"Phenomenally
well trained, skilled, capable staff. And not only are all of the
outdoor activities, the rock climbing, the rappelling, the canyon
hiking, the river rafting, great experiences in and of themselves,
but there is the distinct God-word focus in everything that goes on."
Greg Stoever
River City Grace Community Church
Sacramento, California
"We
went to the backcountry and it was awesome... What God will do in
your heart and the hearts of your kids – Its Amazing. I’ve
been doing youth ministry for 25 years and this is a highlight."
Guy Drummond
Christian Life Center
Paso Robles, California
"The
experience here has been amazing... In every aspect, and from every
angle, our students totally benefited from this program. I know our
youth are going to go home... with experiences that will are going
to totally impact them for the rest of their lives."
Charles Stevens
First Lutheran Church
Fullerton, California
"This
place is an awesome opportunity for fellowship and building community
through events that God has placed before us in his beauty... I love
their staff members, their staff members are awesome. Their heart
for the lord is evident in how they serve us. And the food is excellent!"
Adam Reyes
St Peters By The Sea Church
Huntington Beach, California
"It’s
a really awesome place, we’ve had a really great time... I want
to recommend this place, it’s really awesome, your kids will
love it, it’s high energy!"
Amer Khokhar
First Church Of The Nazarene
San Jose, California
"We’ve
had some girls that have never camped before and they had an incredible
time, totally were cool with the rock climbing and absolutely loved
the water. I encourage you to come up here... The food is amazing,
we walk away stuffed after every meal. It’s great being up here,
being in nature, and getting closer to God. "
April Dichosa
Diamond Canyon Christian
Diamond Bar, California
"We
have such an awesome time every time we come up, the kids go back
with the greatest stories, the greatest memories. They all go back
closer to each other than they ever were before, and they have a real
feeling for what God has done for them... We love it."
Beverly Newcom
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Orange, California
"Come
to Rock-N-Water... You guys should all come, it’s awesome!"
Bryan Whiteside
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Auburn, California
"We
love brining our youth group kids here to Rock-N-Water, because it
is a way for them to experience God in ways that nobody can do in
a city... The staff is tremendous... they are great encouragers. And
our kids just love it here."
Candie Wright
Harvest Bible Church
Paso Robles, California
"This
was a really good opportunity for my kids to experience something
outside of the city... Rock-N-Water leaders were wonderful, always
being there and being trustworthy when things looked a little scary."
Carrie Guy
First Christian Church
Visalia, California
"Rock-N-Water
is the best place I have ever been. I’ve been taking kids to
camps for six or seven years now, and I can not imagine a better place
than this... Rock-N-Water gets you out to experience everything rock
climbing, and waterfalls, and awesome river rafting."
Christian Carter
Grace Fellowship of Amador
Jackson, California
"There
are a lot of limitations students place upon themselves, specifically
when it comes to overcoming challenges or obstacles in life... having
these students see that they can overcome these physical limitations
really correlates well to the spiritual aspect of knowing God in a
deeper way. I think that really comes across in the staff here and
with the challenges we do."
David Frederick
Morgan Hills Presbyterian
Morgan Hill, California
"Everything
from beginning to end was really really great. We could really feel
God moving through the camp. The food was awesome, the rafting was
stellar. I recommend it for anybody, bring your youth group up and
have a great time."
Elizabeth Hood
Our Saviour Lutheran
Simi Valley, California
"I
really encourage you to come to this camp. It is a great camp... The
staff here is great! They are very Godly, very mature, they guide
your kids to the Lord, to focus on Him on His Word. I really encourage
you to come."
Enrique Magana
Temple Baptist Church (MMDA)
Los Angeles, California
"It
has just been an amazing trip for myself as well as for all the youth
that came with me. We had a small number and our guide just did an
amazing job for us... We were stretched and challenged physically,
but also it’s a great chance for us to spend time with God in
His creation. Rock-N-Water’s just an awesome place."
George Bruick
St Johns Lutheran Church
Bakersfield, California
"If
I were asked, “if anybody should come to Rock-N-Water?”
I would definitely say yes. It’s been a great experience for
our group. Just begin out underneath the stars, and getting on the
water, whitewater river rafting, watching my kids splash around on
the water and have fun... It’s been a great experience."
Greg Stiles
Bethany Bible Fellowship
Westminster, California
"I
teach high school English in the inner city, so I have a different
take than youth pastors. But what’s amazing about getting these
kids out of the inner city is that they just are kids. They just want
to have fun... They learn so much about unconditional love... when
they are out here they just want to encourage each other and they
are encourage by their friends and they love to be lifted up ... it’s
a very selfless type of encouragement, because they are doing it just
because they want to see their friends make it to the top, they just
want to see their friends go one more step rock climbing. It sounds
really simple, but it really transforms their heart, because they
see a glimpse of God’s fingerprints on the the rocks when they
are pushed and challenged and go way outside of their comfort zone.
