From Ron/Prem

It was my delight and honour to work with Camp Kawkawa for 16 years and watch it and all the people who attended, grow in Christ. I've been retired since 1999 so many of the names in the various comments I have read are not known to me, but some bring back vivid memories of how great God is. Pillsbury, it is delightful to know you are still an active supporter. To see Mark Roth's name was a particular blessing. God bless each one of you. RAC "Prem"

I think it's great that you have assembled these memories of Kawkawa and its people. Keep it up because these messages can, and will be a great source pf encoagement to many people for countless years ahead.I pray that God's work in each Kawkawa person will not slow down now that CK is gone but will accelerate with the end result that thousands around the globe will come to Jesus. Thank you to all the Kawkawa people from my past. You were all great.

From Roberta/Bertski

How much space do I get???

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

I know for many of you, Kawkawa was not just a camp or a place to go to in the summer, it was home. We grew up as campers, moved onto summer staff and then year round staff. I remember so many of you when you walked into the dinning hall for the first time at the young age of 8. I remember when Kawkawa first opened in 1974 -- my older sister was one of the first campers to attend. I could hardly wait to go. I remember getting off the bus -- knees shaking, wondering if I would be okay and then the week was suddenly over and I could hardly wait to return. No one can erase or remove the many times of joy, laughter, tears, and lessons that we all learnt on that 40 acres of property. It is great to just know that God used Kawakawa greatly for the years that it was open and only He can see fully and know the need for it's time to end. Prem (Ron Carter) had an amazing saying... "teach yourself out of a job." That is what Kawakawa did. God used it to the fullest for the time period that He needed. The question is not why God closed Kawkawa, but what are we going to do with the lessons about Him, the truths about Him that we learnt there? Are we going to sit back and hold it all in? Or are we going to take up our cross and continue to spread God's word?

We each think about the particular summer or summers that we worked or attended Kawkawa, but don't forget the men and women that discovered the camp with God's guiding. How now one else bought the property, how Alliance churchs just had the right amount of money to buy the property. Remember the men and women who dug holes, built cabins, cooked our food, scrubbed those toliets (made some friends), and did the behind scenes work so that we could know Christ. That is what Kawkawa was about -- remember the symbol... a sun, mountains and water all pointing towards heaven. Remember the reason... to bring people to a closer relationship with God.

So to my dear past campers -- and co-workers -- Hold fast to the truth of God and use what He taught you at Kawkawa to help bring others closer to Him.

Love you all -- Bertski

From Dan C, camper '04

My first year at Camp Kawkawa was amazing. I had the best time. All of the leaders were so nice. Monk was my cabin leader. I was lucky I was there - my church had sent me. After my first year, I had gotten closer to God.

Then, the following year, I got a phone call, and I was notified by my church there was one spot for Kawkawa left. I took it, and got to spend another amazing week at Camp Kawkawa, get to get closer to God.

After my second year, I had decided that it was my time to get even closer to God - I was to submit my application to volunteer at Kawkawa for the '06 year. Sadly, they closed. After that, I was quite discouraged.

Now, I'm sure that God will help find Camp Kawkawa a new home.

To the publisher of the website: If there is anything needed to help Kawkawa re-locate, like an extra pair of hands, I beg you to email me and we can figure something out.

From Becky

God brought me back to him through some of the staff at Kawkawa in the summer of 2005, at a family camp. I only worked there for 2 weeks out of that one summer, but I loved it so much and I loved the staff as well.

From Chelsea

I luved camp Kawkawa it was so awesome when I went in 2005!I hope they find another camp because I would be so exided 'Nova' might remember me because she was my leader.I will always remember Kawkawa. :(

From Todd Elliott-Gates

When I heard Kawkawa had closed, my heart broke. I went to camp there for 10 years, and it was the highlight of my year.

I was a, oh how do I word this, "troubled" kid (to say the least!) Camp was really the only place that I felt loved. My parents were always too busy, and my brothers hated me, so going to a place where I felt welcomed and loved (in spite of myself!) was such a blessing for those 10 years.

Bertski, Festus, Crockett, Derby, Lucy, Schroeder, Johann, Blackie, Finesse, were just some of the memorable councillors for me. These people have a special place in my busted, broken, messed up heart, and really are the only reason(s) that I am alive today. The kindness, love, compassion, patience, forgiveness, etc. etc. that they showed me during one simple week at camp kept me alive during the year. I'd occasionally write or call some of them during the year (especially when my best friend Vyanne Neufeld died at Camp Squeah one year, the same week I was at Kawkawa, which screwed me up for years to come!) and simply their kindness alone helped me in more ways that I could ever express.

Of course, being as messed up a kid as I was, I caused some problems at Camp too. But every year, they'd welcome me back with open arms. That was love I had never experienced before.

It saddens me deeply that since Kawkawa's doors closed, there might be some other little boy, scared, frightened, beaten down, broken, lonely, that won't have the opportunity I did. I pray to God that he guides them to some other camp where the same type of amazing people and experiences can befall one who needs it.

Administrator, if anyone contacts you and wants to contact me, please don't hesitate to give them my email address. I would love to reconnect with anyone who might want to reach me.

Kawkawa will always be in my heart...