Are you ready to be challenged and grown while watching God transform lives? Are you eager to live and share your life in community? We offer opportunities to college-aged individuals who want to make a difference in their world. In the summer, Mount Hermon is CAMP… 24/7. This is not just a job, this is an experience that will impact your life and the lives of those you encounter.
We have many different types of summer staff positions at our various locations. Redwood Camp, Conference Center, and Ponderosa Lodge take place in our Santa Cruz mountains facilities, approximately 75 miles South of San Francisco. ECHO will take place at Kidder Creek, which is our facility located in Northern California near the Oregon border.
Kidder Creek is Mount Hermon’s most northern outpost, bordering the Marble Mountain Wilderness and Klamath National Forrest. Kidder’s staff maximizes this amazing location for ministry and life transformation. Here’s a peek:
“Thank you for the amazing experience you gave my son. He committed his life to God at camp!”
“I expected to learn a lot about horses, but I didn’t know I would learn so much about Jesus.”
“Kidder Creek is where I first got to know my Savior, it was where I first shared my Savior with others, and it is where I return when I need to get a little closer to God.”
“Kidder Creek has allowed me to experience God in a richly deep way; to be challenged, broken, healed, loved, and discipled. Without Kidder Creek, I might not have known Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, let alone have the deep relationship with God that I have today. I have seen God work in miraculous and unfathomable ways in the lives of those who come to Kidder Creek.
We are already thanking God for the lives that will be transformed throughout Mount Hermon this summer. We invite you to pray with us and thank Him ahead of schedule!
This week I’m house sitting for some friends on vacation. I don’t know what picture comes to mind when you hear the word house sitting, but in my neck of the woods (literally), it isn’t so much of a ‘come watch our house so that no one steals our stuff’ as it is ‘come watch our house so that our pets don’t die!’ This is a bigger calling… lives are on the line here. In particular: 6 cats, 5 dogs, 6 fish, 2 turtles, 4 horses, and 1 human. If anyone dies I have failed.
Now, here’s the issue: my dog, Graci likesloves to chase cats. This is something of cheap entertainment when I’m at the ranch and there is one cat scurrying away from my insane dog with 330 acres to spare. In an enclosed environment with 6 targets, it is a dramatically different story… add tile floors and you’ve got yourself a show.
It is also important to note that the last time my friends went out of town, a visiting dog savagely killed Chloe the kitty (may she rest in peace). In the legal world they call this precedent… and when I arrived, there was a note on the counter that said –and I quote– “Do not let dogs eat cats… that is a BIG no-no”… the stakes just went higher as the “you never said…” excuse flew out the window.
…and action:
cat enter stage left, dog growls, I grab dog’s collar, hair raises on dog’s back, 2nd cat enter stage right, dog growls, I yell shoo! cats disregard, cuckoo clock goes off in kitchen, cats and dog both turn and stare, pause for effect, cats tilt heads to side, dog tilts head to side, cuckoo clock goes silent, cats and dog resume stand off, cats bolt across living room, dog lunges forward and is choked by own collar, cats high five, cats exit.
scene.
Holy cow…
Soon after, Graci fell asleep… hallelujah. The cats immediately got into mischief… shredding shoelaces, karate kicking a bag of tortilla chips, and gnawing on the computer chord. Once I began shooing them, they began their rotation of destruction: shred, kick, chord, shred, kick, chord. As if to mock me, the moment I would shoo one away from a shoelace, it would spring to the counter, roundhouse kick the tostitos and proceed to the chord and *gnaw, gnaw, gnaw*. I, two steps behind, would shoo it away only to find another one already at the shoelace… shredding. This went on for an embarrassingly long time… meanwhile, Graci was out cold.
Earlier that evening, my friend, TJ shared some sage advice with me over the phone. He said that cats won’t respond to you if you don’t call them by name. That is ridiculous I replied. Utter foolishness. Absurd. Cats don’t respond to me because they are cats. To respond to a lower life form would be an insult to their esteem. He went on to say that second to using a cat’s name, a nice strong meow will often do the trick. I knew he was lying… and yet, I couldn’t help myself…
scene 2:
cats enter and begin rotation… shred, kick, chord, shred, kick, chord… I follow and shoo, cats ignore shooing, dog sleeps, I remember sage advice, I tilt head to side, cats continue rotation of destruction, I put my shoulders back, I puff up my chest, I stare at cat… I meow, cat stops shredding and stares, dog wakes up and stares, other cat stops in midair scissor kick and stares, I panic, time stands still, I meow again, dog rises to feet, cats tilt heads to side, dog tilts head to side, dog puts betrayed look on face as master speaks cat, dog tilts head further to side, I meow a third time, dog whimpers, cats cease rotation, cats realize their code has been cracked, cats stand down, cats exit.
Take 5 minutes and read this article on searching for your passion in the midst of societal pressure. It is a good reminder that God doesn’t always want us to lead lives that make practical sense, even when it seems that everyone around does.
