 Pilgrim Camp e-MAIL BAG We'd like to hear something from YOU via our e-MAIL BAG page. Send greetings, news and testimonies by clicking here. [email protected] WOW! The website is pretty active right now. That's great to see!!! Johannah and I were at camp along with the others for Memorial Weekend. We had a great time, and we're looking forward to spending 3 weeks at camp this summer. Two of them we'll be in the Village and one week we'll be relaxing. I had to add my 2 cents at last because I come here often to see if anything new has been added. Most of the time there isn't anything, so now I got the bright idea to add some lines of my own :). Here is a picture of Johannah fishing last year. Her dad would have been proud of her!!! She caught a nice large-mouth bass, and we ate it all. We stayed at camp an extra day last weekend, and on Monday evening she and her uncle Peter and Brother Tom were fishing just off Watch Rock in a boat. I was sitting on the rock and heard, then saw, three hummingbirds. What a beautiful and still lake it was. We could hear the crickets from across the lake, echoing back to us as the evening set in. God surely has blessed us with a beautiful place to go and find Him. There's nothing like it. Heidi  [email protected] Hi Everyone, Camp season is just around the corner! A short time ago I got off the phone with Sister Aletha who is busily processing camp applications. She told me that all the periods are almost completey full, so if you're still thinking of getting to camp, you better move fast and get your application in. Brother Tom is also busy getting the grounds ready, and Sister Antje is there as well as Peter Schaefer's cousin, Marit, who is visiting us from Germany. Brother and Sister Lugo (from Keansburg) were able to help for almost a week, and I understand that a whole bunch of young people from Kivisalu's church were here for a few days. Can't forget Sevetlana either, who was around for over a week. I hope I didn't forget anyone. I know Tessie and Willi Knaupp are there as I write, and that Brother James and Elizabth Waldvogel (with the kids, of course) are arriving there this weekend to help Tom and get the grounds in shape. Over the Memorial Day weekend we had almost a hundred people helping with raking, ironing, painting, carpentry, plumbing, dusting and cooking. All sorts of activities were going on. Even the littlest kids were dusting hymn books and making themselves useful. How it must have pleased the Lord to see everyone so cheefully serving Him. We thank Brother Ernie and his people, and lots of other people who aren't from his church, who gave up that weekend to help at camp. It was kind of rainy, but they still got a lot of work done. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that they also did gardening. Sister Moni left a lot of directions where flowers should be planted, and they appear to have followed her diagrams to a "t". You'll see a couple other obvious changes when you get to camp, especially around the main lodge up at Watch Rock. I won't tell you what it is. I hope to see you there sometime soon. Brother Paul Deborah Gawronski Lately, in prayer, God has kept taking me back to Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. So, I felt that I should read about it, and I started in Luke today. God showed me something so amazing, and really encouraged me in His presence. It can be summed up in Luke 1:45, "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what has been spoken to her by the Lord." --Mary believed that what God had promised her was going to happen, and she was blessed b/c she trusted in God to fulfill it. And because she believed she was able to praise God for His promise even before it was fulfilled. Mary was able to rejoice in His promise. She says, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; (He has seen my need.) For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and Holy is His name. He has filled the hungry with good things. He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, to Abraham and His offspring forever." --There's something really interesting here; Mary did not just believe that God gave her a promise, but she believed He would fulfill it. More than that, she counted the Lord's promise as "done." She said it's a done deal, why, b/c she knew, she understood who it was that made this promise to her. And when something is "done," nothing can change it. -That's the way she believed God's promise, and because she believed in this way, she was able to rejoice in & praise the Lord for His promise; she was blessed; and God worked everything else out. He allowed/provided for everything else to just fall perfectly into place. Think about the Israelites going to the Promised Land. They complained b/c they couldn't understand or see what God was doing concerning His promise, and they just wandered around in circles b/c they stubbornly refused to step out in faith and trust their Heavenly Father. But not Mary, she said God said it, it's done! God was able to fulfill His promise to Mary b/c she took the first step and believed even though it wasn't clear how He would do it. Sadly enough, we're like them Israelites a lot of the time (or at least I am), and we miss out. God want wants to fulfill His promise to us. I want to believe Father God like my sister, Mary, did. This reminds me: "By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him FAITHFUL who had promised; therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead, as many descendants as the stars of Heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand on the seashore." God blesses His children when they believe. It's taking that fist step, in what seems to be thin air, that allows God to do the rest. -Complete surrender, complete trust, brings about/opens the door for complete fulfillment. (Think about it. Isn't that what God is trying to tell us in Malachi when He speaks about tithing?) Gabriel said it to Mary, "NOTHING (-not one thing!) will be impossible with God." Our God calls Himself FAITHFUL, and He calls us to know Him as exactly that. "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." Love, Deborah Gawronski SARA PRA [email protected] Sara Pra ANNOUNCEMENT (This picture was sent in by Jeff Zachmann.) Does anyone know the official, biological term for this critter? 
