3.3 A short post via smartphone.

Training started off today and it's going fairly well. I always have a hard time getting excited for largely the same info as years past but there has been plenty of new things and whatnot that it has been an overall pleasant day.

One thing that has been added is a worship set right after breakfast and another supper (the beginning and end of the training day). And it was decent...

Once I was able to shut my brain off about who's singing sharp and where the tune derailed entirely it was semi beneficial to me. As some of you know I struggle to worship through live music because I have a hard time turning off my sound guy instincts. It also didn't help that they choose to sing "10,000 reasons" during both sets; a song and album which were very meaningful through the process of mourning my father. A process that is far from over... So every time I hear that song I remember the funeral and while it's a find memory it's also a sad one.

Hit my three nalgene target again! At this rate my body might realize what to do with a sufficient water supply again. Hope that adjustment happens quickly.

Tonight most of the staff are playing a hectic game of Quelf. Looks zany... But I'm pretty wiped. Only one can of soda today for sugar drinks or caffeine, combine that with a short sleep last night and it makes sense I'm dragging a bit. Probably read a Lil bit and crash soon.

Most of the stragglers get here tomorrow night. Pray for safe travel as they drive most of the day.

I am still short counselors for my week (the last in June) and that's getting more stressful as it gets rapidly closer. Pray that the right people materialize soon.

And last but not least... I'm here, and I have enough to get me to Omaha in July, but money is super tight. Pray that support letters yield a response, or that readers feel prompted to give.

-Nick
P.s. I typed this on my phone so I apologize for any autocorrect errors.

3.2 The gang's all here. (except lots are missing)

Yesterday after posting I noticed that from time to time I don't explain all of the references that the titles suggest. While in a perfect world I might go back and fix those titles so as not to give the wrong impression... but I'd rather reliably update instead of being a perfectionist about it.

Today was a good day. Everyone scrambled to get their own stuff done and I was no exception. I did lots of things that unfortunately don't have much of a tangible effect. I'm still a bit shy on counselors... but there are a few hopes now that I didn't have a day ago (and a few glimmers that have faded into nothing as well) Please continue to pray that I get the staff that I need for the upcoming week.

I scrubbed out a horrific fridge today and as I was doing so I remember commenting that the bottom reminded me of the bottom of a birdcage combined with a rabbit hutch. While this is a shocking combination it also served to remind me that I've done some absolutely incredible things working at camp. (including cleaning out those animal pens) Even though it's occasionally frightening I don't regret it in the least. And I can't wait to see how my boundaries will be stretched this year too.

I also had the opportunity to introduce a large section of the staff to the game "pairs" tonight. It's such a simple game that it gets people distracted enough to just talk and to let their guard down just a little. It was a blast to play a few rounds (even though I think I lost a disproportionate amount, but who's counting?)

It was great to see so many old friends trickle in and jump to work almost immediately. Combined with a few new faces and camp is already starting to become more lively. Staff training begins in earnest tomorrow morning and most of the stragglers will sneak in on Thursday night.

I also managed to get my gear moved from my car to the barracks with a little (read: a LOT) of help from others. It's far from organized but at least I'll have the choice to not sleep in a sleeping bag tonight which I may or may not take advantage of... we'll see.

I also got a cool opportunity to do some stargazing this evening and saw the rings of Saturn, Jupiter and his moons, and a few galaxies n' nebulae. It was quite chilly (I forgot to grab a jacket on my way out the door) but was well worth the shivers and whatnot.

Last but not least, I consumed no less than 3 Nalgene bottles of water. I think the humidity (or lack thereof) and altitude are larger factors than they have been in years past. Omaha made me soft!

also i'm an "old man" and my bed is calling. Gnite my friends!
-Nick

3.1 Of Frolf Frisbees, Fuzzy Horses, and Frankfurters.

Hmm lessee... I arrived at camp this afternoon to be greeted by a host of new things! The first of which was that the gate to camp is now framed by some imposing posts and eventually (I'm told) there will be a sign hanging there. It reminded me of the main gate to the camp I grew up at and thus I highly approve.

I then discovered a new building now sits beside the snack shack! And the decrepit building next to the farm (Think petting zoo) is gone! Both exciting developments to be sure. We also acquired a new stagecoach sitting spot alongside the road. Initially It's not really my 'cup of tea' so to speak but I took a good look at it later this evening and it seems like it might be a fairly comfy spot. And it does look surprisingly rustic considering it's made of composite material. And there are a host of other things that have been done. Zach (our facility director) and a host of volunteers have been incredibly busy and it is immediately apparent the second you drive in. What a blessing it is to have a constantly improving facility. I can't say enough good things about all the work that has been done... and I've just been told of a few others that I didn't notice yet.

I also had the fun opportunity to play a nice game of "QUILTING" (don't worry it's just PIG or HORSE with a longer random word) while we were putting with Frisbee golf disks. It was great to swap stories and chat about the things we've been digging out of the word and just catch up.

