Get On Your Bike This Summer!

Taking a Journey

Ever looked down the long river corridor and wondered, "Where is this going to take me?"

The kids here at KIVU get a chance to do that everyday.
Everyday brings a new adventure.
Everyday they get a chance to do something they've never done.
Everyday is more beautiful than the last.
Everyday they get a chance to write another story.

Just another day at KIVU....BEAUTIFUL

There's Just Something Different

There's just something different about waking up in the wilderness.
Maybe it's the quiet?
Maybe it's the fact there's no way technology can interfere?
Maybe it's the thought, 'I just slept in a tent and didn't encounter a bear?'
Or maybe it's the fact we were created to enjoy.

We were created to enjoy each other.
We were created to feel the rhythm of nature.
We were made to experience God's creation.

I was thinking the other day about the men of the Bible who went to the wilderness, and it seems to me; every BIG event in the Word was preceded by someone who spent time in the wilderness. Moses, Abraham, Paul, Jesus, and the list goes on and on. Is it coincidence? Or is there something we can learn?

I was reading Aesop the other day and found another story that tells of nature's ability to rest a man's soul. It's the Story of the Traveler and the Plane Tree. “Two Travelers, worn out by the heat of the summer’s sun, laid themselves down at noon under the widespreading branches of a Plane-Tree. As they rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said to the other, ‘What a singularly useless tree is the Plane! It bears no fruit, and is not of the least service to man.’ The Plane-Tree, interrupting him, said, ‘You ungrateful fellows! Do you, while receiving benefits from me and resting under my shade, dare to describe me as useless, and unprofitable’?”

I wonder if sometimes we see nature as something of a useless activity, when actually it gives us a sense of God's bigness, a sense of our community with each other, and prepare us for something God might want to show us.

The KIVU experience is one to help teenagers escape everyday life. It slows them down. It gives them the tools to see the benefits all around them, rather than simply taking them for granted. It helps them understand production versus living. It helps put nature into perspective.

Just like Aesop's tale gives us a view of paradigm, just because the tree didn't produce fruit doesn't mean it was useless. The traveler just had to see it a different way.

I wonder if we can't recognize God's movement in our lives it's because we haven't taken the time to see Him a part from business.

We're having a BLAST out here at KIVU! Wish you were here.

A Great Day of Pursuits

Yesterday, the group of senior camp kids who went to the rock had a great time scaling the mountainside and enjoying the beauty of the day.

I spent the entire day at the lake. :)
We soaked up the sun on the boat, and several campers learned how to wake surf and wake board. Daphne (our summer storm who usually visits each day) didn't stop by, so we were blessed with a gorgeous afternoon. The cold water was refreshing on such a hot day.

From biking to climbing we are having fun playing out here in Colorado!

When you hit the hole...

So, when I'm not teaching about the value of the Christian Worldview to teenagers, I get a chance to guide students down the Animas River here in Durango. I've accumulated over 2300 river hours over the last 18 years, so as you can imagine, this is one of my passions.

I like it because when you get 6 kids in a raft and there's no where to go but float, it's amazing what kind of conversations you get into. We talk about everything from the Creation around us, to what they like to do back home, to what they think about camp, ITS AWESOME!

This day we were gliding down the River and we snuck right up on the infamous rapid called Smelter. The locals named it Smelter for a reason. You know what smelting is right? It's the process where metal ore is extracted from it's natural state, and it's a pretty violent process. Thus the rapid...SMELTER. (I think you get the point.)

If you walk down to Santa Rita park between 2-4 in the afternoon, you can usually witness several rafting companies trying to navigate this hydraulic turmoil, and if you're lucky; you'll be privy to one of the greatest spectator sports around these parts. If a rafting guide doesn't know quite how to enter Smelter, the raft will tip over and you'll see what we like to refer to as a 'yard sale.'

A yard sale on the river is when everything in the raft starts floating helplessly down the river, as the guide tries to save the raft, gather the paddles, and oh yea; make sure everyone is safe. HA! It's quite a spectacle.

This particular day, I had the raft positioned just right.
I gave the order for everyone in the boat to start paddling.

We cruised right through the rapid and the kids started cheering.
It was awesome!
But we forgot something important...
Right after the Smelter Rapid comes another important River Feature. The locals call it 'Corner Pocket.'

Corner Pocket is one of those hydros that form in a river when the water re-forms and re-shapes. Usually its a wave, but at times it changes to become a river hole. A river hole is a feature along a rapid that sucks the boat in and keeps it in the river until you can position or paddle your way through.

So while we were cheering, the boat entered Corner Pocket, and well...This is what it looked like.

Well, we pretty much ended up engulfed in the water like you see here, and the kids just stopped. Nobody said anything for a moment, and they looked at me like "What do we do now?"

I put the guide paddle in the water, and we maneuvered out and got on with our trip, but the memory of Corner Pocket was the subject of our talking points at the end of the day.

"What did you guys feel like when we got sucked in the hole?" I asked.
"We felt helpless. We didn't know what to do." one of the kids responded.
"It was kind of scary." another retorted.

Isn't that just like life?

