the adventure

Alex's Adventure: Its GO time!

2010-06-04T16:19:00.001-05:00

Hello!

As I write this, summer staff arriving here at Camp Forest Springs. After months of planning, preparation, and prayer, the summer is finally getting underway. It’s very exciting that camp is going to be “noisy” again. When staff and campers are here, there is a constant hum of people that you can hear throughout camp. Tomorrow (Saturday) I continue training one of my head cooks for the summer. I’ll be working closely with her to give her the foundation she needs for the summer of cooking ahead. Monday morning, the whole kitchen crew is going up on camp’s high ropes course for some fun and team bonding. Monday afternoon, I will be training and working with my rotating dish crew for the summer. After dish crew training, I’ll be working with my kitchen crew and orientating them to the kitchen. Somewhere in there I’ll have to put my food order away. Whew. There is no looking back. The summer has begun. Months of kitchen planning is starting to be put into action.

As the summer begins, here are a few prayer requests!

-Physical Strength and health. Days are long and there is always soo much.

-Ministry to the campers and staff.

-Safety for all camp staff and campers. We have lots of fun, but we can get hurt!

-My personal spiritual growth. With my schedule, it’s hard to get to church during the summer.

Thanks again for your continued prayers and I’ll keep you up to date as the summer progresses!

Alex

stay current on my life:

countdown to the summer

2010-05-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

3 days, 10 hours, 14 minutes till we kick off the summer camping season at Camp Forest Springs.

Its hard to believe that the summer is here. SO much has happened in the last few months. God has brought me to new heights. I am blessed to have such great friends and coworkers.

Here are just a few shots from my recent trip to Devils Lake!

Alex's Camp Adventure

2010-05-19T21:48:00.002-05:00

Summer is coming! The countdown is underway and we kick off summer in 9 days. Yes, 9 Days. Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp is kick off. We have a couple weeks of training afterwards and then the middle of June we start our five weeks of youth camp, followed by five weeks of family camps.

Whew. The crazy summer is about to start and I am very thankful for your support of me through prayer. It means so much to me when I'm feeling overwhelmed that I know God is there right beside me and you are lifting me up in prayer. A couple weeks ago, 150+ people invaded camp and spent 1 day getting camp ready for the summer. This is a picture of me that weekend with some baked beans!

Last week Wednesday was the last night of the Truth Seekers program I was helping out with at my church here in WI. It has been a great time of ministering to the kids around the local area. It is sad to see it finish, but my ministry here at camp is about to really kick into high gear! I've been planning the menu's, figure out work schedules, and training for my kitchen staff. It can be overwhelming when I look at the whole big picture, but piece by piece everything is falling into place. It will be a challenging and long summer, but God will be here beside me every step of the way!

This past weekend I was able to take a long weekend and head down to Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, WI, to do some camping. It was an amazing weekend of hiking, relaxing, and refueling before the summer. I spent quality time with God thinking and praying about where He has me and what I need to work on in my personal life. I've already got my sights on going back there or somewhere else at the end of the summer!

A few prayer and praise items!

Praise:

-The staff for the kitchen for the summer is almost all set!

-Summer prep is going good!

-A great winter/spring with Truth Seekers

Prayer:

-Summer Youth Camp numbers: We still have a number of openings for campers.(If you know of some kids who could benefit from camp, check out www.campforestsprings.org. We have a scholarship fund to help out those who cannot afford the cost)

-Personal strength, wisdom, and safety for the summer. A lot will happen. I'll face a lot of tough situations, but God will be here with me!

-For the hearts and minds of the campers and summer staff that will be coming soon. For the ministry that I'll have to the campers and the staff that I'll be leading.

Thanks again for your support through prayer! If you are ever in WI, I would love to have you drop by and see the ministry here at camp!

Here is the link to some of the photos I took this weekend: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajschubert/DevilsLake20?feat=directlink

Have a wonderful day/evening!

Alex

Alex's Camp Adventure Take 2

2010-04-19T08:02:00.001-05:00

Ok, so somehow my first try of sending out my update didn't work, well
it worked but nothing was in the message. So here we go for round two.
Enjoy!

April 2010

Spring is in FULL bloom. We are about two weeks ahead of schedule.
Snow is non-existent. The grass is starting to turn green and the
summer season is about 6 weeks away. It's hard to believe that the
winter is over and we are full steam ahead toward summer. For Easter I
was able to head back to Omaha for a few days. It was a good time of
relaxing and hanging out with friends.

This time of year here at camp, we are slower. We only have groups in
on the weekends and a couple of outdoor education groups. One would
think that my job would slow down. Ha. Just the opposite, with the
summer coming up really soon., I am busy planning menu's for the
summer, finalizing summer staff, and meeting with my food distributors
about the up coming summer season. It may not be a lot of physical
work, but my mind is getting a work out. I've related managing the
kitchen to juggling 12 different balls at once and giving each ball
adequate attention. It makes for every interesting and long days!

With the snow gone and spring on its way, skiing is out and bike
riding is in. In the evenings after work, I usually try and go biking
for a while to get some exercise. It's so beautiful this time of the
year. Grass is turning from brown to green and I'm seeing a lot more
wildlife. Just this morning, I went biking and saw a deer and almost
got sideswiped by a bird.

Over the past week, God has been teaching and reminding me why I am
here at camp. Since I took over, my mind had the business focus. I am
here to run the kitchen, watch the budget, prepare visually and
stomach appealing meals. I wasn't getting a sense of satisfaction from
it. I wasn't enjoying my time. Thinking that way was driving me nuts.
It was one of the few times that I really had no desire to be here at
camp. Last week I was playing soccer with some friends and I was
thinking about the way I was feeling and God reminded me that I was
here to manage the kitchen, but the most important reason was to
minister to the campers through the ministry of the kitchen. I finally
realized/remembered that ministry was the true reason for being in the
kitchen. Since last week, God has changed my attitude toward the
kitchen and I am enjoying it a lot more know that what I'm doing is
for ministry, not strictly business.

Here are a few prayer and praise items!
Prayer Requests:
-Preparation for the summer. There are still a lot of details that
need to be finalized before the summer: Staffing, training, and
equipment.
-Openings in the youth camps. We still have a lot of room left in our
camps for campers.
-Continued openness to where God is going to take me through this
position in the future if it's full-missionary staff or
something/somewhere else.

Praise: A couple of weeks ago we were able to purchase a 10 burner gas
stove. This is replacing a very old 6 burner stove. It was a huge
blessing to find this.

Thanks again for your prayers! They are appreciated and a huge encouragement.

-Alex

stay current with my life:
Photo Blog: http://schubphotos.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://alexschub.blogspot.com/

Alex's Camp Adventure

2010-04-18T16:34:00.001-05:00

One month

2010-04-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

Its been one month since I have taken over as Food Service Director. The last month has been one of the hardest months of my life. Three months ago when I camp back to camp, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I've learned so much. I've cried, I've laughed, I've seen the joys of ministering to people through food service, but during it all, I just wasn't feeling in step. I was going through the motions, doing the things that needed to get done. My mentality was that this was a business that needed to be run. I kept coming up empty, wondering why I was here. Yesterday, I was playing soccer with several people from the community, and all of a sudden, it hit me. I'm not here to serve myself and make this as easy as possible working in the kitchen. I'm here to serve God through working in the kitchen. Camp is not about serving ourselves, but to serve God through ministering to others. I had lost sight of that purpose. I was serving myself, not God.
Working in the kitchen isn't easy, but God is right beside me, step by step. He's my biggest supporter:) He reminds me that in the midst of the stress and craziness of the kitchen, He's there and has a reason for me being here.

I'm not here for myself, but to serve Jesus Christ. It's not the easiest/funnest path right now, but Christ is with me step by step, meal by meal

The Ultimate Sacrifice

2010-04-03T22:05:00.000-05:00

The past few days, I've been watching Band of Brothers. It is a powerful mini series about the struggles, sacrifices, and successes the men and women who fought during WWII in Europe had. They gave up everything so that people in Europe and the Americas and other places might live more peacefully. I am so thankful for those people who fought for the freedom of those who were oppressed.

This Easter Season, Christians around the world, celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ was the ultimate sacrifice that freed you and me from the bondage of sin. We all should die because of our sin. But Christ came so that we wouldn't have to pay the penalty of death for our sins. We've been given the ultimate gift. Eternal life with Christ in Heaven. We don't deserve it. We cannot do anything to earn it.

So this Easter season, remember those who have fallen for our nation, but also remember Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can one day live in eternity with Him.

He is Risen!

where our focus should be...

2010-03-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

I was reading/memorizing this, this afternoon on my way back from my ServSafe class in Eau Claire. I had read it through a couple of times before I stopped and thought about what it meant.

