Lutherhaven Annual Report :: 2014 | Page 14

Tim Bayer | Pullman, WA 2004 Camp Counselor & Day Camp Team Leader 2005 Summer Program Coordinator - Leaders in Training; 2005-2007 Dean, Institute for Servant Leadership; 2006 Shoshone Summer Program & Servant Event Director; 2011 Idaho Servant Adventures Speaker; 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014 Resource Staff Lutherhaven is a place where my deepest relationships are rooted. It’s where my wife and I met (the second time!) Many life-long friendships began in the kitchen and dining hall, singing and sharing around campfires, sitting on the lakefront docks, hanging out on the couches of the retreat center, and “playing” in the trees of the challenge course. Now, our kids look forward to being at camp, even if it’s for a quick drop-in to say “hi.” Catherine Doyle | Goldendale, WA 2006-2007 Counselor 2008 LIT Director Camp has been one of the most formative experiences in my young adult life. It was there that I really grew in my faith, learning how to trust in God with my future and with the daily goings-on. I made some amazing lifelong friends and fantastic memories – every once in a while I’ll catch a whiff of peaty woods or grass in the hot sunshine and get intensely homesick for Lutherhaven! One of the things I love most camp was that it showed me how much I was capable of. Instead of being told what I couldn’t do because of my disability, the common sentiment was “what else can we get Catherine to do?” I did the zip line, the rope course, the blob, and all number of other things that would make my mother cringe, but it gave me confidence to keep pushing limits. Now I’m a doctor, delivering babies, putting casts on broken limbs and stitching up wounds - doing things nobody thinks a disabled person can do! Camp helped me see that I truly can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 14 Dani Smelcer | Estes Park, CO 2012 Summer Camp Counselor 2013-14 Program Intern; 2014 Idaho Servant Adventures Program Leadership Lutherhaven is a place where God is active in a way I can see and experience, because it is the place where I was truly paying attention. The challenges and experiences I had at Lutherhaven impacted my life and my faith in a way I will never forget and will always cherish. Dave Houglum | Portland, OR 1998-2002 Support Staff Camp has served as an incredible catalyst for the transformation of my mind, heart, and hands throughout the summers and years that I worked there, and continues to impact me today. Camp taught me how to live authentically and creatively, seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary - particularly seeing God in all things. Camp is where I learned about servant leadership, something I now teach others as a professor with Gonzaga University and the University of Portland. As a bonus, I met my wife Melissa at camp! Ric Hartman | Milwaukee, WI 1976 Camp Counselor; 1977 Off-site Director; 1979 Assistant Program Director; 1980 Program Director Camp became a special home to me, and I’ve never had a more loving and supportive family. Totally blessed to have been able to “work” in such an amazingly beautiful place, and gain experiences I never dreamed possible. So many talented and passionate staffers have mentored my life - from a place where God shows his face each day. h Lisa Kostenick | North Hollywood, CA 1974-1979 Summer Camper; 1980-1982 Summer Support Staff; 1983-1985 Camp Counselor I was soooo excited to attend camp when I came of age. I went every summer! Lutherhaven is in my blood. Most every person who knows me knows that. It will ALWAYS be my favorite place on earth! It is where I really came to fall in love with the Lord. There in the great outdoors… in shorts and a t-shirt around a roaring campfire… I realized that God is ‘cool’ and you can come to Him as you are! Just come! Paul and Megan Olson | Parker, CO 1998-2010 Youth Ministry Team, Development Director, Board of Directors What started out as a nine month internship - has turned (for me and my wife) into a nearly twenty year involvement in a ministry that is impacting lives and raising up leaders for the glory of God! It is a true joy each month for us to write out a check to Lutherhaven Ministries. Even though we are hundreds of miles away in distance, we get to be part of something special – something that God can only truly orchestrate. To the board of directors and to the full-time staff, fellow donors and volunteers – THANK YOU! Thanks for serving others and impacting lives, and thanks for the gift it is for us to prayerfully be part of it! God has been up to something special for many years now with Lutherhaven Ministries…and you gotta believe it’s just getting started!