Barn 13 Blog

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T12:31:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from all of your K-Kountry friends….

Staff Reunion in Dallas

2011-09-22T11:44:00.001-05:00

It’s that time of year again…when the weather begins to cool, the football games are here, and hundreds of past, present, and future K-Kountry staff rally in Dallas, TX to remember old memories and create new ones.

The details…

6:00pm – K-Kountry Staff Dinner @ Torchy’s Tacos

Come join the K-Kountry crew as we break bread together. We will be at Torchy’s Tacos at the northwest corner of Forest Lane and Preston Road. The address is 5921 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX. Click here for a map.

7:00pm – Kanakuk Staff Reunion @ Watermark Community Church

After dinner, we’ll join all the other Kanakuk staff for the annual Texas A&M/Arkansas reunion at Watermark Community Church. Watermark is located at 7540 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX. Click here for a map.

See you in Dallas!

Thank You

2011-08-18T17:26:00.001-05:00

Well, it is hard to believe that Summer 2011 has crossed the finish line. It is always so sad to see the big red barn doors close one final time as everybody heads back home.

Summer 2011 was an awesome summer! It is hard to put into words what a great summer it was. So many memories made. So many friendships formed. So many lives changed.

We are so thankful…

Thankful for our maintenance guys who keep this place running.
Thankful for Hortencia, Sam, and the rest of the kitchen crew.
Thankful for the Administration folks for keeping us going.
Thankful for the creative artist that makes this place so fun.
Thankful for the best staff in the whole world who keep serving.
Thankful for our kamp families who believe in us and this ministry.
Thankful for the kampers who bring life to this place.
Thankful for the safety of this place.
Thankful for the memories that his place creates.
Most thankful to the Lord for being so faithful to us day in and day out. He is our joy and why this place exist. All Glory to Him!

Thank You for an awesome summer.

Only 290 more days until next summer!

Off and Running at K-Kountry

2011-08-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we hit the ground running here at K-Kountry with our first full day of activities. We jumped in the pool, rode some waterslides, and even managed to pick up a few goodies at the kamp store.

Last night was tribal night here at K-Kountry. This night of wonder was full of tribal spirit as the Kickapoo’s, Kiowa’s, Choctaw’s, and Cherokee’s welcomed the 1st year kampers into their tribe.

Opening Day – Term 5

2011-08-01T11:36:00.001-05:00

Opening Day at K-Kountry is always so fun. The sounds. The colors. The excitement is contagious. From getting assigned your “barn” to meeting new friends at the picnic…Opening Day is a day to remember.

Meeting your counselors…

Getting moved in with friends…

Being silly at the picnic…

Term 5 is here and we are ready for the best term yet!

Life on the Farm

2011-07-27T22:43:00.001-05:00

*Warning if you have not been to kamp yet this message contains spoilers about our gospel skit! Read on, carefully. *

One of the foundational things that makes K-Kountry such a special place is our Gospel Skit. Each year the theme changes but the message always rings true. We have had story lines involving everything from Super Heros to Candy Factories. We have great set designs, lighting, music, and elaborate costume designs. We go to great effort to find creative ways to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ and package it in a way that our kids at kamp can understand. There are 5 K-Life nights at kamp to coordinate with the 5 scenes of the Gospel skit. Each K-Life a new scene is introduced, until the much anticipated last K-Life where the entire Gospel Skit is performed.

This year the title of our Gospel Skit is Life on the Farm. The basic storyline is about some sheep on a farm that get bored with their life of chores, bluegrass music, and the same routine each day. The farmer reminds them that they have all they need provided for them on the farm and they are safe there. Instead of listening to the farmer, they decided to disobey him and set out for an adventure in the forbidden white woods. There they are led astray and captured by Jazz playing wolves. The wolves plan on having them barbequed for dinner…..but in the midst of great despair the farmer comes to their rescue! He gives himself in their place to save them. It is amazing picture of what Christ did for us.

Our last K-life is a night that we are so thankful to see the Spirit move in great ways. Last night was no exception. Our director Collin Sparks ties together the entire Gospel Skit with a talk about surrendering your life to the Lord. This year his talk even included a live baby lamb! The wonder on the kids faces is incredible as the look at the lamb and realize how our Great Sheppard cares for us.

Friends for Life

2011-07-26T09:35:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest things about kamp are the friendships created here. Friendships that are grounded in Christ. Friendships that last a lifetime. It is always amazing to see how the Lord uses this place to bond these special friendships.

The Time of Our Lives

2011-07-26T09:11:00.001-05:00

We apologize for the lack of blog updates over the last few days. We have been running around having the time of our lives. Here are a few things we have been doing over the last week…

It has been hot here at kamp, so we have been playing in the water a ton…

Running hard at the track meet…

Keeping the tribal spirit alive…

Having a blast on canoe trip…

Getting ready to kayak with friends…

Chillin’ out at the Jamaican Me Crazy Party…

Water gun fights for Super Sunday Funday…

Showing off our skills at the Air It Out football tournament…

Having a blast at the Knight At The Faire Party…

It has been an incredible term so far. We can’t wait to see what the next few days will hold.

Session 1 Staff Highlights

2011-07-26T09:07:00.001-05:00

We are so blessed here at K-Kountry by our amazing staff. Each summer, they give, serve, sacrifice, and love kids so that Christ would become more famous. They are the hero's that make this place run.

It’s a Boardwalk Mystery

2011-07-13T13:22:00.001-05:00

On Monday, the “money” from K-Kountry went missing. The kampers and staff were determined to find the culprit and bring him to justice. Clues of this great mystery started appearing after playing life-sized versions of Chess, Operation, Hungry Hippos, Candy Land, Battleship, and other famous board games.

After a great night of fun and mystery, the crime was solved and the money was retrieved thankfully. Boardwalk mystery solved!

Beating the Heat

2011-07-13T13:11:00.001-05:00

Here at K-Kountry, the temperature has been quite toasty the last several days but we love it. It just means that we have to play in the water more.

A Knight to Remember

2011-07-09T18:19:00.001-05:00

Each term, our Knight at the Faire party is magical. It is always full of knights, princesses, dragon slayers, chivalry, and of course…lots of wonder. The memories are endless, like….

Eating dinner at the King’s Table…

Or getting dressed up with friends…

Or sword fighting…

Or corn cob races…

Or jousting with a the knights…

And of course, it wouldn’t be a “knight” to remember without a good ole fashion sword fight for the King’s daughter to end the magical party.

It Was A Wacky Wednesday

2011-07-07T23:32:00.001-05:00

Each Wednesday, we change things up a bit. We get rid of our normal daily schedule and change the pace up a bit. After sleeping in and breaking up by age to do Character Kamp in the morning, it was time for the highly anticipated Track Meet.

This year, we are doing one big track meet with both the guys and girls. It is really fun to have everybody down at the track where tribal spirit is full effect. From the cheers to the pop of the starter gun, the sounds of the track meet will make you smile.

In the afternoon, the guys competed in the Air It Out football tournament while the girls kept the tribal competition going at the Swim Meet.

The girls finished up Wacky Wednesday with an adventure race that ended with ice cream sundaes!

Back in the Water

2011-07-06T13:12:00.001-05:00

Well…the fun and excitement of July 4th was hard to beat, but we didn’t waste any time getting right back into the swing of kamp. The temperature has been rather warm so we have spent most of our time back in the water!

Last night was our Jamaican K-Life. We broke out the dread locks, the colors, the steel drums, and the lime juice as we waited for the island tide to come in. It was alot of fun to party Jamaican style!

July 4th Highlights

2011-07-05T22:50:00.003-05:00

The 4th of July is always a special day at K-Kountry as we scrap the normal schedule and fill it with memories, laughter, and lots of patriotism. At K-Kountry, we celebrate the 4th of July the way it is suppose to be celebrated. Here are a few highlights from an incredible day:

After sleeping in, we woke everybody up with firecrackers. It’s a tradition!

We kicked off Independence Day with some great American heroes making an appearance at K-Kountry including Abe Lincoln, Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, Amelia Earhart, George W., Sacagawea, the Statue of Liberty, George Washington and of course, Joe White.

We are truly blessed to live in America, so we showed our gratitude by raising the flag and singing the Star Spangled Banner.

