Saturday, September 8, 2012

5 Year Anniversary Update!

September 8, 2012

From: Nampa Idaho
       (Email: warriorcamp1@yahoo.com)


 > 5 Year Anniversary Update!


Inside this Special Anniversary Update...

   1.  5 Year Anniversary
   2.  Update from Chosen
   3.  Update from Warrior Camp
   4.  Chosen 2012 Pictures
   5.  Warrior Camp 2012 Pictures
   6.  Now & Later
   7.  Deo Gloria, Gratias Multas, and Carpe Diem
   8.  Summer 2012 Highlight Pics!


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1.  5 Year Anniversary!

    Hello Warrior Nation!  I hope you're doing well and having a great day.  For me, today is a special mix of the nostalgic, humbling, sacred, grateful, and exciting.  That's because 5 years ago today never should have happened...from the world's perspective.  And without God and the doors He opened, it never would have.  It was 5 years ago today when God opened up an unexpected door, and Warrior Camp went from dream to reality!  I love how God inspires a vision, and I'm so excited to share our recent summer of ministry with you on this special 5 year Anniversary of the 1st Warrior Camp.  Thanks for all your enduring prayer, support and encouragement!  Ready?  Here we go...



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2.  Update from Chosen!



Remember in our last update how Warrior Camp's new sister ministry for girls was about to launch this Summer?  I got some good news...things went differently than expected, but God blessed it and did big things in girl's lives.  Here's a quick Summer update from one of the Chosen leaders:




Chosen Update

From: Natalie Lopez, Chosen Leader

     "2012 marks the first summer for an all girls day camp.  We had an eventful time connecting our team not knowing our individual duties and pressing on toward a camp that we only imagined and dreamed of.  God placed each member of the girls camp team together on His timing for sure and He continued to change our ideas and plans.  We sought His direction in preparing for a girl's camp for one year and discovered God's calling to use us older gals to help the younger learn what a beautiful woman sold out for the Lord really is by an in depth study of a woman in the Bible, character traits, and values that God tells us is true beauty.  In the beginning our vision was to have a day that the girls wouldn't forget and then the Lord reprioritzed for us that we can invest into these young ladies by sharing with them the things He's taught us as we have followed Him.  The main priority was then to create a great day to provide opportunities to share and show Christ to them through friendship, challenging games, encouragement, and deep Bible study.  We found that God wanted to use our raw real life happenings to connect with others to show them that if they did surrender their all to the Lord that He would make beauty out of the ashes of the sin in lives.  The Chosen team changed strict plans in curriculum and made them more flexible so that God's Word of Truth could really soak in.  Our crazy games came together wonderfully and we had opportunities to speak and listen to gals one on one.  Best of all, we had the opportunity to present Christ to them!  God used the Chosen team to help identify the lies we all are surrounded by, break them down, and find the truth in God's word that will and can replace that lie in our lives! 


    I'm not going to lie it was an exhausting day and we were so sore after but we had a great time decorating for our Esther theme this last summer.  It was a privilege to get to know those amazing young ladies and have one day to share with them what the Good Lord has been teaching us.  God really is good and we are so grateful for Him!"



Thanks for sharing Natalie!  We're cheering you on and praying for you and the Chosen Team.



Chosen Info:

Online: http://www.chosen4girls.com/

Email: chosen4girls@gmail.com


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3.  Update from WARRIOR CAMP

  As you might remember from last summer, Chris Pope is our Warrior Camp Discipleship and Chapel Speaker.  He's one of my friends from Liberty University where he was my ministry team leader, and he now serves as a youth pastor in Spokane, Washington.  He's got a huge heart for boldly and effectively communicating God's Truth to students, (and he can also crush your hand and towel-whip like one one else!)  Here's what he said about Warrior Camp this summer:





"This summer was a great time of growth and fun! Students were given the opportunity to be apart of one mission, one brotherhood, serving one king. This is a message that is being neglected in today's society. We saw students become broken to become men of God. Several made this commitment and demonstrated it by laying down the barriers that hindered them. 





It was encouraging to see these students love for God and for one another. In the midst of games, where competition runs wild, we heard nothing but encouragement and support.  There is no denying God's hand in this ministry in this part of the country. Please continue to pray for more summers to come."