Deuteronomy^{10:12-13...."}And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?

God wants us to fear(respect) Him and follow Him. Sometimes I lose focus on what I should be focusing upon. This verse brought me back. In what we do, serve Him. I don't know how long I'll be here in WI 6 months or 6 years. But through my time here, I need to serve God to my fullest. I don't know what each day will hold. I can only have an idea, but only God truly knows what is going to happen today tomorrow and beyond!

Alex's Adventure Update

2010-03-15T20:24:00.001-05:00

Friends and Family! The following update is what I put together as I was flying to TX last week. Enjoy!

As I write this update I'm cruising at 34,000 feet heading south to Texas for my older brother's wedding. The past two months have flown by (no pun intended:)). A few days ago (March 8th), I officially took over as Food Service Director at Camp Forest Springs. The weight and responsibility of the position has been sinking in and it is overwhelming. These next few months and beyond will be challenging, but I rest in the fact that God is right beside me and I have a great staff at camp who are working closely as I transition.

You may be wondering what I do? Right now camp is slowing down. Groups on the weekends are getting smaller and we are taking a short breather from the busy camp schedule. During the week these are just a few things I do: I review the previous weekend, see if there are some areas that we can improve on, plan the menus for the groups and order the food, make sure we are up to date with state health and safety codes, schedule head cooks and helpers for the meals that we serve, look at new menu and recipes ideas. Each day is different.

A big part of camp is our summer youth and family camps. In the course of 10 weeks, we have any where from 4,000 to 5,000 campers come through. Memorial Day weekend is the official kick off to the summer and we finish on Labor Day! It keeps us on our toes and we thrive:) It may seem a long way off till Memorial Day, but it will come quickly!

Every Wednesday night I help with Truth Seekers at the church I attend. We have scripture memorization, play games, and have a time where one of the leaders shares a continuing Bible. It is very similar to AWANA, but different. This is the part of the week that I look forward to the most. I get to hang out with some awesome elementary kids, play games, and pour into these kids the love of Christ! Many of them come from non-Christian backgrounds and we are able to talk and model the love of Christ to them. Last Wednesday night at the close of the group teaching time, one of the kids asked "how do you ask Jesus into your heart?" I don't know where that kid is at spiritually, but it's those questions we as leaders love to hear and answer:)

As I bring this to a close here are a few prayer requests:

--We are in the process of finding and hiring staff for the summer. A big need in kitchen is head cooks. They are in charge of preparing and serving meals throughout the summer.

--For my own personal physical and mental strength. Food Service Director is a huge roll and right now is a little overwhelming.

--March 22, I take a ServeSafe certification test. It is required by the state of Wisconsin for food service managers. It covers handling and cooking food correctly, sanitation, and general knowledge of food service.

--That I will continue to grow spiritually.

--And finally that I will have an impact for Christ on the kids I minister to both on and off camp!

Thanks again so much for your prayers! They mean a lot and I do feel and see the power of them!

Alex

or as people at camp call me, Schub!

stay current on my life:

Blog: http://alexschub.blogspot.com

Watching people

2010-03-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

So no I'm not creeper watching people, but when I'm in public places,
I love to watch people and see how different each one is. I've seen a
lot of people over the last few days and it's been fun seeing the
different people:)

11:50pm

2010-03-11T10:08:00.000-06:00

So the adventure of the trip to my brother's wedding began at 11:50
last night (Wednesday, the 10th). I woke up to my phone going bonkers.
Before I could answer it, it went to voice mail. So a little bit later
I checked my voice mail and it was American Airlines saying that my
first flight of my journey was cancelled. So 6 hours before I was
supposed to leave, I had no idea how I was going to get to Texas.
Atter talking with a airline rep, I was rebooked on a flight out
Minneapolis, MN, three and a half hours away from camp at 8:30 AM. so
by the time I get some information on how to get there, I head back to
bed and try to get about an hours worth of sleep. Ha that did not
happen. I got up at about 1:30 am grabbed my stuff and some food and
headed for the cities at 2am. So I was off to the cities with 1 hour
of sleep (that I got before the call). So needless to say, I'm
starting to feel the affects of the little sleep I've gotten...So far
I've been running on adredline(sp?) now the question is when am I
going to crash?? A coffee awaits me in Dallas before I head to Tyler
where my brother lives:)

Schub

spring is coming

2010-02-12T11:04:00.000-06:00

First off, if you are reading this on the web(not through a RSS reader) you will see some random "0's" at the top of my posts...ignore them. I switched templates and something went haywire...Oh Well!.

The picture that I just put up on my blog at the top is from yesterday morning. I was walking into work and had my camera with me...I love early mornings when no one is around and everything is sooo beautiful! I took a ton more pictures, but I don't have the time or upload speed right now.

I'm within a month of when I'll be taking over the Food Service Director position here at camp. I'm excited and nervous. Its crazy to think that all this has come about in the last two months. I looked at my calendar and realized it was two months ago yesterday, that I was asked to come back. Wow. God works in some crazy fast days!

A couple of weeks ago, I was downhill skiing with some friends in northern Wisconsin and sprained my MCL(a ligament(i think) on the inside of your knee). Thankfully it wasn't torn and has just required ice and ibprophen. Because of that, I havn't been skiing and that has driven me nuts. I am looking forward to the spring and getting my bike out and going. So I'll leave you with a picture of last summer...

A couple of prayer requests:
Staffing for the spring/summer. We rely heavily upon summer staff here at camp during the summer. This is the time of year when we are looking and finalizing staff.
Spounge Brain: (Ha) That I will continue to soak up everything I learn in the kitchen!

till next time...
-schub

The quiet places

2010-02-08T11:01:00.001-06:00

One thing I love doing to most, is finding quiet places where I can have alone times with God. In the midst of my busy life and a world obsessed with technology, I long for those times when I’m cut off. We all need times when we put away the world and spend quality alone times with Christ. It’s at these times we can sit and listen to what He has to tell us.

Sit. Listen. Be Quiet. For our God is an awesome God. He loves you and wants you to know Him.

A taste of the Psalms.

2010-02-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

For the past couple of months, I’ve been reading through the book of Psalms. It’s 150 chapters of David pouring out his heart. This is a book that you cannot speed read through. I’ve been taking my time reading a couple Psalms each morning and reflecting upon them. There is sooo much information. Praising God. Seeking Him in times of need.

Psalm 139:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my paths and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord You know it all.

You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me;

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness willl overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,”

Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.

How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. O that You would slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, therefore men of bloodshed.

For they speak against You wickedly, And your enemies take your name in vain.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

I hate them with the upmost hatred; they have become my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

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Alex's Northwoods Update

2010-01-19T13:01:00.001-06:00

January 19, 2010

It has been almost three weeks since I packed my car and headed north to Wisconsin and Camp Forest Springs. When I got here, I hit the ground running and haven’t stopped since then. What have I been up to? Other then enjoying the majestic beauty of northern Wisconsin, I’ve been spending lots of time in the kitchen cooking. Since I arrived, I have been a cook’s helper learning about food preparation, asking questions galore, and learning through experience. Each group we have on the weekend is different. They bring their own challenges and excitement that keep us on our toes. In the next week or so, I’ll be moving into the head cook position. I’ll be in charge of making sure the meal is prepared, served, and cleaned up. It’s going to be a new challenge that I’m ready for! Then in the middle of February, I’ll be learning everything that goes along with the Food Service Director position. March 8 is when I take over and that is coming quickly, but I’ll be ready.

What have I been doing when I’m not in the kitchen? On the weekends when I’m finished with a shift and the ski hill is open, I’m skiing. I love spending time on the hill, hanging out with the ski staff, and just enjoying one of God’s awesome adventure sportsJ I also love to go hiking on my days off on the trails around camp. I take my Canon camera with me and capture the beauty of God’s creation! Cross-country skiing is another favorite of thing to do on days off. I head out with Ryan, who was in the LTD program the same year I was (08-09). We get a physical workout and also some great guy time. Talking about life, camp, and how God has been teaching us through our different experiences on and off of camp.

When I want to stay inside (which isn’t often), I usually grab a book and read. One that I’m currently reading is called “Becoming Nehemiah.” The book goes through the book of Nehemiah in the Bible and studies his life and the leadership skills that he built. I read this book a few years ago for school and I’m revisiting it as I am moving into a leadership position. One of the biggest reoccurring themes in the book is Nehemiah’s devotion to prayer. Bringing ourselves before Him on a daily basis is key to learning and leading with the heart of Christ.

As I close this out, here are a few prayer requests that I would ask you to pray for:

1) Physical strength as the days are long in the kitchen.

