October 2016

October 2016

If you haven’t been to visit the camp in a while, then you need to make plans to come and take a look. It is amazing what has been accomplished on the grounds here in the last year.

We built Lake Papa Crow in honor of Tommy and Linda Crow of Dardanelle. It is just behind the cabins you encounter as you enter the camp on the land we purchased 3 years ago. The lake itself is approximately 3 acres with a separate swimming pond beside it. We supply fresh water into the swimming pond to create a fun and safe swimming area for the little kids. This lake was funded by the Crow family, their church, and their friends.

We built a large addition to our playground with a portion of the Don Helms campaign.  The ground level was completed before summer of 2015, but this year we added a second story playhouse. It is truly an enjoyable experience to watch children running up those stairs and all around the “fortress” or whatever their imaginations have conjured. The structure itself is board and batten green stained siding and the roof is made of cedar shingles that ride over an arched cedar log gable. The windows have skewed mullions, which along with the handmade cedar railings complete the whimsical look. We have a goal to continue to add elements to it this each year.

Our desire to have a dedicated nurses station was fulfilled this year with a donation from the Sutherlin family. We were able to build this as an addition onto the lower level pavilion side of the Retreat Center by capturing what was once storage closets. Borrowing a toilet and shower from the west side bathroom, we created three rooms. One for visits to the nurse, the second is simply a bed space where sick kids can rest while we wait for mom to come get them, and the third is a room for the nurse to stay in. This has proven to be a highly functional addition.

Additionally, we were able to renovate the old Chapel building which sits between Sunset Hall (the old mess hall) and the Amphitheater. The old wiring had to be replaced. While we were at it, we insulated the roof deck, put in a new ceiling, new vinyl double hung windows, painted the floors, and installed two new window units that both heat and cool. This allows us to utilize this building more for our fall and winter retreats as well as it creates the perfect space for Bible classes in the summer.

Each of these amazing improvements were made possible by your donations and each of them help make possible the ministry that is Camp Caudle. Buildings and playgrounds are merely a means by which the kids who come here can build a relationship with an adult who cares for them and is aiming to share the love of Jesus with them. All kids today are faced with stress. Whether or not they come from a “normal” home, their busy lives leave little time to relax and hear the voice of God.

In Mark 6:31 Jesus asks his disciples to, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” They needed rest. The crowded and busy lives they were leading were overwhelming them with stress, and the Good Shepherd knew that they needed rest. Doesn’t that sound good? Rest.

Our goal is to create a place for that to happen. The 600 children we hosted in our seven sessions were given the opportunity to unplug from whatever difficulties they face and hear the clear and compelling voice of the Master. They were able to measure themselves against the true standard that is Jesus instead of the insufferable message delivered by the evil one who controls this earth.

Your involvement here at Camp Caudle impacts lives. In a time when we are often suspicious of future generations, we must trust that the impact formed here is taken back to homes and communities across this region and that God will give the increase in those communities. 

Lee Henson

Adventure Playground - Phase Two

Spring is definitely here, and summer is right around the corner. Today at Camp Caudle, we began construction on phase two of our new Adventure Playground. Last summer, we completed the lower portion of the playground, and our campers absolutely loved it! The elements of the lower playground are balance challenge elements arranged like spokes of a wheel, offering fantastic free-play opportunities for all of our age groups.

Next up is the upper portion of the Adventure Playground which will consist of a fort/treehouse/playhouse that will give a beautiful view of the whole campus. As we move forward, we plan to add climbing elements and slides, as well as plenty of other little surprises for our campers to discover. Here is a time lapse of this afternoon's work as the framing for the tree-fort went up.

Thanks to Charles May for his willingness to volunteer his hard-earned retirement time to help us in so many ways over the past few years. He spent most of the day today on his knees driving screws down through the 2x6 decking on the second story of the playground.

3-D Concept sketch showing what our Adventure Playground will look like.

Also, thank you to all the donors who have supported the Don Helms Continue the Dream Campaign. Your support has made the addition of the Adventure Playground possible.

Working together...to win as many as possible.

Brent Ruple

Year in Review

We here at Camp Caudle hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and with Christmas just around the corner, we figured it was time to update everyone on our current programs, as well as let you know about our new programs.

