterday were the opportunity to talk with the grandfather of some one considering attending California Lutheran University, my alma mater. I got to share many of my positive experiences and impart some of my knowledge about the school and as we said our good-byes the grandfather said I should become a recruiter for CLU. Just like the ministry up the mountain it is finding common interests and building upon them.
I also enjoyed conversations with people who served in World War II and shared about their experiences in Malaria infested countries. What they were taught, how treatment has changed and just listening to some of their stories is a humbling experience.
But still more exciting was the response to the material that we presented, a hopeful out look, people committing to help in the ELCA’s effort to work to get Malaria under control by 2015. And yes that’s an ambitious goal, but to me an ambitious goal is better than a goal that is easily accomplished, it is just that much more satisfying to say look at what we did together.
At St. Andrews Lutheran Church, in Van Nuys, a member of their congregation developed a “SWAT Team”. It was their congregation’s campaign to stamp out Malaria, to join the “SWAT Team” a $10 donation was required and for a $10 donation you received a fly swatter. Clever, fun, and simple, what a great idea. I think every fly swatter was taken home that day, so super successful. Our visit to St. Andrews was their kick off event for their ELCA Malaria Campaign.
If you are interested in starting a SWAT team at your church, want LRCC to visit your church and share about how to get involved with the ELCA Malaria Campaign please call (661) 245-3519 to schedule a visit. We’ll be happy to come visit!
Do you know of other ways to help fight malaria?
- Matt