2) An understanding of everything thing I am learning through experience and asking questions. There is a lot to learn and understand in food service.

3) Continued study of God’s word as it applies to my life and current ministry here at camp.

4) That I’ll use my time and resources wisely!

That is just a little of what is going on in my life currently. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I know that God will still be beside me!

Until next time,

Alex

The places in life that God takes us!

2009-12-26T20:53:00.001-06:00

I love this time of year. It’s a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s a time to spend with family (that is if you didn’t get delayed by the snow…), and a time to reflect upon the year. This past year has brought many new things for me. I finished my 11 months internship at Camp Forest Springs and graduated from Grace University. I spent the summer as a Wilderness Trip Leader back at CFS. This fall I moved back home to work and wait for God’s next move in my life.

The few months I have had at home have been special. I have had time to interact with the junior high youth at my church, spend time with my 14 month old niece, spend time with friends from camp, and learn more about God! God has been teaching me a lot about waiting on His timing. I can try and push my timeline on God, but He is the one who sets the final schedule. He has provided for my every need in ways I cannot fathom: a new (used) car, a job while I’ve been at home, friends, love from Christ, a roof over my head, and food on my plate. God has been gracious to me. His finger prints have been all over what I have been doing.

One of my passions in life is camp. I love the ministry that camp has to people of all ages and backgrounds. I have spent a lot of time at camp the past several years. Just a few weeks ago I headed back to Camp Forest Springs in Wisconsin to help with their annual Dinner Theater outreach. It was a great time of fellowship and serving others by helping with the dinner part of dinner theater.

One day, toward the end of my two weeks there, I was approached by the leadership of Camp Forest Springs to come back on limited term contract staff. They want me to come back as a head cook in the kitchen and possibly take over the Food Service Director position in March. It’s a huge step of faith, but after prayer and discussion, I accepted it. In just a few short days (December 31), I am packing my car and heading back to Wisconsin. This is a paid position. I’m not asking for financial support, but for your support through prayer. This is a huge leap of faith, but I am trusting God for strength and wisdom. So if you would, pray for me as I start on this journey and pray for those with whom I will come into contact. Below I have several ways you can contact me. I would love to hear from you and talk with you about this, questions you may have, or anything else. Check my blog for updates and/or send me your email address if you would like updates! Thanks for your prayers.

schub.

Alex Schubert

N8890 Forest Ln. Westboro WI 54490

402-719-9538

ajschubert@gmail.com

Blog: www.alexschub.blogspot.com

Twitter: Schubfire - Skype: alexj.schub

Facebook: Alex Schubert

Louis

2009-12-23T12:47:00.000-06:00

Well poor Phil finally bit the dust. He was a good car, but he could no longer meet my transportation needs.

Over the past few weeks, having foreseen this downturn in Phil's health, I started on a search for a new(used) car.

Last Saturday, I spied Louis from across a parking lot. He is a 1999 Nissan Altima. He is in great condition. Just this morning I signed the papers and wrote the check for Louis. I look forward to many adventurous trips together in the coming years!

Mid November

2009-11-14T15:55:00.001-06:00

Greetings. It's hard to believe that November is almost half over. I'm
sitting in a Scooter's coffee shop killing sometime while on break
from work. I'm doing a double shift: 6am-2pm and 5pm-11pm. About 14
hours. If you didn't know; since I've been home, I've been working at
Embassy Suites doing Banquet serving, Front Desk, and soon to be
valet. No they don't kick me out of one dept to another, but rather I
am a triple threat. I get a little of each and also have dept managers
fight over who gets me. It feels good to be wanted:) I've been
enjoying my time here at home, being with family, helping out with the
junior high youth group at church. But my heart still yearns for camp
ministry. God has me here in Omaha for reason right now, but I cannot
wait to get back into camping ministry. In a couple of weeks, I'm
headed back to Wisconsin and Camp Forest Springs to help with their
annual dinner theater. It will be work, but I'm looking at it as a
vacation and seeing my camp family:)
Where will I be in a month? I have no clue, but God has been good to
me. Each day He shows me something new. He assures me that He's got
everything under control.
Thanks for reading and chat with you later!
-schub
Live on the edge

pictures.

2009-10-15T18:05:00.000-05:00

So I was surfing around my blog today and realized there have been some improvements to Blogger. The biggest thing I noticed, was the better functionality of uploading photos or importing them from another site. To celebrate this, I updated another one of my blogs. You could say its my photoblog.
Check it out. I'll update it as I go and have fun taking pictures.
-schub
http://schubphotos.blogspot.com/

Summer come....Summer gone

2009-09-21T22:35:00.002-05:00

Whew. Its been a while since I have last updated on what I’ve been up to and where I’m headed.

I finished up Trip leading just over month ago, on August 15, amazing summer living in the woods of Wisconsin. If you want stories, just ask.

I didn’t head home right away, but stayed around at camp working in the kitchen and then the mini-farm on Labor Day Weekend. It was nice to stay around at camp, but very different after being away from main camp all summer. It was different because I really didn’t know the summer staff extremely well, but I made some new friends and deepened other friendships.

After looking around I finally was able to purchase a new bike (no more walmart specials for me…). It’s a Trek 820. I’ve put a lot of miles on it already even though I’ve had it just over a month. Its been one of the few ways that I can get out in the “wilderness” and remember all the good times of the summer.

September 8, I finished packing my car, said a couple of last goodbyes, jumped into my car, and headed back to Omaha. It was a bitter sweet time. I had spent the last 15 months at Camp Forest Springs with just a few weeks at home during that time. I didn’t know life much outside of camp. I was excited to leave and come home, but at the same time, I was leaving for an extended period of time. When I got back home, I hit the ground running. I’ve been busy non-stop since arriving back on the 8^th. From hanging out with friends to looking for jobs, I’ve been pretty busy. It wasn’t until last week, that I hit a day with no major plans. It was good to not have much to do, but I really saw then that my heart isn’t here in Omaha. Its back up in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin. As many of you know, I am planning on joining missionary in the near future. A while back, my plan was to start right after I finished with my summer, but do to other circumstances and needing a break after camp. I am now planning on waiting till next year(summer/fallish) to start. This new time line will give me a chance to start paying off school debt before I jump in to ministry at CFS. I’m excited to see where God leads me and uses this time to prepare me for future ministry.

Job. I am in the current process of looking for a job and would appreciate your prayers. I’m looking for one that will allow me to do some volunteering at church during this year. After working with junior high and high schoolers all summer, I want to work with them now while I am here at home.

Blessings. As I look back over the last 4 years of college and 15 months at camp, God has blessed me in so many different ways. He has provided for my needs. As I have gone through different situations, He has been shaping me into who I am today and continues to refine me. I have felt the pain of refining and wondered why I was going through it, but I look back now see that God had a plan and purpose for it all.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

technology:

2009-08-30T20:07:00.002-05:00

Its been two weeks now since I finished trip leading here at camp. It seems like an eternity ago that I finished trip leading. The last two weeks have been a lot of fun working in the kitchen. I have a new appreciation for those who work full-time in food service. It isn’t an easy job. It takes a lot of multitasking to make sure the different parts of the meal are all done on time and in good condition. During the last two weeks, its been weird being connected again to technology. I was used to only have limited access (mainly weekends) during the summer. I’ve been on my laptop a lot playing games, writing emails, and getting rid of computer clutter. Yes, I have also spent a fair amount of time on Facebook catching up with friends, finding out what is going on, and spending way too much time. Saturday, I hit a wall with Facebook and the internet and my computer. I was at the point of “obsessed.” I was checking my email multiple times, checking facebook only to see the same info again for the 30^th time, and aimlessly doing nothing on the world wide web. I’ve been at this point before, where technology takes over my life. Having an iPod touch, it is soo easy to check my email or facebook or look for the newest apps or watch a movie. I’ve decided that I need to cut back my usage of technology. The web and technology is great, but when you use it to an extreme, problems arise. What stare at screen, when you have God’s creation all around you to enjoy? A couple of weeks ago, I got a new bike (Trek 820, sorry Wal-Mart no more specials from you) that I have been riding every day. It is not only a great way to exercise, but I can have fun with it exploring God’s creation. I’m blessed right now to be in Wisconsin where there are countless trails to be explored.

I’ll be home in a week and two days. Not sure where I’ll be working at, but I know where ever I go, God has a plan in it. I’m not looking for a long term place, but somewhere that will help pay the bills and prepare me before I start on the road of deputation. I don’t know where God is going to lead me, but I am continuing to learn and trust that God is the only one who needs to know the future. At the right time, He’ll key me in on what is going on. Until then, I just keep praying and focusing upon studying His word.

