The following is a note from Bruce and Laurie Hawley, who are spending the summer at Fowler working with volunteer groups from as far away as Ontario and Texas, working on building the first of two prayer cabins.
The VREDE Cabin (Dutch for "Peace") is being built with money donated from the First Church in Albany and in honor of Rev. Herm Luben: a long time Fowler volunteer and supporter.
SUMMER IN THE ADIRONDACKS THE SECOND REPORT!
You would have to be here to appreciate it but this place grows on you and you can’t quite absorb it all fast enough. There’s the project going on, the log cabin, nestled in the pine woods, a truly neat spot. But right after supper, about 6ish, we head down to Lake House and sit on the wrap around porch which is literally right on the rocks on the lake’s shore and look west and watch the sun creep lower in the sky, sometimes even reflecting off clouds or poking thru the clouds after a shower. Some evenings, like last night, the fog settles down between mountains like a blanket and the lake becomes still as glass except for a family of ducks that wrinkle it as they swim by, diving for food and looking at us, wondering if we are going to give them something to eat. Once in a while we find it helpful to get in a canoe or sailboat and actually get out in the midst of this beautiful scene. It seems to be taking me all the nights I have here to get enough of this serene scene. I guess this is why it has been a couple of weeks since I have wanted to come and sit inside and share of our time at Camp Fowler with you. Good excuse? You decide!
It is a Saturday morning. We have just come from the “moose muffin” breakfast, a happy endings egg muffin meal before the 130 junior high campers leave and camp becomes quiet again for 24 hours. Our team this week has dwindled but six souls are out in the rain putting up sheathing on the roof. Yes, that’s right, the roof. That means that since I last wrote about the log course above the door and windows, the walls got finished and the two end gables went up. Then a 31 foot 12 inch wide 2 inch thick ridge pole was put in place. Then trusses were hoisted into place, all notched to fit against the pole on the top end and to sit on the top log course. It is a steep roof, all the better to have the snow slide off it! Between many trusses are collars, big 8 x 8 inch beams put horizontally down from the top to stabilize the roof. They look really neat just below the ceiling in log houses too. Two logs were carved out and cut at both ends to put at the front roof line on the outside of the porch. They were a trick to get in place but we had such a good team.
With enough people we were able to spread out around camp and get things done in other places. A small room in Chi Rho was sheet rocked and spackled. The garden at camp was totally weeded, and a floor was put on a lean-to and sealed with Thompson’s waterproofing.
Two weeks ago, Gene from Brighton Reformed Church in Rochester, NY came for the week and two other men who were volunteering at camp helped out when they could. Gene is part of the Camp Fowler booster club, which supports the work of the camp and Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends about 100 of them come and help open and close up the camp and do the many jobs that need to get done regularly. You can tell Gene loves this place.
Last weekend we had the blessing of having all five of our grandchildren here to visit and finally see the littlest ones together. Owen is 10 months old and Ashley is 5 months. The older ones loved roaming the roads on their bikes, hiking, and climbing along the shore on the rocks, as well as making roads and castles in the sand on the beach and taking a canoe ride with Nanny and Pa!! Our daughter, Heather and daughter- in- love, Stacey, had Monday morning to work on the cabin too! Laurie’s parents came down from Saranac Lake for a day to see the great grandchildren, so we had a wonderful family time in this lovely place.
Delmar Reformed Church was here all this week and we were so glad their leader, Paul, had invited New Brooklyn Reformed to join them. For two past summers, DRC had gone to New Brooklyn to work with us there. What a great thing for those served to come serve. Three from Brooklyn arrived late Wednesday night just as the black bear was digging thru the dumpster! What a welcome, hurrying them inside the lodge before he got their scent!! Just minutes before, Bruce had tried to get his picture from the back door and he did not like being disturbed from trying to get a meal, and sauntered rather quickly toward him. The flash deterred him though!
Delmar Reformed raised the money for the materials for this prayer cabin so it was fantastic that eleven of them could work on it. Their skill, muscles, and hard work has really shown as so much has been accomplished this week along with the help from our brothers from Brooklyn.
