the camp hammer blog

Hey Friends and Family!  Hope all is well on this cold and rainy February morning.  Even though we would love to see the sunshine, the rain is always a welcome guest here in the woods for a few reasons:

1. It helps replenish out water supply!

2. It will help fill the pond a few months from now!

3. It keeps everything nice and green!

So, although the sunshine gives us hopes of summer, the rain is a friend of the redwoods!

Three By Spring

Camp is busy, busy, busy these days!  Our maintenance team is working hard building and creating drainage for all the rain that has come through.  Let me be the first to say that our maintenance crew here at Camp Hammer are all-stars.  They are two of the most servant minded people around!  God has truly blessed Camp Hammer with our maintenance team!  I would also like to give a shout out at this time to the Twin Lakes Men’s Ministry who have devoted countless hours, and continue to in hopes of making Camp Hammer a better place!  Thanks guys, you too, are incredible examples of what it is to serve!

Ok, so what are these guys doing at Camp you might ask?  Well, they are helping Camp Hammer move forward with a campaign we like to call “Three By Spring.”  This 3BS campaign consists of three very specific needs that Camp Hammer has: Re-roofing buildings, Replacing/expanding the Apostle Lodge Deck, and scholarshipping students to attend Camp this summer.  The TLC Men’s Ministry is helping by donating the time and skills needed to complete these tasks, but there is still much more to be done!  We have begun to move forward on some of these projects, but we are still in need of funding and prayer!  In the month of March we are focusing primarily on the Apostle Lodge Deck!  This is a very exciting project because it will allow Apostle students to have more space of their own for meeting, hanging out, and storing personal things.  If you would like to partner with Camp Hammer and lift this project up in prayer, pray that God would continue to provide the funding and resources to complete this project before the end of March!  If you feel led to give financially, check out the “give” section of our website for specific instruction, or call our front office at (831.338.3200 x10).  We are incredibly excited for all of the amazing things God is doing here at Camp in this season!

Recruiting Recap.

Mossi, Noobie, and I (Liger), just returned from our Southern California recruiting tour.  We met a lot of incredible young men and women looking to serve at Camp this summer!  After all of the people we have met, it is clear that we are going to have another incredible staff devoted to serving the students who attend Camp Hammer in the Summer of 2010!

Well, I think we have given you enough to chew on for this week, so as you go through the next few days, please remember to lift Camp up in prayer!  Keep checking back to the blog for news and updates on the 3BS Campaign, and also other cool things to come!  Peace.

Camp Hammer Staff.

Liger.

Tags: camp, camp hammer, February, friends, give, hammer, hope, pond, rain, spring, Summer, three by spring, time, TLC, Twin Lakes Church
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Rain

Hey Friends and Family!  Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Like many of you, we have had constant, or near constant rain for the past 10 days.  Power has been out twice since last Monday but thankfully it is back on now.  Mini Waterfalls, leaves, and branches litter the mountain roads as you drive to Camp.  It is gray each day, but beautiful.  We are so thankful for the rain!  Our redwood retreat thrives on it, not to mention our pond will appreciate it when we begin to fill it in the Spring.  As you walk through Camp, it is amazing to see just how green it will get!  It’s also incredible how well you can hear our “roaring” creek that runs through the forest!  Needless to say, we are thankful for the rain!

Recruit

Mossi and Liger (Eric and Andrew) just returned from a Northwest recruiting trip.  They visited George Fox University in Newburg, Oregon, and Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington.  They reconnected with old staff, and met many young men and women who could end up at Camp this summer!  In a few weeks, Camp Hammer will head to Southern California to complete the second half of recruiting.  They will be visiting Azusa Pacific (Feb. 8th & 9th), Point Loma (Feb. 10th), and Biola (Feb. 11th & 12th).  If you are in the area be sure to stop by and say hello.  If you are thinking about working at Camp and live in Southern California, be sure to take some time in the next few weeks and get your applications in!  We look forward to seeing you!