So Others May Live,





Christopher Pope



(Thanks Chris for serving as our Discipleship Speaker!) 



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4.  Chosen 2012 Pictures


Here's the Chosen pictures from this summer.  Hope you like them!


Chosen #1
Friday, July 27, 2012
Venue: Grandview Church of the Nazarene
Grandview, Washington
Grades: 3-6
Attendance: 14+ girls (approx).

Manual View (Pictures):

Slideshow View (Pictures):




Chosen #2
Friday, August 10, 2012
Venue: Bethel Church of the Nazarene
Nampa, Idaho
Grades: Jr. High and Highschool
Attendance: 12 girls


Manual View (Pictures):

Slideshow View (Pictures):



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5. Warrior Camp 2012 Pictures

Here's the pictures from Warrior Camp this summer.  Hope you like them!



Summer Event #1 

WARRIOR GAMES WEEKEND 2012 

(First weekend ever...so stoked...Praise God!) 

June 1-3, 2012 

Venue: Trinity Pines Camp, Cascade, Idaho 

Grades: Jr. High - Highschool 

Attendance: 27-28 (from Nampa, Wendell, & Spokane)

Attending Youth Groups: 
    Bethel Church of the Nazarene, Nampa Idaho 
    New Life Community Church, Wendell, Idaho 



Manual View (Pictures): 




Slideshow View (Pictures): 







Summer Event #2 

WARRIOR CAMP 

Friday, June 22, 2012 

Venue: Bethel Church of the Nazarene 

Nampa, Idaho 

Grades: 2-6 

Attendance: 10 Warriors 



Manual View (Pictures): 




Slideshow View (Pictures): 






Summer Event #3 

WARRIOR CAMP 

Friday, July 13, 2012 

Venue: Grandview Church of the Nazarene 

Grandview, Washington 

Grades: 3-6 

Attendance: 28 Warriors 



Manual View (Pictures): 




Slideshow View (Pictures): 






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6.  Now & Later

   Recently, we received a donation towards camp scholarships for next summer.  This will help kids and students who may not have much be able to come to Warrior Camp.  Thanks for all your encouragement, prayer, and support!  We'll prayerfully be good stewards and use everything to the maximum impact for His glory.

  Moving forward, we aim to secure our own legal, non-profit status for Warrior Camp, and continue to do the Warrior Camp Weekend, which we did for the first time this past summer.  This marks our arrival at Phase 2 of Warrior Camp, and we're so excited about what God did here.  A full "Warrior Games Weekend" opens up the door for so much more than a full-day youth camp does, both with the games, and activities, and spiritually with the chapels, worship music, and small group devotional time.  Even though we'll continue to offer the full day camp for interested churches, we're so amped up and grateful to God for our first Warrior Camp Weekend, and how He's impacting young men to be real men after His own heart through this new phase of Warrior Camp.  We plan to do WARRIOR CAMP Weekends again moving forward.  More on this and other developments later!


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7.  Deo Gloria, Gratias Multas, and Carpe Diem
("God gets the glory, much thanks, and seize the day".  Yeah, there's just something about the sound of Latin!)

   On this special 5 year Anniversary of Warrior Camp, I'm humbled and excited to say that none of these last 5 years of Warrior Camp would have happened without God, without you, and without our team.  First of all, God gets 100% of the glory.  This was His vision that he planted in our chests.  Thank you God for who you are!  You're epic, and you do big things.  You have a vision for real manhood and an adventure we're made to live and a battle we're made to fight.  Thank you for lighting this exciting, epic fire in our chests, and let it become contagious in a young generation of boys.

  To all of you in Warrior Nation...thank you so much for your prayers, your encouragement, and as God leads, your donations to things like camp scholarships.  We have a bit of a motto at Warrior Camp that we don't believe in playing duck-duck-goose.  Instead, we aim for the best games and game equipment we can find.  Obviously this "philosophy of fun" costs more than chasing each other around in a circle, but it's who we are, and so far, the boys who come to Warrior Camp don't seem to want it any other way.  One of my heroes would often say, "If it's Christian, it should be better," and, "Nothing of eternal importance is ever accomplished apart from prayer."  Thanks for praying for us as leaders, and for the boys who come to Warrior Camp.  Young men are breaking down walls of sin with God's strength, publicly making a stand for Jesus Christ with their peers and friends, opening up and asking for prayer for changes that need to be made and freedom that awaits, being encouraged and challenged by the manly stuff from God's Word, and planting a flag in their growing relationship with God.  God is doing exciting things.  Thank you so much for praying!


