First Training of the Season

Geneva Ill. 2008 Training Complete

Another training in the record books. At our Geneva training camp we trained four new churches to start a Royal Family Kids' Camp in their local community, including our first camp for Russia! The Russian Director will have the extra challenge of translating not only the manuals into Russian but also the concepts and ideas for an entirely different culture.

There were 12 trainees for the four new camps and one new “Host Couple” in Training. The Host couples attend to all the creature comforts of the trainees and helped the trainers with logistical concerns. It’s our way of giving the trainees the “Royal Treatment” so they will return and treat their volunteers the same way.

Over 36 hours of classroom time, over 20 hours of direct observation time and building comradery in between. All so we can make an eternal difference in the lives of kids who just need to know that they have worth and value, and they can make it.

Thank you for helping us to start more camps for more kids.

Pictures located at the following link:
http://www.dropshots.com/Jjuhala#albums/Training%20Geneva%20Ill%202008/2008-06-07/16:41:08

DO MORE

I recently received this in an email from John Mason's "Nugget of the Week"

Do more than exist, live.
Do more than hear, listen.
Do more than agree, cooperate.
Do more than talk, communicate.
Do more than grow, bloom.
Do more than spend, invest.
Do more than think, create.
Do more than work, excel.
Do more than share, give.
Do more than decide, discern.
Do more than consider, commit.
Do more than forgive, forget.
Do more than help, serve.
Do more than coexist, reconcile.
Do more than sing, worship.
Do more than think, plan.
Do more than dream, do.
Do more than see, perceive.
Do more than read, apply.
Do more than receive, reciprocate.
Do more than choose, focus.
Do more than wish, believe.
Do more than advise, help.
Do more than speak, impart.
Do more than encourage, inspire.
Do more than add, multiply.
Do more than change, improve.
Do more than reach, stretch.
Do more than ponder, pray.
Do more than just live, live for Jesus.

- John Mason, from the book An Enemy Called Average

RFKC TRAINING TEAM HITS THE ROAD

Starting June 1 this summer our Training Teams are hitting the road going to 7 different cities to train 14 new camp teams to start a new camp next summer in their local community. Each team will have 4-5 members so we’ll be training 40-50 people this summer.

Our training teams have grown from just Wayne and Diane Tesch, the Founders, to now include; 13 Trainers, 5 Trainers-in-Training, 5 Host Couples, 1 Host Couple-in-Training, and 4 Child Abuse Specialists. This team of dedicated souls will hit the highways and byways this summer for an intense 7 day training camp. The Training Camp occurs at an existing RFKC so the trainees can see, hear and experience an actual camp in progress. The trainees will experience 36 hours of classroom study, and over 20 hours of observing the camp in action. The training also includes interview with the local camp Counselors and Staff personal to get a real feel for the heart of the people who volunteer for this incredible camping experience.

In the coming years our training team will continue to grow as we add more training camp sites and bring this experience to more kids around the country. Last year we had 6,000 campers in camp. Our long term goal is that by the year 2030, we’ll have 100,000 campers in camp. That’s a big goal and a big dream, but there are 500,000 kids in Foster Care in America right now. Don’t they deserve a week of positive memories at camp?

Camporee 2008

Well Jonathan and I survived the heat in Taft CA. at the 2008 Royal Ranger Comporee.

There were 1,700 Campers, Commanders and Dads an the campout which is held every 4 years.

During our 4 day campout the temps were 99, 103, 100 & 99. Yes, beautiful Taft CA. even when it’s cold, it’s hot!

Jonathan’s pinewood derby car took 25th place in the race, out of 127 cars, but then he took first place in the “Best of Show” category. “We didn’t even try to make it look good, figure that one!

I met a young Commander there who had been a Royal Family Kids Camp camper when he was a boy. He wants’ to volunteer at a local camp, he shared some great memories and appreciated all the great memoires that people gave him during his difficult childhood.

Jonathan proves his skill with a Tomahawk - Be sure and check out the video at this link:
http://www.dropshots.com/Jjuhala#albums/Camporee%202008/2008-05-16/16:27:30


More pictures available at this link:
http://www.dropshots.com/Jjuhala#albums/Camporee%202008

Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Janet!

April Trip

In April I took another trip to the Bay Area to raise some financial support and connect with people again. I had 26 appointments in 6 days so I was thankful to get back home and rest. It was an awesome trip and I had the chance to meet with so many people. I also had the opportunity to speak at 2 Chapel services at Trinity Life Bible College (TLBC) in Sacramento and to speak to the Kingdom Builders club of Ygnacio Valley Christian School, YVCS. The TLBC Chapels’ went well and I was simply able to share the vision of Royal Family, build awareness of child abuse and plant the seeds for someone in the Sacramento area to possibly start a RFKC in that county.

The Kingdom Builders Club at YVCS is an after school program where kids learn about and pray for Missionaries. Our children used to attend YVCS when we lived in the Bay Area, so many of the students were familiar with our family. It’s great to see young kids getting involved with the idea of doing something greater and bigger than themselves through Missions. We miss everyone at YVCS and pray God’s blessing upon the school and teachers. This photo is from the Kingdom Builders class.

Jonathan' 9th Birthday

Jonathans 9th Birthday! There was a small celebration for Jonathan’s 9th birthday party as he celebrated with a couple of friends and his family. It was a day at Boomers, (golf and games), and then back home to play with his new set of Nerf pistols, (big hit). Then we celebrated again with my Aunt and Uncle the next weekend because April was also Keith’s birth month. Well, a great time was had by all and he’s another year older. Congregations Jonathan.

