Leadership and Training

A lot is going on here at Victory. Summer staff members are starting to arrive. This week is certification week for those that want to be certified in archery and riflery. A few other counselors have arrived to help out with putting the docks in the lake and help out with getting camp ready. Recently, a group of about 200 from a church in Wasilla have rented out the facility to use as a church retreat.

Last week we held leadership meetings. All the directors and assistant directors form each camp, and the various directors that work behind the scenes, met to discuss scheduling, chapels, and other details of camp. When we weren't meeting as a whole, we were usually broken off into small groups for different areas. Leadership week ended with the whole leadership staff, plus the full-time staff, heading out to play 9 holes of captain and crew golf. Seeing that most of us haven't golfed before, this became an interesting day out on the fairways and greens, or should I say roughs, sand traps and other fairways and greens. Sadly to say, my team ended up around third with a +7 for the day.

In current news, my cold is finally breaking. At the end of last week, my throat started to get dry and my sinuses started to have troubles. Last night was the finally. I slept a total of about 13 hours, and with that, the head splitting headaches, soar throat, and the constant feeling of having to get sick have subsided enough for me to get some work done today. Prayer has been a huge help in all of this.

As I smell breakfast being finished up, I'll leave you with what is to come and some prayer requests. In the next week, the rest of the staff should be arriving. Camp orientation will get into full swing, and the fun will start. Lessons, mimes, dramas, songs, and various other activities and teaching tools will be finished, learned, and practiced in preparation for camp.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
-The health of the staff. When I got up here, there was a soar throat going around. But it has advanced to head aches and more.
-Preparation for camp. A lot has been accomplished, a lot still has to be done.
-The safety for the staff still or those going to be traveling.
-The campers that are going to be arriving in a week and a half. That their hearts may be receptive to the gospel.


Thank you all for your support and prayers. Until next time. Good morning, good evening, and good night. God bless,

Daryl

Video Update 001

The first video installment.

Getting Started

I arrived in Alaska on Monday, and got to camp that night around 7 PM. It wasn't too hard to sleep, but waking up at 3:15 AM Alaska time (7:15 AM Eastern) was the hard part. There have been some meetings, dish cleaning, planning, and more planning since arriving. There are currently school groups using the facility here. We do glacier tours and serve meals for them. Other than that, it is me planning chapel, exploring future possibilities and doing a little side work here and there. I was planning on posting a little video for you all, but there was an issue with the internet blocking some of my capabilities. I'll get back to you soon on the videos and pictures. More to come.

Victory

To give you all a brief idea about Victory, here is the "about us" part from Victory's website:

More than 50 years ago, in 1941, a few missionaries met together and discussed the benefits of meeting yearly for a time of spiritual refreshment. An extensive prayer list pinpointed the requirements for a camp and conference site, including such priorities as a high lake, good water supply and accessibility to a main road. Each of these items was found at a site by Index Lake, near the Matanuska Glacier.

Alaska was then a Territory, so it was necessary for bills to be introduced in the U.S. Congress to make the purchase of the first 80 acres possible. The camp was named Victory Bible Camp and now has facilities for more than 300 people, located on 389 acres in this beautiful valley.

Victory Bible Camps and Conference Center, located 95 miles northeast of Anchorage, in the Talkeetna Mountains, ministers mainly to the urban population of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley (Palmer and Wasilla). Frequently though, campers come from the lower 48 states, Canada, and Russia. There are camping programs year-round and include: family camps, missionary conferences, weekend retreats, public school programs and summer camps for all ages.

http://www.victorymin.org/WPAboutUs/history.html

For more information on Victory, feel free to visit their website at www.victorymin.org .