  And to our Summer 2012 Camp Team...Chris, Dave, Braden, Lynn-Steven, Rodney, Jaden, John, Douglas S., Rod, Douglas H., Craig, and everyone else who helped out with camp ministry this summer, Jeremy and Andy...you heart for glorifying God is encouraging and strong, and I'm so glad and grateful to have you on the team.  Some of you have been doing this for awhile.  For others, this was your first summer, and you jumped in without holding back.  You do it for Him, and thank you so much.  Thank you for your sweat, your passion, your sacrifice, your heart for kids, and your zeal for Jesus Christ!  You're a great team and this doesn't happen without you.  I couldn't ask for a better team.

   That's all for now, but more later!  Please feel free to keep in touch, either via email or text.  I'd love to hear what God is doing in your own life and ministry.  Take heart and be encouraged.  God is alive and ever-awesome.  As Scripture teaches, His wisdom and power are infinite.  If He's given you a vision for ministry, don't feel like small beginnings are devoid of Him.  Share your vision with a like-minded Christian friend or friends.  Spread the word.  Start a blog.  Share it at your church and with your family.  Build a team of sold-out Christians around you who support and encourage and maybe even partner with you in what God is calling you to do.  Build a team where each person's strengths come together almost like magic.  If God is in it, step out in faith and do it even when your comfort zone screams at you to do the opposite.  Let the momentum build.  Pray.  Work hard.  Break a sweat.  Don't lose sight of your first love and the core of what God wants to do in you and through you.  Own that, feast on God's Word, and be obedient.  Shun distractions and go for the bulls-eye.  Nothing good happens when you hold back.  God is big!  Let your dreams be big, and chase em.


Cheering you on!


Derek

Psalm 18  

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Summer 2012 Highlight Pics!


New 2012 Shirt


WARRIOR GAMES WEEKEND . June 1-3, 2012 .  @ Trinity Pines Camp . Cascade, Idaho.

WARRIOR CAMP . June 22, 2012 . Bethel Church . Nampa, Idaho.

WARRIOR CAMP . July 13, 2012 . Grandview Church . Grandview, Washington

CHOSEN . July 27-28, 2012 . Grandview Church . Grandview, Washington
CHOSEN . July 27-28, 2012 . Grandview Church . Grandview, Washington

CHOSEN . August 10, 2012 . Bethel Church . Nampa, Idaho

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

WARRIOR CAMP UPDATE

From: Nampa, Idaho
Date: 5-1-12



Inside this Update...
   1.  First Warrior Camp Weekend!
   2.  Camper Scholarship/Sponsorship Opportunity
   3.  Non-Profit Status for Warrior Camp
   4.  Chosen (PS: check this out!)
   5.  Home and Bike Adventure 
   Bonus:  Pics




Hello Warrior Nation!


I hope you're having a great Spring!  It's been awhile since we talked last, but I'm pretty excited about what's coming up fast @ Warrior Camp.  Here's 5 scoops of Warrior Camp Ice-Cream...



1.  First Warrior Camp Weekend
Since we first began on September 8, 2007, Warrior Camp has been 1 day long.  Yeah, it's never a normal day when students sprint through a 10-12 hour blitz of fish-fights, high-octane activities, weapon-building, battle-games, and feasting on the manly stuff from God's Word.  And we're excited to continue doing the 1-full-day Warrior Camp with any churches brave (or crazy!) enough to invite us.  But, 1 month from today, WARRIOR CAMP is about to get bigger, and we'll be kicking off our first ever Warrior Camp Weekend!  Various students from 2 different cities, representing different Christian churches and 1 Christian school, are planning on attending the "WARRIOR GAMES 2012" on June 1-3 in Cascade, Idaho ... we're a little excited!  Mega thanks to Trinity Pines Camp (www.tpines.org) for your willingness to host us. We're praying and hoping for God to move in a big, bold way in every camper's life.  And since this is the biggest Warrior Camp event we've ever aimed for, thanks so much for all your prayers!  (It's also the 1st Warrior Camp event which I'm bringing my own youth group to, and believe it or not, after 1 year, I haven't gotten fired yet!)  But thanks so much for all your prayer and encouragement.  As one of my heroes said, “Nothing of eternal importance is ever accomplished apart from prayer.”



