Brown City Missionary Camp

So this is Camp number two outta six this year.  We love Brown City Camp but is is always terribly hot!  However, this year was a great year!  We had only 1 super hot, unberable day in the open air tabernacle.

Although, you would think by the looks of Paul shirt every moring after devotions and evening program, that it was over 100 degress everyday!!  

It sure is fun though putting a 170 screaming, sweaty kids in this sauna!

It rained at camp and I found the beginning of the rainbow!  I've never seen the begining of a rainbow before!  I told paul we'd better run quick to get the pot of gold before it disappears!

 We were also very fortunate that this year at camp they let us have our very own golf cart!  

I'm not sure who was having more fun?  Us or the girls?

I just happpen to be a week behind in my posting.  This camp was last week and so far we have finnished up a 3 day family crusade in Davision, MI and now we are currently in Battle Creek, MI for another family crusade.   

I'm trying to keep up but it just seems near impossible!

Summer is in Full Swing

Camp Michindoh

Heres to the first outta SIX Camps!  I'm whipped already and it's only just begun!

This years theme was brought back from 2007 by popular demand.

"The Pirates and the Galilean"

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10

It was a great first week.  Camp Michindo has the best by far accommodation that we will have at all our summer camps.  The food was awesome their is no camp that can compare.

Last year Autumn was a chicken and did not ride the water slide... this year we could not keep her off!  Lillie the same, she loved every minute of it!

Wow!  What a week time for... Laundry,  packing and to do it all over again.  

Without the water slide I'm afraid :(  See you next year Camp Michindoh.

So That's Why I'm so Tired!

I'm feeling super tired this week, and so is Pastor Paul.  Summer has finally caught up with us!  I captured this photo last week of Paul taking a nap before our evening program.

And then again...

It's no secret that the Dietzel's take a nap everyday if possible!

We are now finishing up our last Kids Crusade of the summer here in Port Huron.  THis is our last hotel stay for a while!   Thank you Jesus!

So here is some useless information for you...

Our season started May 1st and went through September 1st.

We have done 6 camps this summer...

14 Kids Crusdaes...

11 Family Fun Fairs...

We have done 124 stage programs this terribly hot summer! 

(I know those  numbers don't add up but at camps we do sometimes 2-3 programs a day)

oh and don't forget set up and tear down at the YMCA on Sunday Mornings for our Church plant

...14 times

We've been to 8 different states...

You can figure out for yourself how many hotels we've stayed in, how many fast food restaurants (not enough Chick-fi-la) we've eaten in, and how any late night dinners we have had. (1/2 off appetizers at Apple-bees)!!

 Thanks be to God there were no Lice epidemics this year!!

So there you have it!  I can't believe when Paul and I first started traveling as Children's Evangelist we were booked 9 months a year!  How in the world did we do that!  I guess the answer is... we were young!

We are not finished with our season yet.  We are still busy most weekends through October, but at least know we can sleep in our own bed. 

So with that I guess I can justify why I'm so tired and don't feel like doing a thing!!

Bay Shore United Methodist Camp

I know I'm behind on my post... several weeks of prgrams!!

This here was Bay Shore Camp!  It's an awesome camp grounds,  a great family camp.

We had about 100 kids this hot week.   Summer has been hot this year!   We did 3 programs a day.   It was a tiring week!  You better believe we got a nap every day!

This is my view...  everyday behind the Mac!

Lillie is waiting in line for the trackless train...  It's open 1 hour a day right before dinner.  You better believe we are in line over and over for the entire hour!

The Zip Line is another favorite at Bay Shore.  It is by far the best Zip Line I've seen at any camp!

It was Lillie's first time this year.

She did amazing!  I thought for sure she would chicken out at the last minute.  

 It is sad she is growing up!

Once you've rode you have to take the zip line back up the hill to the start line!

I know your wondering.... where's Autumn????  That week she was the lucky grandchild to go to Florida with her grandparents!     She had a great time in even hotter weather!  I think Lillie enjoyed her time as being the only child =)   I know I did.

Brown City Camp... It was a hot one!

This we we're in Brown City at the Brown City Missionary Camp.  

Lets just say it was a challenge for me.  I have a hard time in the heat, and I have been a little crabby.   We had 300 kids at this family camp.  We took 2 group photos but all 300 were in this "tin can" for the programs.

The neat thing is... these kids raised over $1,700 in offering for a China Missionary.

As you walk around camp kids are selling lemon aide, candy necklaces, collection pop bottles... 

Again I lost the offering contest!  The contest was that Pastor Paul would swallow the gold fish if he won, and my side was to save the fish... The boys won, the fish was swallowed whole and I was turned into a fish by having 2 buckets of water dumped over my head.

