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For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation
I did not go to a Bible camp as a child but I was always curious to know what it would be like. I was still curious about Bible camp when I went to college but I did not know how I could have this experience. During my sophomore year at Luther College I was interning with the youth and family minister at First Lutheran Church in Decorah. It was here that I heard a calling from God. So I took a big leap of faith and applied as a counselor for that summer at Ewalu. I was excited because I would finally get that Bible camp experience I was so curious about but I was also nervous. I had never been to Ewalu and had no idea what to expect when it came to working at a Bible camp. The first time I visited Ewalu was in March with my friend Cortney. I immediately fell in love with God's creation at Ewalu and started counting the days until camp started.
I spent the summer falling in love with Ewalu and making lots of memories each week. I did not realize how much camp impacted my life until later after camp was over. Every chance I got I would talk about Ewalu with other people. I found myself proclaiming the gospel and growing closer to God through scripture and prayer more than ever before. I would sing the camp songs any chance I got. I could not stop thinking about the staff and campers that had such an impact on my life. I have been thinking about the impact camp has had on me and God has put this summer’s theme verse on my heart. This summers theme verse is "For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." Psalm 100:5.
This verse has reminded me that God's faithfulness and love have always stayed the same and because of this camp has impacted through the generations of camp. They were able to share the impact camp had on them beyond the borders of camp. I would have never had that experience I was so curious about it if it was not for this. I know that no matter what summer camp looks like at Ewalu it will impact people. I am grateful for Ewalu because it always brings me feelings of peace, safety, and love, and that is how I know that God's faithfulness and love is always at work at Ewalu
Nicole Kiefer
Summer Staff
2019, 2020
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Updated Camp Health Safety Guidelines
Our updated health guidelines are published on our website. These guidelines are designed to help prevent the spreading of Covid-19 while still providing an opportunity for campers to participate in the positive benefits of a summer camp experience.
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Nature Note:
Where the Green Grass Grows
These last two weeks have been wet ones here at Ewalu. So wet that at the time of writing this we are under a flash flood warning. Ewalu has had days ranging from quick steady rain to sustained downpours. It brings me back to my counselor days of running with campers to get inside as quickly as possible. Despite being soaked through, some of my best memories have come from rain storms. All of this rain is contributing to a different part of Ewalu, everything’s growing!
Earlier this spring we took part in an organized prairie burn of Central Plains and Pioneer Prairie. The purpose of doing these burns is that it helps to strip away dead
grasses and plants that would hinder the undergrowth of new ones trying to take its place. The burns have an added effect that the leftover ashes are a perfect source of fertilizer for new growths. Ash has calcium and magnesium which are necessary for healthy plants.
A week or two after burning, a trip out to either place would reveal several new sprouts, adding color to what was previously a black and grey landscape. Now at the end of May we’ve seen violets and golden alexander blooming along the prairies. Once we reach the end of June, both prairies with become a sea of wild bergamot (makes a great mint tea).
As we ramp up summer camp preparations I want to remind everyone reading this that our trails and prairies are still open! Stop by the office and check in so you can see the miles of trails and check out all that is growing at Ewalu.
Maury Landt, Environmental Ed. Director
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The Spring Volunteer Work Weekend was held on Friday, May 2nd. Even with the limited group size and added safety precautions, work was done on all 17 projects planned! Projects included raking, planting the Pioneer garden, and replacing the roof on the Outpost shelter. Thank you, everyone who camp out and worked. We appreciate all of your hard work and support.