We had more kids come to Caudle this summer than ever before! Nearly 700 kids came to a summer camp session where they learned about the love of Christ, and what it means to serve him with all your heart. What allowed us to reach out to this many kids? Our volunteers! From session directors to in-cabin counselors, none of what we do would be possible without those folks who are willing to sacrifice their time (and sleep) to bless these young people.

Also enabling us to do this work was our intern staff and full-time kitchen manager. We had seven interns who devoted their summers to blessing our ministry here at Camp Caudle. They were exposed to all aspects of running a Christian camp from working directly with the kids, to designing a camp improvement project, to hauling the trash to the dumpster. Many thanks to Carlee, Sarah, Becca, Jenna, John, Mason, and Brandon for being such great interns! Heather Sutherlin, a volunteer counselor over the past several summers, agreed to be our kitchen manager this summer. She was in charge of ordering the food, keeping up with our inventory, and organizing our volunteer cooks at each session this summer. We will never again go without having a kitchen manager like Heather...her presence was such a blessing!

Our interns undergoing 'training day'.

This past summer, we hosted for the first time a camp session strictly for kids who live at the Southern Christian Home in Morrilton called "Least of These". The young folks that were here enjoyed four full days of fun! We had an all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet, a birthday party for all the kids, bouncy houses, GaGa ball, fishing and campfire bible study for the guys, and a salon and fancy tea party for the girls.  These four days were all about showing these kids that they are loved...despite their difficult circumstances. Our adult volunteers who spent time playing with and mentoring these kids were definitely worn out by the end of the four days, but a lot of tears were shed when it was time for everyone to go home. Next year, we plan to expand this session to include more children who are in the foster care system throughout our surrounding counties.

Canoeing on the Illinois Bayou.

Birthday Party for all the kids at L.O.T. week!

Fancy Tea Party for the girls.

Don't forget the spa treatment.

Fun-filled days at Camp Caudle.

Next summer, Camp Caudle will host the inaugural Camp Agape Arkansas. Having begun in Hawaii in 2005 through the work of Pastor Roy Yamamoto, we are privileged to join in the mission to share God's love with children whose parents are in prison. We are able to connect with these children through the great work of Prison Fellowship®'s Angel Tree® program and bring these valued children to "...an annual, four-day event filled with an intentional series of activities and events that facilitte the sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through love, trust, forgiveness, and hope."

We would love for you to join us in our efforts to show the love of Jesus and share his good news of salvation with the children of Arkansas and surrounding states. We invite you to partner with us financially, helping us provide these young men and women with a first-rate summer camp experience.  This holiday season, give the gift of camp to a kid who would possibly otherwise never get these opportunities. Camp Caudle is a 501(c)3 organization, and your gift is tax-deductible.

Thank you, and have a blessed Christmas season!

Brent Ruple
Lee Henson

Clear that brush!

This past Saturday, a dozen students from Arkansas Tech University and the CCSC came out to camp to help us with some brush clearing. We had a couple chainsaws buzzing, several loppers snipping, and a few slingblades slinging. The brush had met its match! It really is amazing to me what can be accomplished by a few people working toward a common goal. In about half a day, we accomplished what would've taken Lee and I at least a week to complete. It is awesome seeing an area of the camp that is grown up and unusable be transformed into a clean, beautiful, useful place in such a short span. We plan on building a hiking trail and some walk-in campsites in this little secluded area by the creek.

The past year or so, the water level in our little pond has been dropping. It seems that it doesn't matter if the weather is dry or wet, the pond continues to shrink. Well, after some poking around, I found several burrows that have been dug by various varmints in the levee that forms the pond. Also, last summer, our day camp kids had a fishing class in the pond, but did not have any real luck. So, on Saturday, we cleared the banks of all the overgrowth and tried our best to plug the holes with dirt. This spring, we are going to try and have the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission stock the pond with catfish. I think the Day Camp and Junior Week campers will love the opportunity to feel the pull of a fish on the other side of the line.

You can see how the water level has dropped from its original level.

Now the levee is cleared of all the brushy vegetation.

Special thanks to Madi, Hannah, Carlee, Lance, Mason, Jenna, Joee John, Billy, Eva, Lauren, James, and Jarrod for giving up their Saturday to help out a good cause. I hope they had as much fun working with me as I did with them. I love those guys!

