This week at Carol Joy Holling Camp, we had lots of fun with bubbles. Dr. Bubbles came to visit our Jay Novicki program and did all sorts of crazy things....from putting bubbles over our heads to blowing a square bubble. It was pretty amazing stuff.

Dr. Bubbles used to work at the Children's Museum, but now you can find him at Morning Star Lutheran Church in Omaha, serving as their youth director. Brian Priesman (Dr. Bubbles) recently took this position and is excited to collaborate with camp. He plans to bring lots of campers out here this summer. It was fun to have his gifts as Dr. Bubbles put to use for our good pleasure.

 Our Jay Novicki program runs monthly for Adults with Special Needs. Programs run from 10 - 1:30 and cost just $10 per day. If you are interested in more information about the program or about volunteering, please contact Becca Groves at bgroves@nlom.org.

Written by Becca Groves, NLOM Assistant Director/Programs

This past weekend we hosted many leaders from Nebraska and Kansas churches who will serve as liaison's for our Day Camp program. This means that this person has committed to recruiting the campers, finding church volunteers and handling all of the registrations and health forms as they come in. It is a big task, but in return, they will receive three to five enthusiastic camp counselors who will come to their church and joyfully lead their youth through Bible study, group games, creative arts, outdoor exploration and all sorts of singing.
 
Pastor Brad and I were so impressed by each leader, and so excited that we get to be in partnership with these churches in this way.
 
Before our time together closed, we took time to write out prayers for the summer ahead. I will share a few below, and hope that you, too, will join in our prayers for all the work to be done before summer comes, and all of the hearts to be open for all that the Lord has in store for us as we go forth and serve His mission.
 
Gracious God,
Send your Holy Spirit among your people. Stir them to service to be a new creation themselves so your Word may be known among your children. Help volunteers to say "yes" to your call. Inspire families to make time for this week of camp. Bless your leaders with your presence and peace. Amen.
 
Lord of Creation,
You have given us such precious children to teach and share the faith with. Be with our preparation. Send your Spirit to energize. May this be a time of renewal like Spring and make us alive in Jesus! Amen.
 
Dear God,
Please plant seeds of interest, confidence and hints of spiritual gifts in potential volunteers for Day Camp. Continue to use our church as an Outreach Center which stops no one at the door and welcomes all families regardless of background and church affiliation. Amen.
 

By Jason Gerdes, NLOM Director/Development

On Monday night our staff gathered to call all of the children that came to camp last year, but haven’t signed up for this summer yet. I had the privilege of calling the families that we provided financial assistance to through our Campership Program last year. I wanted to share with you an e-mail that I received the next morning from one of these families.
 
Thank you again for the generosity of Carol Joy Holling!  I really can't believe that you called us because you didn't want our kids to miss out on camp this year.  I truly didn't want them to miss the opportunity to continue their faith journey in a way that only camp provides.  I was very moved at the end of our phone call tonight and after hanging up the phone I walked back into the living room to see my husband with tears in his eyes at the opportunity that had just been offered to our children.  So many Blessings!
 
Last year we helped 145 children come to camp through the Campership Program, which states that we will not turn any child away for the inability to pay the fee. We are expecting to help even more children come to camp this summer through this program.
 
What a blessing it is to be able to reach out to children that wouldn’t have the opportunity to come to camp without your help. The friends on our mailing list will be receiving a mailing or a phone call in the next month highlighting the Campership Program and this story. Please consider making a gift to NLOM to help us reach out to families that want to send their kids to camp.

Give online

Or you can call 1-888-656-6254 to visit with me about gift opportunities.

by Becca Groves, Assistant Program Director

I was at a church event recently and someone asked me where I worked. I told them I work for Carol Joy Holling Camp, and this woman exclaimed, "You get to work there! Like that's your job to go there everyday?!! It's glorious there!"
 
I agree. It is glorious here. Few days pass when I don't get my camera out at some point in the day. Even now, typing on my computer, I can look out my window and see the lake, the huge trees that graciously shade us during the quilt auction, and the Swanson Center. It is stunning, and I don't take it for granted.
 
These pictures are the exact view out my window at work. I try to take this same picture every few months, documenting the glorious painting of trees and sky God has created for me, and for all of us, to enjoy. These are two of my favorites from the collection I have taken so far...the second is a good reminder that warm weather is on the way! When winter begins to get old and feels a few months too long, it is good to remember the new life that is about to burst forth in the springtime.
 
The theme for our summer curriculum is based around 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone and he new has come." Behold, our God makes all things new! And just as the view from my window changes every single day, as Christians, we trust and believe that God is at work changing hearts every single day too. This is our greatest prayer for the summer ahead: that God would make us all new, creating new hearts to live for Him alone.
 
And please join us in this prayer! Pray that each person who comes to this holy place might feel Christ at work in their hearts, taking their old burdens and filling them with new joy, new life and a new passion for the work God has set before them.
 

Recognizing that leaving your children anywhere for any amount of time can be very difficult and worrisome, we want to make this experience as anxiety and worry-free as possible for you.

First, know that your child’s safety and well-being is always our first priority. Receiving a near perfect score on the American Camping Association accreditation, we are confident in the safety procedures, practices and systems that we have in place.

Second, know that we take seriously our role in your child’s faith life. We are grateful that you have allowed us to be a part of your family through this experience.

Finally, because we know how hard it can be to disconnect from your children for any amount of time, we want to provide some insights into your child’s week. For the first time this summer, we will have two Summer Ministry Team members dedicated to giving you, the parents, a daily glimpse at what your child is doing at Carol Joy Holling Camp.

Written by Heather Abbott, NLOM Special Events Coordinator

 Meetings, work, children, grandchildren, husbands, phones, laundry…the list can go on and on as why we don’t get what WE want to get done at home. Quilts, cards, scrapbooks, bead projects all sit in a corner waiting for someday when we have time. I have a room dedicated to my paper crafts at home, if I get in there once a month I am lucky. I came to a UFO retreat here at CJH once and it is now my life goal to come to another one. What a way to get stuff done. I actually got a whole Christmas gift done and didn’t have my children, husband or anyone else bugging me. I got to sleep in and stay up late and work on what I wanted to, oh what a weekend! 

Check out our upcoming UFO retreat.

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