Will you join me in this post in praising our God for how good he has been to us this year at Rock-N-Water? Another season of Rock-N-Water is officially over and in the books and now is the time to look back on all that God has done.
Once again, our Lord has been faithful to provide for us and do great things in people’s lives through this camp. If you have ever been to Rock-N-Water then you know that this camp is a special place, and it’s more than just a camp where people come to have fun and go on adventures. Rock-N-Water is the Lord’s camp and each year I’m reminded more and more of how true this statement is. It is such an amazing privilege and joy to see how God continues to use Rock-N-Water for his good purposes in all who come to this camp.
With this season now in the past, let’s take some time today to look back and praise God for some of the amazing ways he came and provided for this camp and worked in great ways.
A Packed and Busy 49er Fun Season
For the first time since covid, we had a full season of 49er fun trips booked! Praise the Lord! All of our Spring
staff were running around as if they truly had “gold fever” as they would jump from one trip to another, sharing the truth that God is greater than gold with all the 4th graders that came out. God was faithful to sustain and give guidance to each of our staff during this fun and busy time at Rock-N-Water.
This year a new option was also added to the 49er fun experience at camp. Along with the interactive living history experience we offer, schools now have the opportunity to add a fun and adventurous float down the American river. Before leaving camp, the 4th graders and their parents time traveled back to their time to meet their river guides who would take them safely down a portion of the south fork of the American river.
Spirit-Filled and Well Rested Staff
Last year a major problem we faced was staff burnout. Rock-N-Water is a physically and mentally taxing job. It’s not for the faint of heart. We are thanking the Lord that amidst all of the craziness of this year, the staff found time to be refreshed and rest. Happy hearts that our renewed by rest and time in the Lord lead to happy trips and happy campers.
This year we sought to ensure that all staff were loved and had time to recharge. All the staff took turns working weekend trips and helping each other out where needed. In the middle of the Summer season, the staff enjoyed a long weekend retreat in Tahoe along with an end-of-season party at Sunsplash. This all led to having a group of staff on fire for the Lord and ready to lead every camper on all the fun adventures.
An Amazing Group of Trainees
This year’s group of trainees (used to be known as volunteers) absolutely rocked! God blessed us with an amazing group of young people with hearts ready to serve, do all the dirty jobs, and just have fun! This group of trainees all hit it off from the start and bonded with all the staff. And a huge shoutout and praise to their amazing trainee coordinator, Shelby Lyon, who taught them all to love so well. We love and are so thankful for our trainees. Summer would not have been the same without them.
Lives Changed and Committed to the Lord
By far the most important praise and thanks we have to God is that the Good News was shared and lives were changed. Many lives were committed to the Lord this year at camp. All praise and glory goes to our great God who continually chooses to use this camp as a means for changing lives.
This year we again had the privilege of doing a trip for children in Angel tree. These young adults, who have had much adversity in their life, were able to come to camp for a week and experience God. As the gospel was shared with this group many of them made the decision to accept Jesus as their Lord. We praise our Lord for the way he works and allows us to have a part in it!
God’s Provisions Amidst Many Unexpected Challenges
Amidst much sickness, car issues, and many scheduling crisis’s, God provided. In all the ways God provided for Rock-N-Water, in the big things and the little things, we give thanks to God for how he works. When a majority of the staff were sick and unable to work, God was faithful to provide the help we needed to keep the schedule filled. When vehicles would break down while en-route to an adventure, once again, our God was faithful to provide. Whatever the challenges we faced this year, we are so thankful for having a God who provides and came through for us in every area.
Tripzilla
A huge praise this year is that Tripzilla actually happened! There is a huge trip in September that has over 180 people. It’s the last trip of the season and is definitely one the hardest and most technical trips to schedule and to be a guide on. After being canceled the last few years because of Covid and fires, the Lord was gracious to provide us with the most beautiful weather. Clear blue sky, crisp fall air, even some rain, but sunshine for the rafting days. God brought in staff from many different generations of camp to work this camp and make this trip happen. The Gospel was shared and fun was had on many levels during this trip!
A Beautiful Celebration of God’s Goodness with Friends of Rock-N-Water
The same day that Tripzilla ended we had the “Freinds of Rock-N-Water” celebration. Rock-N-Water staff and donors were invited to come and celebrate this camp, go rafting, and fellowship. The huge Amphitheater that was built this year for the camp was dedicated to our beloved founders of this camp – Craig and Maya Lomax. This celebration was a beautiful reminder of how much God has used this camp, not just in campers’ lives, but in the lives of the staff. Rock-N-Water is a special place and it has touched so many lives in so many different generations. The season ended with a beautiful reminder and celebration of God’s faithfulness and provision.
As I close this post and continue thinking of all the ways that God has been working at this camp, my mind thinks of a verse in Joshua. My church has just finished going through the book of Joshua and the book of Joshua closes with the famous line in Joshua 24:15 – “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” I can’t help but find myself thinking of how this phrase fits so well with the mission of our camp and all the Lord’s done this year. Rock-N-Water’s main mission and goal has always been to serve the Lord. So as we thank God for this past year and look to the next one let us say together “as for this camp, we will serve the lord”
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