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Thank you to our donors in
March and April 2020
Liz Albertson
American Lutheran Church WELCA, La Porte City
LaVon Amundson
Pr Keith & Pr Virginia Anderson Larson
Kimbra Bader
Paul & Michelle Bahe
Roger & Sue Bahe
Dennis & Doris Barnaal
Mayme Benson & Steve Johnson
Bethany Lutheran Church, Elkader
Robert (Edwin) Bishop
William & Jo Ann Bishop
Ann Black-Ziegelbein & Joel Ziegelbein
Harry & Elle Blobaum
Paul Blobaum
Kenneth & Harriet Blockhus
Stephanie & Jay Boeding
Dolores Boehm
Laura & Mark Bohrer
Jackie & Mike Brawner
Burr Oak Lutheran Church, Decorah
Calmar Lutheran Church, Calmar
Les & Carol Carlson
Sandy Caya
Christ the King Lutheran Church, Iowa City
Keith & Dawn Christensen
Michael & Judith Cilek
Citizens State Bank, Strawberry Point
Robyn & Dan Clark-Bridges
Darlene Clausen
Kevin & Nancy Clefisch
Leo & Jen Clougherty
Crowning Revelations, Houston TX
Marvin & Annette Dahling
Dan & Carolyn Dauner
Kenneth & Helen Debner
Loryann M Eis
Judy Ellingson
Christine Faust
First Lutheran Church, Decorah
Pr Daniel & Christin Flucke
Kelley Foehrkolb
Frank & Eulyn Frostestad
Dr James & Karole Fuller
Pr Kenneth & Barbara Gamb
Wayne & Lois Garms
Pr. Darrel & Jeanette Gerrietts
Katherine Gibson
Allene Gillespie
Grace Lutheran Church, Davenport
Richard & Linnea Graen
Daniel & Allie Grainger
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Decorah
Dale & Susan Goodman
Barron & Carol Gulliver
Jim & Sue Haemker
Connie Halvorson
Darlyce Hamann
Pr Daniel & Aimee Hanson
Kathy Hay & Robert Joachim
Erhart Hehr
Dr Charles & Anne Hesse
Tyler & Miranda Hoey
Madelyn & Mark Holtzclaw
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Dubuque
Hope Lutheran Church - Littleport
Ken & Lucille Hubbard
T. Daniel & Gail K. Husmann
Richard & Sandy Hyman
Kyle Jaeger
Connie Johnson
Pr Kevin & Amy Jones
Norman Jones
Keith & Lori Johnson
Dave & Donna Jonasen
Pr Randall & Donna Kasch
Lynn & Bev Kelck
Elsie Kittleson
Ruth Kittleson
Roger Klingman
Milton & Joanne Kramer
Dennis & Holly Kruger
Tempest & David Kuykendall
Pr. Amy & Pr. Matthew Larson
Zachary & Kristin Larson
Carolyn Laxson
Cynthia Lee
Shawn & Carrie Livingston
Barbara Lueder
Dr Lowell & Joan Luhman
Cindy & Dan Lundt
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Marion
Joel & Laurie Mackereth
Dr. Stephen & Elaine Main
June Mehlhaus
Charles & Ria Meyer
Virginia Mitchell
John Moore
Phyllis & David Morgan
Kimberly & Curt Mueller
Nazareth Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls
John Nelson
Beverly & Paul Nichols
Wilbur Nielsen
Dona & Carey Noble
Ronald & Barbara O'Kones
Emma & Larry Olk
Sarah & John Ottesen
Dianne & Robert Peterson
Les & Elaine Peterson
Roy & Debra Prestsater
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Waverly
Michael Roepke
Richard & Barbara Roepke
Joe & Margaret Ann Rosenberger
Connie Ruhser
Gina & Perry Russett
Jean Sandrock
William & Kathy Scharnhorst
Neil & Ruth Schraeder
Aaron & Allison Schutte
Frank Snell
St. John Lutheran Church, Dundee
St. John Lutheran Church, Farmersburg
St. John's Lutheran Church, Dubuque
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Readlyn
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hampton
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Volga
St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School, Waverly
St. Peter Lutheran Church, Garnavillo
St. Peter Lutheran Church - Richfield
St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids
St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Hudson
Daniel & Kimberly Stieler
Swedesburg Lutheran Church
Darryl & Shelly Syverson
Jon & Peggy Thoms
David & Shirley Titman
John & Karen Tjostem
Trinity Lutheran Church, Burlington
Trinity Lutheran Church, New Hampton
Krista & Steve Vanden Brink
Dave & Brenda Versteeg
Wayne Zion Lutheran Church, Monticello
Dr. Gilbert & Mary Wessel
Madge White
Rev. Mary Wiggins
Cheryl Wilms & Ron Versteegh
Joan Wuest
Tim & Janet Wuest
Pr. Margaret & Dr. Mark Yackel-Juleen
Edgar & Verona Zelle
John & Vicki Zietlow
Nathan & Meredith Zietlow
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Waterloo
Zion Lutheran Church, Iowa City
Zion Lutheran Church, West Union
Kathleen Zwanziger
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