Write

Finally, we are just mere days away from launching our “Camp Hammer Love Stories” campaign.  Starting next week we will be posting a new story each week on the website for your viewing pleasure.  To view the posts, all you have to do is check out the camphammer.com main page.  The stories will be there for you to enjoy.  Remember, these stories aren’t reserved for specific people!  In order to submit one, you just need to have your very own story to share.  We want to share the stories of all who love Camp Hammer.  Check out other blog posts to see more specifics!

Farewell for now.  Hope to hear from you all soon!  Summer 2010 is closer than EVER.  And remember, “Today is the day the Lord has made!”

Camp Staff

Tags: 2010, camp, camp hammer, creek, February, forest, hammer, leaves, liger, Lord, love, love story, Monday, mossi, rain, recruit, road, story, Summer, summer 2010, write
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Happy New Year!  2010 has arrived.  I hope you all enjoyed your holiday season, and are as excited for 2010 as we are!  The mark of the New Year means that Summer 2010 is closer than ever!  After a quiet December, Camp Hammer is back in full swing preparing for this upcoming summer.  Liger and Mossi will be venturing across the Northwest in weeks to come searching for this summer’s staff.  Registration is open, and Camps are filling up.  It is so exciting to think about all the young men and women who will be here in just a few months.  Until then, we have some great weekend retreats coming through!  We are definitely staying busy, and enjoying the promise of all the fun to come.  Now that the holidays are over you can count on the Camp Hammer blog being updated weekly!  Continue to check it out and leave us your comments!  We love hearing from you.  I hope this week that you will remember that you are loved by the creator of all.  Until next week…

Camp Staff.

Tags: 2010, camp, camp hammer, fun, hammer, liger, mossi, New Year, Summer
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Hello Camp Hammer Friends and Family!  I hope you are doing so well!  If you are a student, you are most likely awaiting the final school bell to ring, and Christmas vacation to begin.  If you are an adult, you are probably looking forward to some time spent away from the office this Christmas.  Whatever the case may be, Camp Hammer is so excited for this holiday season!  There is so much going on!  We just sent out our 2010 Brochures!  Look for them in your mailboxes.  Also, in just over a month, Mossi and Liger will be traveling around to find this the summer of 2010’s staff!  I love that summer preparations begin in December!  It makes if feel like summer is already getting closer!  Also, we are all excited for this time of year in which we celebrate the birth of a savior!  Christ’s birth is the reason for the season, and that is what Camp Hammer is all about.  We hope that this holiday season you are able to take some time and remember the baby that was born so many years ago, that saved the world!  How exciting!  Also, in these next few weeks remember that Camp Hammer loves you, and is praying for you this holiday season!  Have a great last week of school or work, and check out the blog next week!  Peace!

Camp Hammer Staff

Tags: 2010, Brochures, camp, camp hammer, Christ, hammer, liger, mossi, Noel, Prayer, Savior, Summer
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Hey Friends and Family!

I hope you are well on this beautiful September day!  A lot has happened in the last week and a half.  We had two Future Life Retreats come and go, and also Twin Lakes Church Family Camp was here two weekends ago.  It has been very busy to say the least.

Family Camp was so much fun.  Over 200 people were here camping together.  It was great to meet and re-connect with so many families who love Camp Hammer.  So many campers from previous summers were here as well.  It actually felt a lot like the summer because of all the fun things going on.  We had a great time hosting you Family Campers!  See you next year.

Monte Vista and Calvary Christian came last week for their annual Fall Future Life Retreats.  If you don’t know what  a Future Life Retreat is, I will explain it.  A Future Life Retreat is when a youth group or school comes to camp and we facilitate a 3 or 4 day program for them.  We play games, open rides, do some team building, have great seminars and worship, and really just have a good time!  Anyway, we just had two.  They were a blast.  We brought back a famous team building activity called The Egg Drop.  For this activity students are given a small bag of supplies and an egg, and are challenged to create a contraption that will keep the egg safe when dropped from about 8 ft.  It is a lot harder than it sounds.  Out of 28 teams, we had 2 that did it.  It is a fun activity nonetheless and causes students to work together and problem solve as a team!  Pictures will be on the site in the next few weeks!  Keep your eyes out.