In the mid 50s, the physician for the US Congress distributed this list of 10 standards to stay healthy. I wonder what would happen in we all took to following his simple and concise advice.
1. Eat Wisely — you are what you eat… what a weird saying.
2. Drink Plentifully (water!) — glug glug glug.
3. Eliminate Thoroughly — I think this should be extended to all areas of our lives. Equilibrium is never the result of endless addition.
4. Bathe Cleanly — pew.
5. Exercise Rationally — don’t rationalize why you don’t exercise.
6. Accept Inevitables — This one caught me by surprise, but think about it and it makes perfect sense.
7. Play Enthusiastically — go team!
8. Relax Completely — completely.
9. Sleep Sufficiently — note: different than relaxing… sweet dreams!
10. Check Up Occasionally — my mechanic calls this preventative maintenance.
This morning I found myself on a plane traveling home from a weekend getaway. The day began when my shuttle arrived at 3:55AM, depriving me of an adequate night’s rest – I am the victim here… remember that as we continue.
Arriving at the airport, I walked to the gate after, of course, TSA rid the world of my threatening tube of Colgate. Talk about a close call. I was surprised, however, when the officer deposited my toothpaste in a trashcan at the end of the conveyor belt. I would have expected a HazMat bag, rubber gloves, radiation suits, bottomless pits… something more than a simple trash can in between he and I. Pausing for a moment, I considered reaching in and retrieving my long lasting guardian of enamel, but grew cold feet when I considered the consequences. He did offer me the chance to phone a family member to come pick up my toothpaste. I thought that was nice… and absurd.
At the gate, the news was reporting a website called cute things falling asleep — as if to mock the fact that I was neither cute nor asleep at this point. I must admit that the various things falling asleep were rather cute. Puppies, babies, bunnies, a hairless cat (which was just falling asleep… scratch the cute part. Terrifying alien freaks of nature falling asleep has yet to launch).
After boarding the plane for my 5 hour flight, I thumbed through a magazine pecking like a chicken as I struggled to stay conscious. Waiting with toothpasteless breath to recline, I quickly punched the button and shot backwards as soon as the captain granted permission. It is funny how the inch and a half recline provides next to no improvement to comfort.
Sleep had finally come… and what a sweet slumber it was. Three minutes later, flight attendant Debbie had the gall to wake me for my drink request. I put my sleepy eyes on and mumbled, “apple juice… please.” The please was especially hard to muster.
Back to sleep I’m not sure how many Z’s I grabbed before having one of those “ahhhhhh I’m falling dreams”. You know the dream… we’ve all had it. Unfortunately, you never just hit the ground and die, no, the moment before you hit the ground, EVER SINGLE muscle in your body flexes in unison and you violently jolt back to reality… sweating and out of breath. This usually happens in the privacy of your bedroom or on your couch during an afternoon nap or (the worst) at school where classmates share a quick laugh and go back to calculus. Remember though, I am on an airplane, where travelers are already suspicious of everyone as they quietly glance at you with the face that says, “You’re probably weird… don’t talk to me”.
I had just confirmed their suspicion… and they were all looking at me.
When things like this happen, instinct guides me to act naturally or, better yet: run. Cruising at 36,000 feet in a metal cage, my options were severely limited – running was out. Plan B: deep breath, be cool, act naturally… drink apple juice. Blame it on the muscle spasm, or my sleepy eyes, but as I hastily reached for my stubby plastic cup I didn’t grab it as much as I punched it.
Now covered in apple juice, I accepted the fact that I was stupid. Without any better option, I sheepishly sunk into my seat, bit my index finger, and reached for the attendant call button. Debbie arrived to boost my self esteem with a condescending “oh my!” She returned momentarily with presents: a wet wipe, some napkins, and a pair of plastic gold wings to pin to my shirt. The other travelers returned to SkyMall having kept silent for the entire duration of their stare. 4 hours and 45 minutes to go…
Up here in the Marble Mountains, I live in this little cabin: It is somewhat primitive. No TV or internet… I highly suggest it. It also doesn’t have regular kitchen appliances like an oven, so I’ve fallen in love with my crock-pot. The crock-pot is a bachelor’s best friend. You simply toss the ingredients into the pot, turn it on, and come back in 8-10 hours for a little taste of heaven.
I checked the weather report this morning to read that there is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow. One hundred percent. They’ve done it. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has spoken. They are positive–beyond a shadow of a doubt–that it will rain tomorrow. There is a 0% chance that it will not rain tomorrow. Enjoy today, for tomorrow: RAIN. Nothing can stop the rain–it is coming. Prepare yourself.Happy Columbus Day.
It is somewhat primitive. No TV or internet… I highly suggest it. It also doesn’t have regular kitchen appliances like an oven, so I’ve fallen in love with my crock-pot. The crock-pot is a bachelor’s best friend. You simply toss the ingredients into the pot, turn it on, and come back in 8-10 hours for a little taste of heaven.
Happy Columbus Day.