God shows them that they can do it and they actually can conquer,
even when everything looks like they can’t, which is very reflective
of their lives. So it’s really neat how much they see God out
here in a unique way."
Heather Buchta
Redondo Beach, California
"Definitely
recommend coming up bring your students up here. My students just
had a great time. Something they never experienced before. I kept
asking the question, “have you ever done anything like this
before?” and the answer was always, “no, no, no...”
It was just an amazing trip that they are going to remember for their
lifetime... It’s been a great time for my students, a great
time for me as their leader, and I highly recommend coming up and
enjoying it."
Jason Whaling
New Hope Community Church
Chula Vista, California
"We
love Rock-N-Water. This is our first year here and it was the best
time of our life. Our kids after day one were begging us to come back
for next year... [Dan:] It really builds a good unity in the youth
group. It’s an amazing camp. We had a great time.'
JoBeth Greene
First Southern Baptist Church
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
"This
was my very first year, and I was kind of nervous and excited. Not
quite sure what to expect. But getting here, what I experienced, what
my students experienced, what my staff experienced, was an amazing
adventure. Not only spiritually, but also physically. So I would encourage
you if you were thinking about coming, to take the leap and come and
experience God in some exciting and different ways... because it’s
amazing. If you want to get out of the normal camp experience, I would
say come to Rock-N-Water because you’ll experience something
amazing."
Joe Schmaltz
Yorba Linda Friends Church
Yorba Linda, California
"It’s
a great experience. It really gets the kids thinking and out of their
comfort zone... Lots of good relational time to be able to spend with
our kids. The staff is great, this experience is great, I’d
highly recommend it."
Joel Rothe
Faith Lutheran Church
Meadow Vista, California
"Rock-N-Water
came highly recommended, and I would highly recommend it to you...
God has spoken to our kids in amazing ways through His creation. The
guides are awesome... the food is great, being able to sleep under
the stars is incredible. I would encourage you to try it out and see
what you think."
Jon McCann
Community Christian Church
Moorpark, California
"We
absolutely love Rock-N-Water... The guides and the counselors are
focused on God, and are so friendly, and they work with the students
so well. The atmosphere is amazing it’s a true chance to really
get away from everybody and meet God where He is in His nature. We’ve
tried to get away at camps before, and we really don’t get away,
but here we truly get away... The food is awesome, the kids sleep
at night, they are excited about the next day and what’s going
to happen. It’s always a new adventure... The atmosphere is
so amazing and it brings us closer to God.... We feel it’s safe,
it’s fun, and the kids look forward to it. "
Kris Rolfson
Church At Rancho Bernardo
San Diego, California
"We
live very close to Rock-N-Water but it was totally worth it, it felt
completely different from where we live. The kids are out in nature,
getting to know creation, getting to know God, they are completely
removed from everything they are preoccupied with back at home, all
of the cell phones, internet, television... they are out there [in
nature] getting to know themselves, getting to know God. The group
is so much more cohesive now... the group is stronger, it’s
better, and they can’t wait to come back next year.
It’s a 50 minute drive for us to get up here, but even so, none
of these kids have ever been rock climbing, real rock climbing on
real rocks and gone canyoneering or whitewater rafting, so it was
still completely out of their element, very challenging. They all
grew within themselves, expanded their comfort-zone, and learned to
trust each other, trust God a whole lot more. It was really cool."
Laura Birdsall
Carmichael Presbyterian Church
Carmichael, California
"I
love Rock-N-Water. The place is amazing. To see my students really
connect with God, through His creation has been a joy. The experience
that you’ll have with your students is out of this world. Adventures
beyond anything you can think of. So bring your kids to Rock-N-Water,
it’s awesome."
Mat Grover
First Presbyterian Church
Berkeley, California
"It’s
been an awesome week of adventure for all of us, leaders and kids
included. I really loved how the staff loved on all the kids, and
bent over backwards to do whatever they needed to do to make the kids
comfortable and enjoy their experience, as well as being able to push
kids outside of their comfort zone. To be able to enjoy the experience
of the wilderness and Rock-N-Water at the same time learning how to
incorporate God into their daily lives as they encounter the wilderness
and how that incorporates into their daily lives... It has been a
great trip and we are looking forward to coming back again."
