Cory & Jana Bauman
Hello from Crane Lake
Dear friends and family,
THANK YOU for signing up to follow along our adventures at Crane Lake Discovery Camp. We are thankful for the ways you continue to invest in our lives.
My hope for this newsletter is to give you a glimpse into our life—the challenges and victories of working for the kingdom of God in the lives of young boys, while also being a way to continue to connect with our family and friends.
For those who are just tuning in, Cory and I are working at Crane Lake Discovery Camp, a camp that works with at-risk boys in an alternative education nature program. Cory works as a supervisor who supports the counsellors as they work with the group of boys and I attempt to help with camp secretarial work while continuing my bachelor’s degree online. Currently we have seven campers in the Explorer group with dreams for many more.
There is currently a lot of change happening at camp regarding staff and campers. We have taken the place of Luke and Emily Frey, Alex and Emily Weber have taken the place of Tim and Laura Martin, and we have two new counsellors as well. In addition, we have had one camper graduate (finish the program) this past session and have welcomed in a new camper in the following session. Many emotions have been felt with this change, but we are thankful for the chance to do life with this crew [below] for the next few years.
Ministry Highlights
What’s been happening in ministry lately:
The Explorer group has been a little bit chaotic lately. We believe it has largely to do with the staff changeover. It takes time to build relationships and trust with the campers, as well as learning to lead well.
The Explorers are getting a taste of how working together well produces
many possibilities.
Getting to know co-workers has been a blessing. We have a fantastic team to work alongside, including Lincoln Brubacher who is helping with Maintenance for the time being.
An Update from the Explorers
Session Theme: Aviation
The campers (and staff) have enjoyed learning more about planes and even had the chance to attend a local air show. Later in the session, they went to tour the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton.
Honey Extraction
Thanks to a government grant and the expertise of Emily Frey, camp has had two bee hives for the past year. For the first time, the boys got to help in the process of extracting (and tasting!) the honey from the honeycombs.
Coming Soon: The New Explorer’s Chuck Tent
This session, the Explorers have worked hard to complete a new dining tent before one of the campers graduated. The poles are made from trees that were felled, skinned and put into place from the surrounding forest.
At the end of last session, the camper’s fathers came to do a Father-Son “Turkey-in-a-hole” event and so the Explorer’s got the chance to show off their completed structure.
Prayer and Praise
Praises:
A computer was supplied for day to day camp operations.
A cook signed up to replace the lovely Alana come Thanksgiving—Kristen Harris!
The opportunity for Cory and I to work together
Prayer Requests:
Continue to settle into our roles
To continue to walk in faith and trust in God’s ways rather than our own ways
The new camper who joined the group this session.
A tractor that can be used for plowing snow this winter
A Note From Cory:
God works in His own, often uncomfortable, ways. I’ve been up to my ears in learning new things, new responsibilities, and generally feeling overwhelmed. It’s not uncommon for me to stop in the middle (or shortly after) a particularly frantic moment and say, “God I can’t do this!” To which I am gently reminded that I was never intended to do life on my own. A deep breath and an intentional prayer giving my anxieties to God sends me on my way again. I guess that’s what happens when you ask God to teach you how to trust Him more. You get more opportunities to practice!
Sneak Peek
Since landing at camp, we have had the opportunity to stay in the one room apartment in basement of the Sauer house. Over Thanksgiving, we moved into the main floor of what used to be the old Chuckwagon and Luke and Emily’s house. We’ve been grateful to have Luke and Emily Frey walking with us these past few weeks, as Luke helps Cory step into the supervisor role. Luke and Emily have faithfully poured into this role, this team, and this community for many years—and we are so grateful for them and many others who have poured into camp.
We’d love to hear from you
Feel free to reply and let us know how you’re doing or how we can pray for you. We read every note (even the ones that start with, “Just a quick hello!”).
Also, if you know someone who’d enjoy following along with our ministry adventures, feel free to forward this email (or ask them to send us their email to add them to the newsletter list).
THANK YOU
Thank you for being part of this journey — your support, encouragement, and prayers are what keep us going (and keep us grounded).
Until next time — or until Cory finds a new critter.
With love,
Cory and Jana Bauman
Crane Lake Discovery Camp is a donation based camp. Camp does not turn campers away based on finances. Instead the camp depends on God to provide for each boy’s stay.
If you feel led to support the campers, the camp or us in this mission, click the donate button below to get involved. Your gifts make a big difference in the lives of boys and their families, helping them discover hope and lasting change.
Our mailing address is:
200 South Crane Lake Road, PO Box 713
Mactier, ON
P0C 1H0
Canada