Soccer Camp 2021 Wednesday Recap

Soccer campers enjoyed extended soccer on Tuesday evening and were able to get in all their playing time before a large thunderstorm swept through camp. Despite the thunderstorms the night before, the campers were blessed with what turned out to be a beautiful day.

They continued their routine of starting their day off with a hearty breakfast, followed by 45 minutes of quiet time to pray and reflect on God's word which has been shared with them this week.

The campers started to file back into the chapel for the morning service which began around 9:30am. Like on Tuesday, the worship time was live-streamed on Facebook. In addition, it was also live-streamed on our Instagram account. Be sure to tune in at the same time on either platforms for our Thursday and Friday services!

Since it poured the previous night and the main soccer fields were muddy, the campers were relocated to the basketball court and longhouse for their soccer drills. The skills focused on trapping, passing, and throwing.

The campers adapted to their new soccer locations well and were rewarded with a nicely prepared lunch, followed by some rest time.

The campers had some time at 2:00pm to visit the trading post before returning to their new soccer locations for Dutch Futbol.

At 3:30pm, the campers had an hour-and-a-half of free time. They enjoyed some swimming, canoeing, archery, fishing, and more!

The campers then enjoyed some chicken burritos for dinner and had another opportunity to visit the trading post.
 

In place of their evening soccer matches, the staff put together a scavenger hunt for the campers. The activity was well-received and resulted in some good-natured competition among the cabins.

In the end, it was the Apache cabin that was crowned winners!

The campers concluded their night with an evening service. They sang You Are Worthy of My Praise and Lighthouse to start off the service. They then heard from Rob Sullivan. 

Rob spoke with Ywa Hay Htoo from Oak Ridge Bible Chapel in Milan, Illinois. Ywa Hay, who is from the Karen tribe of Myanmar, shared his testimony of how he came to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. His testimony can be viewed at our YouTube channel.

The campers also heard a message from Rob on King Josiah, which had the following three key points: God chases hard after His people, do what is right whether it is convenient or not, and repentance always brings about grace and intimacy with God.

The campers closed with Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone before heading to their cabins to get some well-deserved sleep.

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Soccer Camp 2021 Tuesday Recap

After a successful first full day at Soccer Camp, the kids were ready to do it all again on Tuesday.

They started their day out with breakfast and quiet time, before heading over to the chapel for the morning service.

Although they may have been tired from all the running and exercise from yesterday, you wouldn't have known it if you walked into the chapel. The campers lifted their voices in worship by singing My Lighthouse, Blessed Be Your Name, and Rescuer. The session was live-streamed on Facebook and the rest of the sessions will likewise be live-streamed, Lord-willing. Tune in each day at 9:30am eastern time on our Facebook page to watch the session along with us! 

The campers then heard from Rob Sullivan who continued his walkthrough of the life of King Josiah. The three main points of Rob's message was to encourage the campers to share God's word with others, to realize that reading God's word will have a great impact on you, and that God's word needs to be central in your lives.

The morning service closed with Jesus Draw Me Close, and then the campers walked over to the soccer fields for skills training. The skill of the day was passing.

After the skills training the campers enjoyed hot dogs for lunch, a time of rest, and an opportunity to go to the trading post, all before returning to the fields for Dutch Futbol.

After wrapping up Dutch Futbol, the campers had an hour-and-a-half of free time.

That was followed by a dinner where they were able to make their own burrito, and 15 minutes where they could visit the trading post.

At 6:30pm, all the campers gathered again on the field for extended soccer. They played among their divisions until the sun set. That then concluded their second full day at Soccer Camp.

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Soccer Camp 2021 Monday Recap

Soccer Campers were up bright and early Monday morning as they embarked on their first full day of Soccer Camp!

After waking up at 7:30am, the campers looked forward to a nice breakfast put together for them, followed by some quiet time for prayer and reflection.

At 9:20am the campers filed into the chapel to sing and listen to a couple of messages. They sang Prince of Peace, Our God, 10,000 Reasons, and Lord I Need You. 

The two messages they listened to were recorded by Rob Sullivan who was the main speaker for the week. Rob's focus on the week is on King Josiah. His first message introduced the topic and his second message dove deeper into the boy king who sought the Lord at an early age.

At 10:30am, the campers headed over to the soccer fields for some skills training.

The skills training was followed by a visit to the amphitheater where the campers who have never been to Camp Iroquoina signed the boards on the amphitheater. The entire group then posed for a few photos. This time was then followed by lunch and then a 45-minute resting period.

At 2:00pm the campers had a little time to go to the trading post on the upper hill to purchase some additional snacks and memorabilia. After 15 minutes there, they returned back to the field where they participated in Dutch Futbol.

At 3:30pm, the campers enjoyed an hour-and-a-half of free time, where they could go swimming, canoeing, attend the craft hut, and/or play various sports.

