Saint Matthew HSM

Saint Matthew HSM

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Hume Lake - Ponderosa - Week 7 - Wrap Up

Hey Hume Campers...if you want to download the videos, audio messages or photos from our week at Hume Lake click this link: Hume Lake Week 7

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Friday, July 26, 2013

Friday Around Camp




Friday Night

After breakfast, morning chapel was a time of worship through music and then each church met together for “church time.” Saint Matthew was gathered on the lawn behind the Pondy Deli and we spent our time sharing how we encountered God this week along with communion. Friday’s rec. was the “Great Race” which was a series of challenges all around Ponderosa Camp. Two of Saint Matthew's teams placed in the top five. Free time was spent boating on the lake, swimming at the pool and cove, volleyball and a few rousing games of cards on the deck. After dinner was the annual Seniors vs. Staff Wiffle Ball game on the lower lawn. Friday’s chapel was our last chance to worship together with this year’s band, For All Seasons, the awards for rec. and the coveted first place team T-shirt. PJ taught from Mark 5:1-20 and shared that often we're like the demon possessed man...what's controlling us is sin. What if Hume is a means to an end? What if God is sending us home to share what we've learned this week with others? After chapel we went up the hill to Victory Circle.At Victory Circle, students shared one sentence to describe the victories they’ve experienced this week in their lives. It’s a powerful and meaning experience hearing students share how they’ve come to faith, been challenged by God and how they hope to be different people when they head down the hill tomorrow morning. Well it’s off to cabins and our last cabin group, tomorrow morning, it’s up early, packing, breakfast and loading the vehicles for our journey back to the Creek.
~PD et al.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Thursday Around Camp




Thursday Night

This morning began with early morning worship through music in Ponderosa Chapel and we watched a mission video from JAM (Jubulani African Ministries) in South Africa. In the video and through our cabin groups afterwards we were challenged to be missionaries wherever God calls us.Thursday's recreation was "Super Spirit Day" with the theme of "Classy Christmas Extravaganza." The rec. games were five Christmas theme relay races on the upper lawn with triple spirit points. During afternoon free time, a group of 32 headed to the high adventure course and were challenged by the ropes course through the trees, climbing wall, pampra poles and the 42-foot high screamer. There was also the Art Kart on the lower lawn, along with the boating on the lake, swimming in the pool and card games on the "Hume-N-Beans" deck. After dinner was the first annual "Soggy Bottom Boat Race" where Saint Matthew boat (built by Julie Doden, Zack Fitterer, Eddy Hildago, Meaghan Olson and piloted by Julie & Whiley. Thursday evening, our speaker, PJ, taught the gospel from Mark 8: 34-38, deny yourself pick up your cross and follow me. We had 5 Saint Matthew students who stayed behind with our counselors after receiving Christ for the first time . . . which is always an awesome experience to be a part of. After evening chapel was open camp: with skating in "The Ark," a skate competition at "The Skate Park" and Open Mic on the "Hume-N-Beans" deck.
~PD, et al.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Wednesday Around Camp


Wednesday Night

Wednesday morning began with the Hume Lake biathlon, a swim in the lake (~15 laps) and a run around the lake (~3.2 miles). Saint Matt's swimmers were: Harley Humphrey, Andrew Joseph, Katelyn Parsons & Charlie Walsh and runners were: Natalie Adey & Kevin Mahlman. After the biathlon were the Wednesday morning seminars. Students were able to pick from 7 seminars over 2 different sessions. Some of the seminars were, "Identity," "Boyz 2 Men," and "Apologetics" to name a few followed by a time of worship through music with "For All Seasons." After lunch we went to the "Pirate's Cove" and the jumping rock for our church free time. While there, we spent time swimming, jumping off the rock, kayaking, slack lining and just sunning on the big rock with friends. After church free time, the group headed off with friends to h,ave some fun with the many things that Hume offers. Wednesday dinner was split into a Guys Dinner-manly eating and extreme eating & musical chairs. The Girls Dinner-sing-a-longs and dance-offs. Wednesday night chapel, PJ taught us what you do and how you live shows what you believe in. After chapel the evening concluded with the Kajabe finals on the upper lawn and free time hanging out with friends.
~PD, et al.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Tuesday Around Camp