Then…it was off to breakfast. No better way to start off America’s birthday then with some chocolate chip pancakes, whip cream, and lots of smiles on the side!

After breakfast, we played a game called “4 Scrapers and a Bass Drum” with an American twist for tribal points. After a little competition to get us going, then it was off to write letters to the troops. We were also able to sneak in a little American Warball which is always a Kamper favorite.

At lunch, we jumped in the pool to cool off and had an All-American picnic with hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, cold watermelon, and brownies. On this day, there is just something special about eating a cold piece of watermelon and letting all of the juice run down your face. It just feels right.

During Rest Period, we thought it would be fun to show a movie.

After a little break from the sun, we started the afternoon with an American Extravaganza. We had a water balloon toss, a watermelon seed spitting contest, a hole-in-one challenge, an ice cream eating contest, and several other games where Kampers could win “Freedom Tickets.” These Freedom Tickets got you a quick pass down the famous K-Kountry zipline.

As always, the fun never stops at K-Kountry so we headed next door to play in the K-Kauai Water Park and Lazy River.

It wouldn’t be the 4th of July without a parade, so the Kampers lined the streets of K-Kountry for the 6th annual Independence Day K-Kountry Parade. Special guest included the incredible Kitchies, Abe Lincoln, Reba McEntire, the Bumble Bees, Elvis, Miss America, K-Kountry Governor (and First Lady), Taylor Swift, Harry and Bummer , and of course…Santa Claus.

After the parade, it was off to dinner where our incredible kitchen staff served up an All-American meal of ribs, corn, potato salad, flag cakes, and a few soft drinks to top it off.

There is no better way to finish off an incredible 4th of July than with fireworks. We invited K-1 and K-Kauai over for an awesome fireworks show down on the lower fields.

It was the perfect way to end an awesome 4th of July at K-Kountry!

K-Kountry Term 3 Has Begun

2011-07-04T23:21:00.001-05:00

Term 3 is here and we are so excited to have another great term full of great kids. Smiles were plentiful as Kampers were introduced on Opening Day.

It didn’t take us long to get in the pool and make a few new friends here at K-Kountry.

We finished Day 1 with a picnic down on the Lower Fields and K-Life #1. A perfect way to kick off Term 3.

Stay updated daily with the K-Kountry Twitter Feed.

Sunday Fun Day

2011-06-27T09:10:00.001-05:00

Here at K-Kountry, Sunday is a special day. We sleep in a little bit, eat yummy coffee cake, go to church to learn about being I’m 3rd, write chicken letters, and of course…play in the water all afternoon.

To celebrate Sunday Fun Day, we broke out the sprinklers, the slip-n-slide, water balloons, and even some snow cones.

Life Lessons at Kamp

2011-06-26T12:16:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of this kamper term we had our traditional Tribal Night. The air was clouded with smoke from torches as the day slipped into night. The sound of a drum beat is heard faintly in the distance as the Tribal Ceremonies begin and Indians emerge from the woods. The new kampers are briefed that this moment holds great importance, as they are about to find out the destiny of what tribe they belong to. Individually, each girl is called up by name to stand and look into the eyes of the Indian Maiden. It is she that then declares either Kickappo or Kiowa. The tribe is given, cheers ensue, and then the girl runs of to join her friends and new tribal sisters.

During our tribal time this term there was was girl that had a little bit of a twist while receiving her tribe. When she came before me to receive her tribe I declared that she belonged in the Kickapoo tribe. Immediately her face dropped. I noticed her reaction and asked her what was wrong. She told me that her mother was a Kiowa and that she really wanted to be a Kiowa too. Thinking we had made a mistake somewhere I let her know that she could definitely be a Kiowa because daughters always follow suit of their mothers in tribes.

Fast forward a few more days and I am sitting at a picnic table with a precious girl in front of me that is crying with a very heavy heart. She explains to me that she lied. The words came out of her mouth like a heavy brick. I can tell that she had carried around this weight of conviction and guilt for the last few days. She explains that her mother in fact was never in a tribe and that she lied to be with her friends. She told me that she knew it wasn’t the right thing to do and that she felt so bad for it. From there we got to have a special conversation about sin, conviction, and forgiveness. She gave the whole thing to the Lord and I got to tell her how much I admired her courage for coming forward. It is a lesson I pray she doesn’t forget for years to come. I love that in a world where doing the right thing is rapidly fading, Kanakuk can be safe place that can encourages kids to have strong character. I love that something as small as tribal night can teach such huge life lessons…even here at kamp.

A Knight to Remember

2011-06-25T09:03:00.001-05:00

Once again, it was a magical night filled with sword fighting, chivalry, and princess dreams as the “Knight at the Faire” party came to life.

We started the evening with a fine meal at the King’s Table…

And of course…the evening ended with the prince running off into the sunset with his princess! It was definitely a knight to remember!

Track Meet

2011-06-24T09:30:00.001-05:00

It was a “Wacky Wednesday” the other day. We slept in, learned about character through our Character Kamp, and topped it off with the highly anticipated Track Meet. The Choctaws, Cherokees, Kiowas, and Kickapoos were out in full force as the tribal spirit was alive and well.

In the afternoon, the guys finished the day off with the Air-It-Out Football Tournament and the girls kept the tribal spirit going with the Swim Meet.

Smiles, Smiles, and More Smiles

2011-06-21T17:33:00.001-05:00

We are having the time of our lives soaking in the sunshine and enjoying kamp. The weather has been beautiful and the memories have been sweet.

Tonight is our “Jamican Me Crazy” party and K-Kountry has the island fever. The Jamaican dreadlocks are out in full force today. We will be cruising the Lazy River and kicking back to the sweet sound of steel drums.

We are changing it up tomorrow with our “Wacky Wednesday” schedule. Sleeping in, Character Kamp, Track Meet, Air It Out Tournament (for the guys), Swim Meet (for the girls) and tons of other exciting activities await.

The Excitement of Opening Day

2011-06-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

At K-Kountry, you can feel the excitement in the air on Opening Day. The thrill of walking in those big red gates and standing before the sea of enthusiastic counselors is like no other.

It is always a fun day with lots of energy, lots of anticipation, and lots of smiles. The start of Term 2 was no different.

The reunion of old friends is so sweet…

And of course, it wouldn’t be Opening Day without a pool party.

Man Day / Chica Dia

2011-06-15T18:59:00.001-05:00

Every term, the guys and girls break up to celebrate…well, themselves. The guys do what guys do and the girls do what girls do. Man Day and Chica Dia is always one of the most fun days of kamp and hilarious to watch.

We started the day with Character Kamp. Every Wednesday, we break all the kampers up by age and teach them a “character virtue.” Here is a picture of the 6 and 7 year old boys flexing their muscles after learning about the virtue of “patience” with Sparky.

After sleeping in and waking up to a wonderful breakfast, the girls had “high heel races” to start off the day.

After a little competition, the girls spent the morning at the Chica Dia Carnival eating cupcakes, playing games, painting nails, and sitting around the pool just being girls!

Meanwhile, on the other side of kamp…the boys were being boys. Each cabin was competing in the “Mancathlon Challenge” with competitions such as Artillery Training with water balloons, the great Hot Dog Decorating Contest, the War Ball Combine, and of course, the Hygiene Relay.

The Last Few Days

2011-06-15T18:39:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that Term 1 is coming to an end. It has been so fun and a great start to the summer. Here are a few things that we have been up to the last few days.

Getting ready to ride the zipline with friends…

Our Boardwalk Mystery Party was on Monday night. All of our favorite board games came to life including Connect Four, Dominos, Hungry Hippos, Battleship, Operation, and so many more. The costumes were awesome!

The girls of Barn 12 getting ready to go on their Unreal Deal Trip.

The boys in “Adventure Class” getting ready to sneak up on the girls.

Last night (Tuesday) was the final K-Life of Term 1. The energy was awesome. Below, the Barn 13 Crew is honoring the kids who completed the Champions Walk devotional program this past year.

Lastly (but most importantly), the bell has been ringing constantly here at K-Kountry. Every day. Every hour. It is such a sweet sound to our ears…and hearts! Praise God.