For dinner the campers were treated to a nice BBQ by CIT Director Ezequiel Montes and the camp kitchen staff.

After dinner, the campers again had a little time to visit the trading post if they wanted.

At 6:30pm, the campers met again on the soccer fields for soccer matches among all the divisions.

The campers' final activity of the day was an evening chapel service. They sang Worthy of My Praise, The Lion and the Lamb, Open the Eyes of My Heart, and Lord I Need You. 

Rob's message for the evening continued about Josiah and focused on the reliability of the Bible, the importance of being good stewards with what the Lord has entrusted us with, characterizing ourselves with integrity, and being concerned with the things of the Lord and not of the world.

The overall theme of the day was "Favorite Club Day," and the campers were encouraged to wear a jersey of their favorite club, especially when taking the group picture at the amphitheater.

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Soccer Camp 2021 Kicks Off!

Soccer Camp 2021 has begun!

The campers arrived at the grounds throughout the afternoon on Sunday where they were assigned to their cabins. They had a few hours where they could get to know one another and play some informal soccer.

For dinner, the campers enjoyed a nice Italian feast: Pasta and meatballs with Italian music playing in the background.

A couple of hours later, Soccer Camp had its official introduction ceremony of Olympic proportions!

A torch was passed from one to another before getting down to the soccer field. From there the torch carrier rode on the back of a truck carrying four countries' flags. The truck followed a progression of campers who carried multiple other countries' flags up to the chapel.

In the chapel Harry Neil introduced some of the staff members. The campers also had some worship time to the Lord as they sang Lighthouse, Blessed Be Your Name, and How Great Thou Art.

The campers look forward to their first full day of camp on Monday!

STAY CONNECTED WITH US!

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Soccer Camp 2021 Is on It’s Way!

 Are you ready? Are you ready?

 Are you ready for an amazing week at Camp Iroquoina for Soccer Camp 2021?

Planning and preparations are underway! We can't wait to see you all in person!!  Make sure your soccer cleats fit. Get out and break them in! Be prepared to build on your soccer skills and grown in your walk with the Lord!       I can't wait to sing together in the chapel again! 

As the Craft Hut coordinator,  I am excited to announce the first ever Soccer Camp Craft Hut Pinewood derby race! Let's bring our creativity and competitiveness to the next level! We will have other craft options too! 

Keep us in prayer as God pulls together His workers and campers for the best week of summer 2021! 

My Cabin from 2019

Virtual Soccer Camp 2020 Behind-The-Scenes Recap

After 40 years of the Camp Iroquoina body of believers serving the Lord at the camp grounds in Hallstead, PA, adjustments and adaptations needed to take place in the camp's 41st year due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore Teen Camp, Boys Camp, Soccer Camp and Girls Camp all had to be held virtually for the first time.

To say anybody at the beginning of the year was prepared for this would be a stretch. Many churches struggled in March to transition into this new normal, so many may have wondered how camps would fare. After all, camp involves being on the camp grounds and being with one another all day.

However, the four camp sessions that were scheduled to be done virtually have successfully come and gone.

It has been a week since Soccer Camp has concluded, and in looking back, it is hard not to see the Lord's hand throughout the whole week.

After volunteering a week prior to take care of the day-to-day technological operations of Virtual Soccer Camp, Ezequiel Montes assembled a group from Bethany Chapel in Yonkers, NY to help with those tasks.

The group, later referred to as the Bethany Chapel Tech Team, consisted of Hazel Montes, Valentina Rojas, Ryan Jackson and John Jackson. They helped set up the Zoom calls, monitor/screen/record the

calls, put up videos and PowerPoints during the calls, edit and upload the music and message recordings to the Iroquoina's YouTube channel and write the daily blogs, among other things. 

Beyond the tech team was a large group of individuals who helped in different ways to make Virtual Soccer Camp 2020 a success.

Rob Sullivan, Diego Mendieta and Phil Walker shared messages through the power of the internet from their respective homes in New York, New Jersey and Indonesia. 

Dan Pennisi recorded multiple videos of John Jones and Mark Pennisi explaining and demonstrating different soccer tactics and skill training with a group of guys from camp. Lisa Agate did the same with her sons Robby, Max and Ethan. The virtual campers were shown these videos via Flidgrid and were encouraged to record themselves partaking in the different drills.

As for the music, pre-recorded videos were put together by Jeremy Good and the trio of Ben Brown, his wife Carrie and their friend Genesis. The different videos were played throughout the week at the beginning of each morning session, as well as during the Annual Sing-A-Long and Closing Program.

Kristin Van Lenten helped keep the virtual campers engaged through daily trivia games she put together and through instructions on DIY crafts she uploaded to the Camp Iroquoina craft website.

Tina Harkness kept Iroquoina's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts up-to-date despite being away for the week.