2.  Camper Scholarship/Sponsorship Opportunity
If you'd like to consider helping send a kid or teen to Warrior Camp this summer, please pray about it and move as God leads.


But first, you must read and agree with…”The Warrior Camp Rules About Money Stuff...”


    As much as we might like to applaud your enthusiasm, we’re begging that everyone please not do the following:


A.   Conclude that Warrior Camp will go belly up like a sun-bloated Texas armadillo unless you mail us a check for 1 million dollars.  (We’re not clever enough to sell this one anyway).

B.     Tackle the usher at your church and snatch up your tithe from the offering plate so you can send it to Warrior Camp

C.  Feel guilt-tripped into giving when the mere thought is less appealing than playing “Marco Polo” with snapping turtles

D.   Audition for “Deadliest Catch” and vomit over the side for 3 months straight while flirting with death so you can afford to send a kid to Warrior Camp

E.     Sell your house and send your kids packing to the nearest orphanage while you and your wife camp under the overpass for the next month so you can send a jr. higher to Warrior Camp.  Doghouse anyone?


If you’ve prayed about it and still want help send a kid to Warrior Camp, (and can do so without breaking the rules) feel free to send me an email at warriorcamp1@yahoo.com  Thank you so much to everyone for all your prayer and support you’ve already given, and for continuing to pray for Summer 2012 to be everything epic, fun, and spiritually monumental that God has in His heart for it to be.  Thank you!



3.  Our very own non-profit status for Warrior Camp
          We’re working on this, and we’ll keep you posted!
         


4.  Chosen
          Know how hard it is to say “No” to a sobbing girl?  Yeah, believe me, all of us at Warrior Camp feel your pain….every time a girl begs to come to Warrior Camp.  “Can I come…I won’t tell.”  “I can do everything boys can do.”  “What if I do what Amanda Bynes did in the movie “She’s the man.”  “What if I shave my head and dress like a boy?”  “I beat up all the boys in my P.E. class.”  (Ok, maybe some of that is my imagination, but it still has the ring of truth!). 

So, having grown tired of being the bad guy, weary of all the drama of turning down hundreds of girls with running mascara, and having become a little freaked out by a few death threats if we didn’t cooperate (ok, maybe I’m exaggerating…slightly), I’m all too excited to announce to all the young ladies out there...drumroll please... YOU NOW HAVE YOUR OWN VERSION OF WARRIOR CAMP!  Yahoo!  (Freedom!)  So, wipe your tears, and send a friend request to my friends Alyssa Kelley and Natalie Lopez on facebook.  They’re the leaders of this new camp designed by girls, and for girls.  It’s called “Chosen”, and is set to debut this Summer 2012 in Grandview, Washington on July 27, and in Nampa, Idaho on August 10. 

Alyssa and Natalie have an amazing heart to see young girls thrive in their beautiful identity in Christ, and to mentor girls in their growing walk with God.  I’m so excited about the fun games, activities, impacting God-time, and meaningful small groups that will define “Chosen”, and how God will use it to encourage and edify every girl who attends.  Pray for Alyssa and Natalie as they prayerfully prepare for “Chosen’s” first Summer.  And if you don’t have facebook, but would like to contact them, feel free to send them an email at chosen4girls@gmail.com.  Alyssa and Natalie, we're cheering you on!



5.  Home and Bike Adventure
          This doesn’t as obviously connect to Warrior Camp, and definitely won’t impress all the fitness freaks in Warrior Nation (props to you guys by the way!), but 24 hours ago, I returned home from the longest mountain bike-ride of my life.  12 miles mixed with up and down, on road and trail, alongside a scenic lake and with views and places just on the outskirts of my own home-town of Nampa which, somehow I’ve never seen before.  Anyone who knows what it’s like to embark on an exploration or adventure into God’s epic creation knows the feeling, and how inadequate words are to convey the awe of experiencing it for yourself, especially for the 1st time.
          