Best Role Models in the World

2011-06-15T18:20:00.001-05:00

Here at Kanakuk, our vision is to equip and evangelize the next generation. For the past 86 years, we have accomplished this vision by placing godly college students in kids lives. These kampers get to see the Gospel lived out right before their eyes as these “role models” serve them, love them, care for them, and share with them.

Here at K-Kountry, we feel so blessed to have such incredible staff who run hard after Jesus so that kids would see Christ through them. It is amazing to watch how the Lord uses these role models to impact kids lives forever!

As I was down on the lower fields today, I came across two of our staff working with a kamper on his baseball swing after the period ended. They worked with him, coached him, and encouraged him. It wasn’t about the baseball swing. It was about his confidence and finding a little success that he can built upon. It is so fun to watch these types of “confidence builders” every day and how the Lord uses them to encourage these little hearts.

Honoring Champions

2011-06-14T09:31:00.001-05:00

Here at K-Kountry, we love to honor kids. We try to find every opportunity to make kids feel like a Champion. From Bumble Bee to Awards Ceremony, we love to brag on kids and make them feel special.

So…we held a “Night of Champions” last night here at K-Kountry. We set out to break all sorts of records. Most hole-in-ones at the putt putt course, fastest time down the new pool waterslide, most cannon balls off the diving board, and the list goes on. It was so fun to watch kids gain a sense of accomplishment…even if it was for the most flips off the trapeze.

It was a great night that ended with an awards ceremony for the “record holders” and of course, bomb pops for everybody!

We continue to have the greatest time of our lives here at K-Kountry. We know that the term is rapidly coming to and end…so we are soaking every minute in.

A Day to Play

2011-06-12T11:22:00.001-05:00

Due to our 7-night changeover yesterday, we changed up the schedule a little bit. Koffee cake and I’m 3rd Sunday in the morning and then we spent some time playing in the water and having a little fun in the sun.

We also gave out some “fast track” passes to the zipline.

Yesterday was also Opening Day for our Term 2 7-night kampers. We are so excited to have them here.

A Knight at the Faire

2011-06-12T09:58:00.001-05:00

On Friday night, K-Kountry was transformed into a Kingdom full of knights, princesses, dragons, dukes, earls, and wonder! I have seen lots of parties at kamp over the years, but this one was special.

For the boys…the swords and shields were out in full force ready to conquer the world. Meanwhile, the girls were dressed like princesses with hair up ready for the grand festivities. It was so magical to watch these little knights and princess parade through the giant castle walls with a sense of wonder written all over their face.

We started the night at the Kings Table. The K-Kountry Dining Hall was transformed into a medieval wonderland with chicken drumsticks, fried okra, and corn on the cob all on the menu. Of course, we didn’t use any silverware.

At the party, a slight haze filled the air as the sun set beautifully behind the trees. The streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of chivalry and games as the kampers competed for silver coins and a chance to buy coke, candy, and popcorn.

The night ended just like any medieval party should end. With a great sword fight between two knights and the princess being carried off into the sunset by her prince. It was a wonderful end to a party that I will not forget.

Fun In The Sun

2011-06-10T23:46:00.001-05:00

The last few days have been beautiful here at K-Kountry. The sun has been out in full force and so has the fun. From playing in the slough to being silly at archery, we are having such a great time.

We ended the day with another fun K-Life. The one-week kampers got to watch the whole Gospel Skit and hear about the true Good Shepherd. Always neat to see the Lord work in these little hearts!

Memorizing Scripture

2011-06-08T18:15:00.001-05:00

One of the things we love to do here at K-Kountry is point kids to the Bible for truth. From devo raps to Gospel Skits, we are passionate about hiding God’s Word in their heart.

So…today when KUK Cabin 10 memorized and recited the entire chapter of Psalms 23, we thought it would be appropriate to celebrate. We broke out a few soft drinks, a few candy bars, and celebrated around the pool.

Way to go guys!

K-Kountry Track Meet

2011-06-08T18:09:00.001-05:00

Ever since the first boys in 1926, Kanakuk has been running track meets as a way to promote sportsmanship and healthy tribal competition. It is a great tradition and is always so fun to see the Choctaws, Cherokees, Kiowas, and Kickapoos show their spirit and compete with everything they have.

You could feel the energy in the air today as the starting gun popped and the tribal cheers echoed across the lower fields. It was a great day to be at K-Kountry.

This afternoon, the guys were playing Air-It-Out and the girls were competing for tribal points in the Swim Meet. A fun day of competition, spirit, and tradition.

Jamaican Me Crazy, Mon!

2011-06-07T23:49:00.001-05:00

It was another beautiful, warm day here at K-Kountry. Today was our Jamaican Me Crazy party so we spent most of the day in our swimsuits and dreadlocks. We played in the K-Kauai water park, kicked back to the sound of steel drums, ate lots of snow cones, and had the greatest time of our lives on the island, brotha.

Tomorrow is our Wacky Wednesday schedule. We are sleeping in a little bit, beginning our Kharacter Kamp, and competing in the Track/Swim Meet. It should be a “wacky,” but really fun day at K-Kountry!

Smiles Abound!

2011-06-06T18:51:00.010-05:00

After waiting 9 long months for kamp to start again, we can finally say that K-Kountry is running at full speed. We wait all year for this! The cold days of winter have passed, there are no leaves on the ground, and the silence has been replaced by the wonderful sound of laughter. The sun is shining and there are smiles everywhere. Term 1 is already off to an incredible start!

Night one was filled with the sounds of drum beats and the crackle of a fire. The 86 year tradition of Indian Heritage was continued last night as we welcomed the new members of the Kiowa, Kickapoo, Choctaw and Cherokee tribes. There were many moments of wonder as Chiefs and Princesses were appointed, sparkling arrows flew, and the spirit of competion was once again ignited on Kanakuk hill.

Opening Day – Term 1

2011-06-05T12:50:00.001-05:00

It is the day that we wait for all year. It is the day when K-Kountry is finally filled with smiles, laughter, and life. It’s Opening Day! K-Kountry was buzzing with excitement yesterday as parents, kampers, and staff kicked off Summer 2011.

Here are some pictures from the day…

Going crazy for kids…

“Hanging Out” with our with new friends…

Praying before the picnic…

We finished Day 1 with K-Life up in Barn 13 where the place was bumpin’. Summer 2011 is off to a great start on the Kountryside!

The New K-Kountry Waterslide

2011-06-05T12:38:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the new K-Kountry waterslide?

Hold on…because it it one wild ride!

Joplin Tornado Relief

2011-06-05T12:25:00.001-05:00

On May 22nd, an F5 tornado ripped through the city of Joplin, Missouri leaving nothing behind. Both rescue workers and volunteers said that they have never seen a tornado do this much damage. There was nothing left for miles. No walls, no trees…nothing. Just miles of debris.

Here at K-Kountry, being only 2 hours away from the destruction in Joplin and 160 willing staff that had just arrived, we felt that we needed to go help. There were so many logistics to work out. How were we going to get everybody there and mobilized ? How were we going to catch up on our staff training? How were we going to feed everybody? And the list went on and on.

However, we knew that we needed to be obedient to the Lord’s calling. So, we loaded up all 160 staff on buses, made 350 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, threw every rake, shovel, blower, chainsaw, and gas can we owned into the pick-up, and headed to Joplin having no idea what we were about to encounter but trusting the Lord had gone before.

It will be a day that none of us will ever forget. We moved debris, helped sort through personal belongings, and cut down trees. However, we didn’t just go to Joplin to work. We went to love people. Our prayer was to be a “wave” of hope to the people of Joplin who lost everything. We cried with people. We listened to their stories. We fed their weary bodies. We prayed with them.

Our motto here at kamp is “One Heart at a Time” and we took that to Joplin. One city at a time. One neighborhood at a time. One home at a time. One family at a time. One heart at a time. Right before our eyes, we saw the Gospel being lived out. Among all the rubble, the people that we were able to help caught a glimpse of hope, of a better day coming because 160 selfless college students served them, loved them, and blessed them.

Our prayer was that God would provide divine interactions with people and He was so faithful. We were also able to connect with the Saunders family, a kamp family in Joplin who lost everything. At the end of the day, we got to tell them that all 3 kids were coming to kamp and that we had new trunks for them that were stocked with everything the needed. Let’s just say there were alot of smiles and tears of joy! It was a great way to end a day that none of us will ever forget.

