At the initiative of his Grace Michael – Bishop  of new York and New Jersey, and with support of the camp’s board of directors, Gift certificates and scholarships to Saint Andrew’s Camp are available to purchase  for the summer of 2012.

For a very reasonable price of only $350.00 for one week ($300 for subsequent weeks), a child has a chance to receive an unforgettable experience exploring the pristine natural surroundings; learn more about scripture and Orthodoxy through the teachings of our Hierarch, clergy and seminarians from the diocese and beyond; participate in fun age appropriate activities; be nurtured by and interact with loving, accepting counselors and make lifetime friends the process.

A gift of camp is a perfect opportunity for children living in urban and suburban areas to connect to nature. A gift of camp provides the opportunity to sponsor a child that would otherwise be unable to afford to participate in the enriching programs that Orthodox summer camping offers. Perhaps there is a specific child that you know, or perhaps you wish to sponsor any interested camper that applies through our scholarship program. Several scholarships have been donated by board of directors members and are available!

Whatever the case, please, think of the invaluable contribution you will be making to change a child’s life for the better by sending them to St. Andrew’s camp as a holiday gift!

Inquire with us for more details by e-mailing info@saintandrewscamp.org, or by using this web-based form http://saintandrewscamp.wordpress.com/contact-us/.

Teen Week

I have been going to St Andrews Teen Week for two years, and I have enjoyed every minute. From the minute I showed up, I was welcomed by people who I am still friends with now. The program itself is great, and the priest in charge really gets teens. The teens have gone on trips, ranging from the beach to a mini amusement park. This year there was a trip to a Russian Monastery.

The only way to describe Saint Andrews is to go through a whole day.

We wake up and go to morning prayers. Breakfast is next, and I have to say, the food is really good. We clean up our rooms and parts of the grounds before having our first lecture with the priest, or sometimes Bishop Michael. Lectures are usually outside near the lake, weather permitting. Father James tried to enforce the “talking ball” in these lectures, but, really, we’re teens… nothing keeps us quiet; not even a volleyball in someone else’s hands.

After our first lecture, we have a little free time to play volleyball or soccer, or hang out at the playground. This is usually the time that some of the guys break out the water balloons, which is always fun, a little boys versus girls brawl.

After everyone is good and relaxed (or really hyper and soaked…) we head off to lunch. Again… great food, even when we’re fasting. The whole kitchen staff cares so much, and even worries if we’ll like the food or not. If any of them read this, take my word for it, anything from quesadillas to muscles, whatever you make is delicious. I have not seen a teen refuse seconds of anything ever. We are given dessert, usually ice cream or pudding before being sent to our lovingly named nap time.

I know what you’re thinking… Nap time? For teens? Trust me, even if you don’t need it, you’ll need it. The nap time, at least in the girl’s dorm, usually turns into a game of “how many people will fit into a dorm room?”

Speaking of the dorms, the girl’s dorm is wonderful. I can’t really speak for the guys dorm, but last year we painted it, and I don’t care what the guys say, it’s really pretty and, no, there isn’t too much pink… yet… Anyways the girl’s dorm has a lot of rooms, enough for all the campers and the counselors, with rooms to spare. There’s a large common area that was a popular location for lectures in bad weather. Its two girls to a room, so no one has time to be homesick; you’re too busy making friends… and having ridiculously funny fights and conversations that absolutely never go past lights out.

Nope… never. Not once.

After nap we have our second lecture, usually an extension of the one form the morning, because with the teens at this camp, we never finish a conversation in an hour and a half. We finish this and, most days, we get to take a dip in the lake.

It’s really not as gross as it sounds. Swimming in the lake is actually really fun! And sometimes you can see little fish in the water, and they are so adorable.

After this, we head back to the dorms to change and then we head off to evening prayers. Dinner follows this. Did I mention the great food? I did? Ok… just checking.

We may have another talk with Father James after dinner. He’s a really cool priest; he gets the teens. He said this year that he didn’t expect us to listen as much next year, because we’d be older and we just wouldn’t listen, but he underestimates us. No matter what he says, we listen more than he gives us credit for; all Rent references were caught this year… No Day but Today.

Twice this Teen Week, we had bonfires, complete with a Beatles sing along and a pitiful attempt at marshmallow toasting. The bonfires are fantastic because it’s just… such a camp thing. We do awful sing-alongs and better sing-alongs. After the last camper has meandered up to the dorm, we all gather for a little prayer before getting ready for bed. In the girls dorm, no day is complete without just getting together again in a room and just talking about the day, like amazing moments in the volleyball game, how much a certain counselor looks like Napoleon Dynamite, little things that made us smile… we just talk.

And, even now, at the end of November, my Saint Andrews girls… we still talk.

Maybe Father James was right; it is rather difficult to get us to quiet down. But how can we with so much to talk about?

Surely by now you have figured out who this person is… Holy Hierarch Saint Nicholas  – Wonderworker and Bishop of Myra …or…the real Santa Claus. Blessed Feast Day and a Happy Name’s Day to all who cary  his name. This holiday season, in the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating and partes, let us not forget who the real St. Nick is and what example he gave to everyone for living a truly satisfying and happy life.