Past.Present.Future

2009-08-25T21:42:00.005-05:00

Sunset on Lake Superior

Past:

9 weeks. 9 trips. Canoe. Rock Climb, Kayak. Tents. Fires. Sweet times in God’s creation. Changed Lives.

The words above only begin to describe what I have been doing this past summer. Trip leading was one of the best things I have done in my life. I was in my element. I was very sad to say goodbye to trip leading on Aug 15. As I look back over the summer, God taught me many valuable lessons. As I interacted with students of all ages, from various backgrounds, and different personalities, God taught me the importance of slowing down and building relationship with the youth instead of pushing on harder toward our night’s destination. Each student had a different story. A different view of life. One these trips, I just wasn’t the CFS trip leader, I was a friend. Some groups it took longer to get to know the students, but by the end of the week, I wanted to be a friend who cared about them. After learning so much about God, myself, and trip leading, I wish I could come back next year and trip lead again. It could still happen, but for now I am headed in a different direction. This past summer God also blessed me with a great trip partner, Christi. She and I trip led for the first 6 weeks. After the 6^th week, Christi had to head back home before heading to Mexico to teach in an American school. Two other former trip leaders led with me for the last three weeks of the summer. Here is a pic of me and Christi at Cedar Rapids on the Flambeau River.

Current: As trip leading ended on August 15, I am still here at camp working in the kitchen. I love the kitchen so I got to do two things I love this summer, trip leading and kitchen. It is demanding work preparing food for several hundred people. God has been blessing me with some awesome friends to work with! Working in the kitchen isn’t as demanding time wise as trip leading was. In my free times before and after work, I’ve been reading and spending more time in the Bible with God, hanging out with past and current LTD, riding my new bike, and just being outsideJ I am loving my time here at camp, but I am excited to head back home in a few weeks.

Future: I head home right after Labor Day. As some of you know, I was planning on starting deputation (the process of raising prayer and financial support to join full-time missionary staff here at camp) when I arrive back in Omaha this fall. Due to some circumstances, I am taking some time to process everything I’ve learned (which has been a lot) from being at camp for the last year and a half. This doesn’t mean I’m not going to raise support. Right now, I’m planning to start right after the new year (January 2010). It has been exciting to see how God has been working in my life and the lives of others.

Stay tuned in the near future for some crazy stories from the summer. Also I’ll be keeping you up to date with my process of joining missionary staff. I’m not sure how and where God is going to lead, but He has yet to let me down. I may not full understand at the time why he is doing one thing, but I know He has a purpose and a plan. He is my Rock that I am building the foundation of my life onto.

Whew. I’ve been doing a lot and God has been working in me and through me over the past 15 months. I am excited to see where He leads from here!

Here are just a few pictures from the summer…Enjoy!

Above: Me and a camper cruising down the Flambeau River...!

Below: This is what I lived out this past summer! By the end, I had enough room to also fit my tent and all my gear in it.

Below: Carrying a canoe up the hill at Beaver Dam! Um Good Times!

Mark flying soaring above Beaver Rapids!

August

2009-08-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

Here it is, the first week of August. Its hard to believe that the summer is almost over. I have two weeks left before I am finished with being a Wilderness Trip Guide (a.k.a. Trip Leader). It’s hard to believe that 10 weeks ago I was starting First Responder training. Then two weeks of training for trip leading. June 14^th was the first week of trips. Since then, time had FLOWN by. Each week has brought new challenges and adventures. I wouldn’t trade the experiences for anything. Christi Dittus was my trip partner for the first 6 weeks of trips. A week ago she left camp for home before she heads back to Mexico to teach at an American school in Monterrey. It was a blast working with her and getting to know her. We were both able to challenge each other in many different ways. We had our ups and downs through the weeks, but the last three weeks together we really started to mesh and work together.

Since there were three weeks of trip leading left, I have and a couple of different trip partners. Last week, Katie Schurman, past trip leader, and I led a group from the Twin Cities area. This coming week, I’ll be heading out with Luke, trip leader last year and trip specialist this year. The final week, Katie will be back.

Over the summer, God has blessed me in many different ways and has taught me new things every day. One that comes to mind is the importance of relationships over time or doing other things. Yes, there are things that need to get done and take priority, but the way wilderness trips are set up, there is no real schedule. The only real schedule that you have to follow is when you are getting picked up off of the river.

Sometimes I feel married to my watch, always wanting to know what time it is and having an idea of when I want to get to a place. This summer has taught me that time is not that big of a deal. Taking it easy and building relationships with the people on my trip is key. It took a couple of weeks to get that into my brain, but now I love the freedom of going with the flow;)

Another thing that has come up week to week that God has been teaching me, is what the idols in my life are, the things that get in the way of me and my relationship with Christ. The second week of trips, the group was focusing upon that. It made me stop and evaluate what was taking my energy; God or my own desires? If what I’m doing isn’t bringing glory to God why am I doing it?

There are a few things that I’ve come to really miss and love not to have.

I love not being connected to the world. Freedom to enjoy God’s creation without the craziness of this world.
I miss wearing cotton. In the wilderness cotton kills. It gets wet, takes forever to dry, and causes you to stay cold when wet.
I love my Mountain Hardware pants. They are super comfortable and dry wicked fast.
I love sleeping in tents. I also love sleeping without the rain fly so I fall asleep looking at the stars!
I love my Chacos. These sandals have not let me down. Incredible.
I miss music. Silence is awesome, but after stressful days, music is a good de-stresser.
Doing my devotions each morning next to the river = Amazing

In two weeks I’ll be switching from being outside all the time, to working in the kitchen. I’m not worried, but looking forward to serving God and others through food.

I would insert some photos but I am writing this off line and don’t have the ability to add photos when I’m not with an internet connection and when I’m near a connection, I would have the time to insert the photos. Sooo when you’re finished here, head to: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajschubert

Thanks for reading…

Alex

the summer

2009-07-04T18:38:00.002-05:00

Here it is, the Fourth of July. Christi and I just finished out third week of trips. This past week was the second and final Mystery Trip. It was a refreshing trip to have just 8 kids instead of 20+ youth. It was cooler and more relaxed then the weeks before. The trip entailed the kids getting clues and finding out what they would be doing. We went biking for 13miles, did the high ropes course, orienteering, canoeing, rock climbing, and two service projects. It was a great time of having fun and helping others out.

This weekend, Hannah is up here in WI visiting. Even though our time is short, it has been good!
We have another trip come in tomorrow night and then leave Monday morning!

Thanks again for your prayers!
Alex

Training Done.

2009-06-13T14:00:00.002-05:00

Three weeks of training is done. Tomorrow night (Sunday), my first group arrives. Christi Dittis (my trip partner) and I will be leading 30 youth and sponsors on a canoe trip down the Flambeau River. Its our first group and should challenge us! I'm asking that you be praying for me and Christi as we lead this group. Wisdom for both of us to know what to do, questions to ask and when to push and step back. I'm really excited!! Woot!
Go over here to check out just a few pics from the training trip!
Have a sweet week!

Alex

Trip Leading

2009-06-01T20:45:00.004-05:00

As most of you know, I love the outdoors. June 14 I start trip leading. I am currently in the middle of trip leading training here at CFS. I'll try and update as much as I can through the summer, but it will be a crazy summer...here is just a glimpse of one thing that I'll be doing this summer...

upcoming...

2009-05-29T14:41:00.002-05:00

So. Yes. The past few weeks have been crazy good. I finished up at Camp Forest Springs and Grace University. I am now a college graduate. Its hard to believe, but I'm there. For most of the past year, I have been wondering what God had instore for me after the LTD year and my summer of trip leading. In the past four weeks, God has opened a door for me. Right after LTD graduation, I was offered by Camp Forest Springs the oportunity to come back to Camp Forest Springs as a missionary staff working in the Guest Services area. After much praying and seeking out the wisdom of God and others, I accepted the offer. What this means is that after the summer, I will begin deputaion(raising missionary support) and if all goes as planned, begin here at camp in the summer of 2010. I am excited to see where God is going to lead. I'm super excited:) I'm asking for your prayer right now for the upcoming adventure of rasing support. Also I am asking that you pray for me and my girlfriend Hannah as we both figure out how all of this works together within our relationship!

Thanks again for being my friends! You are awesome!
Alex

face of paint

2009-05-13T22:20:00.001-05:00

Just a few pictures of during the final weeks of LTD. We were painting in a bathroom and having a bit of fun!

Christ Knows.