A special thanks to McDonalds in Springfield for feeding our entire staff and to Samaritan’s Purse for helping us get mobilized there in Joplin. We are so grateful for your help.

We continue to pray for our friends in Joplin and feel so thankful for the opportunity to serve them in a very small way. One heart at a time!

Staff Training Week 2011

2011-06-05T09:56:00.001-05:00

Every year, the 10 days of Staff Training Week are always some of my favorite…and this year was no different. It is so fun to see thousands of godly college students converge on Kanakuk each May as they prepare their hearts and minds for the summer ahead.

Here at K-Kountry, we are so blessed to have such an incredible staff who love the Lord, serve with everything they have, and love people like Jesus called us to do. It’s amazing to see how the Lord unites our hearts and prepares us for the race set before us.

For the past 10 days, we have been working diligently to get K-Kountry ready, going through massive amounts of training material, and spending intimate time digging into the Word and letting the Lord prepare our hearts. And of course…we have laughed alot too.

Here are a few pictures from K-Kountry Staff Training Week:

New Friendships Abound…

Of course, doing lots of work around kamp….

American Idol finalist Tim Halprin and our good friend FEDEL were here in concert for the night…

We also took a day of Staff Training Week and bused the entire K-Kountry staff to Joplin to help out in the tornado relief effort. It was an incredible day. See next blog post for more.

The Sonic Sock-Hop is always a favorite…

We also invited our friends from the Southwest Missouri Squaredancers Association to come teach us how to squaredance. Of course, there was plenty of watermelon and IBC Rootbeer too.

Before the Ho-Down, we had a little fun with some three-legged races….

Sitting around the campfire talking about “moments of wonder”…

And of course, lots of costumes and skit characters…

We finished Staff Training by spending some time praying over this special place known as K-Kountry…

God is so good and we are ready for Summer 2011. Game on!

The K-Kountry Flood

2011-04-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

After raining for the past 10 days, the Ozarks are drenched and flooded….really flooded. We are running out of places to put all the water.

Have you ever wondered what K-Kountry looks like under water? Well, here you go…

The Lower Fields

The K-Dome

The Road to the Lower Fields

The Tennis Courts

Nature Area

The Slide Pool

The Baseball Fields

The Archery Range

The Dock & Kuk Campout

Leadership Weekend 2011

2011-04-14T11:35:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, the 2011 Leadership Team was in town as we continue to prepare for the best summer ever. Here at K-Kountry, we are so blessed to have such incredible leaders who love Jesus and are committed to helping kids find life in the Gospel.

There are some really fun and exciting plans in the works for this summer and we cannot wait to get started. Come on summer!

Here are some pictures from Leadership Weekend:

Chiefs & Princess Weekend

2011-04-14T11:17:00.001-05:00

You know that summer is rapidly approaching when the K-Kountry Chiefs & Princesses come to Branson for a weekend retreat of planning, praying, and playing. It was so fun to have our awesome chiefs and princesses here this last weekend as we continue to build momentum for the summer.

Watch Out…Tribal Competition is going to be awesome this summer!

Ecuador Videos

2011-04-14T11:07:00.001-05:00

Here is a video re-cap from the 2011 Kanakuk Ecuador Mission Trip:

Here is a photo journal of our trip:

Time in Quito

2011-03-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

After getting back at 1:00am to Quito on Saturday night, we spent Sunday and Monday recovering from our time in the jungle and got to play a little in Quito.

We spent Sunday morning at church with Tim Anderson (our missionary host) and his Teen Challenge ministry. Tim works with young men who have been involved with drug and alcohol addition throughout Quito. It was a really neat experience for our team to worship with these guys and see the power of redemption only found through Jesus. Two of our guy got to share their testimony as well.

After church, the guys played a little basketball....Ecuadorian style. Our team found out really quickly that there are no rules or fouls on this court.

After leaving Teen Challenge, we grabbed a quick burger and headed to the Indian Market for the guys to buy some souvenirs from the trip. Later that evening, we took two gondolas up to the top of the volcano Pichinchia. We couldn't see the lights of Quito because of the fog, but it was still a great memory for the guys.

On Monday, we headed to the equator. We just happened to be there on March 21st which is the spring equinox. So, at noon the sun was directly above us with no shadows. The guys got to watch water spin both ways, balance eggs, walk the equator, and enjoy other fun science tricks.

For lunch, we were able to finally enjoy the Ecuadorian delicacy of Qui...or guinea pig as we know it. The guys were a little skeptical at first, but soon devoured the entire thing.

We finished our final day with a great dinner at Tim Anderson's house with his family and other missionaries from Quito. We also spent some time talking about what the Lord did in our lives this week. It was really neat to see the impact that this trip had on each team member. The Lord's hand of blessing and protection was so evident the entire week!

The Jungle

2011-03-21T17:30:00.005-05:00

After four incredible days in the jungle of Ecuador, we have finally made it back to Quito. I'm sorry there have not been more updates as the internet has been very hard to find where we are staying.

There are way too many stories from our time in the jungle, but here are a few highlights...

On Wednesday, we left Quito early for our 5 hour bus ride to Shell where we hopped on several bush planes that took us on a short 25 minute plane ride to the jungle village of Kutsuka. It was incredible to see the vast beauty of the jungle and hundreds of rivers from above.

Once we got unpacked and situated in our very basic guest hut, the guys found themselves playing soccer and throwing wild grapefruit with the village kids.

Of course, after a long day of travel and a few sweaty games of jungle soccer, it was time to clean up in the river. Who thought it would be so fun to bathe in the river!

On our first full day in the jungle, we made a 3 hour hike through the jungle to the village of Timias with our packs full of medicine and new boots for the kids there. To say that it was an average hike would be an understatement. We found out very quickly how challenging it is to travel through the jungle. With our packs on, we hiked our way through pouring rain, lots of mud, across several rivers and streams, up several steep climbs, and even over a cable car. Not to mention our 3 hour hike back.

It was a long hard day for all of us, but our time in Timias was very special. We had to chance to wash all of the village kids feet and put new boots on them. It will be a moment that we or they will never forget.

Our second day in the jungle was spent doing some service projects. Half of the group went to another village nearby to help build a platform and repair their church while the other half of the group stayed in Kutsuka to help with a landscaping project. It was a hot day full of hard work, but really fun to see our projects come to completion.

With this being our last full day in the jungle, we got some really fun playtime with the kids before we left.

The next morning (Saturday), we were up and packed at 5:00pm to start our 8 hour hike out of the jungle. Words will not be able to describe what a feat this was as we walked through tons of muddy swamps, flowing rivers, up cliffs, and over bridges to reach the nearest bus. All of this in rubber boots. Once we reached our bus...we were exhausted, dirty, and ready for a good meal. Fortunately, several of the native Shwar indians in the village carried our packs out of the jungle for us. It was such a blessing. I'm not sure what we would have done without them.

We are back in Quito now and recovering from our time in the jungle. There are so many memories and friendships that we will never forget. There was not alot of comfort in the jungle, but it was so fun to see the Gospel going forth even in the most remote parts of the world. We will never be the same after experiencing life with the Kutsuka people!

Off to Ecuador

2011-03-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

One of my highlights each year is taking old K-Kountry kids on a mission trip somewhere in the world to help expand their vision for the Kingdom and love for God´s people. It is always so fun to watch the Lord impact and change these guys lives each year.

This week, there are 10 of us in Ecuador, South America serving the native Shuar Indians. After several plane trips, and a night in Miami...we have arrived in Quito and settled into our hotel for the night. At dinner tonight, we were able to connect with K-1 staff and Kanakuk legend, Caleb Freeman, who is studying here in Ecuador for the semester.

Waiting on the shuttle in Miami

The fellas

Eating lunch at the Miami airport

Tomorrow, we are up early and on the bus for a 5 hour drive over the Andes Mountains as we head into the jungle. We will get dropped of in Shell and then Missionary Avaiation Fellowship will fly us into the jungle village of Kutshka on a bush plane! I think all the guys are really excited for the adventure ahead.

In the jungle, we will be delievering medical supplies to these remote villages and helping build a platform for a school playground. I´m sure we will fit in a soccer game or two while we are there.

