Werkema Family: It is June already.

Matthew 20: 25-26 But Jesus called them together and said, " You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.

The ice didn’t leave the lakes until June 3 this year. It was thick enough yet to walk on over Memorial Day. It has been a late spring here, but now it’s hot and we are working on our tans. We have so much to be thankful for. We are blessed beyond measures.

At the end of last month Kacie and her friend made a surprise visit to Michigan for 4 days. It was quick and fun. Kacie surprised her older sister for her wedding. There were only a handful of people that knew that Kacie was coming. God used her during that time to talk about camp and what He is doing through us at Victory Bible Camps. It was a good time in Michigan but it was great to get back to Jared, the kids and our home.

After the ice came of the lakes docks went in and the summer staff had their swim test, Brrr. The work teams are starting. This last group was from Pennsylvania. We were able to spend some time with them after work hours. It was a fun way to get to know them personally. Jared is enjoying having guys helping out in the shop. Also to help drink coffee and talk about some spiritual topics. Someone has to solve the world’s problems. They get a lot of work done. It is amazing to hear everything that they do. So thankful for all the work team members that take time away from their families, work, homes, and lives to come up to serve at Victory Bible Camps.

Here are some of Jared’s latest projects:

Well, believe it or not, there are still some frozen pipe lines and we are coming up on mid-June. We’ll get there eventually. It’s kind of a weird feeling to steam pipes when it’s 80 degrees outside. It makes for a good sun tan though. There is a lot of pipe line work to do this summer before we get back into the deep freeze. All the summer rigs are out and ready to be used. It seems like we always need to replace several batteries each spring. One incredible challenge, at least for me, was patching one of the loader tires. That tire was almost as tall as me. Equipment use was necessary for the removal and installation. I do believe that there was 8 hours invested in just that one tire. We got it all sealed up and squared away though. The excavator seems to be running good after replacing the fuel line and cleaning out the fuel tank. I pulled out the boat and prepped it for summer use. Of course I had to take it for a good test drive. I needed to check for proper performance and safety before anyone else got a hold of it. I always enjoy getting to know work teams. It seems as though God always provides someone for the Auto shop at the perfect time. Just when I am out of time or ideas on what or how to repair a vehicle. How awesome is that. God knows all our needs.

The day has come for the first week of camp. You can feel the excitement in the air from all the summer staff and full time staff. It is exciting to see what God is going to do this summer. Pray that hearts are willing to listen. Kenten was able to go to camp for the first week. He was excited to go and have fun with all the kids. He will be on his own from Wednesday to Saturday.

Another blessing to praise God for. The Mock family from Iowa has safely arrived at camp. They are here for full time ministry. Chris Mock is going to be working in maintenance. They are excited to be here and to serve. It will be fun getting to know them. God is using us all to bring glory to His name.