Welcome Grady James!

While we waited for Grady to show up we picked lots of wild raspberries! Yum!

Family picture while out berry picking

We celebrated Evie's 5th birthday at Chuck E. Cheese

Evie loves her new brother!

Grady James

His hair is red, he just doesn't have a lot of it!

Baby Hostetter #3 finally decided to join us last week! Grady James was born last Sunday evening after a quick labor, weighing 7lbs 12oz. We were all surprised (and pleased) that he is a boy!
Evie immediately became a little mother hen and wants to hold him all the time. Norah is not so sure of how she feels about him but has shown more interest in the last couple of days. All in all it has been a smooth transition to family of 5 so far! We are so thankful for a good birth and a healthy little boy. Thank you for your prayers!
Around camp, things have slowed down a little bit. "Blackout week" is this next week, which means that there are no groups scheduled for a full week and those who want time off can easily take it, and everyone gets a bit of a breather from the busy summer before fall gets into full swing with the schedule here at Victory. We are taking a family trip to Kenai, so that the rest of my family can meet Grady as well as our friends there in town. Speaking of trips, we entered the lottery to be able to drive our personal vehicle into Denali National Park and our name was drawn! We will get to drive into the park on Sep. 14th. We're excited to see God's amazing creation there but we're hoping it doesn't snow (too much!) so that we're able to drive all the way in.
Looking back over the summer, here are some numbers from the summer camp season. Keep in mind that these are based on the camper evaluations that the counselors fill out at the end of each week.
This summer at Victory, there were:

56 first-time decisions by campers to accept Christ
94 rededications by campers while at camp
91 different churches from around AK and the lower 48 that were represented by campers attending, and many campers made a commitment to go to church regularly.

While we tend to get excited about these numbers, and it's beautiful to see kids entering God's family, it's also important to realize that of the many kids who did not make decisions for Christ, and did not appear to get anything in the way of spiritual growth out of their time here, we never know what seeds God has planted in the hearts of young people, and how many He will call to Himself later down the road, beginning with hearing about Him during their time here at camp.
Oswald Chambers also said something in My Utmost For His Highest that I thought made perfect sense in relation to the work we do: "Jesus Christ says, in effect, don't rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me. The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in the fact that God has used you. You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you..."

Ways you can be praying right now:

-For our family, as we come into a very busy season of family life right now, with a new baby, Evie starting homeschool, and a few other things
-For the staff at camp- pray for Abigail from the program team, as she is leaving for Michigan for several months to raise her support to the level that it needs to be; for the Klapak family, who will soon leave for Oregon to do the same. Pray encouragement for them and for God to move mountains as we know He can!

Thank you for reading and for your support and encouragement!

Weeks 5-7 and the end of camp!

Hiking down to Hicks Creek with Daddy

The girls and I hiked back up in the pouring rain!

Justin and a group of staff hiked up the creek one Sunday

Norah, Evie and Max look down from Inspiration Point.

"Granny Wrangler" Eileen gave us a treat- rides on the cart with her miniature horse, Pipsqueak

Well, the summer camp season is officially over! I for one feel like my head is still spinning. We had a great last few weeks of camp and I know that God worked powerfully in the campers and staff's lives. Here are a couple of testimonials from this summer:

"Well, Victory 2013, it's been amazing. From songs about diseases, to poison darts, to shenanigans in Seward and more, I couldn't have asked for a better summer. God definitely showed me that He is the source of ultimate strength and that I can always rely on Him no matter what. I'm sad beyond belief to be leaving but I know that it's not goodbye, it's just a "see you later." Thank you Lord for blessing me with such an amazing summer with such an amazing group of people. I love each and every single one of you and feel so privileged to have met you all."

"I'm so thankful I got to go to camp this year! I learned so much and was challenged and encouraged! It's beautiful, what can happen when a bunch of believers come together in His name. I'm so thankful for the challenges I faced, and for the friends I made. I came home today and am already planning signing up for next summer! God is so good."

Please continue to pray, as those whose lives have been changed while they were here are now going home and down from their mountaintop experience, back to their regular day-to-day routines. The enemy really tries to pull you down at a time like that, and we need to pray that God will continue to be real and present in the lives of the young people who made decisions for him this summer. Pray that those who made first-time decisions to accept Christ would be able to connect with local youth groups, mentors, and people that they can receive advice from and stay accountable to in their faith daily. For those who decided to recommit their lives to God, pray that they will grow in their faith, in the knowledge of God, and in love for others as they put into practice what they know God is asking of them. The theme this summer was Be Different- and we pray that so many lives will be!