Matt Russell
First Presbyterian Church
Klamath Falls, Oregon
"We
brought up a few of our high school graduates to give them an experience
on their own, away from families. But something that is challenging,
to prepare them for college life, or their life ahead where they will
have to make decisions... We had Christians and Non-Christians that
came with us, so it was great for them to hear the testimony of others...
Our guide was awesome, he stayed with us and brought God’s truth
home whether we were here in camp or out on the rocks or out on the
water. I would really recommend this to anybody, where it’s
a family group, or a church group, or a boy scout group, it’s
just an awesome experience."
Rick Larimore
Community Christian Alliance Church
Castaic, California
"I
was so impressed with the confidence of the leaders. In fact I don’t
think I have ever had a trip where I was able to relax so much, because
I knew that they were in charge, they were looking out for safety,
they were preparing things, everything was ready for us, and we had
a blast. It allowed me to truly hang with my kids, and our youth,
and our leaders. Rather than having to think about, “well, what
should I be preparing for next?” The adventures that we got
to experience we could never do on our own. Really... Places that
we could never have gone to if it was just me trying to do my own
trip. I was so encouraged.
The food was amazing. I seriously can not believe how well they fed
us being out in the back country, I don’t think I’ve fed
people that well on my trips we do at church or where ever else we
have kitchens... Highly recommend it."
Travis Osborne
Vintage Faith Church
Santa Cruz, California
"Rock-N-Water...
had been one of the best experiences that I’ve seen. Really
incorporating the outdoors and God’s creation, with application
from scripture, and making life real."
Chris Swanson
Harvest Bible Church
Paso Robles, California
"We
had just as much fun as past students had told us we were going to
have... It’s an absolutely wonderful camp, it brings the kids
together, they bond, they grow in friendships... It’s a good
balance between the physical and the fun things but also brining in
God’s word into what they are doing."
Lisa Bloom
Christ our Savior Lutheran
Rockford, MI
"I
can not say enough about the backpacker paluza. I saw our kids change
in so many ways. Some to the young men that put on that rock hard
facade, on the way home were screaming singing in the bus... I’ve
lived in this area my entire life, and I saw things I have never seen
before."
Matt Morrie (lay worker)
Cold Springs Community Church
Placerville California
"I
can’t think of a better way to get God’s word into the
hearts of youth. Sitting in the lap of God’s creation... gave
me the confidence to say the things I needed to say to the kids."
Tim Delkey (lay worker)
Christ our Savior Lutheran
Rockford, MI
"The
kids love it... the guides here at Rock-N-Water are fantastic, super
friendly, experienced in what they do. The food is excellent, I don’t
get sick of the food."
Josh Johnson
Living Hope Church
Monterey, California
"Kids
got to experience a lot of things that they normally wouldn’t
have, such as trusting each other..."
James Ferdosa
Horizon Southbay
Bonita, California
"I
love Rock-N-Water... I’ve been four times, and every time has
been a new experience. Wonderful guides, food, hikes, rafting..."
Donnabell Martin
First Church Of The Nazarene
Vallejo, California
"Staff
is really invested in the lives of your youth. It really showed off
with our group where our kids that were on the fringe of the youth
group, are now ready to jump in full flow with God’s plan."
Brian Hughes
St Dunstan Episcopal Church
San Diego, California
"The
kids in our group bonded... Really blessed that we could come here."
Justin Bell
Calvary Chapel Camarillo
Camarillo, California
"Rock-N-Water successfully uses the outdoors and challenge to
create an environment where the walls come down so the gospel and
other personalized lessons can get through. ...The staff works so
effectively with our kids. The depth of their training shows in their
safety, integrity, sincerity, and the way they love the kids. It becomes
incredibly obvious that they are here to serve."
Mack Herrington
Hosanna Christian Fellowship
Bellflower, CA
“I’m sick of summer camps! It’s all entertainment
and my kids hooking up with other kids. I want to challenge my kids
and that’s what Rock-N-Water does for me.
Most of my kids avoid doing anything hard. They sit in front of their
computer, they listen to their I-Pods, they text message their friends.
They are very sedentary. A lot of them have not been out in nature,
not seen God’s creation. It’s been great to see them stretch
themselves, grow in their faith, and understand themselves better.
...Last year we brought 50 kids to Rock-N-Water, by November 49 of
them were still involved in my ministry. And I give a lot of the credit
to the fellowship that was developed at Rock-N-Water that summer.”
Joel Parkins
First Presbyterian Church
Salinas, CA
“Rock-N-Water has staff that is enthusiastic about serving
the Lord and leading our kids closer to Him. ...Here we do everything
together which brings an awesome spirit of unity... good food, good
family, and good fun!”