      I borrowed my brother’s bike and left in such a rush, I didn’t pack water.  No worries, it’s Nampa, Idaho, but there’s still enough water around here.  I’ll take a drink from that farm ditch.  Just one mouthful.  Then back on the bike.  A few miles later, two more drinks from a major canal which serves as the life-blood of an oasis-like lake out in the country.  This water-way is so surreal, surrounded by lush vegetation, and alive with birds and creatures that I’ve recently named it the “Nampazon”.  This water looks clean.  Surely there are at least a couple drinks here that won’t get me sick.  Been there done that before.  Once is enough.  But dehydration isn’t much fun either.  Pull the jacket off and stay cool.  Back on the bike.  This whole place is amazing.  Lots more to explore!

Just beyond my watering hole, I parked the bike on a gravel trail, and sat down on the edge of a piece of farmland that defines everything I’m looking for.  You see, since we talked last, I've been looking for a house to buy, or more recently, a place to build on.  I’ve filtered through hundreds of houses online, toured a good number of houses with my real estate agent, weighed the pros and cons of buying vs. building and envisioned what I’m looking for.  This property I’m on now would be amazing for my youth group to hang out at, and for all the boys from Warrior Camp.  This piece of land first caught my attention a little over a week ago, and is a giant green rectangle that’s about 2.7 acres big.  To the North and East, huge stretches of farmland roll and slope while geese make themselves at home in the short but growing crop.  To my right is a mysterious patch of woods that hugs the property’s southern edge, almost like the trees curiously want to be there.  Just behind me, to the West, lies a scenic 5 mile long trail which partially flanks the sprawling tree-fringed lake who's meandering shoreline stretches 20 miles around.

There with vast stretches of farm land between me and the nearest neighbor, I pray for God’s will in this new exciting chapter of life.  I’m in the middle of a house-hunt, and God is leading me out into the deep end of the pool of trust in a whole new way.  It’s stretching.  This thing is bigger than me.  Way bigger!  “God, this piece of land is absolutely amazing.  It would be epic to live out here.  I really want it.  Or something like this.  This is your creation.  You are in this place.  If it’s your will for me to buy this land, open the door.  I want what you want.  Do what you want to do. You’re an awesome God.” 

I stay here for I’m not sure how long, relishing the view and eating a few blades of wheat that have managed to pop up on the farm’s outer edge.  The dirt under my finger-nails, the wind rippling the tops of the wheat, the symphony of wind coursing through the trees behind me…God is in this place.  This is a sanctuary, a sacred place that testifies to His grandeur.  It’s one of those rare kind of moments that we never forget…the kind we wish could never end…. a glimpse of paradise.  Our God is truly an awesome God.  The earth and all creation testify to His majesty.  To God be the glory!

About 8.5 scenic miles and over an hour later, I made it back home.  And so far, I haven’t become a case study for water-borne mutating viruses.  (Thank you Jesus for the immune system!).  This definitely isn’t the normal Warrior Camp Update (if there is such a thing), but I wanted to share what’s up with Warrior Camp, and give you a little glimpse into my bike ride with God yesterday.  I'll keep you posted on the house/land thing.  

I’d love to hear your story, and how God is growing you in your relationship with Him.  Thanks again so much for your support and prayer for the boys who will come to Warrior Camp this Summer.

That's all for now.  Have a great week.  Thanks again for all your prayer, support and encouragement.  Stay connected, and I’ll post some pics of our Warrior Camp Weekend 2012 next month. 

All for His glory,

Derek
Psalm 19:1


PS:  I tagged some pics below if you want to check them out.







Dream Lot!  (Right Side)

                                                       (Center)
                                                           (Left)
                                  (Some awesome clouds during an earlier trip out here)


                                                                       Praying 



                          Dripping after the ceremonial and inevitable head dunk
                      On the road home.  PS: Asphalt is way easier and faster than trail!

                                               Signs of civilization
                                        12 miles baby!  Almost Home.  Thank you God for an epic ride!



Monday, November 28, 2011

WARRIOR CAMP UPDATE . 11-28-11

Hello WARRIOR NATION!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving celebrating God's goodness!

We haven't done something quite like this before, but we've received some kind, encouraging feedback that has trickled in via text last year.  (Thank you so much to all for all your encouragement and prayer, and mega-thanks to all our camp team).  As always, God deserves all the praise.  If you're curious, feel free to check out the feedback below.

Hope you have a great Christmas!