On another note, I was having a conversation in the car the other day with my brother-in-law, Josh Clem. Josh is the new youth minister with the WestSide Youth Ministry in Russellville. We were discussing how easy it is to doubt the validity of Jesus' words when he said,

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matt. 17:20

But then we started talking about all the mountains that God had indeed moved for us personally in our lives. I know that there are several instances in my life when seemingly insurmountable obstacles were completely bulldozed by God. There is no other explanation. We need only to have faith...not in our abilities, not in our talents, not in people, not in technology, certainly not in prosperity...but in the Creator Of It All. If we have faith in Him, nothing will be impossible for us!

I challenge you, as Josh and I challenged ourselves, to recall and write down those times when God moved mountains in your life. Sometimes they may seem like small deeds, sometimes they are huge interventions, but if we record those times when God revealed himself to us, I think we will start to see a pattern emerge. That pattern for me, and Josh said for him as well, is that when we are living FAITHFULLY, that is when God seems to come through for us in the most amazing ways.

Blessings to you!

Brent

2014 Summer Registration Information

Summer is fast approaching (4 months!) and we have been working throughout the fall and winter to get ready for it. In October of 2013 all of the Session Directors met here at Camp Caudle and discussed ways to  registration, staffing and other cooperative improvements. Below is a list of things that were decided upon (mostly unanimously!) that will affect you directly as you get ready for camp this summer. Please read this information and share it with others who will be registering campers for the 2014 summer.

1. No deposits will be taken this year. 

In order to make things easier at registration and to keep from any confusion as to how much has already been paid we have eliminated the $50 deposit. Now, all applications must be submitted with full payment in order to register your camper.

* As always, if any person needs financial assistance do not hesitate to let us know by email www.campcaudle.org/contact.html 

2. Early Bird Registration is April 15th 

and your camper must have the form submitted and the $125 be paid in full by that date. (This isn't a change altogether but a great reminder!)

3. The registration fee of $150 is the same 

as well but only until ONE WEEK prior to the session start date. This effort is another way to encourage everyone to get registered before the session start date. It makes it much easier on the session directors, cook staff and the camp directors.



4. If you absolutely cannot register your camper before one week prior then you will pay the

  late registration fee of $175.     

Campers will incur this fee if registered anytime within 7 days of the session start date, on the day of registration or after the session has ended. We understand that late registration is sometimes unavoidable but encourage you to register as soon as you can. We hope that all campers can get in early and avoid the extra cost!
*Please note: if you are mailing in paper applications this fee applies to the date the application is received.


5. As per our insurance request and for increased camper safety            

all adult staff   

excluding cook staff must go online to www.campcaudle.org     and

submit a volunteer application. 

This small form will allow for better screening of adults who will be in contact with children and give the session directors a concise list of their staff. Be aware that the application for the Day Camp session will be a separate link than the overnight session.

*Even if you have been an adult staff volunteer before you must fill out an application.
All applications are due by May 1st.

We hope these changes will create efficiency and safety and we know that this summer will be great! If you have questions about payment or discounts please contact us and get your questions answered before the day of registration. www.campcaudle.org/contact.html

What a year!

This has been a huge year for Camp Caudle!  Instead of one lone ranger trying to get everything done around here that needs to get done, we now have two families tending to the needs of the camp. Due to the generosity of many people, there is now a new barn/house on campus. We have all our tools in one place, our horse program is off the ground, and Lee and Andrea have a new place to live. I can't begin to express how awesome it is that Lee and I can get in the barn when it is cold and rainy and still get work done. It seems there is always a machine that needs to be repaired, something new that needs to be built, or equipment that needs to be maintained, and the new barn is great for all these things!

Building the foundation of the new barn this past February.

Progress on the barn/house.

The barn nearing completion earlier this summer.

We've renovated the old retreat center up the hill (now called the Lodge), making it more usable for groups looking for a smaller facility to rent. The driveway has been realigned to minimize the presence of traffic around the playground area. A new bridge and trail have been built to the swimming hole (thanks to WolfLife, the ASU student ministry).

The interior of the lodge has been drastically updated this past year.

Exterior view of the lodge on top of the hill.

The old bridge was in such rough shape,
we didn't want any kids crossing it this summer.

Brent and the WolfLife students
building the new bridge.