See more birthday photos by clicking the link below:
http://www.dropshots.com/Jjuhala#albums/Jon%209th%20BDay/2008-04-19/14:48:28

Jonathans first sport

Jonathan finished his first sport playing basketball for the Fountain Valley recreation league. He had a great time and learned a lot.

Janae gets picked for art work

Janae was picked as one of three students to be represented at the schools distirct office art work show.

Jessica is a Teenager!!!

March 8th became a day of celebration at our house because we transitioned into a family with a teenager.

Jessica is a wonderful young lady of beauty and style and she is ever close to our hearts. Congratulations Jessica on 13 wonderful years.

Royal Family Leadership Conference

Success & Hard Work

We just finished our Annual Fundraising Banquet and Directors Training here in Costa Mesa, CA. We had approximately 400 for the banquet on Feb. 28 and 250 people for the RFKC Leadership Training on the 29th.

It was a great success but like all great successes, it was a lot of hard work.

Running a Royal Family Kids’ Camp is a lot of work. This morning I was reading from a book by John Mason called, Conquering An Enemy Called Average. Chapter 2 suggests that “hard work” is essential to conquering the enemy called average. Here are a couple of items from chapter 2:

None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.

What the free enterprise system really means is that the more enterprising you are the more free you are. What this country needs is less emphasis on free and more on enterprise.

“All men are alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they differ” (Moliere)

There is a man in the world who never gets turned down, whenever he chances to stray;
He gets the glad hand in the populous town, or out where the farmers make hay;
He is greeted with pleasure on deserts of sand, and deep in the isles of the woods;
Wherever he goes there is a welcoming hand – he’s the man who delivers the goods.
Walt Whitman


Great things of significance take hard work. We’re doing the hard work, because changing the direction of the lives of abused kids is worth it. Jeff

TENT TIME - TURNING 40!

So, what did I do on my 40th birthday that probably no one else in the world has done? Well, quite simply, I spent 4 days in a tent in my backyard, alone, without food. Before I write any more, let me start with 2 notes:

Note 1: I don’t want anything I write here to sound boastful or bragging. I really considered not telling anybody what I did for several reasons, but people started asking and it was hard to explain my absence. The easiest way is to write it all down and let you read it.

Note 2: Another reason I am writing this is because as I look back on my 40 years I have found that I learned a lot of things simply by listening to other people’s experiences. Not that I expect any of you to do this, but ideas can be generated from the strangest sources. And I have always known that I’m strange – scratch that, let’s try peculiar. That sounds better.

So here’s the Readers Digest version. Short sentences to keep it simple.

Wayne Tesch, Founder of RFKC, told me several years ago that if I wanted to work with RFKC in the future I would need to get my Ministers License (ML), in order to speak in churches about camps.
I asked God for a specific scripture to tell me if I should start studying for my ML.
In the shower in a Bakersfield hotel I believe I heard the verse, Leviticus 8:5. I was expecting a very specific verse like, “Jeff, study for your ML, and I’ll provide the extra money and time, sincerely, God”. Yes, that’s what I wanted, but here’s what it says, “And Moses spoke to the people and said “This is what you should do”.
Huh? It seemed to lack the specificity that I was looking for.
But when I read on, I found that the rest of chapter 8 has to do with Moses telling all the people of Israel about Aaron and his sons being set aside and consecrated onto the Lord as the Priests for all of Israel. To kill a bull and place the blood on Aaron’s right big toe, right thumb, and right ear lobe, to wear certain garments and then to go into the tent of the Tabernacle for 7 days to consecrate themselves unto the Lord!
Interesting, huh?
So, I took that to be the affirmative answer to my prayer. Now the question is, when do I start my studies?
Before I started studying, Janet and I received the call from God, and then from Wayne, to move to Southern CA to work full time with RFKC.
Once we moved, I started my studies through Berean School of the Bible.
As I started my studies, I realized that even though I had already spoken in churches on behalf of RFKC, I would now be giving longer messages with greater Biblical context and with the title of a Licensed Minister. Standing behind a pulpit is not something I take lightly; I consider it to be a serious responsibility.
I also know that whenever I speak, I really want to do a great job. I want to be a great public speaker, and I know it won’t just happen. I will have to do my part, but I know that God’s blessing can do a lot to help me.
With all that in mind, I decided to read through chapter 8 again, and this time I noticed the verses at the end that mention the seven days in the tent.
I thought, now there’s an idea!!! I could spend some time in a tent, set my self apart, consecrate myself unto the Lord, let God know I am serious about being a Licensed Minister, ask for His blessing to be a better speaker, study, pray and fast. It’s certainly “different and unique” and I’m into things that are “different and unique”!
But, could I really do it for 7 days? I’m away from my family enough now as it is. And what about the bull and the blood? Can I get away with that in Orange County?
Well, in today’s society, if people want to become Ministers or Priests they go to Bible school, they no longer deal with the bull and the blood, thank goodness.
Well, I didn’t want to be legalistic about it, so I thought I would do the following:
I’m turning 40, so I would spend 4 days in the tent, 4 decades – 4 days.
I would drop the bull & blood stuff and add fasting.
I would spend time in prayer, worship, and listening to good preachers on tape.
I would study 4 things that I have wanted to study for a long time. I printed out every scripture in the Bible that contained the following words:
Wisdom – Knowledge – Understanding – Discernment
Then I thought, if I study these words to be a better person and become a better speaker, I had also better study every scripture containing the word Humble, thus my comments in note 1 above.

So, there it is. My four days alone were interesting, wonderful, awful, challenging, intriguing, and unknown. One person asked me “how was it”? Well, there was no bolt of lightning, no super revelation like Saul on the road to Damascus. But I don’t think Aaron and his sons experienced a bolt of lightning either. I think it was just the right thing to do, and I believe it will lay a foundation for greater things in the future. Time will tell.