The following are some wonderful links , including articles and podcasts presentations for parents and children to share. Also, enjoy the old Russian folk song about St. Nicholas, sang in Russian and English on this You Tube Clip.

http://www.antiochian.org/node/18590 -  The Feast of St. Nicholas excerpt from The Winter Pascha, by Fr. Thomas Hopko 

http://www.antiochian.org/node/18586 -  The Holy Hierarch Nicholas by Ginny Nieuwsma

http://www.myocn.net/index.php/200912042126/Special-Moments-in-Orthodoxy/Nicholas-the-Wonderworker.html - podcast with Metropolitan Nicholas of the American Carpatho-Russian Diocese

http://www.myocn.net/index.php/200912042125/Theologically-Thinking/Is-Saint-Nick-Real.html -  Is St. Nick real? on the Theologically Thinking podcast

The 2012 season of Saint Andrew’s Camp will feature the following schedule:

Thank you, Priest James Worthington, for contributing this post to our blog!

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Today we commemorate the Apostle St Andrew the First-called.  He is known as the First-called because he was the first one who left his home and job to be a full-time disciple of Jesus Christ, right as Jesus was beginning His ministry.  It must have been a scary decision to leave everything to be the first one to follow Jesus Christ.  No one knew who this new teacher was, and if what He was teaching was true.  But St Andrew had faith the Jesus was the long-awaited messiah, and the Christ that God had promised from the beginning of time.

St Andrew was from a town called Bethsaida.  This is a town by the Sea of Galilee (which is really just a big lake, and that sounds familiar to me!) where Christ and the Apostles returned many times, to rest and get ready for their next task – just like St Andrew’s Camp.  Bethsaida was their retreat center.  They went there to recharge their batteries, and perhaps to visit with friends and relax.

So on that day when Andrew first saw Jesus coming by, who knows what was going through his mind.  But when he was asked to be a disciple, he immediately joined Jesus. And from that first day, Andrew spread the Good News that Jesus had shared with him.  Andrew went to his brother, Peter, and told him that Jesus was the long-awaited messiah, and truly God.  Peter, who went on to be the chief apostle, owes much to St Andrew.  And their home town became the base of operations for Christ’s ministry.  Our camp can be the same thing for each of us– a place to relax and see old friends, and to recharge our batteries and become closer to God and firmer in our faith.

            St Andrew was brave.  St Andrew was firm in his beliefs before he met the Lord, and was a firm apostle for the rest of his life after he joined himself to Christ.  You guys, the campers, teachers, support staff, board of directors and prayerful supporters of St Andrew’s Camp are also brave. But especially, we always focus on the campers.  You campers, the youth and future of the body of Christ are brave because you are challenged by so many other things in the world that are trying to get your attention. The world offers many distractions and painful lessons.  But you make a commitment every summer to follow in the footsteps of St Andrew.  If during the rest of the year you are asked by a friend or acquaintance to do something contrary to the Law of God, you can remain firm in your beliefs and faith because you have decided to follow Christ.  The world calls you away from Christ, but Christ calls you to be closer to Himself.  In our time, there are many distractions from our spiritual lives, but following Christ has the best reward – eternal life and peace. Our patron St Andrew was firm and spent the rest of his life sharing what Christ had taught him.  He spent the rest of his life sharing what he heard by that lake surrounded by his friends.  And it took him to many places.  St Andrew was the first one to preach in what would become Constantinopole. And he was also the first to preach the Gospel to many of your ancestors when he crossed the Danube River and went to Kiev, the early capital of the Rus people.

            For all of his efforts, almost every church in the Orthodox world has an icon of him in their church.  He is remembered for all time because he chose to follow and love Jesus Christ.  It may be difficult for us to follow in Andrew’s footsteps sometimes, but with the friends we make at camp and in our parishes, we can have mighty helpers on our journey.  May we all also become remembered by God and the people of the Church because we are also brave enough to follow Christ and to say to our friends and family the great words of St Andrew “We have found the Christ,” and we follow Him because He loves us.

May you all have a blessed feast day of our patron St Andrew the First-called, and stay warm until we all meet again next summer. Glory to Jesus Christ!

We are grateful for the former classmates and graduates of the Culinary Institute of America Frank Janisch, Natasha Soussanin and Stan Bilinski. Each and every one of them brought unique gifts and talents to the kitchen. Returning chef Frank was appreciated for his one of a kind greetings. Former camper Natasha was busy making jams, ordering products and arranging food deliveries. First time attending camp Stan put to use his baking skills and positive attitude. All of that in addition to chopping, dicing, baking, frying or whatever needed to be done to provide nutrition for the physical bodies of campers and staff.

Meals in the dining hall began and ended with prayer. And there was plenty to be thankful for. After matins in the morning, we were greeted by the sweet smell of doughnuts, banana and strawberry fritters and scones. They were gone in seconds. For lunch and dinner, the children devoured  tacos, salads, tomato soup,  chicken recipes, and many other dishes. The kitchen staff made sure there were hot dogs and marshmallows  for the bonfires. Special orders were attended to for those with dietary restrictions.