So, for those who are just joining us. yesterday I wrote my support letter (you can read it here) in which I do the necessary evil of asking for money... Sadly I am aware that most of my readers are as financially strapped as I am... and that somewhat worries me to be perfectly honest. Please be praying for me in this area.

Also please be praying for the prep for the week that I'm directing. I'm still lacking some counselors and I'm beginning to freak out a Lil' bit. So on the off chance that you know someone who loves Jesus, working with junior highers, and is willing to work in Wyoming for a week (for free). Send em my way!

Also it's getting late and I'm not entirely awake... So I'm calling it a night my friends!
-Nick

3.01 A request for support.

Dear Friends,

This year I have the incredible opportunity to return to Haven on the Rock for another summer of ministry.  This will be my fourth year out there and I’m quite excited to go back.  

That having been said, I’m only able to return to camp each year because of those who generously support me financially, prayerfully, and otherwise. And this year is no exception.

How can you help you might ask? Honestly, the most tangible way is financially. At Haven we want anyone to be able to come to camp, and to keep costs low the staff work for very little. Because of this and returning to school this past fall, I’m at a point where my continued ability to work at camp is dependent on raising support.

This year my financial needs will be $2500 in support. This will cover the costs of the summer and help with necessary expenses such as food, gas, and clothing. (No shiny new Ipad, don’t worry) and I’d be honored if you’d partner with me in this ministry.

If you are unable to give financially I also need your prayers and encouragement. To help you with that you can follow my (nearly) daily updates at nquadrant.blogspot.com. (You can also read the accounts of the last two summers there if you’re so inclined) It is a great way to live the daily highs and lows of a summer at camp. I always appreciate hearing that people enjoy my writing and an encouraging comment goes a long way. It is also a great way to stay current on specific ways to pray for me, and camp in general and without your prayers I would not be able to do what I do.

Donations can be sent via the following methods:

Mail a check to:                                   Donate Online:

Haven on the Rock 560 Rimrock Road Ft. Laramie, WY 82212 Write: "Nick Oegema support" in the memo line.

OR

Browse to Havenontherock.org Click on the “donate” tab. Login or create an account (a quick process) Select Summer Staff as the type of donation Enter “Nick Oegema” as the staff member Enter your method of payment and submit!

Blessings my Friends!

-Nick Oegema

3.0 Three years?! Let it begin again!

Yep you read that right! 3.1! The third chronicle has begun! While I won't physically be at camp until tomorrow I was doing a great deal of last minute prep today and thus it seemed appropriate to begin my annual recording now rather than tomorrow.

While this will actually my fourth summer in Wyoming, it is the 3rd  one that I've committed to keeping a record of. The first year was lost in the sands of memory and to be fair I was spiritually a walking-wounded that first year and thus it's probably for the best that I didn't share the inner monologue that year.

In any case, here begins the blog MKIII. It is highly likely that I'll be updating nearly daily (or as close as I can get). Judging from years past you can anticipate 4-7 posts a week. It should be an interesting journey as I'm always a little different person as I come into the season. This year is no different. I never know what the summer holds or what I'm supposed to learn this year...

Year zero (the lost year) I'd summarize it in the following: Hope Realized. I was surprised by the incredible richness of finding a new camp family (which is not to say anything bad about the one I grew up with) but I figured I'd aged past the opportunity to be involved in a camp full-time again. I was welcomed even though I was a mess... Physically I was VERY overweight (to be fair that isn't entirely untrue now.. but to a much lesser degree), pale as a ghost from working overnights, and spiritually I was still shaky from a dark season just prior. I didn't dare to hope that it would be as good as I remembered camp being, but I found healing and renewal and made many friends whom I still count among my closest even these years later.

The first year (the ones that are just labeled with days not year numbers in the archive) my best recollection (I could go back and read the archive I suppose...) would be Joy. I rediscovered a passion for camp ministry and realized the shadow I was the year before. Instead of being sad about the past I pressed forward glorying in restored strength and I look at the things I accomplished that year with a little jealousy because it came so easy, and at the end I was ready to collapse but I still had a huge grin because I felt so alive! I didn't even need a nap during the day until the last few weeks of camp!

Last year is the clearest in my memory. The theme in my mind was Faithfulness. I had recently lost my father and once again was spiritually a walking-wounded. But I had a host of new responsibilities and carried more on my shoulders than I ever had. It wore on me in powerful ways and always dogging my steps was a undeniable fatigue and a temptation to just give up. I'd like to say that I fought it off every time but in reality it'd be a gracious interpretation to say that I was just one step ahead all summer. For survival I was forced to put one foot in front of the other, and I knew that if I stumbled... it'd get ugly quick. Thankfully I was given the energy I needed when I needed it and despite some of the most difficult situations we've ever faced at this camp (at least in the horse program) we made it.

This year? Who knows... I've been at Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska for the last year scraping together the rest of my Bachelors degree (stay in school kids, it's easier the first time). I've grown and been seasoned in ways I didn't expect... and it seems that all of the odd and bizarre things I've learned in my "random" journey to this point has been useful in one form or another.