This week is a pretty mellow one around Camp.  We are preparing for groups to come, and have started brainstorming ideas for next summer.  Be sure to check the mail in the next week or so, you might just have something delivered by Camp Hammer.  Alright, have a great Tuesday!

Camp Hammer Staff

Tags: calvary, camp, camp hammer, egg drop, family, family camp, hammer, monte vista, redwoods, retreat, school, Summer
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Hello All.  Well I hope this blog finds you well on this beautiful September morning!  I walked down to the office this morning and it was already like 75 degrees outside.  Love it.  Makes it feel like summer will never end.  As I sit in my office (the Cave) some may call it, I have no choice but to daydream of next summer.  I know summer 2009 just ended, but I can’t help it!  I mean c’mon, my job is to create fun games and activities for kids to do at a Camp.  My mind is constantly going over different things we can do…even when I am not working.  It’s like a sickness, a good sickness if there is such a thing.  I am already thinking of new skits, possibilities for team comps (something with a mud-pit?), banquet themes, and even a new gag to use before night games.  Call me crazy, but I just love this place, and planning for summer.

Ok, so, I am going to abruptly change my train of thought, but just go with it!  This year, 09/10, we need to get the word out there about Camp Hammer!  If you have worked here, or come as a camper, or you just plain love this place and you follow us online (Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Website), you gotta spread the word.  Camp Hammer is like this hidden treasure…but better (that rhymed).  We are a small camp with HUGE heart.  If you have experienced Camp you know what I am talking about.  So my mission to you: tell your friends about camp.  Show them videos on our website or you-tube.  Follow our blog, and tell your friends as well!  Join the Twitter community and follow our “tweets…” Our twitter is called “CampHammerTime.”  Become a fan of Camp Hammer on Facebook!  All of these are great ways to stay connected to camp.

Also, if you are interested in submitting a reason, or story, that explains why you love Camp Hammer, send it in!  We would love to post it on our site!  You can send in entries to info@camphammer.com and just make the subject out to “Why I love Camp Hammer.”  You can send them with your name, or we can post them anonymously!  All entries will be censored for appropriateness of course!  Alright friends, we have work to do.  Enjoy this 2nd day of September!  Much Love.

Camp Hammer Staff

Tags: 2009, 2010, blog, camp hammer, facebook, family, friends, love, mission, morning, night games, september, Summer, summer camp, team competitions, twitter, youtube
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Hey Friends and Family.

Well, another week has passed since summer has ended.  Camp is so quiet!  It is always an interesting transition going back into the “year-round” here at Camp Hammer.  It is crazy just how fast summer goes by!

I wanted to write a quick blog to let all of you know that you are not forgotten.  As you transition back into school or whatever the fall holds for you, we are thinking and praying for you often.  We loved having so many wonderful young people up here this summer.  And if you are a parent reading this, we loved having you pick up and drop off your kids too, ha!  Now that summer is over, we hope that you will remember your time shared with us (in whatever capacity that may have been) this year!  Study hard, have a great school year, and watch for more Camp Hammer mailings and blogs to come!

Camp Hammer Staff.

Also: check us out on Twitter (camphammertime) and Facebook (camp hammer)!!!

Tags: 2009, 2010, blog, camp hammer, facebook, reading, school, Summer, twitter
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Hey Camp Family!

My apologies for how long it has been since our last post.  Summer came, and to be honest, it was’t on the forefront of my mind to update the blog.  Next year I’ll have to keep it written on my hand so I can remember!  Well, nonetheless, I thought I would write this morning and give everyone some info on what happened at Camp Hammer in the summer of 2009.  It seems odd to put into words what happened this summer, only because it seems like there is no possible way that it is already over.  I feel as though it must have been a dream becuase of how fast it came and went.