2009-05-06T00:25:00.004-05:00

Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Sometimes in life I wish I had an easy button. A button that would tell me what my life is going to be. Over the past months as I have been finishing up college, my thoughts have been on the future. "Every person has at one time or another, thought about the future. What they will be doing, where they will be, who they will be with ect...It is in our human nature to want to know what is coming next. God has set it up that we don't know what tomorrow will hold. We can plan for tomorrow, but it is God who determines what tomorrow will bring".
I graduated from college a couple of days ago. I have a few weeks before I head back to Wisconsin for the summer through Labor Day. Right now, I don't have a plan for after September 7. The current tentative plan is to come back to Omaha. That may change. I don't know. Its in God's hands. Sometimes I feel like I am relying way too much on knowing that God has everything under control in my life. He does have a plan and will reveal it to me at the right time. But out of our responsibility, we need to be proactive it pursuing options. That may be in God's plan that we are proactive and then He will bring us to the right situation for us. Trying to figure out what God has for me now, tomorrow, and beyond is something that I am still struggling with/trying to figure out.

Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

It is in Him that my hope is in. I know He will provide and guide me down the correct path at the right time. Daily I am striving to seek Him, learn more about Him. It's a life long learning process that is only finished when I go to be with Christ one day when I die.

~Alex~

Fresh Cut Grass. Freedom is in the Air

2009-04-30T15:59:00.003-05:00

Here it is. I'm in the middle of two graduations. Last week Sunday, I finished and graduated from the LTD program at CFS. The past 11 months have been some of the greatest times of my life. The practical experience and lessons I've learned are ones that I'll hold onto for the rest of my life. It is hard to put into words the joy I've had the past 11 months being at camp. I've learned soo much. Experienced soo much. It hasn't been without its challenges. I know that without those challenges, I wouldn't have learned as much as I did. It was sad to leave Monday morning, knowing that I don't know when I'll see them next. There are 5 of us LTD Alum that will be back for the summer in various roles: Trip Leader, Program, Stores Management, and Accom.

I mentioned that this was the first of two graduations. The second one happens this coming Saturday. I'm graduating from Grace University with a degree in Camping Administration. Its the end to four years of formal schooling. I don't know exactly where God is going to lead after this summer. Its all in His hands.

I'm excited to see where God is going to lead me. Keep checking back regularally for updates to where I'm at and what I'm doing...
-schub

3am and Snow Storms

2009-04-09T21:25:00.002-05:00

Here it is, also most Easter. I've been down here in O-Town(Omaha for those non-Nebraskans) hanging out with my family, friends and Hannah. Its been a great week. I've been able to start preparing for trip leading this summer, spend quality time with Hannah, have some good conversations with my family, and relax. The sleep department hasn't been filled as much as it should be.

The 3am and snowstorm. We (LTD) were at Inspiration Center in southern Wisconsin and a treacherous snow storm was heading toward us. Sunday morning activities were canceled and everyone (some of us drove our cars down because it was closer to home then camp) packed up and headed home at 11:30pm to beat the storm. I opted for 3hrs of sleep and headed out at 3:30 for Omaha. I ran into some snow, but nothing to what they were saying it was going to be. I arrived at home(Omaha area at 11:30am-12pm). Hannah wasn't expecting me until Monday. It was a sweet surprise to surprise her!

Tomorrow morning, were heading out early to see some friends in Columbus and then to Norfolk area to spend some time with Hannah's family. Sunday, Hannah is coming to church with me and for Lunch.

Just two weeks left and I'm finished with LTD and then I'm graduating from college:) Trip leading this summer and then the unknown...:) I'm not sure what God has in plan, but I'm ready and waiting for His will.

alive

2009-03-30T11:25:00.003-05:00

Blue Ridge Retreats Retreats & Adventures

So I am still alive. The past month has absolutely busy with finishing up our paper and everything else that has happened. Hannah came up to visit a week a go last Wednesday. It was spring break at Grace and a slow weekend here at camp. It was a great time to be together and spend quality time together. We are at t-minus 27ish days till I am done with LTD. Its hard to believe, but its true. I'm almost done.
I am going to post a longer post next week when I am at home...not that I'll be any less busy...:)

One crazy day...

2009-03-07T22:25:00.002-06:00

Today started off like any normal day. Slept in. Ate Breakfast and did my devotions. I came down to camp a little early to check my bank account because I got an call from my bank to watch it closely. Nothing major but i'm keeping a close eye on it. I then headed to General Store for the morning shift. Finished watching LOTR:Return of the King. Headed to lunch. It was Tacos!! woot. One of the best meals. Then I headed off to the front desk. I was there all afternoon answering phones and making sure people talked with the correct ppl. So it started out with checking my email and facebook. At 1:12 the fun began. There was a first aid call to the ski hill. A girl had injuried her knee coming off of the tow rope. About 10-15min after the initial call for first aid was placed, I recieved a call over the radio to base(me). Our first aid guy instructed me to call 911 for an ambulance. The injuried girl had popped her knee and they thought it was best for an ambulance to come. It was the first time I had called 911. My heart was racing and I recieved another call(unrelated) before I could call 911. It was a hairy situation, but she is good and back at camp. That was my day in a nut shell. We had a couple of other first aid calls, but not as severe. A cut to the face and a broken(we suspect) leg.Thankfully no major or life threatening issues, just some tense times...
About a week and a half from now Hannah is coming to visit me here at Camp Forest Springs. It will be her first visit and a good chance to hang out and talk. It will be the second time I've seen her since we started dateing almost a month ago.Woot!!

Have a great day. less then 2 months till I am finished with college!!!

alex

Tozer Devotional - Crossless Chrisianity

2009-03-07T16:02:00.001-06:00

As I was reading the blogs I follow, I came across this from A.W. Tozer.

Sent to you by Alex J via Google Reader:

Tozer Devotional - Crossless Chrisianity

via Tozer Devotional on 3/4/09

About 300 B.C. a Greek king named Pyrrhus fought a battle with the Romans at Heraclea. Pyrrhus won the battle but in doing so he suffered such appalling losses as to more than offset his gains.

Thus a victory that costs too much is often called a Pyrrhic victory.

. . .

For years I have watched misled Christians in their unholy effort to make friends with the enemy and to render the cross socially acceptable. A few prophets have written and preached against this outrageous sellout, but their words have gone unheeded. The leadership of the popular Christian movements has been and still is in the hands of persons who are blind to the meaning of the cross. That darkness and light cannot mingle never so much as occurs to them. They are busily engaged copying the world and trying to be like it as far as they dare. To be a Christian one need only "accept" Christ. That brings "peace of mind" and assurance of heaven. After that the cross has no meaning and Christ no authority. Compromise and collaboration are now the distinguishing marks of religion. To be relaxed and well adjusted to society is more important than to keep the commandments of Christ. The fawning, ingratiating spirit is the modern badge of saintliness. Between the world and the Christian there is no longer any great difference. And that not by accident. They planned it that way.

Yes, we have won a victory over the atheists. They no longer cause us any trouble. But subsequent developments will show that our triumph has cost us too much. It is a Pyrrhic victory.

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Winter Campout

2009-02-27T10:25:00.003-06:00

Just a few days ago, I went on a winter campout with camp. We headed up to Ironwood, MI. We stayed at ABR (Active Backwoods Retreat). The two days, one night consisted of cross-country skiing, igloo building, eating, relaxing, talking and spending time with God. It was a very refreshing time. It is in the top three best experiences at camp so far this year. If you have facebook swing over to my profile and check out more photos from the weekend!

Excitement and Frustration

2009-02-17T16:01:00.001-06:00

So I’ll start off explaining the frustration part of my week. Yesterday, Monday, started off fairly normal. We had classes yesterday instead of our normal day off, but I was fine with that because it was some important classes for our paper. I had breakfast like normal and got my hot tea ready to take down with me to class. On the way down, I was noticing that my stomach was feeling a little wired. I shrugged it off and started into my first class. Through the class, my stomach kept rumbling. I quit drinking my tea and switched to water. After class, I came back up to my apartment for lunch. I didn’t eat anything because I was afraid that might put my stomach over the edge. About 10min before our afternoon class started I called down to camp saying that I wasn’t going to be coming back down because of my stomach. From then it got worse. Stuff was coming out both ways. Thankfully I didn’t have a headache or was too dizzy. I laid around and slept all afternoon and through the night. About 7:30pm, my stomach finally settled down. I stayed in bed and slept. I was frustrated that I wasn’t able be at class or work on the list of things that I needed to get done. But I was happy that I wasn’t totally out of it. I had a chance to do a lot of thinking about the past week, about God and my relationship with Him, and the upcoming summer and beyond. This morning I am doing a lot better. I am drinking lots of fluids and keeping it down. I still am not back to 100%, but I’m on my way. I was going to learn how to snowboard this afternoon, but I’m going to stay inside and take it easy. But I have to say that I was happy for the time to get some sleep and also think about what God has been teaching me the past few months here at camp. I don’t know exactly what God has in store, but I know God will reveal His will for me at the right time!

