Lauren's SECOND Crazy New Mexico Summer

Back to Albuquerque.

2008-08-12T16:55:00.003-06:00

Camp ended on Friday morning, and I got back to Albuquerque on Friday night. I've been frantically editing pictures since then, so stay tuned for a final update and link to a TON of photos, coming soon.

Until then, here's a teaser:

(This is a picture of my feet at White Sands.)

Multimedia message

2008-07-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

When the creek flooded again this morning and i got out of the car to take pictures, i stepped into about six inches of mud. (Except for the rocks, it felt good between my toes.)

Three weeks in the black hole that is camp.

2008-07-27T22:40:00.001-06:00

So, the last three weeks have been nuts, and subsequently, I have not updated this blog for the last three weeks. Sorry. But no worries, because tonight, here it is.

Highlights from the past three weeks:

- RAIN. Three weeks ago, when University Baptist and Christ Chapel were here, we saw more water than I think we'd seen all summer. We had to cancel afternoon activities several times, replacing them with card games and karaoke fun-time. Camp was muddy, to say the least. Fortunately, the kids had a blast anyways.

- Art Loop. On Saturday of University Baptist/Christ Chapel week, most of the staff went to Lone Tree's lakefront property to relax, eat marshmallows, and wakeboard. However, I stayed at the Ranch and spent the afternoon in Capitan, doing my laundry, drinking espresso from a nomadic barista in a coffee cart, and touring the local art galleries. As it turned out, Lincoln County was having an art festival that I didn't know about, and I got to go inside a bunch of galleries and artists' studios. Mega deal.

- Lauren's first flash flood. On the way back from the Art Loop, the creek at the end of the road to camp flooded (as it tends to do when in rains a lot). Fortunately, I got across before the water came, but I pulled over to watch it once I was on the camp-side of the wash. All I can say is that it was nuts; I'd never seen anything like it except on TV (it flooded the road and went five feet above the concrete in about five minutes). I took a ton of pictures, but I won't post them here, for the sake of my mom's well-being.

- MORE RAIN. It rained a lot over the two following weeks. God answers prayers.

- Sophie's Birthday. At some point over the past few weeks (I forget which week it was now...), Sophie Dirks (the camp director's younger daughter) turned ten. We had a lot of fun, decorating her pink vespa and wearing hot pink "I love Sophie" bandanas all day.

- Calvary. Calvary Chapel from Albuquerque were here this past week, and those kids are CRAZY. It was a good time, but there were 145 people at camp this week (we usually have between 100 and 120), so we were all stretched a little thin. Nonetheless, it was a crazy, fun, fast-paced week, and in the end, Calvary blessed the staff with super-cool T-shirts.

So that's just a taste of what's been going on around here since my last update. Here are some prayer requests:

- The kids. Continue to pray for the kids that have been here, that their Lone Tree experiences have impacted their lives in a positive way and that they don't forget what God has taught them here, as well as for the kids that haven't yet arrived, that God would prepare their hearts and minds for camp and everything He wants to show them here.

- The staff. We're in the home stretch. Pray that we would continue to encourage and invest in each other and that we would stay focused on God and grounded in Him. Pray that we would have energy to match these crazy campers who haven't been here for two months already.

- The people of Ruidoso. Lincoln County got a LOT of rain this weekend, and Ruidoso (the ski town about twenty miles up the road) saw more rain than it has in years. They had a lot of flash floods (I don't know if anyone was killed or hurt, but I know a lot of cars and mobile homes and trees were damaged), so pray for the people impacted by those, that God would somehow reveal Himself and His sovereignty in the midst of the craziness.

This week: Mundo de Fe arrives. (Mundo de Fe is a Spanish-speaking, Hispanic ministry from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.) It should be a crazy, rocking good time, complete with Spanish worship music. After that, it's just one more week and then back to Albuquerque. Crazy. (I guess time flies when you're disinfecting the dining hall.)

Hump Week.

2008-07-06T22:35:00.001-06:00

Apparently, this was the middle week of the summer (which made Wednesday SUPER Hump Day). It was a really good week, and I was sad to let the kids leave (but not so sad to have a weekend of recovery... I slept for ten hours last night, and it was GLORIOUS).