SARA PRA [email protected] It is me Sara again. I hope everyone is having a good time. I am sorry I have not written in a long time. I have been caught up a lot in school work and a lot of other stuff. Not friends though. Guess what? I am going to camp, and so is Kimberly. Kimberly has a friend coming. She decided on her own to come. But I believe they both will be blessed. I just hope Kim and her friend don't get homesick. I mean with my parents and cousins right there. I don't see the problem. And guess what else? Kimberly's other friend, Jessica Nordt, said that she didn't want to come this year. And then she said she would pray about it. She said this a week or two ago. She said that every night since then she has been having dreams about camp, and people saying that she should go in her dreams. Isn't that strange? She said she is going to go now. And I know for a fact that God gave her those dreams because he has something in store for her. He knows her heart, and that she loves Him. And I believe the same for Kim and her friend. (By the way, Kim's friend's name is Toniann.) Well, bye. The whole family says "Hi". Can't wait to see all of you. Love Yall', Sara Rebekah Pra MINERVA LUGO [email protected] I just wanted to thank the Lord for such a beautiful place. It has been a number of years since I have been at camp but it has always had a special place in my heart. I remember the camp often through the season and pray earnestly. God is so good. Last year I had the privilege of sending my daughter for the first time as a camper. What a joy to know she had a wonderful time and is now looking forward to going again! I plan on taking a trip up this year and Lord willing I look forward to see some familiar faces. God bless you all. A special hello to the Andryuks and Aletha and Paul Munsinger! Lovingly, Minerva (Lugo) Millward SARA PRA [email protected] How are you? I am sorry it has been so long since I have written. I just wanted to say hi. I also wanted to let you know that I now have my own e-mail address. It is [email protected]. Say hello to everyone for me. I can't wait for the time to go to camp comes. If you want you can, change my e-mail address on the website. I want to let everyone know. Goodbye and I miss you all. Sara Pra. Here is a wedding picture of the recently wed Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Waldvogel, sent to us courtesy of Joey's brother, James. Congratulations to Thalia and Joey from all your camp family and friends.  ERIC RODKO [email protected] Happy New Year! I hope all of you are well, and looking forward to another Camp season. I trust I will see all of you this summer again, as I am planning on my usual round of Memorial Day Weekend, July (2nd period) and Labor Day. Looking forward to seeing everyone again then, if not sooner at the Camp meetings. As you may already be aware, I've written a book and it is finally out. I expect my first shipment within a week, and I thought I'd share the news with all my friends. You each will probably also receive a notice in the mail too. My cousin Danny may also forward it by e-mail, so please be patient with my family's excitement. I would be very grateful if you would recommend the book to your friends. At least 10% of the proceeds will go to benefit Pilgrim Camp, and additional proceeds will go to benefit other ministries. I would love to hear from each of you about how life is going. I will look forward to seeing all of you soon. May God bless and keep you all until we meet again. Your friend in Christ, Eric Rodko LARA C. BABAJEW-WITT [email protected] This verse reminds me of Pilgrim camp, and what a treasure it is! But let us not forget that not only at camp but at Work, home, driving in your car and at the wee hours of the morning he is there. Life is so busy, time crunching, getting projects done, Will you stop for for a moment and seek him? you can meet him right now, he's calling for you. Lara C. Babajew-Witt MARIANNE & ED KERUT [email protected] Looking forward to seeing you all at camp this year. God bless, Marianne and Ed Kerut [email protected] Jesus seems to be saying, "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being. But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word." I have everything, I am everything, but I long to be with you. In the midst of all that surrounds you, where do I fit in? Do you have a place for me? Do I still have that place in your heart, in the center, on the throne? I have all this, but you see, all I'm really concerned about is you. Where do I fit in? Do I have a place in your heart that I can call "home"? (-Imagine that, the King of kings, the eternal God, the Amen; He wants to call my heart His home. My heart, the organ that pumps life throughout my fleshly body, He wants to live there. He just doesn't want to vacation there; He wants to call it home. -There's no place like home, and He's saying, I am all that I am, but there's no place like being with you.) Yeah, I have a throne, but I'll leave all that just to be with you. And so I'm looking now, is your heart broken? Do My words mean anything to you? I'm looking for a humble vessel, a broken vessel, that I can come and make my home with Him. -Someone who isn't "too good" for Me. Will you be that vessel? Do My words make you tremble, tremble in fear, in awe of Me? I am God. Heaven is my throne and earth, My footstool, I have a place for you do you have a place, the center, have you left the center for Me? And my prayer, that these would be more than just words! O come into my heart, Lord Jesus; There is room in my heart for Thee! Amen. [email protected] Just wanted to thank you for the Pilgrim Camp website. I enjoy the photo gallery and sermons/writing sections best of all. Kathy, Mindy, and I speak so often of the wonderful work the Lord does in our hearts each time we come to camp. God's "work in process" is so wonderful!!! We continue to pray for the camp and ask the Lord to bless the children, adults, workers, and ministers who come with more of Himself (that's what He did for me!)... and that He will continue to keep it "Holiness Unto The Lord". We look forward to our gathering together in Him this summer with great expectation. May the Lord bless you this new year in loving Jesus better everyday. Say hello to all our dear Pilgrim Camp friends. Deborah Gawronski Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst....and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, and waiting not, to rid my soul of one dark blot, To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, tho' tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt. Fightings and fears with-in, with-out, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of mind, Yea, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome pardon cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! It's such blessing to know that I can come, just as myself, to Jesus and He promised He'd never cast me away. He said if I'd come, I'd never leave hungry, and if I believe His promise, I'd never go thirsty. He satisfies, His grace is sufficient. He calls me to draw near to His throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need. His sufficient grace is found in His unchanging presence. Where I can come, surrendering myself before the mercy seat, my Father's throne of mercy, and find that grace to help me in my time of need. To be accepted by my Jesus, "a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering"; to feast on the Bread of life, the Bread I can depend on, the Bread essential to my survival in this life. "He will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:12-13 "All my bones will say, 'Lord, who is like Thee, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, and the afflicted and the needy from Him who robs him?'" Psalm 35:10 "I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God." Psalm 40:17 Yes, I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord. None other voice like Thine can peace afford. I need Thee, oh I need Thee! Every hour I need Thee! Oh bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee! ....Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! I believe Your promise, I come oh Bread of Life, I come! Deborah Gawronski Click on picture. 
THE FLOWER LADY Anonymous Post your e-Mail Bag contribution by clicking here. Return to previous e-Mail Bag by clicking here. |
PHOTO INDEX