A Week Under the Stars!

Or Make it two! Every year we take two trips to Camp Timberwolf in the northern Sierras.  The first is for kids and families, and the second is for adults, many of whom are homeless.

Do you Remember When!?

Kids love new things and for many kids growing up in west Oakland, a camping trip to the Sierra's provides plenty of firsts.  Many kids for the first time see stars, fish, hike, swim in a lake, roast marshmallows, or sit around a campfire. More than once our group has even come back having seen a bear! For months afterwords kids will exclaim to us on the streets "Do you remember when we went to camp and (fill in incredibly fun activity or animal sighting)!?  Our days are filled with fun and games and running around in the mountains.  Kids get to experience a freedom they are unaccustomed to being confined to the concrete of Oakland.  At night we share Jesus and sing songs around the campfire.  For many, this trip is the first time they truly experienced Jesus, and it's a moment they will remember forever.

It's the Good Life!

The harshness of life can take a toll on the life of someone living in the inner city.  From the homeless man downtown, to the mother of two trying to keep her family together, to the local corner folk the inner city is a tireless place.  There's little time to rest and think in the chaos of the 'hood.  That's why we take a week every year with some of the adults in our neighborhood to go camping.  Our unstructured week is restful and full of lounging by the lake in lawn chairs and watching a bobber at the end of a line. Of course, there's plenty of catching fish as well!  The quiet beauty of sitting in a canoe on the lake brought one woman to tears.  God's nature provides healing for even the most tireless souls.

We can't pull of either of these trips without volunteers, especially the kids camp.  Please contact us if you or your youth group are interested in spending a week with us in the Sierras.  Any and all help is welcome!