Highlights include:

- First Baptist Church from Las Cruces. All of the church groups this week (we had three) were great, but I spent the most time with the kids (and leaders) from First Baptist. They ran their own program (comparing contemporary American super heroes, such as Spiderman and Batman, to Biblical figures, like Joseph and David), which proved a refreshing break from the Ranch's Exodus-study, and they gifted me with a super-cool t-shirt and water bottle before they left. All in all, they were a blast, and I'm going to miss them.

- The Forest. Lincoln National Forest opened this week, so camp has moved up onto the mountain. Digglers just got a whole lot more exciting (and Rebecca, our camp nurse, just got a whole lot busier).

- Fourth of July. The Ranch staff made an appearance in the annual Capitan parade, while our campers watched from the sidelines. I can't think of a better way to spend our nation's day of independence than chucking candy at children.

- The Trough. Seeing as how this is my second summer at the ranch, it's a little surprising that I hadn't gone in the horse trough before this weekend. But, on Saturday morning, team Australia (composed of kids from FBC) decided my time had come and voted to throw me in. (Good thing I wore my swimming trunks to breakfast.) It was a hot morning, and the water felt cool, but for some reason no one wanted to hug me after that. Go figure.

- The Smokey Bear Stampede. Fourth of July festivities in Capitan include a multi-day rodeo at the fairgrounds, and a handful of our staff made it out to the Saturday night installment. The food was worthy of any carnival (i.e. delicious, overpriced, and without nutritional value), and we got to see real cowboys (attempt to) ride bulls and bucking broncos. Definitely worth the ten dollar entrance fee.

I don't know who exactly is coming this week, but it should be a good one. Here are some ways you can pray for the Lone Tree community:

- Our staff. We need patience and endurance and energy (as always). Pray that we would stay focused on God, that we would have servants' hearts, and that we wouldn't devour each other (or any of the children).

- The kids. Pray for the ones that have already been here, that they would remember what they learned at Lone Tree as they return home, and for the ones that have yet to come, that they would be excited about camp and eager to learn (more) about God. Pray that no one gets seriously hurt, now that the forest is open and we can use the mountain again.

- Rain. Pray that it continues to rain (because the ground needs it) and that camp can continue to function around the weather (since rain tends to hault activities like digglers and mountain bikes). Pray that God would continue to protect Lone Tree as the lightning and hail storms happen more frequently.

- The Fort and Mexico Missions. Pray for Lone Tree's other ministries, that He would be revealing Himself to the people involved (staff and campers/missions groups) and that He would sustain the staffs through the rest of the summer.

It's all downhill from here! (Or so, it should seem.)

TVLC has come and gone.

2008-06-29T22:24:00.001-06:00

Even though we didn't do our program, it was a LONG week. (TVLC, a Lutheran youth group from Tuscon, Arizona, was here.) Here are some of the highlights:
- Pharoah, Pharoah. I love Lone Tree's worship music, but we don't sing typical camp songs when we run our program. TVLC brought such favorites as "Pharoah, Pharoah" and "I Love You, I Love You" (with lots of hugging) onto the Lone Tree scene. It was great.
- Lunch-songs. TVLC reinstated the tradition (for TVLC's group only) of singing to people with elbows on the table (instructing them to run around said table) and of selecting individuals to sing a song to the rest of the dining hall. And, as always, we ended each lunch with karaoke.
- Troughing. I managed to avoid the Lone Tree Ranch swimming pool for yet another week, but a handful of other people went in - including Forrest, Zach, and Chris (all having birthdays this week) and two of TVLC's leaders. (Billy, their youth pastor, made the fatal error of enlisting Steve, our camp director and a die-hard Huskers fan, to back him up in a cheer for Kansas. Billy later went in the trough.)
- White Sands!!! On Saturday, after the kids left, some of the staff went to White Sands to watch the sun set, eat charred beef/Boca burger, and throw sand at each other. If you've never seen it, think: BIG beach, without any ocean - and extra-breathtakingly-beautiful. (I took a LOT of pictures... I'll post those at the end of the summer.)