We also got to have some of my (Lynsey's) family come up for a visit during the last week of camp, as I had several siblings attending as campers. We 'only' had 2 emergency trips into town for sickness! What a crazy week! Thankfully both brothers that needed medical help are fine now. God is good and it was awesome to spend some time with family as I was missing my husband and it helped the last week of camp (and missing him) to go by very quickly!
Now we are looking ahead to the arrival of our new baby and preparing for that. I'm due in less than 2 weeks but not getting too excited yet because my babies like to be born late. :)

Ways you can be praying right now:

-What was said above, about campers and staff going home, is so important. Pray that they will take new steps in their faith and trust God to help them change their lives. Also, pray for those who acted indifferent to the gospel message. We know that seeds of faith were still planted in their hearts and someday they may grow...God never forgets about anyone!

-Pray for Victory's permanent staff as we transition immediately into the conference season. It can be hard to shift gears from summer camp to conference time. Pray for organization and enthusiasm for hosting guest groups.

-That the birth of baby Hostetter #3 will be smooth and enjoyable, and that baby and I will be safe and healthy throughout. Also pray, mostly for Norah but also for Evie, that they will adjust easily to a new family member and that we will be able to remind Norah that she is still our sweetie!

Weeks 3 & 4

Exploring anemones at the Sealife Center in Seward

Evie & Taylor watch the sea lion swim

Visiting Grammie's- Norah and her Uncle Max make a mess!

Playing in the mud at Hicks Creek

The view from the creek bottom

Our friend Iso helped Evie and Norah make their own boat for the boat race

Dropping the boats in the water

View from Victory's airstrip

Justin & I prepare to teach the campers our life session on how to do dating in a Biblical way

Showing off our huge, abundant rhubarb leaves!

We have harvested twice and probably have around 12 lbs in the freezer. I need to try canning!

We ended week 3 of camp and then set off to Seward with the summer staff for a mid-summer staff break! We stayed at a church in Seward for 2 nights and the staff were free to rest, walk around town, and do some exciting activities like kayaking and white water rafting. It was hopefully a refreshing time for everyone, and then it was time to head back to camp for a few more days off and to pitch in on some work projects around camp. The girls and I used that time to go to Kenai to visit family and spend the 4th of July. It was restful for us as well! Week 4 of camp went well with only a few mishaps and injuries. A black bear was shooed away from the pack trip campsite, so pray that he doesn't get any ideas from the tempting horse and food smells and that he stays away!
It was awesome to be able to sit in prayer group on Sunday night and listen to a counselor tell how she felt that her week went terribly and how she continually clashed with her campers- only to see them completely changed at the end of the week and have them thank her for being a great counselor!
We are currently in week 5 of camp, and this week we have our one week of wilderness camp happening as well. Wilderness campers stay in unheated cabins about a half mile from the main Victory campus, and do several different hikes and activities that have to do with the outdoors. Several staff are having to shift roles and cover for the staff members doing wilderness camp, so there may be some stretching going on as people are pushed out of their comfort zones and try new things this week.

Some ways you can pray for us this week:

-That those who are sick or hurt will be able to recover and heal quickly, and that the rest of the staff will take their rest and stay well (most summer staff work 80+ hours a week)

-For continued unity with the staff. I feel like this part of the summer has gone incredibly well and that everyone has worked together wonderfully, so this is also a praise! Pray that it continues

Weeks 1 & 2

The staff hiked down to Hicks Creek during orientation to set up the campsite & eat dinner

Norah found herself a perch

Preparing to take the swim test in Index Lake

Evie wanted to document how big my tummy is

Welcoming new campers as they get off the bus!

Trying to beat the heat in our homemade 'pool'

A better way to stay cool was by running through the fire hose that maintenance man Ryan hooked up. Awesome!

