Summer 2013 500 Miles "video"

Here's a fun way the kids spent the summer.  Some cameo appearances with their cousin Jake.

Several shots from our summer vacation too!


http://youtu.be/wkaPslV8ZN0

Good News / Bad News for Kids

Two recent articles about kids.  

3 girls held captive for several years in AZ. by their own parents.

http://www.aol.com/article/2013/11/27/3-girls-say-they-were-imprisoned-in-arizona-home/20777311/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D411969


Foster boy asks only for a family to love him and gets 10,000 replies

http://mom.me/home/10038-kids-chutzpah/

Thanks for caring-

Parents who give up their adopted child.

I read this article and then I read many of the posts below and found them to be just as interesting.


http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/will-couple-be-jailed-for-returning-adopted-son-after-nine-years--194054370.html

Camp Videos from 2013

Here are two short videos from camp.  Thanks for your support!

Vacation Highlights 2013

For those of you who like to keep up with the kids, here's some vacation highlights from this summer.  We were offered the free use of a condo in Colorado this summer so we took the long way around through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arizona and New Mexico.  It took two weeks but we figured this might be our only time to take a long vacation with the kids before they all get too busy with jobs and college and friends.  We saved up, sold some things on ebay, found some deals and headed west.

What a great trip.  America is truly a BIG country!

Obituary of an Abusive Mother

This obituary was posted in the Reno Gazette Journal on September 11, 2013 but was quickly removed.  The article has gone viral and several news agencies have done follow up reports.  After reading it, my first thought was that this was an evil woman, not just abusive, but evil.  She apparently went out of your way to cause hurt and pain well beyond that of abuse.  

Some of the kids who come to our Camps and Clubs have only arrived in the Foster care system because their parents died and there was no one to care for them. But some kids have literally been through hellish situations and their depth of pain and suffering can barely be believed.



Marianne Theresa Johnson-Reddick born Jan 4, 1935 and died alone on Aug. 30, 2013. She is survived by her 6 of 8 children whom she spent her lifetime torturing in every way possible. While she neglected and abused her small children, she refused to allow anyone else to care or show compassion towards them. When they became adults she stalked and tortured anyone they dared to love. Everyone she met, adult or child was tortured by her cruelty and exposure to violence, criminal activity, vulgarity, and hatred of the gentle or kind human spirit.On behalf of her children whom she so abrasively exposed to her evil and violent life, we celebrate her passing from this earth and hope she lives in the after-life reliving each gesture of violence, cruelty, and shame that she delivered on her children. Her surviving children will now live the rest of their lives with the peace of knowing their nightmare finally has some form of closure.
Most of us have found peace in helping those who have been exposed to child abuse and hope this message of her final passing can revive our message that abusing children is unforgiveable, shameless, and should not be tolerated in a "humane society." Our greatest wish now, is to stimulate a national movement that mandates a purposeful and dedicated war against child abuse in the United States of America.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/09/12/Scathing-obituary-goes-viral-describes-abusive-violent-mother/4061379031519/#ixzz2gFqzeQ8V


Here are some additional links about the story-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/13/marianne-theresa-johnson-reddick-obit_n_3921058.html

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/12/scathing-obituary-about-abusive-nv-mother-goes-viral-after-appearing-in-reno/

What Motivates You?

Different things motivate different people of course, but according to this creative video clip (10 min. long) there's some interesting research to think about.  Produced by RSA Animate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

A Poem from a Counselor in Iowa

Not Your Typical Friday

So here it is on Friday,

the day we all regret,

For we have to say goodbye,

Although we never will forget.

Their first time ever fishing,

Or that perfect birthday dress,

That feeling of true friendship,

And the lunch plates all a mess.

Each camper oh so different,

Yet all of them the same,

Misunderstood and hurting,

And we will never know their pain.

But when that smile comes,

And we all have seen its face,

We know it all is worth it,

To help Jesus find a place.

These kids don't need our pity,

Or a handout in charity,

Their request is simple,

to be loved unconditionally.

We have heard about their storms,

And heard their broken crys,

But what a sight to see,

When Jesus is fully in their eyes.

So now,

Once again its Friday night,

And we lean onto one another,

Our emotions running high,

And we know they’re like no other.

It's the day that we have dreaded,

And hoped wouldn't come so soon,

The day we hug them one more time,

And see the darkness start to loom.

How can we make a difference?

How do we make this last?

When all the hurt and pain,

Is welling from the past.

And then we are reminded,

Our job has merely just begun,

And a week at camp is nothing,

When Gods work is never done.

So now It's our time to shine.

To fall to our knees and pray,

That God protects our little ones,

And watches every single day.

They’re so precious in our hearts,

And special in our eyes,

But when compared to you, oh God,

It should come as no surprise.

These are your children God,

Each and every hurting one,

But now we ask for our biggest favor,

For you to bring them closer to Your Son.

God grant me one more blessing,

After they’ve been raining down all week,

Watch over our little ones,

And help them to hear You speak.

By: Peter Voss

Camp Counselor

Northeast Iowa Royal Family Kids

Camp #253

Camp Photos

Pre-Camp Training at Madison, Alabama.  Camp is held on a local college campus.

Interesting way to create Art

Hats ready to go for the girls Tea Party

Tea Party Prep Team

20 Questions with Diego

Art Center / Camper Creativity!

Thank you star for local donors of one camp

Training 2013

We've had a great training season so far this year.  We have held one Club training and 6 Camp trainings, including the one in Chile in January.  Every Camp and Club that gets started is another opportunity to change kids lives with hope and an eternal perspective.

Below are some photos of recent trainings at Lenexa, KS. and our Club training in Fullerton CA.  As you have supported us, you are a part of each class and each child touched in the future.

A recent email to our Bothel WA camp brought this story of thanks...

“My son Ryan was the happiest I've seen him in a long time. He gets picked on almost daily from the kids [at home, but at camp] and he said that everyone was just awesome and the kids were nice to him as well. So this being his first camp he was nervous but excited at the same time. He had so much fun that he wants to return to camp next year and I'm hoping he can. Please let everyone know that all the love and support given to these children shows and they will forever hold these memories close to their hearts. PLEASE SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE FOR THESE CHILDREN. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, Abbi.”