This here is our quaint little cabin.  I don't know how we get so much stuff.

I am glad to say that we have finished our 6th camp of the season and we are now finished.  ahhh  We love ministering at camps but boy do they kick our butts!   For now the rest of the summer is full of family crusades and fun fairs and I can mostly unpack all the junk that we have accumulated over the past 6 weeks.   It was so  nice to sleep in my own bed last night...  nothing like it.  

Last night the window blew shut and startled me!  I sat up in bed and I had no idea where I was! HA  I'd say we've seen a many different hotel rooms and cabins.  What's worse... waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and having to think where it is located in the room.

I've skipped a few camps... I'm hoping to make up some post of the past few weeks.  Lots has happened!

Peter Walks on Water

So many people have asked me to put something on our blog with Paul speaking.    I recored just a quick 3 minute this week at Bay Shore Camp.   It's Pastor Paul's version of Peter walking on water.  It's a slightly more colorful version :D

Outabound! Taking the trail less traveled...

This years camp theme is "Outtabounds"  Taking the trail less traveled.  

¹³"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I can say I do love my job!  Pastor Paul always makes me smile!

He keeps me on my toes and works me like a dog, but life is good.  There is no higher calling than ministering to children,  if I don't say so myself.  

I do love this man!!   He is a nut and he does sweat a lot, but he belong to me!

I'm far behind in our summer adventures for blogging... sorry about that.  These photos are from 2 weeks ago at Tyrone Vally Church of God Camp.  Right now as I type I'm wait for Paul to come back to Bay Shore camp.  He had to go home to speak at our church plant this Sunday morning.  That means that I went solo this morning here at Bay Shore United Methodist Camp doing the kids program all by myself.  I survived incase you're wondering.   I always do but I never like it.  Sometimes it just has to be done.

This is our 5th camp this summer, onto camp number 6 next week.  Then we'll finish out the rest of the summer with family/kids crusades.

Hope you all are having a great summer!  

Ludlow Falls Camp

This camp was the most primitive camp we've been to, but it was great, hot, sweaty fun!

They took the kids to the a local water park for the day.  I didn't pack my swim suit this trip (that way I don't have to swim) so I had to take a quick trip to Kohls to find a suit!  That is a whole other post in it's self!  grrrrrr

It was such a hot day but the pools were nice.  

The kids had s crawdad competition, so off to the stream we went!  The girls wanted nothing to do with this, nor did I...  Pastor Paul enjoyed every second of it.

They cooked a few for the kids to try.   I try them too, they were taste!  However I did not peel it myself.  That crazy man in the photo did it for me!

The kids usually get to walk up under the falls but the water was to high because of the rain this week.   We still got a pretty good family photo.  I put it on fb and my friends think it looks like a 1990 Olan Mills photo!   Thanks to my fixed 50 lens I'll take that as a compliment!

Her is Autumn's cabin crew...  and Lillie the tag along :D  All the girls just love her and mother her.

This here is the open air tabernacle.... HOT HOT HOT.  This was a busy week for us.  We did 10 programs in 6 days!   There were about 130 campers.  Boy oh boy did Paul soaked though his shirts this week and it's not even August!  I'm sure he is a tad bit skinner!

Camp Michindoh

The first camp has come and gone!

The Union Church had another great camp at Camp Michindoh.  It's always a treat to be with them!

I think there was about 140 campers.  Our theme this year is Outabounds... taking the trail less traveled.   Matthew 7:13    Paul did great!  He never ceases to amaze me at this communication skills!

I taught all the  kids how to Speed Stack this week!  Speed Stacks are great!  If you don't have any you need to get some!

Autumn camped this week and meet more new friends and was also reunited with the friends she made last year.

Lou would of slept in a Cabin is she was allowed.  She missed Autumn terribly!  However Autumn did not miss Lou!  sisters :D

Camp Michindoh has great camp amenities!  This photo was taken at their beach.

Autumn slept the 2 hour drive home, then when so got home we thought she was in her room playing.... 

Camp Michindoh

The first camp has come and gone!

The Union Church had another great camp at Camp Michindoh.  It's always a treat to be with them!

This think there was about 140 campers.  Our theme this year is Outabounds... taking the trail less traveled.   Matthew 7:13    Paul did great!  He never ceases to amaze me at this communication skills!

I taught all the  kids how to Speed Stack this week!  Speed Stacks are great!  If you don't have any you need to get some!

Autumn camped this week and meet more new friends and was also reunited with the friends she made last year.

Lou would of slept in a Cabin is she was allowed.  She missed Autumn terribly!  However Autumn did not miss Lou!  sisters :D

Camp Michindoh has great camp amenities!  This photo was taken at their beach.

Autumn slept the 2 hour drive home, then when so got home we thought she was in her room playing....