Obviously, there are no computers or internet in the jungle...so this will be our last update until Sunday. We are scheduled to hike out of the jungle (8 hour hike...yikes) and then another long bus ride back to Quito...so it will be a long day. We are scheduled to visit the Indian Market, the equator, and the volcano on Sunday and Monday. We will post video and updates once we get back to Quito.

Please pray for our time in the jungle as we litterally take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Counting Down The Days

2011-03-08T09:52:00.001-06:00

Every day that passes, we get one step closer to summer. One day closer to jumping off the tower. One day closer to eating koffee cake. One day closer to seeing all of our friends.

Well, it is really fun to see that the Loneman kids (Whitney, Julia, Halle, and Clayton) share our excitement. In helping them count down the days until kamp, they made a paper link chain for each day remaining. Each morning before school, they tear one of those paper links off…which means they are one day closer to the greatest summer ever. Even better, each chain has something they are so excited about written on it (i.e. Barn 13, the K-1 tower, etc.).

Way to go Loneman family. Only 102 days left!

Come On Summer

2011-03-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

It has been a long, cold winter here at kamp, but the temperature is rising, the snow is melting, and the trees are starting to bud. You know what that means….summer is right around the corner! The momentum is building here in K-Land and we are counting down the days until those big red barn doors swing open for the greatest summer ever.

Here is some neat footage that our awesome videographer, Tim Oliphant, captured of kamp in the snow.

Devo Rap (Summer 2010)

2011-01-13T10:29:00.001-06:00

Each summer at K-Kountry, our friend FLAME writes a devo rap that we use daily to teach kids God’s truth. It is so fun! Here is a little video of it live at K-Life this past summer.

Listen to FLAME’s devo rap here.

Barn 13 Intro (Summer 2010)

2011-01-13T10:16:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from K-Kountry

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Half Pipe Harry

2010-11-24T10:33:00.001-06:00

Home Again, Home Again!

2010-11-24T10:23:00.001-06:00

First of all, I’m sorry that we have been so poor at updating the blog and letting everybody know what has been happening in the K-World the last few months. We have been on the road since October, but are back home and blogging again.

For the last 7 weeks, Mr. Tig, Kara, Rachel, and myself have logged thousands of miles as we have criss-crossed the country visiting so many of you. We have traveled thousands of miles to Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. It has been a blast to see so many K-Kountry friends from all over the country. We are counting down the days until summer.

It is good to be back home for the holidays though. Like they say, there is no place like home…and we agree!

Emily Chilson Heads to Afghanistan

2010-09-29T13:44:00.001-05:00

Former K-Kountry kamper and staff member, Emily Chilson, is currently serving in the Air Force as a Public Affairs Officer and is headed to Afghanistan sometime this month.

Emily is originally from Memphis and graduated from TCU (Go Frogs!) in 2008 as a Second Lieutenant in the USAF. For the past two years, Emily has been stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC. For the last three months, she has been at Camp Atterbury in Indiana receiving training in counter insurgency, consequence management, and urban operations. She has also spent time at Indiana University learning to speak some Pashto, the most prominent language spoken in the Paktika Province where Emily will be.

At K-Kountry, Emily was better known as “JetStream” for her role in the 2007 RocketSquad Gospel Skit. We are huge Emily Chilson fans and pray God’s blessing and protection on her while she serves our country.

Proud of you Emily!

Emily with her two interpreters.

Emily playing “JetStream” in the 2007 Gospel Skit at K-Kountry.

McLaughlin / Storms Wedding

2010-09-14T17:33:00.001-05:00

On Labor Day Weekend, two long time K-Kountry staff members (Brett McLaughlin and Joey Storms) tied the knot in Oklahoma City. It was such a blast to see so many K-Kountry friends and families celebrating Brett and Joey’s marriage. The K-Kountry crew was definitely in full effect on the dance floor! Congratulations Brett & Joey. We love you guys.

It’s The Kamp Life

2010-09-07T16:22:00.001-05:00

A little video of what our summer staff does each summer….

Baby Sparks is Here!

2010-08-31T23:46:00.001-05:00

After surviving all summer in mommas belly (and a ride on the blob), baby Sparks is finally here! Beckett John Sparks was born last Thursday, August 26th weighing in at 9lbs 2oz and 22in long…and a whole head of “rock star” hair. He is already requesting a ride down the zipline…but we thought he might wait a few years! Everybody in the Sparks family is doing well and enjoying the new addition.

Sarah Bishop Gets Married

2010-08-24T18:45:00.001-05:00

Longtime K-Kountry Leadership gal, Sarah Bishop, got married last weekend to Brad Ashby (K-7 Leadership). Sarah interned at Kanakuk last winter and met Brad when she did the Kanakuk Institute in 2008. Both old and new K-Kountry staff were there to celebrate with Sarah and Brad.

Thank You Session 2 Staff

2010-08-24T18:44:00.001-05:00

This summer, we were so blessed with such an incredible staff who gave and gave of themselves to help further the Kingdom. The Session 2 staff pushed through the mid-summer heat and were awesome. We are so thankful for you guys and already miss you greatly.

The Finish Line

2010-08-24T16:55:00.001-05:00

Anybody that has run a long race knows what it feels like to cross the finish line. You plan, strategize, train, and then run with everything you have. It is just a great feeling to cross the finish line knowing that you ran the race with everything you have!

Well, we have officially crossed the finish line for Summer 2010. Looking back at the summer, it was the best “race” we have ever run. Summer 2010 will go down as one of the best summers that K-Kountry has ever had. The Lord was so faithful to us and we are so thankful.

Thankful for safety, protection, an incredible staff, awesome kids, millions of memories, countless friendships, and most importantly, so much life change! The Lord just continues to use this place to change lives…and for that we are so grateful.

Thanks for an awesome summer!

Super Sunday!

2010-08-02T18:22:00.001-05:00

We had a great first day of camp and it also happened to be a Sunday. Sunday’s are filled with lots of traditions, including Koffee Kake! We started kamp right with a day packed with with tons of Wet ‘n Wild water and pool activities. Then we concluded the night with tribal Indain ceremonies. Between shaving cream hair dos and seeing Big Chief arrive through the fog of Taneycomo, it was an all around magical day.

Thanks to Alec Vanderboom for the above tribal pictures!

Opening Day Term 6!

2010-08-01T11:31:00.001-05:00

Wow, we can hardly believe that term 6 for two weekers and term 11 for one weekers has just started. We have been waiting and preparing for these kids all summer. These are our last sessions, but we honestly have saved the best for last. This is the blow out term when we are so excited to give everything we have and not leave one ounce of energy on the table. The skits are going to even be more hilarious, and the parties even more over the top!

Yesterday was a phenomenal opening day. At K-Kountry one of our goals is to make every kamper feel like a hero. That starts even with how we welcome our kampers into kamp. Every kamper is introduced and welcomed with excitement by their counselors. We are so proud of our staff to cheer with everything they have in the heat of the day, brimming with excitement to meet their new kids!

We are ready for a great term! Tonight is tribal night in kamp. It is a magical night to carry on the tradition of out tribal competition between the Kickapoos and Kiowas, Choctaws and Cherokees.

5th Term Highlights

2010-07-28T17:32:00.002-05:00

5th Term has been incredible. Our weather has been amazing! The days have been filled with sunshine, but the heat has not been unbearable. Perfect kamp weather!

Last night we had our final K-life of the term. K-life is always one of our favorite activities here at K-Kountry, so the 4th K-Life comes with great anticipation and some sadness for it to be over. This 4th K-life was a blowout! There was a huge contest between the guys and the girls to determine who knew the devo rap better. The whole gym shook with how loud the kids screamed. It is so fun to see how excited everyone has gotten to learn scripture! The girls won last night, but the overall outcome was a tie.

Last night we also got to see the conclusion to the gospel skit. We learned about how the “Blacksmith” in the skit represented Jesus, and how true love means sacrifice. Jesus laid down his life for our sins, just like the Blacksmith did for the princess. The bell at Kamp rang so sweetly all through the night when K-life was finished. So exciting to see many kids make the decision to give their life to Jesus.

We can hardly believe that we are nearing the end of this term. It is flying by! Here are some more pictures of highlights from the last few days.

Galatica Party! The kids are waiting on the field for a helicopter to land!

A great night of costumes. Lots of space costumes and kids with green hair!