Shane DiLisi
Rancho Baptist Church,
Temecula, CA
“What we get here is the whole package. We get to enjoy God’s
amazing creation, we are challenged physically, and challenged spiritually.
And it builds our community; our team of young people. ...The staff
are great. They set the stage for an incredible experience with an
atmosphere that inspires growth.”
Marla Schmaltz
Coastline Community Church
Encinitas, CA
“It’s a ton of fun! ...its really surprising to see how
the physical challenges lead directly into spiritual challenges. I
see so much growth with my kids every year here. Its an eye opening
experience for them to be in God’s creation, focusing on Him,
and at the same time being stretched in so many other ways, and having
an amazing time so different than their life at home.”
Mandy Helton
Shadow Mountain Community Church
El Cajon, CA
“We came back changed! God is moving and working through Rock-N-Water...
We are so grateful for the hard work everyone puts in on a daily basis
to shape our lives.”
Ben Croghan
Fresno Bible Church
Fresno, Ohio
“Rock-N-Water... allows our students to leave a very comfortable
world, to really experience God’s creation, and to push themselves
and see what God might do.”
Dave Keehn
South Shore Church
Monarch Beach, California
“It’s hard to get city kids to challenge themselves. To
try what they have never done. The multiple programs at Rock-N-Water
do that naturally. And the guides are great examples of Christian leaders.
They point to Christ in their devotions, the way they pursue friendships
with the kids, the way they lead the adventures, and the way they bend
over backwards to make sure our kids have the most incredible experience
possible. They showed my kids that God can do amazing things through
young people.”
Jason Steffen
Horizon High School
San Diego, California
"This was so much fun! My kids were challenged yet never pushed
too far. Safety is so important to the staff, which really helped
me be comfortable with the adventures...
...Every person I met here was awesome. They were focused on the
kids, not focused on each other. Their focus was always on the kids,
their safety, getting to know them, having fun with them, and looking
for opportunities to talk about the Lord...”
Dan Gillman
Calvary Chapel
Fort Brag, CA
“Wow! What a great experience – spiritually, physically
and emotionally.”
Lisa Lait
1st Baptist of El Segundo
El Segundo, CA
“The thing I like best about Rock-N-Water is how my group becomes
a team here. We become very united. ...This operation does a high
quality job. The adventures and food are great. The guides are on
top of it, so safety is not an issue. They are stellar.”
Jason Williams
West Side Baptist Church
Yakima, Washington
“Rock-N-Water is the one trip they really want to do each year...
The staff bends over backwards for us, which is one of the ways we
see God’s love here. ...Coming from the city where “nature”
is a man made pond and they are constantly consumed with electronics,
this is one of the few opportunities we have to fully experience God’s
creation and the vastness of God’s work here on earth.”
Frank Harmon
Placentia Presbyterian Church
Placentia, CA
“It’s beautiful here and the teenager’s we bring
always have the best times of their lives. We get to enjoy God’s
creation with every breath we take. The adventures are excellent and
the guides are great.”
Chris Schmaltz
Coastline Community Church
Encinitas, CA
“There are a lot of camps and retreats out there, but there
is nothing like Rock-N-Water. It is unique, filling an important need
within my ministry... Because of the time we spend here together,
in situations where we have to rely on each other, the youth become
united... The staff are top quality, its extremely safe while pushing
kids limits... we had a great time.”
Bob Lee
New Community Baptist Church
Mountain View, CA
“If you really want your youth group to grow as a community,
get them to do some challenging stuff. Rock-N-Water provides that.
Our kids love it!”
Jermaine Keller
1st Christian Church
Napa, CA
“I love taking kids out and introducing them to God’s
creation by letting them experience it. Rock-N-Water is a great ministry
to partner with in doing that. There are great people here.”
Bob Balzhiser
Youth for Christ
Sacramento, CA
"Wonderful
place to be. A wholesome environment The kids challenge themselves
in ways they wouldn’t normally."
Donna Foster
All Saints Episcopal Church
Long Beach, California
"I
liked having a lot of organized time together, being able to work
as a team. It’s been really good. I like how our kids are cohesive
and not free time sporadic. "
Shaun Clay
Oak Tree Community Church
Elk Grove, California
"An experience like this, it builds a family bond within the
youth ministry... the groups that come... our group, we become closer,
more close nit and we have like this family bond that we grow. What’s
really cool is that the staff and the guides here, they’re not
just the staff and guides, they’re actually part of your family
for that week, and it’s sad to see them go, but you build some
great relationships, and every year you come back you get to see them
and it’s just something beautiful. What mentorship happens here,
it’s outstanding!"
John Bocanegra
Good Sheppard Lutheran Church
Claremont, California