But as always, it is not the work but the fellowship and getting to know each other better that highlights the week. I must admit, this week was very special. As we talked last night, we pondered the highlights. One said that the next to the last song we sang at chapel last evening was such a moment. The sunset after the rain was another. Another said seeing the smile on David’s face as he took his first canoe ride ever was a highlight. David has truly been smiling for three days straight. I think we might see him come from Brooklyn to be a camp counselor one year. You can’t put a price tag on an experience like this folks, but I am thrilled that money has been invested by this Synod to take this camp into the future.( the prayer cabin is just one of several buildings that will go up to make this camp able to accommodate all those wanting to use it.) Camp Fowler is one very big hope for youth of all ages and a place where God’s spirit gets through the skin to the depths of hearts.
If you wish to see some pictures of the process of building the Prayer Cabin, please go to Camp Fowler’s web site: campfowler.org There, click on the hammer/ construction and it will take you to that site. Wish you could be here in person, but I will enjoy another sunset for you!
Summer in the Adirondacks Week 1
What a privilege we have this summer to be living, working, fellowshipping, praying and enjoying life at Camp Fowler. Camp Fowler is a camp and retreat center for Albany Synod of the Reformed Church in America. From June 24 to August 24 they host groups of kids, (big groups of 120 to 170) from 3rd grade thru high school doing camp in a Christ like way. Fowler is situated on Lake Sacandaga near Speculator, New York. It is a beautiful setting offering kayaking, canoeing, sailing and swimming as well as loads of hiking and mountain climbing for all ages of campers.
This is a special year for Camp Fowler as they are in the midst of a $2million capital campaign for facilities expansion and enhancement to go into the future. The Camp was bought in the 1950’s and its use is increasing rapidly.
This summer, Camp Fowler is hosting us and our groups from Texas to Canada who are coming to serve. One of the projects is building a “Prayer Cabin”. This is a log cabin which is a kit, delivered in total. All the logs, numbered from 1A to 32 A, bolts, caulk, splines, posts, windows, door and butylog (the sticky tape that goes between each log) is on site and ready to be assembled.
When we arrived July 5, Chris Hayes, the camp grounds manager and maintenance man, had the site for the cabin cleared and all the footers poured. Fantastic start! Right from the beginning, we have seen God’s hand in this project. When we and David Dethmers, our supervisor came here in April, when there was a wet blanket of snow on the ground, we met with Kent Busman, the Fowler Director and Chris and a member of the board to talk about the plan and our partnership. It felt so right, so good a job for volunteers. A local church, the Delmar Reformed Church, had donated the materials for the Prayer Cabin. They will also be a mission team coming to help build it. But first we had to get a good foundation. God sent a couple from the Falling Waters Presbyterian Church in West Virginia for the first four days of work, the critical start. Skip is a contractor and house builder. Yeah! In two days we had the perimeter box on the footings and the floor joists. Then came a team from First Presbyterian in Martinsburg, WV with hammers to put the sub floor down Monday morning. Monday afternoon was the all important first course of logs to position just right. Just as the Lincoln logs of our childhood, which were notched and of particular lengths, and fit just right, so here, each log is precut and notched for a specific spot and the squarness of the first course and proper positioning is critical.
Our meals are taken in Suits Hall, where all the campers eat as well. The food is just great, many things homemade, including rolls and pizza and apple pie!! Many evenings after supper, we head out to Lake Lodge and sit on the porch and listen to the water lap on the rocks below and watch the sun go down. Then we have some devotions. One night while in the lower level of Chi Rho House, a little chipmunk ran across the room, probably wanting to hear what Minnie the First Presbyterian church mouse was saying. (their church newsletter has a column written by Minnie, the mission mouse who gets to observe everything going on at church and, I happen to know, goes on mission trips too!)
As the days go on, we are so encouraged by the campers and counselors passing by and giving us a thumbs up and hooting and cheering us as they see progress. Here we are, at the end of the first week and we are up to row 12. That means, that the first floor windows and front door are topped with a continuous course of logs, that all fit together over the many openings. Wow!! What a process of teamwork cooperation.
We had a pleasant surprise yesterday when Lauries brother, Jesse and wife Lynn drove over and helped work for the day Saturday. Row 13 went up fast enough so we had time for a sailboat race (hum, when two boats are in the water, there is always a race I think) in the late afternoon breezes. This morning was a great worship service in the chapel, followed by a brunch which gave us energy to hike up Panther Mt for a marvelous view of Adirondack mountains and lakes. Something tells me it is going to be a delightful summer. More in a week!
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