More great costumes

Tons of smiles and great friends!

Our staff is amazing! There are so many hugs that are given out each day.

At Kamp we always try to have everything focused around Christ. In everything we do, our hope is to point kids back to the cross. We always begin our classes with prayer and end them in prayer. Even our Kayak class took a second to “rock up” before finishing for the day.

Around the World

2010-07-24T00:07:00.001-05:00

Tonight was our second party of the term. We defied the laws of gravity, time, and space to transport our kampers to far off places across the globe. All of this was of course done with great K-Kounty flair, excitement, and a little imagination. The main street of K-Kountry took on a carnival feel, filled with fun snacks, face painting, street performers, tourists, and activities that represented each different country. We don’t claim that each station was truly authentic, but they sure were fun!

At each country when an activity was completed the kampers got their passports stamped. The more stamps they got, the more snacks they were eligible to receive.

Great costumes from around the world.

Goal Kicks in Brazil

Spaghetti throwing in Italy

Sumo wrestling in China

Off to an Incredible Start!

2010-07-23T23:49:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe, but this is our 5th Kamper term. The summer is flying by! 5th term has been off to an incredible start. The sunshine and smiles have been abundant. The days and night have been jammed packed with as much fun as we can possibly fit in. I am reminded again how fun it is to be at Kamp and have the chance to use ziplines, waterslides, skits, canoe trips, and so much more to love on kids and share the gospel with them.

Here is a quick summary our night time activities this term.

July 19 – K-life #1

July 20 – Tribal Night

July 21 – Color Me KuK Party

July 22 – K- Life #2

Color Me Kuk Party

K-Extravaganza and Parents Day!

2010-07-18T09:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday “K”! Last night was Krazy, the costumes were Kool, and the Kookie Kake was incredible. We got to celebrate the letter K’s birthday with a blowout pool and dance party. The Kostumes were so Kreative! Parents we are only sorry if from now on your kids get a little confused on the spelling of any word starting with the “C” or “K” sound, Ha!

Tonight is Parent’s Night! We can’t wait to welcome our parents to K-Kountry. Our gates will open at 4:30 this evening. We have had an incredible 4th term, and we are so excited to tell our parents all about it.

Man Day and Chica Dia

2010-07-17T16:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was an incredible day at K-Kountry. It was the day when boys will be boys and girls will be girls. Man Day and Chica Dia is consistently a kamper favorite and yesterday was no exception!

It was a hot day here at K-Kountry, so the girls wasted no time in breaking out the water balloons.

Cupcake Decorating! The girl got to use icing bags, sprinkles, and lots of creativity to make beautiful and yummy cupcakes.

Spa time at the Pool! Nail painting, and floating in the pool with refreshing cucumber slices on our eyes.

Craft time! Making Diva hair clips.

The day culminates with a Miss K-Kountry Pageant. Everyone is a star! Each barn gets to dress up one of their counselors and show off a talent together. At the end of the pageant there is a quick talk that reminds all of the girls how they are created perfectly by the Lord, and that having Jesus at the center of their life is the most important thing.

Meanwhile, the boys were down on the lower fields doing what boys do best: getting dirty, playing football, and celebrating all things manly.

Playing a little Ultimate Frisbee…except with an octopus. Yuck.

Learning how to grill. Also a little BBQ taste test.

What would Man Day be without a little mud war!

After washing off, the boys finished the day with the Air It Out Championship down under the lights on the lower fields.

What a great day! 4th Term is flying by and we have loved every minute of it.

Galactica Spectacula!

2010-07-14T22:37:00.001-05:00

Tonight, K-Kountry kampers had an out-of-this-world experience! Aliens landed on our lower fields, bringing with them lots of mystery, adventure, and numerous slimy substances. We put on our best space costumes and set out to discover their reasons for being here. As it turns out, they came to earth to party. Thankfully, they came to the right place! The night was filled with laughs,fun, friends, and best of all, a dance party!

A real-life helicopter landed here at kamp to investigate the alien landing. It brought with it some very serious FBI agents!

Security is tight around the space pod.

We can’t believe what we’re seeing!

Girls meet up with some protestors, hoping the aliens will just GO HOME.

J.R. and Myrtle Kirkmuffin, representives of The Own-A-Star Foundation, sell stars to some lucky buyers.

Girls show off their spacey costumes!

Best of all, time is spent with good friends!

Camp is Great!

2010-07-13T16:07:00.001-05:00

Session 4 has been unbelievable so far! We have had some thunderstorms, but we are continually amazed at how they seem to hit at the perfect timing to not interrupt many of our activities. The sky is mostly sunny and the weather is warm allowing us to have days filled with non stop fun!

If you ask any K-Kountry Kamper what their favorite memory of kamp is, 9 times out of 10 you will hear about our zipline! It is an incredible place were smiles are inevitable, memories are made, and courage is born. Many kampers can start the activity scared, and then through encouragement they are able to find an inner strength they didn’t know they had. This courage allows them to step off the platform and go for one of the greatest rides of their life. Once they hit the water at the bottom, they only want to get back to the top as quick as they can to go again. It is amazing how a cable and lots of safety equipment can instill confidence, courage, and a memory to last a lifetime.

Great Read!

2010-07-13T15:43:00.001-05:00

I just ran across this blog post from a K-Kountry session 1 counselor. Emily Crane posted her thoughts on her time at K-Kountry and I don’t think any one could have described K-Kountry from a staff perspective any better! It is an incredible read and reminded me again how much the Lord uses this place to impacts kids lives and all of our staff as well.

http://www.emilyanncrane.blogspot.com/

Around the World K-Kountry Style

2010-07-12T16:31:00.001-05:00

Last night was our Around the world party and our kampers traveled from Italy, to Mexico, to England, and so much more. At each country they visited their passport was stamped and they had a chance to participate in an activity representing that country. Once again it was a magical night as the K-Kountry road was transformed in to a bustling though fare of faraway places.

Running with the Bulls in Spain

Soccer Shoot Out in Brazil

Spaghetti Throwing in Italy

The streets were filled with performer, sketch artists, food, and face painting.

Day 4 and Color Me Kuk

2010-07-11T18:17:00.001-05:00

Our camp days continue to be filled with sunshine and smiles. Below are a few pictures from yesterday. We also had an unbelievable party called Color Me Kuk a couple of days ago. The kamp is overtaken by bad guys named Monty and Mona, who hate color and fun. They start to steal the color from all over kamp. They even steal our beloved Bummer (Half Pipe Harry’s son). The day culminates at the party that evening where they have made everyone come in black and white. Then Roy G. Biv appears with his color army to save the day. The rest of the night is filled hilarious activities to defeat Monty and Mona.

Mud fight before rope swinging

Fun at the zip line

The start of Color Me Kuk

Monty and Mona…Booo!!

Roy G. Biv and the Color Army!

Purple Station

Green Station

Getting painted up

1st Full Day of 4th Term

2010-07-09T00:30:00.003-05:00

It was a rainy day in kamp today, but it didn't stop us from having fun. The rain mostly just sprinkled on us and came at the perfect times to not disrupt any activities. Tonight was our tribal night, filled with the wonder of Indians, drum beats, and magic fire. New campers were given a tribe, princesses and braves were named, and the spirit of competition was reignited.

Thank You Session 1 Staff

2010-07-08T23:33:00.004-05:00

Here at K-Kountry, we feel very blessed to have the best staff in the whole world. Their constant dedication and selfless giving continue to make K-Kountry such a special place. We just said goodbye to our 1st Session Staff yesterday and will miss them greatly. We are so thankful for each one of them and how the Lord used them to impact so many lives this summer.

Parent’s Day!

2010-07-06T11:49:00.001-05:00

Today is parent’s day and we are so sad for this term to be over, but excited to welcome all of our moms and dads into kamp! We have had an unbelievable term and we can’t wait to show parents a small glimpse of all the fun we have had. Our gates open at 4:30, can’t wait to see you then.

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-05T11:36:00.001-05:00

We had an incredible 4th of July! The day was packed full of fun, great food, and lots of American Pride! In our years of celebrating the 4th of July at Kamp, yesterday seemed to top them all. Everything great and wonderful about kamp was packed into one day and then even amplified!

All American Extravaganza

Free Time water balloon toss.