Combine that with the fact that for the first time in Wyoming I won't be working as a wrangler, nor will I be the head of the team that I will be working with. In an exciting turn of events I'll be the rookie at the rappelling wall! (not to be confused with repelling; that takes a bit more bug spray and far less carabiners)
To be honest I'm not even sure if I'll have any official leadership role at all this year. Except for the week at the end of June that I'm directing I'm just one of the crew.

To be fair all of that is based entirely on the few emails I've received and largely by my own failure to multitask well while in school I'm quite out of the loop this year. You might even say that if the loop were to explode for some odd reason... I might not hear the sound for a few days, if ever. Quite the contrast to this time last year.

Anyway, The long and short of it is... the year is beginning! I'm finalizing my support letter (which should have been finished and sent months ago) tonight, and will try to stuff envelopes tonight too. But I'll be looking for addresses to send em to! If you want one (and many of you are getting them already) I'd love it if you'd send me a message on facebook, text, email, or comment here and I'll send you a hardcopy. Otherwise if you're all digital It'll be posted here in the next 24 hours.

Whomever you are reading this... I'm glad you're here. I hope you continue to join me for the no-doubt whirlwind ride ahead. At very least it should be somewhat entertaining!

-Nick

Sitting in SLC airport and thinking about some major blessings.

About 17 hours ago I woke up to a horrific truth. My insides were quite determined to make themselves my outsides. This continued for many hours and to spare you the gory details I didn't sleep much at all. My gracious host n hostess (my big bro and his wonderful wife) discovered this horrific fact in the early morning. From then on they became even more gracious, supplying me with Gatorade, Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, and so on and so forth. It's quite nice when you're all messed up to have sympathetic people around to make you feel less guilty about being miserable. 

In fact we were all concerned about my ability to travel today as scheduled... to the point that I was offered the ability to stay longer, and even nudged that direction (before I fully recovered just in time). I couldn't help but remember a similar situation a few years back when I was spending the weekend at some dear friends house in Casper, WY. Unfortunately their regularly scheduled weekend guest also became ill, for the better part of a week... this didn't faze them in the slightest and despite my cave-dweller recovery period I was well taken care of. And when I finally left I genuinely felt like they were sad to see me go. 

Having been through a similar situation twice now, I can't begin to express how blessed I am. Both in the friends and the family that I get to orbit. As I sit here waiting for my layover to end, watching episodes of Top Gear on my phone, I am content. (thanks to wendys and a rapid recovery my belly is full too) The road ahead just gets more and more filled with things, but at the same time I'm less frightened and more eager than I've been in a long time. 

-Nick

On Rest and Adventure, and the elusive concept of normal.

I haven't written in a month... and what a month it has been! (aren't they all?) As is typical the last month went by in what now seems like an eye-blink. But somewhere in that instant was packed weeks of projects and final exams, new responsibilities, successes, and failures. I know I should post more when I forget all of the things that I've done since the last post... but alas that's difficult to do and no one wants me to post another apology about that... so further up and further in!

Finals went well albeit hectically and it was with no small amount of melancholy that I bid farewell to a hall full of crazy, loud-at-the-oddest-hours, friendly, eccentric men. It was a good year and I learned a lot about myself and how I've changed since I was last in that environment. It was a great year and in many ways Omaha is as much a home as anywhere else because of those guys. I can't wait to get back and do it again in the fall.

The day after the semester closed down I zipped off to the (not) cool and breezy place known as Phoenix Arizona to spend some time with my Brother, Sister-in-law, and two nephews. I also had the opportunity to go to the Grand Canyon with one of the guys from school, and to hike a lava cave outside of Flagstaff on Monday. It was an incredible study in contrasts with the sheer scale and dusty majesty of the Grand Canyon set against the cold and smooth darkness of the lava tunnel. Well worth the sunburn.

This week of vacation has been anything but normal, but it has also been the most restful and recuperative time I've had in months. I've been outside of my normal by a fair bit, both in the big ticket adventures (see above) and in the ones that I hope I remember for a very long time (such as running around the house with my nephew). I've slept a great deal, been blessed by amazing food, and am honestly humbled by the experience of being welcomed into an already busy home and made to feel like I belong here.

I can look back and see a year of faithfulness. Where the call to Omaha has led me through some incredible things. When I set out from Rapid having never been to Grace, I remember saying that if all I had was a few months that I was supposed to spend it in Omaha, and looking I don't regret a minute of it. I feel the same certainty for next year and who knows how long any of us have? I know this is a place and a ministry field worth being involved in, and until I'm called away it's where I'll be.

My heart is full, and despite my head being borderline (or more) frantic with camp just around the corner and far too many things not going as anticipated with planning. I can rest on this fact, that whatever the next wild-and-crazy year holds (I have a few guesses but I don't really know) It'll be a crazy ride and that all the eccentric bunny trails I took to get to this point will only be helpful as I move forward.

-Nick
P.S. camp season is coming soon, and with it return the daily updates for the third year!