Tuesday Night

We awoke this morning to a camp fresh and clean from last night's summer rain. Following breakfast, our morning chapel was an extended worship time through music. Afterwards we met with our lead counselors for some quiet time followed with a devotional on "How Does Jesus Affect The Way You Live." Tuesday’s rec. time was Hume's flagship game, Kajabe, at 7 different cans on the upper lawn. There were plenty of activities during free time including: a volleyball tournament, a 101 seminar on “Putting Your Trust in God,” swimming, boating, disc golf and playing cards on the Hume-N-Beans deck. After dinner was the counselor Gauntlet (similar to TV's "Wipeout") where Whiley Smith, from Saint Matthew, ably represented her rec. team, Tommy Gunns. At Tuesday’s evening chapel, PJ taught that it wasn't what Jesus did that was such a big deal but what he said...like Jesus' "I am" statements from John's Gospel. Tuesday evening’s free time included a worship concert with "Four All Season," grabbing a late night snack at one of the food venues, playing volleyball or just hanging out, meeting and talking with new friends.
~PD, et al

Monday, July 22, 2013

Monday Around Camp


Monday Night

This morning the wake up bell began our full first day here at Hume Lake. After breakfast we traveled to Ponderosa Chapel for our first morning chapel and spent some time in worship through music with this year's worship band "For All Seasons" (Formerly "Reveal" who were at MS Hume last year.) After worship, we were introduced to this year’s speaker, PJ Lewis, one of the pastors at the Well Community Church in Fresno. After morning chapel we had our “So What Time” with each of our cabins and went to the first recreation chapel. This year’s camp teams are the “Cops” (dark grey shirts) and “Robbers" (light grey shirts).” The camp teams are further divided into 28 sub teams. Sone of the sub teams our students are on are: “Hans Kuff", "Randy Licenplate", "Pic D. Locke", to name a few. Today was 4-way games at 4 different locations. The upper upper lawn, upper lawn, pool & lower lawn as each team began the quest for the coveted first place rec. t-shirt. After recreation, was lunch and free time—on the lake, and around camp. A group of 32 suited up in their paintball gear for paintball in the trees. After dinner was the bike jump into the Lake where Jordan Drew from Saint Matthew led the pack of jumpers from each of the 28 sub-teams. During our evening chapel PJ built off this mornings message about who Jesus is. Jesus is totally God (John 1 and totally human (Hebrews2). After chapel we had a Luau at the pool with a belly flop contest and Hawaiian shaved iced.
~PD et al.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sunday Around Camp


Sunday Night

We had a mostly uneventful journey up to Hume Lake. With the warm temperature, the bus overheated and arrived 1 1/2 hours after the other two vehicles. By 5 pm all three vehicles were safely up at camp. This year's theme is Who is Phoenix Dark? Everyone has an opinion, but what are the facts? In a story shadowed with mystery and intrigue, a man is asked to uncover the truth about who Phoenix Dark really is before the clock runs out. This week we'll be exploring the same question that Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16:15 - “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” The opener was in the chapel with a 1930's Cops and Robbers Theme set in Mercury City (aka New York). There was singing, dancing, tommy guns and cops and robbers galore. During evening chapel, Rich Baker, Ponderosa's co-camp-director, focus on this weeks theme verse and asked the question: Do you know things about Jesus or do you know Jesus and trust him with your life? All of our students who wanted to, got signed up for Paintball and High Adventure.
~PD et al.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Hume Lake - Ponderosa Camp

Check-in begins in the Teen Center on Sunday, July 21 at 7:30 am.
You must be on campus before 8:15 am and check-in ends by 8:45 am.
The vehicles depart at 9 a.m. with or without you.
Leave all cell phones, iPods and electronics at home.
The vehicles will return to Saint Matthew by 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 27.

Summer ABS - July 16