summer's begun!

Summer is here! Here's a quick update on what I've been up to the last few weeks:

We started off the summer with staff training, where it was so evident how God provides. Almost all of our staff are actively involved at ICYA through out the year, and have strong relationships with the children already, and with each other as well. Team dynamics started off great, and we were able to use the weekend to meet with God personally, have fun together, and prepare ourselves for the summer ahead.

The first week of ministry, for the first time ever, we partnered with UGM's camp sponsorship program and Winkler Bible Camp to send 40 of our kids, with 10 staff, to WBC for a week. Click http://photoshare.shaw.ca/view.php?VEID=31241_vffxJS1152918196auVDVL&mesg=1 to see some of our photos. It was a learning experience for all of us, as we stretched our limits in making it possible for these kids to go to camp, and they stretched theirs, hosting 160 inner city campers at a camp used to dealing mostly with rural Christian children. It was very demanding week, and we finished exhausted in every way possible, but exulting in God's victory! So many children turned their lives over to Christ as a result of their experience, and almost all the staff walked away changed, encouraged by God's provision, and looking at our world with new eyes after serving such a different cross section of children,

I served as the camp speaker (with topics such as God's love for us, God's purpose for us, and our response to God), WBC provided counsellors and activity staff, and ICYA provided extra hands to help with discipline, encouragement and the experience of working with these children before. It was an awesome week, and we are very thankful for the opportunity.

I had a brief interlude from ICYA, and had a Koop family gathering here in Manitoba over the weekend. I believe there were over 50 family members at the gathering, some of whom I haven't seen for over a decade. It was great fun to get together, relax, play games, worship together and enjoy our rich heritage. Some family members stayed a little longer, so I had a bit more of a chance to visit. That was refreshing and, well, wonderful!

While I was away, one canoe trip overnighter went ahead with boys and staff from the welding "chopper" bike club - they loved the experience and said they had a chance to learn about God.

We also sent our first group of 10 girl campers to Gem Lake camp this week. Pray for Jessica, our director, as it is her first week directing camp. I think she's ready, and with God on her side, it will be awesome, but the first week is always intimidating.

We're finishing our preparations to run VBS for the next two weeks - pray for God's provision in finances (we have a tight budget, but it should work... we hope!), children coming and thank God for more than enough volunteers who unexpectedly offered their time to help!