We have had a great first 2 weeks of summer camp. We have had some crazy weather with new record high temperatures for this area, which left some of us a little too warm...you don't ever expect 90 degrees in Alaska and therefore none of the buildings have air conditioning!
We have only had a few minor injuries and a few summer staff sick so far, but there is still plenty of camp left and we are continuing to pray for health and safety.
We had a few moments of worry last week when the weather turned from clear and sunny to completely hazy and dark in just minutes- there was smoke from a forest fire obscuring everything. We quickly found out the location of the fire, which was hundreds of miles away, and were relieved that we didn't need to worry about it. The wind was blowing strongly and we were just seeing smoke from a fire in the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains.
We have a great staff this summer and I think the campers have been having a blast. To quote a friend and S.A.L.T. camper, "Wow! What A Great Week And A Half At Victory Bible Camp. I Learned A Lot Over The Past Week And A Half. Believe It Or Not, I Think God Made Me A Bigger And Better Person. I'm Not That Shy Girl Anymore. I Can Just Be My Normal Self Around People And That Feels Really Great! My Relationship With God Is Stronger Now Than Before I Went To Camp(:" ...It's also wonderful to hear counselors relate stories of campers who were angry and disinterested at the beginning of the week, and by Friday were involved and having fun with their cabin and some had even made decisions to accept Christ. We love knowing that God is doing things like this in the hearts of the kids who spend time here!
Today is the beginning of week 3, and new campers should be arriving in about an hour.
I've been privileged to get to lead one of the small prayer groups that the staff divide into after our Sunday night chapel, and it is always so cool to hear the staff praying for the kids that have just left the day before, and praying in advance for the kids that they'll meet the following day.

Some ways you can pray for us right now:
-For the kids who made decisions to follow Christ in the past weeks to stay strong after they've arrived at home, sometimes to unsupportive situations. Pray for them to connect with a youth group, or spiritual mentor who will encourage them to grow in their faith
-For this coming week of camp, for health, safety, and open hearts for kids and staff alike
-For our family specifically, for Justin to keep up his health and energy as he often works 15hr days
-For me and the girls at home, as my pregnancy draws toward the end it is often very tough to keep up with the girls and I don't usually have help. Pray for me to remember it's OK to rest!
-Pray for a community family, the Beachys, who lost their 29-year old son Ryan in a motorcycle accident last week. He was known & loved by the entire community and this is a very tough time for everyone here. Pray for comfort. Also pray for his girlfriend Tracy who was critically injured in the accident and has a long road to recovery.

Orientation Week

The view from Victory road

The girls playing in the garden outside our house

We are right in the middle of orientation week, which is when the summer staff are trained for their specific jobs and schedules. This is also the week that's super important for bonding together as a staff and making sure we all have one goal in common: Christ-like servanthood and a heart to share Jesus with others. There are lots of classes that the staff have to attend to be educated on important issues that they may face with campers, and there are also lots of fun activities planned for the staff to get to know each other and camp better. We have been having lovely weather (for Alaska anyways :) with the occasional rain shower, which is a blessing because it keeps down the dust from the roads!
The ice is out on the lakes, FINALLY, and the docks were put in Index Lake today! Swim test for the staff is on Monday and the water should be right around 40ish degrees.
We're asking if you would join us in prayer for the coming summer. Camp starts Wednesday, June 12th. It's always amazing and heartbreaking to see the children that come through camp; some come from good homes and some definitely do not. We love that camp is a place where these kids feel comfortable enough to share their lives with their counselors and take steps closer to Jesus, whether they have a relationship with Him already or he is still preparing their hearts. Please pray:-That the soil in these young people's hearts would be soft and open to receive the seeds of the gospel

-That those who already know the Lord would grow in their faith in life-changing ways through their time at camp

-For health and safety for all kids and staff this summer

-For unity within the staff and a God-focused outlook

-We still have needs for chapel speakers and worship leaders for a few separate weeks of camp- pray that the gaps would be filled!

Thanks as always for your support of our family here at Victory! We love being here and God has made that possible through you!

May 22nd Update

The parking lot outside Miracle Lodge had to be completely dug up to reach the piping

The girls wave from inside their new fenced yard

Evie tries out her new big girl bike!

Norah tries out Evie's old tricycle which is now hers :)