All for God's glory,

Derek
Luke 2

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4-28-10
“Just on the phone with the mom of eric (really tall WC kid) who was inquiring about WC2010.  Her husband said that WC was the single most important event that eric has ever been to.  So cool.”
Sarah Schmahl
Children's Pastor
Grandview Church of the Nazarene
Grandview, Washington

10-2-10
“Thank u so much 4 everything ….. u 2 really made it a great day 4 the kids!!”
Laurie
Warrior's Mom regarding his Warrior's Birthday Bash
Lynchburg, Virginia

10-23-10
“Awesome job today “speedracer”!!!  I don’t feel like I gave you enough credit!  Great job to all your “minions” as well…”
Angie Casola
Father/Son Event Wizard
Brentwood Church
Lynchburg, Virginia

11-20-10
“He is worn out = SUCCESS :)”
Angie
Warrior's Mom
Lynchburg, Virginia

11-23-10
“LOVE the “Warrior’s Creed”!  Stopped at Walgreens and framed it for Caleb.  :)"
Angie
Warrior's Mom
Lynchburg, Virginia

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

WARRIOR CAMP UPDATE . 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Special newly posted videos linked below...

September 8, 2011...Today WARRIOR CAMP turns 4!  Thank you so much for all your enduring prayer, support, and encouragement = huge. As of this past summer, we crossed a mile-marker, and now well over 100 Warriors to date have battled it out at WARRIOR CAMP in Idaho, Washington, and Virginia, and dug deep into the manly, epic stuff from God's Word.  So proud of these young warriors.  We're cheering them on as they grow and mature in what Christian author Eric Ludy (one of my role models) would call "the lost greatness of masculinity". It's a masculinity different from the predictably lame version that characterizes TV sitcoms. (Yeah, Raymond is great for a laugh, but he's definitely not anyone's role model).  Instead, the masculinity we're interested in is patterned after the King of Kings Jesus Christ, who took on death head on, and defeated it for you and me. It's anchored in God's Word, which is likened to a sharp, double-edged Sword. We're called and challenged to be bold as a lion.  This is the kind of faith that God ignites to bring giants to the ground.  That takes on a larger enemy with only 300 men.  It will look tyrants in the face and declare unconditional allegiance to God alone.  It will be stoned, shipwrecked, flogged, and crucified upside down, and still count it a joy to suffer for the Name.  It's passion and commitment for what is in God's heart.  It will use staffs, slings, rocks, donkey jawbones ... whatever it takes.  The flame of Christ's gospel has transformed men across the spectrum, from the most elite Pharisee, to the scorned tax-collector, to the roughneck fisherman.  No favoritism.  No respector of persons.  It's not conditional or compromising.  It can't be bought or bribed.  It's ignited by an otherwordly flame that began at the cross and exploded in glorious triumph at the empty tomb. 

And in that triumph, to live in His strength, set apart from the world, declaring war on sin by that powerful grace, and the joy to live white-hot and aflame with God's epic purpose, which is far greater and higher than any counterfeit the enemy might aim to bait us with.  To take a stand against evil, and for what is good.  To lend your God-given strength to stand in the gap and protect what is beautiful, tender, good, vulnerable, valuable, and True, and if necessary, to bleed in the fray.  That's masculinity as God designed it.  That's something to celebrate. It's world-changing, and I hope it fuels your passion too!

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On this 4 year anniversary of the very first Warrior Camp, I want to do something special that we haven't done before.  (Records are meant to be broken, right?).  So, on this momentous occasion (drumroll please :) we're going to fling open the iron-clad vaults, and openly release not 1 but 2 special Warrior Camp videos for the very first time.  (Big thanks to Jaden, one of our Media Wizards, for making this "biggest video release" happen).  So, just wanted to invite you to grab some pop-corn and check out the new links below.  (No tickets necessary.  It's on the house :).  Hope you enjoy!


WARRIOR CAMP
       (Production Props to Brent Bartlow, Warrior Camp Media Wizard)



WARRIOR CAMP . Extended Edition
       (Production Props to Jaden Bartlow, Warrior Camp Media Wizard)



We're also humbled and excited about what God may have on the horizon for next Summer. (More on this later!).


Much love to all of you in Warrior Nation. Take heart, stay connected, and God bless!