The winners of our free time games won Freedom tickets for rides down the zipline!

Instead of a regular F.O.B we showed a movie all together in Barn 13

Lots of fun in the lazy river and slides at K-Kauai

The Annual K-Kountry 4th of July parade. Half Pipe Harry and Bummer made an appearance, there was lots of candy, a majorette, and a marching band!

The evening ended with an incredible dinner of the best BBQ ever and of course Fireworks!

The Fireworks were fantastic! What a day!

4th of July!

2010-07-04T13:32:00.001-05:00

Today is the 4th of July and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our countries 234th birthday!

We have all kinds of fun things planned for the day. Here is a schedule of the highlights of the day, and we will post pictures later.

Wake up with Fireworks

Church

All American Free Time

Picnic Lunch at the Pool

American Extravaganza Game

Swimming at the Kauai Water park

4th of July Parade

Fireworks on the K-Kountry Fields

Man Day and Chica Dia

2010-07-04T13:23:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the day that the girls get to celebrate what it means to have fun and be a Godly girl, and the guys celebrate all things that have to do with manhood. It always is a favorite day in camp and yesterday did not disappoint. The pictures tell the best stories of what happened throughout the day.

Spa time at the Pool. How relaxing!

Craft time. Each gal got to make a hair clip to wear for the day.

Cupcake Decorating

Manicure and Pedicures by the pool

Ladies Lunchenon, complete with large hats and dresses

Miss K-Kountry Pageant. Each barn presented their talent on stage. After the Pageant the day was ended with a talk about what it really means to be a Godly girl.

Getting painted up for the day

King of the tube

How to survive in the Wilderness

Weight Lifting

There was much more to man day including learning how to grill and a game called Ultimate Octopus, which is Ultimate football played with a real octopus. The guys ended their day with a championship flag football game between the Cherokees and the Choctaws.

Great Day and Final Gospel Skit

2010-07-03T16:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was another incredible day of weather, and such a fun day in kamp. We had our last K-life which meant that all the kampers got to see the conclusion of the gospel skit. It is always incredible to see the gospel come to life in a relatable way through princesses, knights, and dragons!

Today is Man Day and Chica Dia......so more great pictures to come of the day!

Galactica Party

2010-07-02T16:38:00.001-05:00

Yesterday night was filled with Aliens, slime, astronauts, adventure, great costumes, and lots of laughter. Aliens descended upon K-Kountry and left behind codes as clues to why they were here. The kampers got to run around and complete missions to decipher the codes. Turns out in the end we discovered that the Aliens just like to have fun and party! So the night ended with a big dance party!

A real helicopter landed on our fields to deliver the Astronauts!

Another highlight from the day was getting to have a bible study called Quest with the oldest girls in Kamp. Each gal chooses to come and go deeper into God’s word. We have a great group of girls and we are so proud of them for wanting to study their bible!

Christmas in July

2010-07-01T14:22:00.001-05:00

We awoke this morning to the sound of Christmas caroling in our dining hall! Our wonderful kitchen staff decided that we needed to celebrate July 1st, by making it Christmas in July. The girls went all out with costumes, decorations, and plenty of Christmas music. After breakfast they continued to spread joy to the camp by caroling all throughout K-Kountry. Where else can you celebrate Christmas in july, so fun!

Tonight is our Galactica party so stay tuned for more great pictures to come.

A Message for Chase

2010-07-01T12:58:00.001-05:00

One of dear friends and 1st Term K-Kountry camper, Chase Pardeck, has been battling a brain tumor since 2006 and is scheduled to have his 3rd surgery tomorrow morning. His courage, strength, and constant joy is a inspiration to all of us! You will not meet a sweeter kid who is so full of life.

We are huge Chase Pardeck fans here at K-Kountry and wanted to send him a little video message:

Chase: We are so proud of you and praying faithfully. You are our hero!

Follow Chase’s Journey Here.

A Day of Champions

2010-07-01T00:04:00.001-05:00

We had an absolutely beautiful day today! The weather was gorgeous, great sunshine and the perfect temperature. Today was also our Track and Tournament day in camp. It is a day that we celebrate achievements of all kinds. It is a day that an ordinary sand pit becomes a place were records can be set in the long jump. An simple mat and a pole are used to build confidence in a kamper that has never done the high jump before.

At K-Kountry one of our goals is to make each kamper feel like a hero in something. If it is drawing, sports, music, or anything else, we believe that everyone is amazing at something. We hope that even through a track and tournament event, there were heroes born. As a kamper crossed the finish line in the 30 yard dash they were cheered for if they came in first or last place. There were staff at each event to lift kids up on their shoulders no matter where they finished. It is so fun to honor as many kids as we can, knowing that even a small ribbon for the softball throw can build confidence for a lifetime.

Kamp Is So Fun

2010-06-05T15:13:00.001-05:00

Sometimes here at K-Kountry, it seems impossible not to have fun. The fun is everywhere. It is in the Dining Hall at meals. It is in the pool during Free Time. It’s even in the cabin area during F.O.B.

I mean…where else can you bury yourself in plastic balls with your friends…

or dress up like a caveman and be silly with finger paintings…

or sit around the campfire with your friends and eat smores together…

The fun is everywhere and is contagious. K-Kountry is the Happiest Place on Earth, but some might even refer to it as the “Most Fun Place on Earth” too!

We Love Color at K-Kountry

2010-06-04T10:59:00.001-05:00

At K-Kountry, we love our color. Color brings life. Color makes you smile. Color just makes life better.

Well, yesterday, the two evil villains Mona and Monty Chrome kidnapped our beloved friend Bummer (who is a bright orange furry friend) and started stealing all the color at K-Kountry. The kids went crazy and were going to have none of it. With the help of Roy G. Biv and his sidekick Tye Dye, they decided to take matters into their own hands and get the color back….and Bummer back! It was a magical night full of color.

The Kids Are Here!

2010-06-01T23:26:00.001-05:00

In the Kanakuk World, we consider June 1st our favorite day of the year. After all the planning, the practicing, and the preparing, the kids busted through those big red barn doors today and K-Kountry was once again filled with hundreds of big smiles and joyous laughter everywhere. The excitement was contagious as we started off summer 2010 with a bang. We are so excited to see what the Lord is going to do this summer.

Today, after we got everybody checked in and took a quick dip in the pool, we headed down to the Opening Day Picnic with lots of delicious hamburgers, hot dogs, cold watermelon, and brownies. Incredible. After dinner, we blew off the roof of Barn13 with the first K-Life of the summer.

Please keep checking back here at barn13.com. We have great intentions in keeping the K-Kountry family posted on what is happening at the Happiest Place on Earth this summer!

Summer 2010 Begins!

2010-05-21T19:47:00.001-05:00

Summer 2010 is upon us. Today, thousands of college students have descended upon Kanakuk Hill to start preparing for the greatest summer ever! We are so excited about the staff that the Lord has brought to K-Kountry. Staff Training Week is 10 days packed full of work, training, play, and lots of laughter…and it all begins today! It is always fun to see new friendships born and life-long memories made over the next week and a half. You can feel the excitement in the air here. We are ready for an incredible summer ahead of us. Let the summer begin!

Leadership Weekend 2010

2010-04-14T13:25:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, the 2010 K-Kountry Leadership Team was in town to prepare for an awesome summer. We spent most of our time planting vision, praying for the summer, planning out of this world parties, scripting unforgettable K-Life’s, and tons more. It was a great way to kick off Summer 2010.

We even were able to introduce a new game called SmashBall. You won’t believe how fun this game is. One octagon, two balls, lots of people…unforgettable memories. Coming this summer!

28 day until folks are at Kamp! Come on Summer 2010….

Chiefs & Princesses at K-Kountry

2010-03-31T17:50:00.001-05:00

There is some exciting news at K-Kountry! For the first time ever, each tribe (Cherokee, Choctaw, Kiowa, Kickapoo) will have an elected high school chief or princess from K-2 who will lead, encourage, and support you (the kamper) in your competition at kamp. K-1 and K-2 have always had Chiefs and Princesses…but now K-Kountry joins the mix.

This past weekend, all of the K-Kountry Chiefs & Princesses were in Branson for a awesome weekend of planning, praying, and preparing for the best summer ever at K-Kountry!

