Guess I’ve been off the grid for a bit… Well, just kinda ended up travelling around a bit more then I had originally expected!
Last time I’d thrown a post on here I had just gotten back from Winnipeg with the YFCHL leaders. After a ball hockey trip to Brandon, Manitoba, I went directly to my favourite week of the summer out at Redberry Bible Camp. I had managed to squeeze together some guys from the floor hockey league and ended up out at camp with 10 guys (9 students and a volunteer) all from the floor hockey league! It’s one thing when we meet together every Wednesday, but getting to spend that time out at camp, at a place I love, with a buncha sweet guys I also love, was the best thing ever. Some pretty awesome stuff happened that week and I’m super thankful for everything God’s graced me enough to experience with those guys.
There was also a huge realization for me that my time spent at Redberry over the last 8 years I've been a part of the ministry there has been pretty fruitful. I've got some really awesome relationships by being a consistent figure for those kids the last 8 years. Man it was cool to speak some truth into some of those kids. Truth that meant something.

After that lovely, eventful week, I was off to Camp Kadesh, about 2 hours north of Saskatoon. While on the way to Brandon, I got a call from the director of programs at Kadesh, wondering if I happened to be free to speak at camp the following week. I was, so away I went!
It was my first time in “enemy territory” smile emoticon and it was an absolute blast. Camp Kadesh has one of the most beautiful sites I’ve seen and it was really great to spend the week hanging out with a buncha really energetic, smart, inquisitive junior high kids (along with some awesome staff, great young leaders)!
I have a fairly simple 5 point version of the Gospel that I love to share at camps when I speak. It’s easy to remember and the points are all something to elaborate on. I break it down like this.

The first night was all about how we are not mistakes and have purpose, and that God has a plan for us (some people just need to know that they are not a mistake).
The next night we talked about human brokeness and how it fractures this world. It might seem depressing, but it also means we don't need to be perfect (some people need to hear it’s ok that you’re not perfect). There’s also hope in Jesus; our brokeness is not the end of the story.
The third night I just get to talk about Jesus and how awesome He is. Sharing life stories and some of His parables, showing what kinda God we can choose to serve and how His sacrifice made a difference.
The fourth night is all about the Holy Spirit and how He radically changes things in our lives. How Jesus destroyed the divide between God and man which brought the Holy Spirit straight into our lives.
The last night is all about hope. How this world is really broken and things are a terrible, crappy version of what they were meant to be, but God is coming to restore it. Where God is, there is goodness. No mourning, crying tears or pain.

So… I hope that becomes one of those things where a point or two can stick in someone’s head. They’re all important points and hopefully one of them buries its way into a kids heart. To make it memorable I had them finish a couple sentences for me, repeating them so they were easy to remember.
It’d go something like this…

(I’d say) (They’d say)
You are not a… Mistake
You have… Purpose

But you are… Broken
At least there’s… Hope

Because… Jesus

God lives… In us

And He’s coming back to… Save us

(You might notice it also kinda/sorta covers the Bible from cover to cover… figure it’s a bit of a speed version, but hey, it’s something).

Lovely time at camp. So cool to be part of the bigger picture where God is working. Cool to see kids think about stuff and form their own opinions! Love it!

Took off to Ottawa for ball hockey nationals shortly after Kadesh. That tournament is a great example of the high respect elite athletes have for each other. Was a lot of fun to reconnect with the guys I know from around Canada and to just hang out with the bros. (Ottawa had some beautiful scenery, love that city!)

Again, thanks for all your support! Couldn’t do what I do without you!
Have a great week!