Ralph and Lou Sutera

What a blessing they have been to so many people. It has been an honor to have them coming to our little humble "Camp Out" in Thorhild. God continues to use them in special ways. My day has been highlighted, just having learned of Jeannie getting a call from Ralph Sutera today. Thank you Jeannie for helping make my whole day worthwhile! 

My Two Most Favorite Sisters!!

I love you both very much. 

A Time And Place For Everything

Each morning is started out with a prayer time in the upper room, for the day ahead. Ed is on the far left. Ralph is on the right hand side. I am of course taking this picture (not disrupting the prayer time yet)



We have both morning and evening chapel sessions.



And then of course there is always food. And if the watermellon runs out, Anna will cut some more. We have our heavier meal at lunch time. For supper, we have soup and sandwhichs, and yummy dessert.



And then of course, it is play time! It is the time to take your shoes off and relax. Thomas is patiently waiting to climb into the castle. This was the day we didn't get to the pool, and it was quite warm yet. So there was a kiddy pool filled up for the smaller ones, and this castle blown up. Where were the adults? Humm? They were many of them, taking a short snooze, or a walk, or sitting with their friends just chatting over a cup of coffee.

Pick Your Camping Style

Meet Steve Dennis!
He will gladly help you find a spot out on the camping grounds. We have no fancy set up. Just a humble little camp ground. Twelve brand new little white cabins were built to help with sleeping arrangements, with the arrival of the Sutera Twins. Lots of room for tents, trailers, motor homes, big or small. The coffee is always on. If not, you just make another pot. It is a place to just sit back and relax for the week, and enjoy getting spiritual feeding, food for the stomach, connection with people.






 

Who Is This Camp For?

"The YOUNG"
The 2 young fellows are Tim and Jonathan Dennis. They call me "Auntie Colleen", and call Ed, "Pastor Ed". It's their mom Joyce, who is my very good friend, and singing buddy. They attended our little church in Meeting Creek, when Ed pastored the church. Joyce and I never got together to sing back then. We only started that with the Camp in Thorhild. The guy in the middle? Dallas, one of the "mighty warriors" of the camp board.. Jonathan is also one of the board members. This group was part of the "young crew" at the pool every afternoon.


"The OLD"
Jimmy Beaver! This dear man has been at Camp Out every year since even before it came to Thorhild. He is 81 years old, but you'd never guess it. He brings his little camper trailer every year.


"The SHY"
The mystery face belongs to Anna Dennis, daughter of my singing buddy. A very important part in our kitchen help spot this year. One of the kids outside asked her who I was, and she very matter of factly said, "She's my Auntie"! I was so proud! She is pretty cool!


"And The BOLD"
This little camper decided to "pose" for me when she realized I wanted to take her picture. This was the last evening in the dining hall, while everyone behind her were getting their evening snack. Her name? Little Miss Sarah Dennis, Jonathan and Tanya Dennis' daughter. She didn't seem to have a problem with her "lack" of attire. What a sweetie!!.

Making New Friends

This little lady and I made connections with each other that blew my mind! I had been told there was a lady from Michigan, so of course, I followed up on it. Well, as we were doing dishes together one evening, her and I got to batting back and forth a few names we each might be familiar with. She asked if I knew the names Marquette and Munising. I of course excitedly said, "of course". She said she lived inbetween there. Of course figuring I would never know other little places. So then I asked, "ok" where inbetween there? She then says "Kiva" and "Traunik"! I got so excited, the dishes definately got put on hold. The whole kitchen's eyes were suddenly on us. I said, "ok"? Where did you live? She comes back with "Trenery Michigan! You can imagine my excitment!

She was one more girl from Michigan, that had ventured far from home to Bible College. She went to Prairie Bible Institute, and is now retired, and continues to live there. Her brother still owns a garage in Traunik. Her name is Emily (I forget the last, but is written down)

This is not all. I started nameing names of people of there. I mentioned the Fetterhoffs, friends of ours, and who had also attended our little church. She didn't know them. But when I mentioned the next name, "she" just about dropped over. I mentioned the litle church we attended, and who our pastor was, Pastor Joles. Bingo!! She knew them well! And mentioned that Pastor Joles son took over the little church when his dad died. Wow!! Was that ordained of God for the two of us to meet this summer or what?!


Part of the "younger" crew. This family, the Patterson Family became very good friends of ours. and Thomas's friends. The Patterson family has a real ministry through their music. There are another couple kids which aren't pictured here. They sang as a family some pretty cute songs with their mom on the piano. Their dad sings in a Christian group named "Mercy River". An awsome group, one I never tire of hearing.