Now for the excitement…

If you have been keeping up with my blog, you knew that I was gone all last week on a college trip to Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA, Grace University and Nebraska Christian College in Omaha, NE. It was quite possibly the best week of the LTD year. I went with Norm, Laura, Eric, and G. We had a great time laughing and presenting the ministry of Camp Forest Springs to many college students. Tuesday night, Feb 10 (one week ago), we arrived at Grace to set up our display and get settled in. While the rest of the group went off to eat some pizza, I headed off to hang out with one of my good friends, Hannah Hampton. She is a senior at Grace and plans to graduate college December 2009. She and I have known each other since the start of 2007. Since then our friendship has grown greatly. There were times through out the past two years that we knew that we wanted to pursue a relationship together, but because of what God was telling us, we didn’t. In the past two years she has spent 6 months in Mali, Africa for her schooling and more recently several months in France at language school. During the past few months our conversations have increased and have been staying in touch more. We talked a lot about what God has been teaching and where He has brought us from to where we are at now. In the past few months, I have been praying a lot about pursuing a relationship with Hannah. As time has gone on, I have had a peace about pursuing a relationship with her unlike the past two years. Tuesday night I was able to finally talk with Hannah one-on-one and find out where she was at with the idea of pursuing a relationship. After talking with her and finding out that she also had peace about pursuing a relationship together, I asked her to step into a committed relationship with me to pursue the possibility of one day marriage. The next few months will be tough. I’m still up here at camp finishing up the LTD year and then this summer I’m going to be back here trip leading. We’ve already been doing a long distance friendship and now moved into a committed relationship. We’re still both trying to figure this thing out, but through it all, it is our desire that God is at the center of our lives and relationship. As we begin this new adventure together, we both ask for your prayers! We are excited to see how God leads us in the coming months and beyond if it is His will.

-Alex

Stay up to date with my life...

the week

2009-02-14T09:08:00.002-06:00

Well my high hopes of updating my blog each day of the college trip didn't happen. The week was great. We logged over a thousand miles, numerous cups of coffee, gum, and many laughs. It was a great week of reconnecting with friends, making new friends, and sharing the ministry of Camp Forest Springs with people. It was a long week, but worth every minute of it. It was one of my favorite weeks of the LTD year. God has blessed me in a number of ways this past week. He continues to show me His love!

I am back into the swing of things today. I'm working inside today! Woot!

I should go do some other things on my list before I start work this morning!
Alex

College Trip. Day 1

2009-02-08T22:26:00.006-06:00

College Trip. Day 1. We left Westboro at about 9am. After settling in and having a few cookies that Reanna made for us, we were on the open road for the start of our college trip. This is the fourth and final CFS college trip. Our destinations are Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA, Grace University and Nebraska Christian College in Omaha, NE. I am one of five staff from camp that are visiting, ministering to, and recruiting students to come and work at Camp this summer and beyond. The first leg of our trip was about five hours long so not bad at all...Lots of laughter, sermons, on tape, and starbucks coffee.
We pulled into Dubuque around 3pm and set up at Emmaus. After eating supper and attending the first session, we came back to our host's home and had some tea and cupcakes. I am now currently catching up on a few emails, facebook, and just relaxing. It has been awesome to see the blessing God has provided for us.
This morning when we stopped for some starbucks coffee, I shared a short devotional on what things control out lives. It was good to think about this and the items that control my life. Take a moment and see what the priorities in your life are. Where has Satan snuck in and changed your focus? Is it eternal things or is it things that will pass away when Christ comes? Take stock and ask God to help you refocus your life on things of Him. In the end, material things will pass away, but the kingdom of God will still stand.

Sleep well my friends!
Alex

Skiing and Ikea and sleeping in a tent for the summer...

2009-02-07T08:32:00.002-06:00

Whew. I’ve got a spare minute here to update my blog. It has been nuts here at camp the past 5 weeks and will continue for the next five weeks. We have been having school groups in during the week and retreat groups on the weekend. Monday and Tuesday are precious because those are the only breaks we get in our week. Those days usually consist of sleeping in, doing laundry, catching up on to do lists, relaxing, grocery shopping, and going on random trips. This past Monday, I got a call at 8:30 AM, waking me up, from Tiffany (a fellow LTD) asking if I wanted to head to Minneapolis for the day. I had my assignments done and nothing on my plate. I agreed and two hours later I was driving myself, two other LTD, and one Limited term staff to the Cities. We had a blast singing and playing games to keep us entertained(it doesn’t take much for us to have funJ). Our first stop was IKEA. It is a sweet home furnishings store. After looking around, we heading to our main destination, Mall of America. Once we got inside, I was given a cell phone and the three other girls headed off to do some shopping. I browsed through the mall, played at Lego land, and had a relaxing day. We had supper at one of the dozens of restaurants. We talked about our afternoon’s adventures. On our way out of the cities, the girls let me stop at REI (a huge sporting goods store) to have my fun for the dayJ It was a sweet time away from camp.

A few days later…I’m back now to finish this post. I just received a letter congratulating myself on being accepted as a Trip Leader here at CFS. In just over three months I’ll begin my summer job as a trip leader here at camp. I’ll be leading trips of all sorts, canoeing, backpacking, rock climbing, and kayaking. I’ll get to experience God creation first hand! I’ll have to deal with sleeping in tents when it rains. I’ll have to face challenges that I’ll never have faced. Am I scared? No. God is right by my side and the training that I’ll receive is top notch. I’ll get a sweet chaco sandal tan and stories that will last a life time.

In less then three months I’ll graduate college.

God has been good to me these past 8 months. I’m still learning about His goodness. God is an awesome God. He is there when I need Him in the good and bad times. I am continuing to seek His will for my life now, after the summer, and beyond. In God’s hands, my future lays.

a high of -1.

2009-01-13T10:41:00.005-06:00

It is that time of year up here in Wisconsin, the time where single digits are the highs and if it is the mid to upper teens, people are removing layers. The next few days are going to be cold. Highs around 0 (if we are lucky) and lows in the 15-25 below zero. I’m excited to see how the next few days go. In addition to it being cold, we have Outdoor education groups in Tuesday night through Friday morning(Update one group canceled and the other two have postponed till March). We will be trying to stay warm and teach kids about the outdoors. I’m helping teach the winter camping skills class. I’m not sure quite yet what I am going to do for it, but one thing will be learning how to stay warm in the coldJ I love the experience of teaching kids. It’s a lot of fun and I get to play with fire. I am the official pyro LTD. Anything to do with fire and I am usually close by. As I’m writing this entry, I’m sitting next to some of my fellow LTD and contract staff. They are playing Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights. Settlers of Catan is a sweet game. Almost any night of the week you could mention Settlers and have a people willing to play a game of Settlers. It’s a good distraction when the stress or life gets really busy.

This past weekend was a bit out of the ordinary. Most of the people who were in this weekend were from the inner-city of Minneapolis, MN. They were with a group called Treehouse. It focuses on troubled youth and helping them. It was sweet to hang out with them and learn about little more about their lives. They weren’t big skiers, but the tube hill was their favorite. They did a 80ish person chain. 80 people going down at the same time, connected. I was teaching ski lessons for part of Saturday. We didn’t have that many, but I did do a couple of lessons. It was a new experience that I really enjoyed. Over the past month I’ve gone from not really knowing how to ski, to teaching lessons. I can go down the hill fast and not lose control.

Pictures: Top: Me just finishing skate skiing. Its the same motion as ice skating, but with skis.
Middle...The tracks of almost hitting a tree. Notice the tracks are on one side of the tree, a good thing.
Bottom: Still joyful after a failed attempt to build an igloo...

Solo Time

2009-01-05T11:30:00.000-06:00

During my time here at camp, I was here I was introduced to “Solo Time.” At first I didn’t know what to think. Solo Time is where you purposely take time get away from all the distractions of life and listen to God. My first experience with Solo Time was during counselor training. They gave us five hours where we went to different areas of camp, away from distractions, and listened to God. I wasn’t excited about doing it because I knew I would get bored with it or didn’t think I could do it that long. That five hour block turned out to be one of my highlights of the year. It was an amazing time where I was silent and let God speak.
Throughout the summer, I did my best to find times where I could go out on solo times. They weren’t necessarily five hour blocks, but they were periods of time that I was able to get away with my Bible and let God speak. On the numerous trips I went on with the LTD, we were given Solo Times. Times in our trips to focus on God. It was one of the most desired things to do.
As the new year begins I am going to do my best to have more solo times. My life is crazy busy, but when I make time for God, everything else falls into place.

