The last three weeks of July 2016 were full of fun and learning about Jesus at Junior High Week, Concordia Cub Week, and Youth Week. In order to see some of the fun and learning the campers were able to experience, visit the following links http://www.campokoboji.org/gallery.php (for photos) and https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLph3Gg7v-IF-zZJhAOMbkwj3sRHPpukk1 (for videos).
After a few years of sitting on the to-do list, Camp Okoboji welcomes one its newest additions, Lending Libraries. A few years back, summer staff member, Sarah Rutt, brought an interesting idea to Executive Director, Doug Kading, and finally, this year, 2016, Youth Week took on the task of bringing this fun idea to life. Youth Week campers painted and filled small chests with various books including devotional and story books and placed them around the camp for everyone to enjoy. The Lending Library boxes are located in the Christian Life Center entry, Ginny DeWall Dining Hall, Refuge Chapel, Joppa Hall, Bethel Retreat Center, Public Laundry House, and Hauck. Feel free to take a book and leave a book; there are many good ones to choose from.
Sixteen year old, Timothy Frostestad, has been working to become an Eagle Scout since he first joined the scouts. He is a junior in high school from Spirit Lake, Iowa. Frostestad, a member of Boy Scout Troop 152, stated, “I like being a scout because it teaches you many valuable skills one will need to know for their future such as: first aid, fire safety, lifesaving skills, swimming skills, and many more.” To earn his Eagle Scout ranking, he chose to build wood duck houses for Camp Okoboji because he enjoys wildlife and heard that camp needed some built. After gathering the proper supplies, tools, and safety equipment, he built the houses and hung them on the trees. He is happy that “Camp Okoboji gets to enjoy watching duck houses in action,” and he gets to teach others about wood ducks. Frostestad is excited to earn an Eagle Scout rank, and Camp Okoboji thanks him for his work and contribution to camp.
Adventure Camp will be welcoming 7th – 12th graders from across Iowa.
Attracting all scraped knees, underused bicycles, and general thrill-seeking kids, Adventure Camp brings something a little different to campers who want more than kickball during recreation. Biking, zip lining and archery will be some of the sports on this coming week’s agenda for the campers seeking to go beyond softball games.
“Archery in a Christian environment,”
Camp Okoboji has also hosted a bike camp in the past, which returned as a component of Adventure Camp.
The camp is surrounded by the greater Okoboji bike trails and has personal watercraft like canoes available, which will be used by campers. A neighboring camp down the road has zip lining and wall climbing facilities, which they are allowing Okoboji campers to use. And the welcoming camp experience Okoboji LCMS is well known for fostering will also be present.
“There are also Bible study, music, campfire devotions, your ‘camp stuff’”