Jim, an awsome gift is his on the piano! He arrived at the same time the piano did. Neither knew the other would be there. The Remly Family was kind enough to let the guys haul their piano down a long dusty road, and into the camp building. When it arrived, we weren't too sure who would wind up playing it. But didn't have to wonder for long. He sat down, and his hands and arms just flew on that whole key board. After he and his wife left, then the Patterson kids grama got on there and made it talk.


Dave Bertle! Does anyone recognise him? He and his wife were at Prairie at the same time as Jeannie and Bill. And not only that but, again, thru connecting names and places, we found that his daughter and son in law attends Bills church in Washington State. Wow ! So many connections we don't know we will run into. This was actually his second camp year, but I didn't have a picture to show from last summer. 

A Time To Re Connect

Meet the cooks! Corine Brown - Verna Orlesky- Shirley Vise These special ladies that helped us pack on a few pounds the week during campout. They are very dear friends. The one in the middle ( Verna Orlesky), lost her husband not long after we lost mom. And he was so special to all of us. The campout just after we lost mom, he was in the hospital loseing his battle with cancer. His story had been an awsome witness of one of God's mighty miracles of healing. Many people had been affected by what the Lord was doing in his life. He was a very important, key part of the life of campout, and one on the board. Those of us on the board, (and wives) had gone in to the hospital to spend time with him, seeing he couldn't come to us. I stood by his side the whole time and hung onto his hand, very tightly. I knew we were loseing him, and I didn't want to. We had our "camp meeting" right there beside him, and sang. We all cried, and just kept singing. God took him home right after campout that week.


Jack and Ella Sailor. Ella was a legal secretary and Jack was a police detective but after the Sutera Twins Revival in 1971, they came to Caronport where we first knew them. We met them again when they were missionaries in the Yukon, in Dawson City, where he pastored the little evangelical church. . Ella is now an author, and women's speaker. They have a "prayer - counseling ministry". Ralph Sutera invited them to come to our little camp to help in the ministry of the prayer room.


Joyce Dennis, my very special friend and singing partner in the life of Camp Out. Our voices blend like the 3 Smith sisters, like we have been singing for years, but really haven't. We became known as the "Song Birds". That was after the one summer of three of us women singing, in a trio. Her husband Steve in one of the "mighty warriors" of the Camp Board. Verna Orlesky and her late husband John were on the camp board. She never missed a camp as the cook, even after John passed away right after Camp Out, that summer a couple years ago. Verna is getting alittle TLC (tender loving care), outside of the kitchen.


Liz and Nellie. Liz became a very dear friend to me while in Thorhild. Last summer the Sutera Twins helped her gain assurance of salvation, and grow in her christian faith.

Nellie, a dear, sweet supporter to us during our ministry in Thorhild. One of the remaining older Christian ladies of the Thorhild Living Gospel Fellowship Church.

Camp Out In Thorhild

Another year of Campout in Thorhild has come and gone. Our second year with the "Sutera Twins", (actually only one this year). Lou Sutera has had health problems and was not able to come. Man plans, but "God" brings things to pass as "His Will Ordains". Although we missed Lou coming, so many things came to pass, that would not have happened if both twins had been there. As Ralph said to us in the one evening meeting at the end, he felt that God had worked in a totally different way. So many messages, and ways things happened, went different than had been planned. It was a good week. Lord willing, both of the Sutera Twins will be there again. Ralph was so excited, and couldn't wait to let his brother in on what would be happening for a 3rd summer.


The very large meeting area. It makes the dining hall and kitchen area look very small. But in fact, it is not that small, and feeds a good amount of people every summer.


A very special week was spent with Thomas. He was with us from Sunday evening until Friday evening. It was a very hot week. One which drove all the "younger ones" to the pool every afternoon. Grama looked forward to it in the afternoons. This grama much prefers the pool over sitting outside in the heat. We got our share of it this week. One thing you don't always see in the North in the summer. There have been summers that I have hardly gotten out of my jeans.


There weren't lots of kids, but those who were there became good friends. Thomas was missed on Friday evening after he was picked up again. By the time he was picked up, he was a very "bushed camper". The cabin was very quiet. Grama had no one to make popcorn for in the evening, (for cabin time). It was quite a challange to make popcorn without burning it, in the older microwave that was in the kitchen. It still got ate! 

Happy Birthday Jon!

28 years old today! (or in Taiwan, yesterday)


So many awsome connections made on July 1st
Penticton, British Columbia, "The Place To Be"!
What a special picture!


Another Special Connection! How many years has
it been? Uncle Bill and His bike arrived!


More Connections! Two brothers needing to re-connect
Ron and Jon!