The new bridge completed and ready for use.

Perhaps most importantly, we have been able to offer a great Camp Caudle experience to two new inner-city churches, from Tulsa and Oklahoma City. We are extremely excited to have these young folks with us this coming summer, and they are excited to be here.

At the end of 2013, we embarked on a fundraising campaign, with the goal of making Camp Caudle more financially stable going into 2014. For years, we have successfully raised funds for specific projects, and people and churches were amazing in their willingness to meet these needs, but the problem has always been that, after the project is completed, the camp is in no better position financially than before. Not often thought about is the fact that with improvements typically come higher maintenance costs.

One of our generous supporters agreed to match the funds raised during this campaign up to $20,000 to the end of 2013. With our minds set on reaching that goal, God blessed our efforts greatly, and we more than doubled our goal.  We are now in a great position to reach out to even more kids who need to know that they are loved…both by the staff that will interact with them here, and by God himself!

Blessings to you!
Brent Ruple

Living Through Our Means

On October 20, 2012 we celebrated twenty years of riding the zip-line, swimming, cabin devotionals, fire-ring and amphitheater singing, playing sports, having great Bible classes, team building, forever-friend making, goal setting, life changing, baptizing and so much more! The challenges have been great but the rewards are exponential. I am so blessed for having been here and for having experienced so many people dedicating their lives to God. If you have been involved in making the last twenty years possible I want you to know that you have blessed many lives and I pray a blessing on your life today. Let us be thankful in prayer to God for all that he has done and let us also be prayerful that he will grant us many more years to come in His service here at Camp Caudle.

"Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present." 

Roger Babson

I know we all want camp to be great. We want our camp to be the BEST. We have reasons we love camp and have been coming for years and some of us have dreams for the future. Whether they be nicer cabins, horse back riding, a full time kitchen staff, a Dr Pepper fountain in the middle of camp or simply tearing out the moisture damaged floor in the wooden bath house there is always something to be done, desired or necessary, to improve this place.  We realize that camp is about God working through people to change lives. We realize that at the end of a week here you don't remember the functionality of the serving line but the relationships built and your life-changing experience. Still we recognize what goes on behind the scenes and how God is working in this physical world allowing us the opportunity to reap such a spiritual blessing through these relationships and experiences.

When I was a boy I would I came to camp many times on Saturdays for work days. There were always several people here working very hard and I had a blast being here. While sitting around the picnic tables at lunch eating Vienna sausages and crackers and listening to the older men talk I realized that these guys didn't just show up here every once in a while but they were here all of the time. This place meant something to them. They talked about the projects they'd completed and those planned for the future. I remember in the early days only half of the buildings being functional and watching as men and women worked to get everything operational. For two summers in the 90's I lived here at the camp with my dad. The work that went into running this place was insurmountable. Plumbing, Electric, Food, Maintenance, People, People and more People. At a young age I saw that for this place to run it took a lot of work.

When we go to a place we see the presented product and often times don't realize the work and money it took to get it to that level. It wasn't until 5 years ago, when I came to work full time here at the camp, that I saw and began to understand how much money it took to run a facility like this. I had known the work. I knew what it meant to take care of the chores and I quickly learned a new set of skills to manage the camp. As in most grass roots organizations that I know of, it was obvious that money and volunteers are the limiting factor in preservation and growth.

 I am reminded of this parable:

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

Matthew 25

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God has given you and I responsibility to use what we have!  We can affect the future. Sure, we cannot predict the future but we can, through God's grace, impact it greatly.

 In the parable above the thing that strikes me most is the risk the men took with the money the master left for them to manage. If I am honest, most of the time I fall in with the "wicked and lazy servant." My mentality is to hold on to what I have and be safe. Even if you have never personally invested your money you probably still understand the principle. You understand that it can often times be risky.

We have accomplished so much but as we look forward we realize the necessities and opportunities that await. We have accomplished so much but we must realize that it was people who believed in doing God's work through camp that got involved, worked hard and gave of their money.  If we want our camp to be amazing then we must get underneath it and support it.

Thank you to all of those who have given of your time and money to our mission of mentoring and teaching kids, teenagers and young adults! If you have yet to get involved with what is going on out here then I hope that today you will decide to join our efforts. Your donations make a big difference!

Lee Henson