Ortoha Blankets Help Those in Need

As most of you may have heard (if not experienced first-hand!), numerous fires have been devastating Okanogan County, leaving many people and families without homes. This has been such a horrific and stressful time for so many residents of the Okanogan area. Through all the turmoil, however, there have been many inspiring stories of kindness, generosity and aid.

We first want to thank all those who have worked so tirelessly to help the people in need; that includes the firefighters, the equipment drivers, the aid organizations, those people who have donated supplies, and those who have worked to make meals for anyone that needs one.

Secondly, we want to proudly report that the 2015 campers were also able to help out families in need! While some of the blankets that the campers made in late July and early August were distributed to homeless shelters right away, plenty of the blankets were still leftover, yet to be delivered. With such a pressing need in our local communities, we thought it would be a good idea to drop the remaining blankets off at donation collection centers in the Okanogan area. About 10 blankets were donated at the Tonasket donation center operated by the Community Cultural Center today so that local residents in need could have access to them. (Many thanks to Salina at the donation center who helped us with this!) We hope to have another set of blankets donated in the town of Okanogan very soon.

Please be sure to let the campers in your life know that as a result of their hard work, many displaced families of Okanogan County will be able to have warm, beautiful blankets to provide a bit of comfort. We thank all the campers for their contribution! 

And the Award Goes To....

Time flies! The 2015 Ortoha Youth Camp season has officially concluded. We couldn't be more pleased with the wonderful turnout - from Mission Fest Sunday straight through Middle School Week. We want to thank all those who helped spread the word about our incredible camp. We also want to extend our deepest gratitude toward all those dedicated, inspired and caring people who served the campers; the speakers, the cooks, the incredible counselors, the director, Arts & Crafts coordinators and all those behind the scenes. And to the many parents! Who traveled far and wide to bring their youngsters to experience our little slice of paradise. Thank you for playing your special part in helping these kids experience the fun and fellowship that Ortoha has to offer.

The middle school camp concluded this evening and the week was a great success. With 31 wonderful campers, there was a lot of excitement in the air! They had a wonderful week of sunny weather which was perfect for all the outdoor recreation activities in the program. We are looking forward to hear more from our campers about the week, but until then, here is a little update that arrived as of Wednesday night: 

As you may know, the campers from each cabin compete for certain categories of cleanliness each day. The cabin with the best effort gets one point for each day they win a given category. As of Wednesday night,  here were the results: 

 

Clean Cabin Award - The Golden Broom

Fir 2
Pine 1
Larch 0

Clean Bathroom Award - The Coveted Golden Toilet Plunger

All 3 cabins were all tied up!

Quietest Cabin - The Golden Zzz's Award

Fir was in the lead!


Kudos to Bailey H. for offering help during crafts on Tuesday, assisting 6-7 campers with their para cord craft and putting in extra help with KP duty! Many thanks, also, to Chad for handling KP set-up almost single-handedly on Wednesday!

Campers Chime In: What Camp Ortoha Means to Me...

News from Camp Ortoha typically makes its way down the hill on Wednesday evenings, so we are looking forward to providing you with an update about how Middle School Week is going soon! (What we CAN say, so far, is that we have a wonderful turnout this year - about 30 middle schoolers are joining us, and they have a sunny forecast in store for the rest of the week!) 

Until more news is available, though, we couldn't pass up this chance to provide some incredible responses that the High Schoolers from last week were kind enough to write down for us. Please read, and enjoy with us, the wonderful responses to the question:

"What does Camp Ortoha mean to me?"

"Ortoha is a camp of memories, fun, God and friends...at Camp Ortoha I 
have made life-long friends." -Jordan

"We learn more about Jesus and have fun doing it." -Jacob

"For me, Ortoha is a time for God. It gives me a chance to connect with 
Him. Also it is a chance for me to see my friends, some of which I only 
see once a year...Camp is a place where you can make really special 
memories." -Kasey

"It is a place that reminds me that I can find Christian friends who are 
cool - unlike what I seem to find at school. Camp is a place to escape 
from the craziness of life and make connections with God and with 
friends new and old...Camp is going to be one of the things I will miss 
the most when I go to college." -Nathan