This new year, I challenge you do go on Solo Times. Leave the cell phone and computer behind and take your Bible and go somewhere without distractions. Take 45min or a few hours and let God speak. Come before His throne and worship Him. Talk with Him. Journal about what you are thinking/feeling. Worship Him.
Make time in your busy life and get away with God. You won’t regret it. Don’t take 5 minutes to do it, but set aside 30,45min, 1+ hours to talk with God.

2009

2009-01-05T10:52:00.004-06:00

2009 is here and quickly moving along. As I look back over the past 12 months and all that I have done, I am truly thankful for all of the blessings God has blessed me with. I finished my Junior year of college. My junior year of college was one of the best experiences of my life. The friends I made and the brothers I had in the dorms, truly blessed me, challenged me, and helped me grow into who I am right now and they continue to push me. I also found out that I was accepted into the LTD program at CFS which I am now in the middle of. Most of 2008 was spent in Westboro, WI at Camp Forest Springs. The seven months that I was there in 2008, opened my eyes to new things. I saw out a “big” camp is run. It is in some ways totally different then a small camp, but at the same time they both have the same purpose, To Glorify God. I could go on and talk about the different experiences that I had this summer/ fall/ winter, but I’ll let you read my previous posts or ask me.

Since Christmas, we have been running at full speed here at camp. You may wonder why we are so busy in the winter months. The winter is one of camp's busiest times. Now through March around 7,000 people will come through camp. Our Ski Hill, Tube Hill, and Cross-country Ski trails are a huge draw for people around the area. This coming weekend will be our second weekend of the winter season. I am scheduled to teach ski lessons! I'm excited for this new chance to do something I've never done before!

The above picture is of me on top of the tube hill. The tube and ski hill empty out onto our lake. The lake has been frozen for quite some time now, but it is still a creepy thing to know that you are walking on a lake...

Have a blessed New Year!

Alex

Christmas pt.2

2008-12-21T22:31:00.004-06:00

I've just uploaded my Christmas 08 newsletter, head over here for a look at it!
Thanks and have an awesome Christmas! Thanks for your prayers during my time at camp!!

Alex

Christmas time already...

2008-12-19T20:24:00.002-06:00

Sorry my keyboard has been silent the past few weeks. Camp has been busy busy since thanksgiving. There were several things that happened in the two and a half weeks that were between thanksgiving break and Christmas break. We had a Never Ever Ski Trip. One of the missionary staff who does a lot with programs at camp, took us LTD on a ski trip to teach us how to ski! It was an awesome thing! After the trip all the LTD could ski. It was pretty sweet. Then this past week, we went on another ski trip to learn how to teach others to ski. That was also a blast. We were able to continue to work on building our own skill as we learned more about skiing!

Also we had strategic planning here at camp. We talked about the different areas around camp and where we would like to see them go over the next few years!
The week before strategic planning, we had dinner theature. Its an annual event where one of the missionary staff who does drama and music wrote the drama. People bought tickets, came and had dinner and then watched the drama. It was pretty sweet. I was able to help out with the dinner side of things. Making sure everything went smooth. It was a really good time!

After thanksgiving, we had some classes on various things. One class we has was going over the couple's retreats that we had planned and executed. During the time, feathers were ruffled and they needed to be smoothed. Thanks to God, we were able to bring everyone back onto the same page and continue on with our awesome year. God has blessed our group in so many wonderful ways! I am continuing to be blessed by the LTD and the program.

I arrived back home tonight for a few days of Christmas break. I have to head back on the 25th so we can get ready for the kick off of our winter season at camp! Over 200 junior high and high school students will invade camp for a few days. Then the winter season will be under way!

Here goes the winter season! Bundle up and stay warm!!

-Alex

A time for Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T20:03:00.011-06:00

Thanksgiving time is almost here. The past 6 months have been a total blessing to me in so many different ways. My time spent so far at CFS has been one of the biggest learning experiences that I have had. It has also been one the best times of my life. I have learned so much about God and who He is through the different challenges I’ve faced and dealt with. One of the many things I have learned about God is that our strength comes from Him alone. We can only go so far on our own power, but it is Christ’s power that we have to rely upon.

There are so many things I have learned, experienced, and seen; it would take a book to hold everything that I have done the last six months. The past couple of days I have had the chance to catch up with friends at school who I haven’t talked to or seen since last school year. They may not know it, but seeing them has been one of the biggest encouragements to me. Hearing what has been going on in their lives and also sharing what has been going on in my life has great. I’ve heard about what has been going on in campus life and then also sharing what has been happening in my life. Explaining what the camping program is and how it has been changing me.

There are many thing I am thankful for. I hope the following little representation via pictures and words show what I have been thankful for!

First off, I am thankful for all the blessing God has given me. For sending His son Jesus to die for my sins when I did not deserve it.

For my new Niece...AnnaSophia Rose Petersen

My fellow LTD family

My chacos sandals that have held together through the rain, the rivers, the songs, the rocks, the road trips, the showers, the cold weather, and those games of basketball.

My friends: You have blessed me in ways you don’t know.

For new adventures and times of learning...

Requests for prayer…If you could be in prayer for me on a few items that would be great.

I would continue to stay firm in my relationship with Christ. Some times it is easy with being a Christian environment, I don’t take time for my own personal growth in Christ.

Continued wisdom during the next 5 months as I finish up the LTD program and beyond. I have applied to be a trip leader next summer at CFS, but that isn’t certain. I know God has a plan for me for next summer and beyond. Pray that I will seek out His will and follow it.

I’ve got a few days off here for thanksgiving break.

When I get back will have a few weeks before I come back home for Christmas. If you still have questions about what I’m doing and what is currently going on here are a couple of options that will hopefully help you stay informed. 1. www.alexschub.blogspot.com is my web blog that is updated usually updated on a regular basis (you may ask what is regular, I don’t know…)

2. ajschubert@gmail.com my email address. I check that on a daily basis. If you want to ask questions of me and what I’m doing and what is going on, drop me a line.

3. (715) 427-5570 My apartment phone number.

I am in and out of the place because we are busy, but if no one is there, leave a message with the machine or one of my roomies.

Thanks again for your prayers and being who you are!

Have an awesome Thanksgiving and don’t forget to stop and take a minute to thank God for what He has given you! It shouldn’t just be this time of year that we say thanks to God, but every minute of our life!

-Schub (Alex)

AnnaSophia Rose Petersen

2008-11-02T14:45:00.004-06:00

Early Friday morning, AnnaSophia Rose Petersen was born to my sister and brother-in-law, Robyn and Andy. This is their first child. Here are a few pictures:

Proud parents with AnnaSophia.

Proud grandparents!

In less then three weeks I'll be home and get to hold my new niece!

-Alex

Swiming and Snow

2008-10-29T18:42:00.008-05:00

Snow is here, well it was. This past monday we got our first snow of the season here at CFS in Wisconsin. This was just a teasing of what will be happening over the past few months. I woke up and looked out side and saw the snow. I got really happy:) Some of the other LTD didn't share my enthusiasm;) I had to keep my self from being too excited. Not only did we get snow on Monday, but that was the day we left for our LTD camp tour. Over the period of three days (Monday through Wednesday), we visited four camps in the state of Wisconsin. They all are about 2-2.5 hrs away from CFS. You might think that each camp is competing for campers, but each camp attracts different campers. It was a very good time that we were able to see how other camps are run. Until now, we only knew how CFS worked and maybe other camps that we have worked at. We heard about the director's passions for the camping ministry. Each one had the foundational belief of Christ and the need to share His love. How they each accomplished that goal was different. Some through more relationship building and less program. Others used lots of programing and intense outdoor adventures. Each camps philosophy of how camp was done could be seen through how they teach and their buildings.
Monday we visited and spent the night at Fort Wilderness. Tuesday we toured Silver Birch Ranch and Honey Rock Camp. Tuesday night we stayed at Honey Rock. Wednesday morning we toured Honey Rock and Crescent Lake Bible Camp. Each of the four camps were different. I was impressed with each one and how God has moved in the campers lives. Each has different ways of doing things and I want to use a little bit from each camp for my camp.
Another thing that I have been struggling with this past week and farther back is what I am going to be doing after the LTD year. We're at about the half way point. It has been an amazing 5.5months or so. God is teaching me so much, its hard to understand it all. I came into this camp tour with a wrong mindset. I came into it thinking that I'll walk away with the promise of job once I'm done. I kept getting frustrated. It wasn't until last night that after a time of sharing and devotions, I went outside in the clear, cold night to talk with God. I came to realize that God is the one in control. I had been having some trust issues. I've been thinking that I know what is best for me. I came before God and just poured out my heart. What I've been struggling with and letting Him come back in. It is interesting and refreshing that after coming back to God and letting Him and His ways back in to feel the peace that comes over. The anxiety that I had been feeling about the future is gone. I'm not just sitting back and telling God to drop a job into my life, but resting in the knowledge that He has a plan and being active in searching.
My mind is swimming with so much information and thoughts that I feel like I cannot keep it all in...As I close, I ask that you pray for me that God will give me wisdom and trust in what He has for me in the camping ministry and for life in general. Here are few pictures from the past few weeks.