We still have a few staff needs here at camp, but for the most part we are set and ready for summer! Orientation begins June 4th and the first day of camp is June 12th.
Most of our snow here is gone, but the lake is still frozen and that is a concern. We have one more guest group coming this weekend that sadly won't be able to use the lake like they normally do. It has just been one late spring for all of Alaska! Temperatures are still dipping below freezing every night and that makes it impossible for the lake ice to break up. Last weekend we had what we hope is the last snowstorm of the year. Apparently Anchorage and surrounding areas set a new record for longest season of snowfall, totaling 232 days of the year. That's a solid 2/3rds of the year! Sometimes I question why we live in Alaska! But then I see God's incredible creation that is everywhere you look, and I remember. :)
The mess with the water pipes to Miracle Lodge has been mostly resolved from what I know, and there is only a small hole left in the main parking lot instead of a gaping chasm. The maintenance men are certainly the unsung heroes of camp ministry!
We have transitioned into springtime with our family life, and the girls have spent a lot of time outside lately. We were able to get our front yard fenced, which gives Evie and Norah a lot more freedom because even if Mom is busy they can go out and play and I don't have to worry about cars driving by on the road that runs next to our house. Now it just needs to warm up a bit more, so we can swim!
Some summer staff has already arrived, mostly leadership, and they have been working on things like setting up summer schedules, taking CPR and first aid classes to get certifications, and next weekend they will take a camping trip together to build team unity! I am feeling led to take up the ministry of prayer for the summer and the summer staff, like I did the last summer we were here, as I know it's a very needed thing and something I can do to support the staff.
If you or someone you know is not sure what to do with their summer and would like to enjoy God's amazing creation in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska, we have a need for lifeguards, Wilderness Camp staff, and a few other spaces for college age and up. Contact Justin if you're interested! 907-745-4203 or justinh@vbcalaska.org.

Some ways you can pray for us right now:

-That the lake will thaw sooner rather than later so that the orientation swim test doesn't have to be taken amidst icebergs
-Continued healing for permanent staff Jennifer, Carole, and Abigail
-For the summer staff positions to be filled by people desiring to serve God this summer

Let the fun begin!

As Evie sits cluelessly enjoying her movie and snack, our friend Kyle's dog intently begs for a bite!

The girls love to swim!

...And they love to swim with Grandma and Grandpa even more!

Evie shows off the ice cream truck she made for the AWANA grand prix

She is so proud of her ribbon

Sadly, this is what our May has looked like so far. More like March!

Let's hope the sunshine melts the snow soon

Despite the snow, we have strawberries sprouting in our garden!

We also have rhubarb coming up. Looks like I'll be making pies this summer! Yum!

Today is May 6th and it has finally stopped snowing! We had several days straight of non-stop snowfall and it certainly didn't feel like May. But today it's 45 degrees (warm for here!) and we are enjoying sunshine!
There is a lot going on at camp right now, some of it good and some not so good. Today is the first day of Outdoor Education groups on the grounds, and Victory both hosts the groups and leads some of the activities for them. It has been a little tricky for the staff trying to figure out how to get everything for the groups done since there's not usually this much snow left at this time of year, and it has hindered some of the things that are always planned.
We have had some major issues with water again in the camp. Right now the maintenance men have dug up hundreds of feet of ground trying to find one specific break in the water lines that has left part of camp and the main lodge with little to no water. The phone lines were accidentally hit during the digging which cut off all our camp lines (at least we still have outside lines, thank goodness!) and the internet at the main lodge. But the men are faithfully working away at all the problems and it's so encouraging and humbling to see their happy attitudes despite long hours and little rest.
Justin is only planning 2 church visits this month which is less than last month, so there should be less traveling in our family's future. The leadership staff for the summer (the Alpine, Ranch, Frontier and S.A.L.T camp directors and their assistants) will begin arriving in about 10 days, which is very exciting! They are taking time to arrive early and have about an extra week of training before the rest of the summer staff get here for orientation, which I think is very wise and should allow for more unity and a very cohesive staff this summer. We are getting really excited to see what God is going to do in people's lives this summer, and in fact we have already begun to see the awesome works He is doing in some of the summer staff's hearts. We were able to talk to one girl who has had an amazing awakening in her life- the belief in God was always there but it is REAL now, she is soaking in the truth that only comes from God and she is excited and so eager to serve Him his summer! Seeing things like this happen in young people's lives are the reason we love being here at Victory!!

Some ways you can be praying for us right now:

-One of the staff wives, Jennifer, had to have unexpected brain surgery to remove a brain tumor last week. She is recovering well but is not able to come home yet. Please pray for her to continue to get well as she has to relearn some basic things, and for their 3 young children who are still here at camp. God has been very present in the entire situation but it is very hard on a husband and kids when mama is not well! Pray for encouragement!

-For continued healing for Carole and Abigail- 2 staff ladies who have neck & back injuries that require patience for healing and grace to cope with daily pain.

-For our water situation to be resolved once and for all! The maintenance men are super busy on a normal day, and to have this problem as we head into summer could be overwhelming.

-This is a praise- yesterday evening we had an amazing time of sharing God's word with each other, and prayer for the camp and each other as a staff. It was an incredibly uplifting time. It's awesome to be reminded of what we're doing here and what an awesome God we serve!