New “On the Edge” survival camp in August
This year the Outdoor Ministries Team (OMT) offers a new experience for campers: “On the Edge” Survival Camp. This session will be held August 2–7, 2015 at Camp Mt. Hermon and limited to 12 campers (half girls, half boys) who have completed grades 7 to 10. The limited spaces will fill up fast. Register now for this great adventure, at Camp Mt. Hermon’s website: www.campmthermon.org. Leaders/co-directors will be Randall Westfall and Jan Hurst. Cheryl Mishler will be our spiritual adviser and nurse.
Randall Westfall serves as the Founder and Lead Instructor of Ancient Paths Outdoor School as well as director at Camp Brethren Heights in west central Michigan, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
Randall has lived close to the natural world throughout his life and has a strong connection to the spirit of the wild; the chance to spend time in the woods with him is always an adventure. He has been practicing wildlife tracking, naturalist skills, bird language and survival skills for nearly a decade. He also brings compassion and respect for the many seasons of human and spiritual development from his work as a minister and facilitating youth rites of passage. He has a passion for reconnecting people with nature, reawakening our passions in life and reigniting our fire for God.
Randall grew up in the Church of the Brethren in west-central Ohio and attended Manchester College where he majored in Religion and spent five years in Pastoral ministry, serving two congregations in Indiana. He’s attended the Tracker School (NJ) and is a 2010 graduate of Wilderness Awareness School’s intensive Anake Outdoor School (in Washington State). He has been evaluated as a Wildlife Tracker and is a Wilderness First Responder. He is a licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren and is a member of the International Society of Professional Trackers. When he’s not playing in the woods you can find him playing guitar, banjo and bouzouki, singing and songwriting, reading, wood working, exploring masculine spirituality, and being a dad.
Campers will learn about the four basics for survival: shelter, fire, food, and water. We will participate in lots of “how to” activities: make and use a bow drill, use a knife, burn bowls, identify animal tracks, recognize edible plants, and build primitive shelter. Although we will sleep in cabins and eat most meals in the dining hall, the outdoors will be our home. We will praise God, listen for the Holy Spirit, gaze at the stars, and sing together. Campfires, games, and swimming round out this week of living in Christian community.
A special “What to Bring List” will be made available in the spring. The limited spaces will fill up fast. Register now for this great adventure, at Camp Mt. Hermon’s website: www.campmthermon.org. Early registrations (by July 1) get a $10 discount!
Jan Hurst, chair
Outdoor Ministries Team