"I have met many great friends. I have become more in touch with the 
Lord." -Cameron

"Camp Ortoha will always be remembered - the friends, the speakers, the 
food, the games...Camp Ortoha will always be an unforgettable part of my 
life." -Dylan

"Ortoha means family... not only teaching kids about the word of God but 
unity and love." -Abbey

"...I get a refreshing time with God...I went to a Christian school for 9 
years and now I go to a public school and I miss the God thing..." -Sam

"Ortoha means the world to me! I get excited from the second that camp 
ends until the second I get to camp again the next year... Everyone at 
camp is like a family in the way we act with each other." -Kerstin

"Camp Ortoha is a place to unplug and unwind and spend some time with God 
and other Christians...it is a simple camp to get a break from the 
complicated world." -Shawn

"...those memories and fellowship will uniquely affect every moment of my 
future life... I am very glad I have a chance to help out as a counselor 
and bring a new camp experience to the next generation... hopefully one 
similar to my amazing experience." -Zion

"...I don't study the Bible like I should and coming to camp always makes 
me think about Jesus... it gives me a spiritual experience and brings me 
closer to Jesus and friends. Always has and always will." -Dylan

"...Through games, conversations, laughter, delicious food, relationships 
and music, God's grace was evident. I was challenged, supported, loved 
and included in 70 years of Ortoha's history." -Nate

"...Camp Ortoha has changed me forever! It gave me soooo many memories 
that I'm going to keep close to my heart..." -Sammie

News from the High Schoolers

Some news came down the hill from Camp Ortoha yesterday evening and we are excited to share an update about how High School Week is going! 

The kids are having a great time! In addition to lots of dodge ball and recreation, they have been enjoying the Bible Study and Topic Study sessions quite a bit. They have also been having fun making an Arts & Crafts/service project by tying fleece blankets 
for homeless shelters. This is a project that all 3 weeks of camp will be participating in, so it's extra fun to do something that all the age ranges can contribute to. 

Cooks Sandi and Beth served the traditional Wednesday evening menu of Thanksgiving dinner to the campers and staff. After dinner it came to camp's attention that Director Brian had an item in the Lost and Found. If you have ever been an Ortoha camper, you know the penalty is that you have to "sing for it." The campers unanimously demanded that he sing  his specialty, Tevye's  "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof. This was followed by long, loud and appreciative applause and cheers. As always, the cooks are outdoing themselves by preparing Oven Baked French Toast for breakfast this morning.

The kids got a little bit of a rain shower on Monday, but have been having sunny weather other than that.

We are excited to hear more from them when they come back down on Friday afternoon! Let us know if you have any questions about picking up your camper. 

The First Day of High School Week

We have 15 wonderful high schoolers joining us for camp this week. Our two speakers for this week are Nate Nolting from Tacoma and Shawn Neider from Grand Coulee. The theme for the Bible and Topic Study sessions will be: "Extraordinary to Ordinary: How God uses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results through the power of the Holy Spirit." 

The weather forecast for the campers is looking bright. It is expected to be in the 90s each day, but don't worry, it always cools off at night! They'll have a mix of cloud cover and sunshine throughout the week. 

High School Week typically draws a smaller group of campers, but that often makes the connection between the campers more special. The atmosphere and pace of the scheduled program is a bit more relaxed, too. We are looking forward to our next update from camp to hear about how all the kids are enjoying it, what they've been learning, and what their favorite activities have been! 

The Kids Are Having a Ball

We just got news from Camp Ortoha are we are excited to share it! All the campers are happy and healthy. Here are some snippets from a few campers that we interviewed today: 

  • Macy's favorite thing about camp is meeting new people and going to the lake
  • Bo's favorite thing about camp is Rec time
  • Ella has made lots of new friends
  • Lucia's favorite meal was the chicken enchiladas
  • Aja likes swimming and has made new friends
  • Alyssa wants to be a counselor someday
  • Meladie's favorite Arts & Craft project was the key chain she made

Tonight the campers were treated to a Thanksgiving-style feast tonight of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, bacon and dessert! Our amazing cooks, Sandi and Beth, outdid themselves! 