So TVLC's back home in Tuscon, and we get a fresh batch of campers tomorrow afternoon. (In other words, it's a good time for prayers.) Here are some specifics:
- TVLC gone home. Pray that the campers from last week wouldn't forget whatever God showed them while they were at camp and that they continue to grow in Him as they return to their normal lives.
- Back to our program. This week, we're back to full-capacity, and we're starting the first of a string of weeks where we run our program. So things around here are about to pick up significantly. Pray that we would have patience with ourselves, with the kids, and with each other, that we would let God use us for His work, and that we would have the energy and endurance we need to stir up these kids. Also, pray that no one gets seriously hurt and that the kids are open to our program and to our teaching.
- RAIN! It's been raining A LOT lately, but pray that it keeps up. Word on the street is that the forest might open this week. Pray that it will.

Here we go again.

White Sands

2008-06-29T16:25:00.001-06:00

a picture of white sands as we drove away (we went there yesterday)

Week(s) in Review.

2008-06-22T23:19:00.001-06:00

So, two weeks later, I'm FINALLY getting around to posting a real update. (Sorry about that... it's been a crazy two weeks. And sorry to everyone who sent support, who I have yet to send a thank you note. It's coming.) We just got done running two consecutive weeks of our program (first with sixty-ish kids, then with one hundred and ten-ish). It was a good two weeks, but between running the camp program twice and going to Mexico in between (a day trip last Saturday), I was spent. But tomorrow is a new day, and the Lutherans are coming.

Here are some prayer requests:
- The staff. We've got a LONG way to go, and we're already tired. Pray that God would give us energy and sustain us for the long haul. Also, pray that we would have patience with one another, with the kids that come through, and with the entourage of youth leaders that come with them. Pray that we could stay focused on God and that we would be diligent in building each other up.
- The kids. We had a handful of kids over the past two weeks who professed faith in Christ for the first time, and some kids recommitted their lives. Pray for those kids, as well as the others, that they would find communities back home to plug into (ideally, their church youth groups) and that they wouldn't lose sight of God as the hype of camp wears off. Pray for those campers who still don't know Christ, that they would find Him as they return to their home lives.
- The leaders and churches. Pray for the youth leaders of these churches, that God would continue to equip them for the jobs He has called them to do. Pray that these leaders would stay focused on Him as they minister to these kids, and that their time at camp has helped them to become more effective leaders. Pray that they would continue to be renewed and encouraged as they return to their regular lives (especially for those youth pastors who work other full-time jobs).
- The coming weeks (or rather, this week). We're not running our program this week, so we should have a little more down-time than we've had in the past two, but this week will certainly have its share of challenges. Pray for safety, that we wouldn't have any serious injuries, and for focus, that everyone at camp (staff, campers, and leaders) would be actively seeking God. Likewise, pray that He would show Himself this week.
- RAIN. Summer officially began on Saturday, and monsoon season is fast-approaching. We saw a little rain this week (plus an INTENSE lightning storm during worship one night), but it wasn't enough to open the forest (or even lower the fire danger), so pray that rain would come soon - and plentifully.

That's all for now. Check back next week for another update... maybe sooner if I see something compelling while my camera-phone is handy.

Week three (?)

2008-06-19T10:42:00.001-06:00

I'm losing track of time. We went to Mexico this past weekend, and the trip really took it out of me. Stay tuned for a full update this weekend, but in the meantime enjoy this picture of the children playing our Monday night game.

First week down, nine to go (?)

2008-06-08T14:48:00.001-06:00

I'm not actually sure if it's nine or eight weeks left, and this was actually the second week of camp (if you count staff training), but who's counting?

This was a good week, but it went by really fast. RYLA (the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp for rising high school seniors from Texas, our only non-church group for the summer) was here, and a LOT of them came out to our morning devotions, where we sang and prayed and fellowshipped (it was optional for them). Since I spent most of the week in the kitchen, running errands, or doing various camp behind-the-scenes projects (and otherwise not running any afternoon activities), I didn't get to know very many of the kids. But I do know that many of them need your prayers - for the ones that know Christ, that they would keep focused on Him as they assume leadership positions in their high schools and transition into college life, and for the ones that don't know Christ, that He would draw them into Himself. Also, pray for the RYLA leaders, that they would come to know Christ (since many of them don't).