Harry Neil helped bring the excitement, energy and organization to the virtual camp experience. He was heavily involved in many aspects of the camp and dedicated a considerable amount of time in planning for the week, praying for the week and executing the plans for the week. 

Soccer Camp was blessed to have a multitude of other saints on staff that assisted with other areas of the camp experience, opened/closed the different sessions in prayer, led breakout room discussions and participated in staff meetings/devotionals.

Although Soccer Camp has now come and gone, we continue praying to the Lord for both the staffers and campers, as well as the seeds planted throughout the week!

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Check out Virtual Soccer Camp 2020's craft site, with word searches and Bible verses

Check out Virtual Soccer Camp 2020's Flipgrid site for campers to share videos

Use these hashtags on social media:

#campiroquoina #iroqsoccercamp2020 #online

Virtual Soccer Camp Friday Session

Following four days of sessions and the annual sing-a-long, Camp Iroquoina's Virtual Soccer Camp wrapped up it's 2020 program on Friday.

MUSIC

The trio of Ben, Carrie and Genesis led in singing Counting Every Blessing, Lord I Need You and The Blessing. Jeremy Good led in singing How Deep the Father's Love For Us and This Is Amazing Grace.

Check out their recordings on our YouTube Channel here:

https://youtu.be/xRVRrd3n9PI

MESSAGE

Phil Walker was the main speaker on Friday. 

Phil mentioned that his passion is to get into God’s word. He spent time during his message reviewing various verses from during the week such as Psalm 42:5, Luke 7:46-48, Isaiah 40:31, Hebrews 11:1, Titus 2:11-14, Philippians 4:6-7 and Romans 12:1-2.

Phil challenged the campers to make the verse memorization throughout the week not merely a camp activity, but foundational truths that they could build upon in their lives.

Phil also shared the impact that Galatians 2:20 had on him in his life. Phil was a 23-year-old camp counselor at Iroquoina when he encountered this verse in a different way. He realized that this verse did not apply to him at the time. He knew he was not truly crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not live by faith in Jesus. He felt that he was shown his own hypocrisy through this verse. However, he wanted that to change. He wanted the verse to apply to him. He called on the Lord and truly surrendered his life to Christ. He said God’s message to him after becoming saved was: “This is MY word, get to know ME!!” 

Phil asked the campers “Who is Jesus to you” and if the campers had personally made the decision to trust in Him.

Check out Phil's message on our YouTube Channel here:

https://youtu.be/hP9_b39Mug4

SOCCER TACTICS AND SKILL TRAINING

John Jones concluded the week of soccer tactics and skill training with a weekly review. In addition to wrapping everything up, he highlighted how the Lord is most important above all else. God has given us the ability to do all the things which we do in day-to-day life and all glory goes unto Him!

CRAFTS

The craft for Friday was the same as Thursday, which was a personalized water bottle. The difference about Friday's craft was that this water bottle would be made for a friend or family member as a way to share the love of the Lord Jesus Christ with him/her. Campers would obtain their own water bottle and fill out the Google form on the soccer camp craft website to receive a customized vinyl cutout that they would then place on their water bottle. 

VERSE OF THE DAY

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

CLOSING CEREMONY

The closing ceremony began with Ben, Carrie and Genesis singing Hallelujah What A Savior! (Broken Hallelujah) and Prince of Peace.

The ceremony continued with a game of Nearpod trivia game led by Kristin Van Lenten.

Jeremy Good followed by leading the camp in singing Open the Eyes of My Heart. 

After Jeremy’s song, Ezequiel Montes continued the program with a devotional based on Psalm 27. King David went through many trials and tribulations at different points throughout his life, but spoke in this psalm about not fearing, but rather praising the Lord because He is on his side. Ezequiel shared a personal account about a car accident he and his daughter Emely had experienced a few weeks prior, and despite a lot of damage, he too praised the Lord for sparing their lives.

After Ezequiel’s devotional, people began surprising Harry Neil by wishing him a happy early birthday through the chat box.

After the surprise, Hazel Montes shared a slideshow of highlighted screenshots from the week.

Harry followed by highlighting some campers’ accomplishments from throughout the week and rewarding them for the accomplishments. Everyone followed by singing Happy Birthday to Harry.

A video was then played of Terrill Road Bible Chapel performing Living Hope.

Harry closed the program with some words of thanks to all who made Iroquoina's Virtual Soccer Camp 2020 a reality!

STAY CONNECTED WITH US!

Subscribe to Camp Iroquoina's YouTube channel

Like Camp Iroquoina on Facebook

Follow Camp Iroquoina on Instagram

Follow Camp Iroquoina on Twitter

Check out Camp Iroquoina's website

Check out Virtual Soccer Camp 2020's craft site, with word searches and Bible verses

Check out Virtual Soccer Camp 2020's Flipgrid site for campers to share videos

Use these hashtags on social media:

#campiroquoina #iroqsoccercamp2020 #online