Many thanks, also, to our two wonderful speakers this week: Amy Schretlen, who is joining us from British Columbia, and Pastor Mark Hein from Wenatchee. The theme for their Bible Study & Topic Study sessions this week has been: "Extraordinary to Ordinary: How God uses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results through the power of the Holy Spirit."

Our Grade School Week of camp will conclude tomorrow night at 7 p.m. after a full day of activities. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about picking your child up. We are looking forward to hearing more of their wonderful stories! 

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Grade School Week Has Begun!

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The 2015 season of Camp Ortoha is off to a wonderful start! With a few last-minute registrations trailing in, we had a total of 24 grade schoolers at the start of camp yesterday evening. The Ortoha counselors greeted each new camper as they arrived and helped get their belongings to their assigned cabin. The kids had a great time getting to know each other during the traditional "ice breaker" games. They also had the thrill of listening to some thunder nearby. The camp got a heavy dose of rain as the evening got underway, but we always welcome that; it helps keep the dust down and makes the whole area smell incredible.

Many thanks to all those who traveled far and wide to attend the Mission Fest Sunday service yesterday morning! It was very moving to see the joy that Camp Ortoha has brought to so many generations. We were honored to have alumni campers from every decade in attendance. We also thank all those who contributed to the delicious potluck lunch that followed the service. As always, it was a feast! 

Please remember to return to this page as the weeks progress for more updates about how our campers are doing. We will try to provide information as it becomes available. 

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Camp Starts Tomorrow!

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The time has finally arrived! The Grade School week of camp  starts tomorrow! 

Many hours have logged preparing for the kick-off of camp this year. After all, we have a LOT to celebrate; we are celebrating 70 years of fun, building friendships and having fellowship in the great outdoors! We hope that you'll join us tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. to attend our Mission Fest Sunday service, followed by a potluck lunch. (And if you have come in years past, you know it is a feast worthy of the drive!) 

We are so thankful to be celebaring such a long and rich camp history. We are even more honored and thrilled that so many newcomers will be enjoying the Camp Ortoha experience this year! With the help of a few articles (one even published in the Wenathcee World!) and plenty of word-of-mouth efforts, we were able to spread the message far and wide about just how great the camping experience is at Ortoha.

Tucked away in the Okanogan National Forest, and located within walking distance from Lost Lake, Ortoha provides a lovely setting where kids can enjoy recreation, games, swimming, crafts, singing around the campfire, devotions, delicious meals and study time. The dedicated staff work hard to create a welcoming and caring environment where each child feels included. 

With the use of our newly designed website, we will be able to keep parents more in the know this year during the camp week. We hope to post updates about the theme, the speakers, and how much fun the kids are having as the weeks progress. So be sure to come back to our website often and visit the "News" button for new info! 

We look forward to seeing all those who will attend Mission Fest tomorrow, and we wish all the campers and their parents a wonderful drive through the beautiful north central Washington region. 

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Registration is open!

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The Camp Ortoha planning board has been working hard to get the word out that camp registration is open. In addition to local radio announcements, we have been posting regular updates to our Facebook page and using all kinds of outlets provided by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod to spread the word. 

Brian Bowes, who has over 25 years of experience as the Camp Ortoha Director under his belt, is returning to lead our campers this summer after a two-year sabbatical. He is thrilled to rejoin the mission of providing young people with a Christ-centered opportunity for fun, fellowship and spiritual growth. 

Our staff of counselors have already undergone their first few sessions of training and they are eager to help steward the campers later this summer. Our camp cook has fine-tuned the menu after receiving helpful suggestions from our supporters through Facebook. Our planning board is now gathering all the food ingredients we will need for three weeks of camp this year. 

We will be celebrating our 70th year of operating this summer! For such a big occasion, we have planned out a very exciting Mission Fest Sunday church service to celebrate, which will focus both on the past; all the lovely care, dedication and hard work that has driven camp all these years, as well as the future and what might be to come. We hope you will join us on Sunday, July 26th at 11:00 a.m. at the camp gazebo for the service. A potluck lunch and an afternoon of sunshine (not to mention lake time at the nearby Lost Lake) is to follow. Grade School camp will officially start at 5:00 p.m. that evening. 

See you then!