We are so excited to have these awesome Chiefs & Princesses at K-Kountry this summer. Can’t wait for you to meet them.

Ecuador Mission Trip - Final Videos

2010-03-22T10:19:00.001-05:00

Here is a final video from our trip to Ecuador. There are some neat testamonies at the end:

We took almost 500 photos. Here is a photo jornal of the best:

To view all of the pictures from Ecuador, go here.

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 6

2010-03-16T22:58:00.001-05:00

Today was our last full day here in Ecuador and it's one we will never forget. We spent all morning at a school loving on kids and playing soccer. The school was located in a very poor part of town, so it was fun to see the smiles that our team brought to the kids faces. After playing for hours, we got to feed all 300 kids. Compassion International supports most of the kids at this school, so it was fun to see this incredible ministry in action.

Tonight, a local pastor and his wife prepared an authentic Ecuadorian dinner for our team. It was a great way to end our time here in Ecuador.

A video journal from our day:

Pictures of the Day:

You know...our team came on this trip to be a blessing to the people of Ecuador but we find ourselves as the blessed ones as we leave this beautiful country. It has been a life-changing trip and really fun to watch the Lord open up the guys eyes and hearts to God's Kingdom. The Creator we serve and love transcends culture, language, and social class. It is one thing to see it on the TV, but it is another thing to see it, taste it, hear it, and feel it. We are so grateful for how the Lord used us and changed us at the same time. Praise God!

We are headed home tomorrow morning. Our bus leaves at 4:00am so we are going to bed! Thanks again for praying for our trip. God is good!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 5

2010-03-16T07:28:00.000-05:00

It was another great day in Ecuador. The Lord continues to do neat things here. The memories are plentiful. The friendships are rich. The Lord's provision is evident. We spent all morning at a Compassion school painting classrooms and serving. It is always an adventure to paint with middle school kids!

After a quick lunch, we went to go see the Equator north of Quito. It was really fascinating and the guys loved it. Who would of thought that we would get a science lesson out of our trip? Lots of memories at the Equator today!

We capped off the day by watching the movie "End of the Spear" which took place here in Ecuador and is such an incredible picture of the Gospel.

A video re-cap:

Pictures from today:

Tomorrow is our last full day here in Ecuador and we plan to pack a ton into it. We will spend most of the day at a local school playing with kids and sharing the hope of Jesus! We have arranged a truly Ecuadorian meal tomorrow night at a local ministers house to cap off the week. The boys are hoping to try Guinea Pig...but I think they are all talk at this point. We'll see....

Thanks for staying updated on our journey here in Ecuador!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 4

2010-03-15T06:49:00.000-05:00

Wow! Today was a great day here in Ecuador. We left early in the morning for the Indian Market in Ortavalo and it was really fun. Lots of color, smells, sounds, and bartering going on. It will be a fun memory.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at a rural church up in the Andes. It was an incredible experience to interact with these people and see their true dependence on the Lord. There is something really neat about worshiping with other nationalities in different languages. It was a life changing experience for all of us. We even got to tell the I'm 3rd story! Here is a video re-cap:

Pictures of the day:

We are back in Quito now and will be heading to a school tomorrow to doing some painting. In the afternoon, we will visit the equator and get a little science lesson. Should be awesome!

Keep praying for our trip. It has been so fun to see the Lord changing our lives during this trip!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 3

2010-03-14T06:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight, we are in the middle of nowhere and we have wireless internet...go figure! We are currently on an overnight trip north of Quito visiting the Quencha Indians and having a great time. It took us awhile to get here, but once we arrived this morning, we have been off and running. Here is a little preview from our day:

Some pictures from the day:

Tomorrow is Sunday, so we are heading over the the native Indian Market to pick up some goods and then off to an Ecuadorian church in the afternoon. We will finish our day with a drive back to Quito.

We will continue to keep you posted on our journey!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 2

2010-03-12T23:08:00.001-06:00

Well...we are having a blast here in Ecuador. Today was our first full day here and it was packed full of sun, kids, paint, Jesus, volcanos, and guacamole. We spent most of our day at the Carpungo school where we played with the kids. After lunch, we found ourselves doing a little painting around the school to help them out. The sun was out and shining so the sunscreen was in full effect today. After leaving the school, we headed to the mountains and took a gondola to the top of an active volcano. It was a really fun experience with incredible views...not to mention cool temperatures at 14,000 feet. We capped off the day with an authentic Ecuadorian meal. We were hungry and ready for bed. Here is a video recap of the day...

Here are some pictures from today:

It has been really fun to watch the boys catching the vision for loving on the people of Ecuador. It was only day 2, but we have had some great discussions at night of how the Lord is working in our lives here.

Tomorrow, we are headed 2 hours north of Quito to Otavalo. We will be there for the next two days working with a rural school, visiting some waterfalls, shopping at an Indian Market, and going to an Ecuadorian church on Sunday. We will travel back to Quito on Sunday night. I'm not sure what our internet access will be like the next 48 hours, so it might be Sunday night before we get anything posted.

Until then, keep praying for us. We sure appreciate it.

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 1

2010-03-11T21:46:00.000-06:00

After a day and a half of traveling through multiple airports, we have made it to Ecuador. Everybody is excited to be here and soaking it all in. It is a beautiful country with incredible weather so far. Once we got to Quito, we got situated at the guest house we're staying at and let the guys adjust to the altitude. We even were able to fit in a soccer game before dinner. After a great night, we are hitting the sack because we have some tired boys. Here is a little recap of the day...

Tomorrow, we are off to a school north of Quito to do some painting and activities with the kids. Everybody is chomping at the bit to get out and do ministry with the people of Ecuador. Visiting the volcano here in Ecuador is also on the schedule tomorrow, so we'll keep you posted here at barn13.com

Headed to Ecuador

2010-03-04T14:06:00.003-06:00

In just a few days, Austin and Sparky are headed south to Ecuador with 10 Kanakuk kampers on a 7 day Mission Trip. It should be an awesome trip.

Keep checking back to Barn 13.com for updates, pictures, and more!

A Kanakuk Summer is Coming…

2010-03-04T14:06:00.001-06:00

The snow is melting and the temperature is climbing around Kanakuk…and you know what that means? Summer is coming. We are counting down the days until summer and cannot wait to see what the Lord is going to do.

Message From The Sparks’

2010-03-04T14:05:00.001-06:00

Can’t wait to see you this summer!

www.kanakuk.com

Look What We Found

2010-02-23T17:19:00.001-06:00

When you start ripping up things around kamp, you never know what you will find. This winter, we are replacing the carpet and padding in the K-Kountry gym. After our wonderful maintenance guys ripped out the current carpet and padding, look what they found….

For years, there have been rumors that Barn 13 had a basketball court in it, but nobody could ever confirm those rumors. I guess the rumors can now be put to rest! Let’s play ball.

Making a Difference

2010-02-10T09:02:00.001-06:00

K-Kountry Kamper Scott Smith (Term 5) and some of his classmates took it upon themselves to make a difference in Haiti after the earthquake. After watching the aftermath, Scott decided to do something about it by starting a fundraiser at his Morning Star Elementary School in Bozeman, MT.

K-Kountry Kamper Scott Smith (left)

Scott and his classmates wrote public service announcements, made posters, and printed t-shirts and ended up raising over $1,000 for Haiti.

Way to go Scott! We are so proud of you for making a difference.

To read the full article, go here.

A Kanakuk Snow Day?

2010-02-09T09:06:00.001-06:00

Kanakuk was once again dusted with a layer of snow this morning and it made me wonder what kamp would be like with snow. Think about it. Snow ball fights at free time. Bobsled runs on the waterslide. Ice hockey on the tennis courts. Arctic putt-putt. Air It Out football on Lambeau Field. The possibilities are limitless.

Even though it would be a blast to have a snow day at K-Kountry this summer, this white fluffy stuff has made me yearn even more for the sunny days of summer! The refreshing dips in the new pool. The new Gospel Skit. The friends. The laughter. The memories. Kamp is right around the corner and it can’t get here fast enough. Come on summer….

Where is the Hillbilly’s coat?

Snow ball fights at the office?

Arctic Putt-Putt?

Air It Out football in the snow?

Ice Hockey on the Tennis Courts?