Campers assistance consisted in taking turns to  set and clear tables, make sure that everyone had enough to eat, putting chairs away at the end of the day. The girls creatively used camp’s natural resources by picking wild flowers and turning them into beautiful bouquets as  center pieces for the tables.

Along side the chefs, many volunteers worked around the clock to make meal time appear as piece of cake. Thanks to Sandy, Natasha R., Daria C., John D., Tatiana H.  and many others for the endless dish washing and drying, food preparation, trips to the grocery store, serving and mostly for all the love everyone put into it. All of the food was made even more delicious because it was prepared with love for one another, as Jesus had instructed.

Prepare all your taste buds for another heavenly experience, everyone.!Next year’s menu is being prepared.

http://saintandrewscamp.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/meet-our-team-volunteer-natasha-federinko/

The wonderful owner of the stable and her volunteers and staff provided thorough, hands on experience for our campers.  Divided in small groups to assure plenty of individual attention, campers learned about various horse breeds, anatomy,  horse behavior, safety rules. They learned and practiced grooming, saddling, riding and feeding. One particular group had a unique experience when a quick thunder and hail storm struck during session. The students calmly and bravely took shelter, while the horses were being put away to weather the storm. It was a one of kind experience.

Natasha F. connected God’s Creation with the practicality of horse care. By example and using activities, she was able to convey how to care for God’s creatures, be it animals or humans, she spoke of horses as of beings with a soul and heart, and promoted understanding, respect, LOVE for all of God’s creation on Earth.

Seasoned and brand new campers equestrians enjoyed the lessons, became friendly with the horses, while learning new or improving old skills.

Back at camp, volunteer Kathy Cooper kindly assisted in craft projects connected with the week’s theme. She took photos of all groups at the stables, which students then made into scrapbooks, or put into frames, decorated with “Horse” stickers. What a wonderful keepsake to bring home!

Campers did variety of craft activities, games and races all connected in one way or another with the horse theme.  With the help of our chef Stan, they prepared horse treats from scratch. The horses were really happy on the day the campers got to feed them homemade  yummy snacks. On a rainy night, everyone was deeply moved by and engaged by the movie “Secretariat”.

Thank you Natasha F, Shady Maples Farm and all volunteers, for a truly unforgettable week.

This year once again, music week was a huge success, lead by the loving and professional guidance of Basil Kozak, long time choir director for St. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in South River, NJ.

Basil was instrumental in weaving the music theme in every aspect of camp life. During services in the Chapel, he directed the campers and staff choir,  introduced new versions of common chants, such as “Lord, have Mercy”, some troparions,kontakions, and daily hymns.

During music sessions, the campers practiced  singing some of the sacred orthodox music, but also learned about the beauty of music all around us. Through fun and  age appropriate activities, the campers were actively engaged in identifying various genres, use of music in everyday life, how our bodies perceive and react to music, and much more. The children enjoyed singing popular songs in harmony , submerging all of their senses in creating music by clapping, tapping, jumping, etc.

The campfire night was made special by Basil’s guitar joining children’s voices in singing campfire songs.

Diligently, with patience and understanding, Basil Kozak worked with each and every camper to prepare for  the highlight of music week: talent night. Everyone was delighted to share singing, dancing and performing talents. There was a lot of laughter, noise and applause. St. Andrew’s camp is brimming with artistic talents!

Thank you, Basil Kozak, for your wonderful and selfless teaching, assistance and cooperation!

This year, we also had special performances throughout the camping season. Through the efforts of program director Phillip Halliwell, camp enjoyed learning christian camp songs, and was visited by some great performers. Thank you, St. Tikhon seminarian Jeff, for coming twice to share your upbeat and loving music with us! Thank you, Olivia and Desio, for an unforgettable performance. Everyone was mesmerized by God’s love shining through the sounds of your harp and singing.

Music is all around us! The music shared during camp had a special feel, as it created a deep bond between all participants, sealing it with the Grace of the Lord!

On another beautiful day, everyone was able to explore lake Oneida’s flora and founa. Campers were able to examine their underwater treasures, match them to a chart, and identify various species.

As an example of the interconnectedness between ecosystems, everyone went on a nature walk through camp’s woodland paths. Once again, children and counselors identified leaves, trees, seeds and other species.

The week’s activities culminated with the children making t-shirts stamped with natural materials, such as fish prints, leaves and branches. A wonderful keepsake to take home and remind them of fun times shared in a natural setting.

Thank you, Tara, Gary, Larissa and Reanna Paxton for all the planning, effort, love and assistance during ecology week. It was a pleasure having you at St. Andrew’s camp and we are looking forward to seeing you next year!

To find our more about the Paxton family, please, read our previous post: Meet Our Team 2011 – Tara and Gary Paxton!http://saintandrewscamp.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/meet-our-team-2011-tara-and-gary-paxton/