Derek
Psalm 18

WARRIOR CAMP . Running Record

WARRIOR CAMP Recap 101 (below)

I thought it might be a fun time to push the rewind button a bit and track Warrior Camp from Day 1 through the present.  Not that there's ever any confusion here, but God gets all the glory! So buckle up for a running version of WARRIOR CAMP Recap 101:


Easter Weekend, 2005: God inspires the vision for Warrior Camp



Camp #1
WARRIOR CAMP
Nampa, Idaho
Lake Lowell Park
September 8, 2007
Attendance: 17 boys
Age: Mostly Jr. High
The spark that started a fire = First WARRIOR CAMP ever. God gets all the credit! Thanks to Todd and all the Warriors for being brave guinea pigs! 10 hours in which the vision became alive. The debut for what would define WARRIOR CAMP. "Awesome Game Time. Awesome God Time". Almost no $ to work with, but God provides. Raft Relays, Highland Games, Weapon Workshop, and Sword Battles. Discipleship Rallies: "Mighty Men from Judges". "How to Be a Good King". "What a Godly girl wants". Prayer/Share/Rock Ceremony. (Guess which one was the favorite?) Also: First WARRIOR CAMP DVD and WARRIOR CAMP Pics are borne. Slowly but surely, the word begins to spread! Big thanks to our original team and original warriors! A fantastic day ending in amazing gratitude to and awe of God. One Warrior gets saved as a result!


Camp #2
WARRIOR CAMP
Grandview, Washington
Grandview Church of the Nazarene Field
July 10, 2009
Attendance: 24 boys
Age: grades 4-7
Sophomore Event! Hitting the road and going out of state for our first non-home-church invite, and furthest distance ever travelled for WARRIOR CAMP. The Warriors made the front page! Also new: Games, Discipleship Rallies: "Dare to Be a Daniel", Knighthood Ceremony, Weapon Workshop: Blow Guns, new Discipleship Speaker dedicated exclusively to the Discipleship Rallies, Expanded Team, 1st WARRIOR CAMP T-shirts.


Camp #3
WARRIOR CAMP
Grandview, Washington
Grandview Church of the Nazarene Field
July 17, 2010
Attendance: 33 boys
Age: grades 3-6
First 2nd invite. Woohoo! Biggest Warrior turnout ever. Warriors made it into "The Daily Sun" and "The Grandview Herald" 3 combined times. We're proud of you Washington Warriors! Thanks so much for having us back. Other 1sts: New Games and Discipleship Rallies: "Honor. Courage. Commitment to God." Monument Ceremony in which every Warrior voluntarily made some kind of commitment to God = so awesome to see! WARRIOR CAMP Obstacle Course (aka "The Crucible"), Warrior Camp Dog Tags, Group Photo, Official Photo Slideshow, 2nd WARRIOR CAMP T-shirt, and Sunday morning service show-and-tell. Thanks a ton Grandview! We love you all, and will see you next Summer!


Camp #4
WARRIOR CAMP
Nampa, Idaho
Bethel Church of the Nazarene Field
July 31, 2010
Attendance: 25 boys
Age: Grades 4-7
(Note: We were praying for 25 boys. Praise God!)
Back on the Stomping Grounds! First WARRIOR CAMP back in Idaho in almost 3 years. For some of our Warriors, they got to experience WARRIOR CAMP like their older brothers had done in 2007. Final discipleship rally in which 24 Warriors voluntarily made some kind of commitment to God! = awesome. It was great to bring WARRIOR CAMP back home where it all began! This also capped off our first "double-header" summer in which we had 2 WARRIOR CAMPS. You Idaho Warriors are awesome, and we're looking forward to seeing you again next Summer!