Life in Wisconsin

2008-10-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

(This is going out via my blog and as an email update)

I was reading my journal this evening. I happened to open to the first week of family camps. It was very interesting to see what I was thinking coming off of youth camps. I was thankful for the change of pace. I was still crazy busy, but in a different way. I was reminded of two things that I learning (don’t worry I learned a lot more things then just two things). This journal entry is from July 21. I really “felt” God this summer. He taught me so many things. 1) Be Compassionate. These kids come from so many different backgrounds and some know who Christ is and some don’t. It was my desire to show them the love of Christ through my actions and the way I shared with them. 2) Take every chance. You don’t know if this kid will ever hear the about God again or if he only has a few days left before he dies. Every minute they are here was/is a chance to pour into their lives. I tried my hardest to do that. Being a Godly example in my works and actions. I hope that I was that example. These are just two of the many things that God taught me this summer.

As I was reading my journal, I read some of the issues that I was struggling with and how God has helped me out. God has been really good to me this year. I don’t deserve any of it. He continues to bless me in ways I don’t expect. Through the encouragement of others and the conversations I am able to have with guests who are in camp.

Sometimes here at camp we get so busy with working and classes, that God seems to get pushed out of the way. Our instructors usually open the time with a devotional or a brief testimony of their lives. It is good to hear, but sometimes I just want a good Bible class. That is one reason why I miss Grace University. I miss learning from my professors. I also miss my church back home, my pastor’s teaching and also the relationships that I have made. In a few weeks, at Thanksgiving time, I am heading back home. I cannot wait to reconnect with my friends at school and church. Also I cannot wait to see my new niece of nephew. As far as I know, my sister and brother-in-law are still waiting for their first child to come! I’ll be sure to post pictures once I get themJ

The days around here at starting to get colder. High’s have been in the 50’s lately(lows around 30-40’s) and I have been loving it! My roommate and I still sleep with our window open. I think we’re going to leave it open till it snowsJ Classes are coming fast and furious. A typical class day is that we start at 8am, have an hour break for lunch, and then back in the classroom till 5. Weekends we have groups in, so we stay busy then also. Also when we’re not working or in class, we have to find the time to do homework that we get in class and work on our dream camp paper. I’m not building a camp from scratch, but rather envisioning joining the one I’ve worked at the past two summers. If you want a better explanation of what “the paper” is or what I am doing, shoot me back an emailJ I’ll try and post some pictures soon of what I have been doing. Other LTD have been taking a bunch of pictures and I need to get copies of their pics.

As I close just a few prayer requests. 1) For the unity of the LTD class. 2) That I will continue to stay in the word of God and keep seeking Him out. 3) That God will continue to give me wisdom for what He wants me to do after the LTD year. 4) That I will trust in His timing for every area of my life.

Keep in touch!

Alex

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Life right now

2008-10-13T20:26:00.001-05:00

October is here. Classes are in full swing and I am loving it. I just came off a two day weekend. It was the first time LTD got two consecutive days off. It was a breath of fresh air that gave us LTD a chance to relax, refuel, and work on our papers/reading. The last didn’t really happen too much. I did work on it some, but I am still waiting for some information to come from my former camp manager.

The next couple weeks we only have groups in on the weekends so we will have classes most of the time. We also will be doing different trips going to different camps and other places that camp is involved with. I’m excited for that.

I’ve been doing ok. That last few weeks have been different. Challenging with outdoor education, but also with some things t hat I have been working through camp and non-camp related. God has been good. He has been showing me who He is and also what He has in store for me. He hasn’t told me everything, but I know that He will show me at the right time.

It’s Monday. A new week. A new time to learn. I’m continuing to learn and trust God.

-Alex

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Fall is here!

2008-09-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

Fall is here. Leaves are turning colors and creating a masterpiece.

I am once again falling in love with the outdoors. I love this time of year. It is cool outside and you have to wear jacketsJ God has been good.

Camp right now is good. It is a different pace then normal. We are into taking classes and we are starting to work on papers, read countless items, plan a major retreat, and learn more about camp. On the weekends we have rental groups in. We as LTD, do a lot. We are all doing different things throughout the weekend and have a good time getting to know the people who come to camp. God has been teaching me a lot and I have been enjoying it.

A lot has been happening and sometimes it is hard to keep going. I wish at times for everything to stop to catch my breath. I don’t feel at home here in some ways. I love it, I love this ministry, but coming back to the apartments doesn’t feel like home. I never really feel relaxed. I feel more relaxed to do homework down at main camp. What is up with that? I go and hang out with other LTD in their apartments and I feel more at home there then in my own apartment. What is up with that? Still trying to figure that one out…

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajschubert

Switch

2008-08-31T14:53:00.004-05:00

If you noticed my last post, it says "Mid Summer Update" and it was done on August 8, 23 days ago. Now we are at the end of the summer. Most of my friends have already been in school for a week or two and I am just finishing up my summer. Tomorrow marks the end of the regular summer camping season here at Camp Forest Springs. This summer around 4,000 campers have come through CFS. There were roughly 279 known, first time Decisions for Christ this summer through our youth and wilderness camps. God has been at work this summer here at camp. Lest ye be mistaken, we may be done with our busy summer camps, we are about to begin our even crazier fall/winter/spring season. As an LTD, I start classes this coming Wednesday. Along with taking classes about camping and how to manage/build/run a camp, we will be hosting retreat groups and working around here at camp in the different areas. The past three months have challenged me in so many different ways. I have canoed down a river on a wilderness trip, sang camp cheer songs countless times during youth camps (lost my voice doing it), drove hayrides, worked in stores, milked the goat multiple times, learned that camp is a busy place:), and just had fun. Tomorrow, when the family campers leave, we officially shift to the fall camping season. I'm excited to see what God teaches me in the next 8 months I am here. Keep checking out my photo site for updates through out the year...http://picasaweb.google.com/ajschubert

Mid Summer Update...

2008-08-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

(It may be a day or two before this gets posted, but I wrote it on August 7, 2008)

(P.s. a few of you are getting this via email also…)

Here it is…August 7, 2008 and we are about to finish Family Camp 4. This summer is flying by at warp speed. In just a few short weeks, all the summer staff will be leaving and all those who will be left will be Missionary Staff, Contract Staff, and LTD. Last week July 28-August 2 I went on a Wilderness Canoe Trip. Part of the LTD program is that you see how some of the other different ministries here at camp work. So throughout the summer, LTD go on various wilderness trips to observe and help out where needed. I was on an all guys trip. This is different then normal because trip leaders are made up of a guy and gal. So two guy trip leaders, G and Luke, were the leaders for the week. Their partner trip leaders, Sarah and Maria were leading the all girls trip. It was a junior high group from MN and the numbers were so big they separated them. I really enjoyed it and loved seeing how the guys opened up and shared on the trip. On the last full day of the trip, the two groups joined together to play in the rapids all day and rock bounce. If you have never been rock bouncing, it is like going through the rapids without a canoe. You sit down with your feet forward and go through the river….you hit rocks, but your rear end absorbs the bruntJ

This week I am shadowing six different areas here at camp. I helped with registration on Sunday, outside maintenance on Monday, retreat coordinating on Tuesday, Media on Wednesday, and Communications today! It has been really cool to see how different areas of camp work. I’ll be learning more about each area as the year continues. Tomorrow (Friday) I shadow the Adventure Ministries. Should be fun…

Sunday is a big day. First, I am taking over the Mini Farm for two weeksJ some crazy things might happenJ Second, Ryan (another LTD) and I are in charge of the CFS contingent that is going to be in a parade for ICE AGE Days in Rib Lake (One of the towns close to CFS). Exciting times…

God is doing some awesome things in my life. He continues to give me strength for everything that I am doing here at camp. Also He is teaching me a lot about Himself through the classes we are teaching to the kids here at Family Camp. We are going through some of the names of God and I have enjoyed learning more about them also…

Well it is late and I have an early day again tomorrow. Just some prayer requests…Strength for myself and the other staff…Days are long, but God is good. Also health. With the lack of sleep because of how busy we are, we tend to be more susceptible to sickness…Thanks for your continued prayers…if you ever want to find out more what is going on in my life or have specific questions, email me at ajschubert@gmail.com.

Thanks again and have a great day!

Alex “schooby” Schubert

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