The Real Christmas

Friday, December 12, 2008

Christmas is in full swing here in K-Land! The decorations are up, the Christmas music is playing, and Pete is drinking his weight in eggnog.

However, every year I fight the monster of American consumerism more and more. Everywhere I turn, some commerical is telling me that this "gift" will bring me joy this Christmas. It is so easy to forget why we do all of this and get caught up in the Christmas chaos. It's not about the gifts...or the holiday food...or even the decorations. It's about Jesus. Our friends at Advent Conspiracy put it this way...

"The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?"

This Christmas, lets worship fully, give more, spend less, and love all!

Branson Airport!

Not alot of exciting things happen in Branson over the winter...but yesterday, they announced the airline that will fly to Branson starting in May. Now, I know that getting a commercial airport is not that big of a deal to most of you, but that is big in Branson. No more driving 3 hours to an afforadable airport for us! Plus, now some of you have another alternative to getting those kiddos to kamp this summer.

Yesterday, they made it official that AirTran will begin non-stop flights from Atlanta to Branson for $99 one way starting on May 11. Pretty cool. They hope to offer more routes in the furture. We'll take it tough.

For more information, go to Branson Airport.

Happy Kerry Katesgiving!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us and we thought our friend, Kerry Kate (the motivational Kanakuk linebacker) would want to chime in on the festivities...

Bumble Bee For President!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Don't know who to vote for yet? Tired of all the same ole campaign ads. So are we! With only 6 days until the election, we thought that we would do something about it and enter our own canidate for President of the United States. So, get out and vote...for the Bumble Bee!


TX/OU Staff Reunion

Friday, October 24, 2008

During the Texas/Oklahoma weekend in Dallas, some of the K-Kountry staff (past and present) got together to fellowship, laugh, and relive old memories. It is always so much fun to see everybody.

Top Row (L to R): Ty Sawyer, Jason Custer, Rachel Sparks,
Sarah Scaling, Cory Cardenas, Sparky
Bottom Row: Kelly Sawyer, Lauren Banghart, Sarah Bishop

Other K-Kountry Staff spotted at the TX/OU Reunion: Ben & Christi Ambuehl, Rudy Littler, Joanna Lawrence, Steven Twyman, Dobber, Ali Ames, and Lauren Penn.

Let The Blogging Begin!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Well...I guess we are about 4 years late on this blogging thing, but we thought we would give it a try anyway. More than a blog though, we wanted a place where the K-Kountry family could connect throughout the year. Where kids, parents, staff, and friends could stay updated on what is happening in the K-Kountry world. We have a big vision for this thing and hope that it will not only be informational, but a little piece of kamp throughout the year.

From funny videos of K-Kountry skit characters to updates on the road to stories on K-Kountry kids, familes, and staff...we plan on this being a "one-stop shop" for all things K-Kountry. In the summer, we even hope to post daily to let you know what God's doing inside those big red barn doors! As always, we love your feedback and suggestions on how we can serve you guys better. Please send us your stories, pictures, and updates and we'll do our best to get them on this thing.

Let the blogging begin!

About Barn 13 Blog



What is Barn 13?

Barn 13 is more than a place. It's more than a building. It's a community. It's where the K-Kountry family connects with each other and celebrates what the Lord is doing through this kamp in Branson, Missouri.


The People

Collin & Rachel Sparks
K-Kountry Directors

Collin & Rachel have been at K-Kountry since the summer of 2005. Collin was a kamper at Kanakuk for 6 years and has served on the Kanakuk staff since 1997. He grew up in the Dallas area, graduated from TCU in 2002, and attended the Kanakuk Insititute prior to becoming full-time staff. Rachel, a 2001 Baylor graduate and St.Louis native was also a kamper for 4 years and has been working at Kanakuk since 1996. Collin and Rachel met at Kanakuk and were married in August 2002. They have two kids, Ella and Braden and one on the way! (Due in August)



Summer Contact Information
(May 21 - August 12)
K-Kountry
967 Lakeshore Drive
Branson, MO 65616
(417) 266-3540

Winter Contact Information
(August 13 - May 20)
Kanakuk Kamps
1353 Lakeshore Drive
Branson, MO 65616
(417) 266-3000