A word from last year's valedictorian

I’ve asked last year’s valedictorian, Brent Bandy, to write a letter to you as you prepare for all that September has to offer. The Kaléo program valedictorian is chosen as the person who best embodies all the elements of the program. The valedictorian is one who shows tremendous growth in their faith throughout the year, a hunger to learn, and displays leadership in all components. Brent is has been a huge influence on last year's class and I’m so excited to see the wake of changed eternities he will leave as he continues his journey following Jesus. As the summer progresses I’ll continue to post letters from last year’s award winners. Here’s Brent:

           Before I even begin I will quote a good friend when I say that the experience of the Kaleo Program is beyond words! It is something you need to experience firsthand to truly understand, but for you who want a small preview to the year I feel privileged to be one of the few to excite you for your adventure to begin.

            In fact, I would urge you to begin right now as you read this post. If I were to be given one tip to prepare me for the year when I was at the stage you are all at, it would have been this: to start praying and asking The Lord to begin preparing your heart for what His has in store for you and what He desires would come out of this year of intense teaching, spiritual formation, and spiritual development. I believe that putting yourself in a place where God can already start to move in your life will intensify the work He plans on doing in your life.

            God was most definitely at work in my life over this past school year at Qwanoes and I believe He was using this work in my life to work through me and even impact others by it. I saw this mostly with my fellow classmates and how I was able to process everything I was learning with them and challenge them as they challenged me in many areas of my faith and walk with The Lord. It is an amazing feeling to be transformed by The Lord and an even more incredible feeling when He uses that change to affect others around you.

            And my prayer for you is the same the Apostle Paul had for the Philippians and the same that I have the students that have just completed the Kaleo Program and which is: “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:9-11).”

            I encourage you again to begin your journey today as you wait with excitement for your time at Qwanoes to begin. May God keep you safe in all your endeavours before you arrive and also that you will begin to position yourselves so that The Lord strengthen and grow you in all you do.

                                                                                                            In excitement,

                                                                                                            Brent Bandy

Welcome!

 Welcome everyone to the official Kaléo 2014 blog site. This site is the place to get updated on what's happening in the Kaléo program. We'll be posting periodically throughout the summer as we begin preparations for the year ahead and then once the program begins we'll be posting updates each week. If you're a Qwanoes student, I encourage you to share this link with friends, family, and church supporters so they can get a feel for the program and some of the experiences God has in store for us.

    I continue to look forward to Kaléo 2014 with a spirit of expectancy. I pray that we will all come to the year expecting that God will do a mighty work in each of us, and through each of us, yet I will not set expectations on how Jesus will do it, I will leave those specifics to God alone. We have an amazing year planned and we pray that within the structure of the Kaléo program that each of you will encounter God in an amazing life-stretching way.

     One thing I can assure you is that it will not be an easy year, so prepare yourselves for everything that God has in store for you.

Prepare yourselves academically - take up the discipline of reading (if you haven't already) and read good books this summer.

Prepare yourselves physically - our first out-trip is a three day hike up a mountain! Go on walks, be active, and don't shy away from a challenge.

Prepare yourselves spiritually - prepare to be stretched and challenged. Dig deeply into the word, pray regularly and fervently, and establish a community of believers at home to which you can return and share your growth with.

   Kaléo 2014 exists for one reason in your life: to prepare and equip you for every year that follows.  I expect God will challenge each of you, stretch each of you, and also unite each of you together as you walk side by side into spiritual growth and leadership development.

In His Grace,

Andrew
CIT, LIT, and Kaléo Program Leader
Camp Qwanoes