As for the staff, we're having a blast but not getting hardly any sleep (except on Saturday morning... and it was glorious), so pray that we would have energy and endurance and excitement for everything that we're trying to accomplish. Pray that we would be patient with each other (and with ourselves) and be diligent about building each other up in Christ. Also, pray that we would find rest when we can.

So that about covers last week. Next week, we have a VERY small group (about sixty kids? we had like 130 people last week), so I'm not really sure what to expect. Pray that everyone stays safe and has an open heart for learning whatever God has to teach us this week (both staff and campers). And pray for rain (and LOTS of it), so the forest will not be a giant fire waiting to happen (it's closed until further notice - i.e. until it rains), and so we can resume all the fun parts of camp that are currently off-limits.

And just for fun, here's a picture of me and my fellow staffer Rachel, playing around on Chris's MacBook this afternoon. Laugh heartily (we did). And stay tuned for more updates, as time and internet availability allow.

Windy day.

2008-06-04T19:56:00.001-06:00

I don't know if it shows up in the picture, but the mountains are particularly hazy today.

As a side note, me and the wind are fighting.

Got to camp late Thursday night.

2008-05-25T00:00:00.001-06:00

This is the view from my bedroom door. But don't worry; it only gets better.

I love New Mexico.

Off to camp.

2008-05-22T16:30:00.001-06:00

I'm leaving for camp today. Woo hoo!

If I'm incommunicado for a while, it's because communication there is limited. Stay tuned for updates... sometime.

And so it begins. (OR: an online variation of my support letter.)

2008-05-04T22:18:00.003-06:00

I must be crazy. Gas prices keep climbing higher, the planet keeps getting hotter, and I want to drive eighteen hundred miles so I can live in the desert.

For the second summer in a row, I’m safely stowing that college degree here in Richmond and going out West to work at summer camp. And what would possess someone to leave their moderately-lucrative career with the Starbucks Coffee Company and venture on such a bank-draining excursion? Besides wanting to escape the monotony of cranking out lattes in Short Pump, I’ve discovered Lone Tree Ranch to be a place of refuge, of beauty, and of growth (for myself, my fellow staff, and the campers). And I can’t think of a better way to spend my summer than being a part of such a place.

Lone Tree Ranch sits at 7000 feet in elevation, at the base of the 10,000 foot Capitan Mountains, on the edge of the Lincoln National Forest, in southeastern New Mexico (three hours outside of Albuquerque and eight miles outside of a small town obsessed with Smokey Bear). The Ranch is a high-adventure camp dedicated to spreading the gospel and encouraging people in their relationships with God through relationships with people. The camp offers a multitude of activities, including rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, remote control cars, and a mechanical bull. These activities aim to challenge campers and teach them about Christ in a loving, active, and fun environment.

Since the Ranch is an outreach ministry and doesn’t want the expense to prevent anyone from coming to camp, Lone Tree asks its staff to raise financial support. (Camper fees only cover about 60% of the cost to run camp.) If you would like to financially support Lone Tree Ranch, send your check (payable to “Lone Tree, Inc.”) to Lone Tree Ranch/P.O. Box 523/Capitan, NM 88316. All gifts are tax deductible (Lone Tree will send you a receipt), and we appreciate any amount you can give, no matter how small.

Lone Tree Ranch is a crazy, challenging, chaotic place. So, whether or not you’re financially supporting the Ranch this summer, I appreciate any prayer and moral support you can give. I’ve made a blog (you're reading it), so you can keep up with prayer requests and various camp-happenings throughout the summer. Also, feel free to send me e-mails during the week through the camp account. Just send them to nmranch@lonetree.org and put my first and last name in the subject line.

Let me know if you have any questions. If you want to know more about Lone Tree Ranch, or any of Lone Tree’s other ministries, visit their website at http://lonetree.org.

Thanks for taking time to consider supporting me and this ministry. I hope your summer is as awesome and as fruitful as I hope mine to be.