Camp #5
WARRIOR CAMP
Nampa, Idaho
Bethel Church of the Nazarene Field
July 15, 2011
Attendance: 20 boys
Age: Grades 4-7
The camp that broke the 100 Warriors Barrier!  This marked the 3rd Warrior Camp in Nampa, and the first back-to-back Warrior Camp in Nampa. It was great having some of the Warriors from 2010 back and pumped up for Warrior Camp 2011. Idaho Warriors challenged Virginia Warriors in the Shout Out Challenge, and peaked out at 100.1 decibels to take a close 2nd place. First-time-ever-debuts included prize drawings, the Green Machines (i.e. low-profile huffy stunt trikes with 180 degree spin capability), a 10-foot-diameter beach ball, and the local Firemen coming out to soak us all @ 200 gallons per minute = so much fun!  Each Warrior also got to take a turn spraying the firehose.  It was also the Northwest debut for one of our newer, fun games (with a familiar name) called Cops and Robbers, and Nampa Warriors had the chance to play it for the first time within 2,000+ miles. They also played the jail-breaker game "Prisoner of War" for its Nampa debut. In the Discipleship Rallies, students were challenged and encouraged to dare to be bold like Daniel, the famous prayer warrior from Scripture who, no matter the pressure, wouldn't budge in or water down his stalwart faith in a big, worthy God.  We closed with a knighthood ceremony involving a William Wallace claymore, and in which students had the chance to voluntarily sign and obtain the Warrior's Creed - a bold, unflinching statement based on the early chapters of Judges, and the heroes therein. One kid, Dawson, from Spokane, really wanted to come to Warrior Camp, and won the all-time furthest distance traveled award. 2-3 other students specially requested their own copy of the Warrior's Creed which they signed, and at least one of these kids now has it framed at home. Praise God for a safe, unforgettable, fun, and spiritually impacting camp! Thanks to a great team of Warrior Camp Leaders: Chris, Mike, Jaden, Casey, Lynn, Rodney, Dave, and all who helped make it happen. Thanks to the moms and dads for letting your sons attend.  Looking forward to seeing them again next summer!

Also, we're really excited for the team of female leaders (Alyssa, Christine, Natalie and Sarah) who met that weekend to cast a vision for launching a special girl's camp in Summer of 2012. Thanks for all you do, and we're cheering you on!


Camp #?
WARRIOR CAMP
Dakar, Senegal.  Africa
Venue: Soccer Field
February 22, 2014
Attendance: Approximately 51 Boys and Youth (At The ShoutOut)
Age: Approximately Age 5-20+
MC Youth Pastor: Louie Pierre

Camp #?
WARRIOR CAMP
Baad Village, Senegal.  Africa.
Venue: Baad Village Church . Outdoor Area
February 24, 2014
Attendance: 25 boys (At The ShoutOut)
Age: Approximately 6-11


Camp #?
WARRIOR CAMP
Nampa, Idaho
Venue: Bethel Church of the Nazarene and Church Field
June 7, 2014
Attendance: 28 Boys + 4 Dads  (In ShoutOut)
Age: Grades 4-6


Camp #?
WARRIOR CAMP
Grandview, Washington
Venue: Grandview Church of the Nazarene and Church Field
June 20, 2014
Attendance: 26 Boys (In ShoutOut)
Age: Grades 4-6



Camp #?
WAR GAMES
Nampa, Idaho
Venue: Rogers Yard for Base Camp, Bethel Church, and the Jungle
August 22-24, 2014
Attendance: 10 Competitors + 4 Dads (In ShoutOut)
Age: Grades 7-12  (Primarily Highschoool)


Camp #?
WARRIOR CAMP
Greenleaf, Idaho.
Venue: Greenleaf Friends Church and Football Field
October 11, 2014
Attendance: 13 boys and 3 Dads (In ShoutOut)
Age: Grades 2-6



All of us are super excited for what God may have next, and humbled at the opportunity to be apart of it! To the Nampa Warriors: keep growing as a man after God's own heart. Don't stop. Don't compromise. He's worthy. Hope to see you next summer!

(Total WARRIOR CAMP Attendance to Date: 119)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

WARRIOR CAMP UPDATE . 7-21-11 . SUMMER EDITION!

Date: July 21, 2011
From: Near God's giant Sawtooth Mountains in Stanley, Idaho

Hello WARRIOR NATION!

The pics are up! Praise God for a fun, epic Warrior Camp, bold commitments to God ... and no fatalities :) Props to all you awesome Idaho Warriors, and everyone who helped make it happen.  Don't forget the Warrior's Creed, and the commitment you made to God.  Hope you enjoy the pics!

More later and God bless,

Derek


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Manual View:
http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/warriorcamp1/Nampa%207-15-2011/



Slideshow View:
http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/warriorcamp1/Nampa%207-15-2011/?albumview=slideshow

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