Well, I suppose I will begin at the….beginning.  The staff arrived, and it was evident from day one that it was going to be an incredible summer.  The summer staff of 2009 immediately clicked it seemed, and were all eager to learn what they would need to minister to young people over the following 8 weeks.  Orientation flew by: camp names were given, games were learned, schedules memorized, and on sunday we patiently awaited our first group of campers.  I would love to take time to describe each of the individual camps, but I fear some of them have blended into eachother in my head (this is the lesson I learned, and so next year we will blog weekly…ha!).  We had campers ranging in age from 8 to 18.  So many young people came to Camp Hammer this summer, and they had a blast to say the least.  We laughed, played, sang, cried, lived, and loved together.  With a tough economy, and plenty of financial hardship, it was absolutely incredible to see how faithful God was in bringing children to Camp Hammer.  Over 200 campers receieved scholarships.  That means that 200 children, who normally wouldn’t be able to afford a camp experience, were able to come here and enjoy what it means to be a child of God.

Along side our normal camps, our Apostle program was phenomenal this summer.  We held 3 two week sessions for high schoolers wanting to grow in their faith.  Over 80 campers took part in Apostle.  Our Apostle students take a deeper look at the Bible and who Jesus is.  This year they looked in depth into the book of Acts, learning about community and service.  As mentioned in a previous blog, Camp Hammer had an opportunity this year to partner with a non-profit organization called Invisible Children (IC).  IC came each week and worked to raise awareness for their cause.  Our Apostle program worked most directly with IC, and were able to write letters to officials, discuss and pray for the children in Uganda, and they learned tagible ways to get involved and to be a part of the solution.   It is a beautiful thing to see high schoolers step outside themselves and love one another regardless of circumstance or style.  From team building and service work to seminars and small groups, Apostle was an amazing success this summer.

Well, in a very small nutshell that is the summer of 2009.  Check out the pictures portion of our website in the next few weeks for some shots from this summer!  Thank you to all who love and support Camp Hammer.  This wouldn’t be the place it is if it weren’t for you.

Camp Hammer Staff.

Tags: 2009, camp, camp hammer, camper, hammer, invisible children, love, redwood, Summer
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Hey Camp Family!  Coming up in just a few weeks is our full service week!  May 11th – May 16th is our “Build His Kingdom,” week.  People who want to serve are coming from all over the county to help us prepare Camp, for the amazing summer ahead.  We will be working on all sorts of great projects to help make sure this is the best summer Camp Hammer has ever seen.  If you are interested contact our front office at:

(831)338-3200 x16

Don’t miss this great opportunity to hang out with people who love camp, and want to help make a difference!  You don’t have to commit to the whole week, even just a few hours of your time would be greatly appreciated.  We hope to see you soon, and remember, if you haven’t registered yourself, or your camper for summer camp, do it now!  Spots are going quick.

camphammer.com

Tags: build, camp, camp hammer, fun, hammer, kingdom, love, Summer, summer camp, week, work
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Hey Camp Family!

I hope this post finds you well.  Summer is right around the corner, and we are checking in to make sure you are up to date on all the incredible things going on at Camp this summer.  Here are a few of the highlights to look for in 2009.

Invisible Children

Camp Hammer is partnering with an incredible organization called Invisible Children this summer.  I.C. is a non-profit based out of San Diego that is helping raise awareness of all of the injustice taking place in Uganda.  They will be coming to Camp on monday of every week all summer to share about their organization and talk about how we can all be involved in helping the children of Uganda be free from fear.  It is truly an amazing organization that has some great things to share.  Don’t miss them this summer!  You can also learn more at invisiblechildren.com!

These are just a couple highlights among many.  Camp Hammer will have all of the crazy fun team-comps, night games and free time activites that you can think of, as well as incredible speakers and music, food, and relationships!  2009 is going to be an incredible summer! Don’t miss out.  Register today at:

camphammer.com

Excited to See You,

Camp Hammer Staff

Tags: 2009, camp, camp hammer, food, fun, hammer, inivisble children, night games, non profit, Summer, summer 2009, team, TOMS
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