We get to a point of celebration because we got a good grade on a test, we scored some points in the game, or we found out our friends are really with us, and then life smacks you with something else. If you're not ready, if you're not watching out, sometimes life can suck you in and before you know it; you're wondering how you got there.

Everything we do here has a life lesson, and I believe the teenagers that experience these kinds of high adventure sports walk away with a more grounded approach to how to deal with life. They see the value of working together, facing challenges, and in the end they get a real feel of accomplishment. It's pretty awesome!!

I can't wait to get back on the river and get to know some more kids.

We're having a BLAST here at KIVU.

Wish you could join us.

When Teenagers are FREE!

So much can be said for the state of the union of the Teenage Generation. Too crazy. Too contemplative. Too cool. But what would happen if you gave students the opportunity to be free?

That's exactly what we want to do here at KIVU. We want to afford kids to be free from the world, free from the thought of having to prove themselves, free from pressure, and free to enjoy life like Jesus wanted. "I have come that you might have life, and life more abundant."

A couple of nights ago we set up the camp like the GRID on the latest TRON movie. We had DJ wars, dancing, and a sporting disc tournament. It was AMAZING!

These guys decided to come out in full force, and it's crazy what happens to teenagers when they don't feel the pressure to prove. They smile. They laugh. They discover. They become human!

Not to say they aren't human, but there could be a case made that today's teenager resembles more of a production asset than someone who enjoys life. They work hard with grades, sports, relationships, college applications, scholarship stuff, not to mention all the other extra activities they are involved in.

KIVU gives kids the opportunity to be kids.

Come have fun in the Colorado mountains.
Come explore the possibilities of living life abundantly.
Come hear how God can free you from the world.
And when it's all over, hopefully; they can take those lessons back home, and live life to the fullest!!

We're having a Blast here at KIVU, wish you could join us.

Addition to the Lake

Aaaaaaaannnnnd.....here it is!!!






KIVU's very own LIQUID FORCE WAKE SURF!!!!!! Get ready for some crazy rides behind the boat!

THE GRID was AWESOME!!!!

Last night we kicked of this term with a really high energy black light party based on the Disney movie Tron.


These campers are full of energy and the techno music kept them going for a full hour of crazy fun dancing. Everyone slept well last night for sure.

This term is starting really well! Thanks parents for sending such great kids!

KIVU Friends

It was all GRID party all night last night.

I was looking through some pictures and found this. These are some of KIVU's longest running friends. They show up every year, and they're from right down the road (most of them.)

How cool is it to know there are people you can count on every year to come back and celebrate life together. They'll be experiencing new adventures while they rekindle old relationships.

The world spins the right direction when friends dwell together. I've heard that somewhere before...

TERM TWO: Opening Day Fun!

Today was round two for new campers arriving at KIVU...and I think by the look of the pictures, the excitement and anticipation is evident!!

There were so many campers arriving all at once that we used a BUS to get them all here! It was so thrilling just seeing them pour out with smiles the size of the Colorado mountains on their faces! This term is already proving to be a fun group!

Tomorrow we are kicking off the week with a "play day" rotation where the campers get to know everyone and the ways of camp and just relax! It's the best after a long day of traveling or sitting in an airport in anticipation of getting to camp. So, I think it's safe to say, Term Two is getting off to a great start!

Backpacking at KIVU!

Mt. Bike VIDEO KIVU Style

So, this is what happens when we take KIVU kids mountain biking. Let me know what you think is the funniest part!! This is AWESOME!

Another Day on the River

Yep, this is happening!

Come join us at Camp KIVU this summer. www.campkivu.com and register for our one week or two week sessions.

Great day on the Rock!

It was a great day on the rock climbing trip today! With this view as a backdrop and great staff like Preston, Tucker, and Kelsi to hang out with...a day at Kivu doesn't get much better!!!

Here are some faces of the men who came and conquered not only the rock, but did it in style as well!

Josh

Hays

Aaron

Carter

Mitchell & Marcus

Shaffer

The Men

You may notice some dirt on a few faces...I was informed it was 'war paint' so if a bear happened to come along they wouldn't be seen. We didn't see any bears...don't know if it works or not. =)

The Men with all their Muscles

Kelsi W. and I had a great time getting to hang out with these fellas...thanks for a great day!

Keep conquering fears and taking on challenges one rock wall at a time!

Hot where you are? Check out this Backpack trip.

With record temperatures all over the US, you won't want to miss the KIVU backpack trip to the wilderness. CHECK THIS OUT!

PARTY PARTY PARTY

Every summer we hire programs guys to come and fill the night activities with fun! We raft, bike, hike, and climb during the day, but when the sun goes down, it's all out party time!

You may wonder, why? Other than the obvious, we like to have a good time, why would you spend so much time and energy to put together theme parties. After all, it is a LOT of work.

But I think it's important.

It's important to teach teenagers how to have a good time without all the alcohol, drugs, and sketchy stuff going on at high school.
It's important to teach students that Christians can have fun.
It's vital we model a place where kids can be kids, full of imagination, and full of life.

The other night we did our GRID party. The story line...two DJ's from the future square off to a battle of the Mix. They go head to head in a futuristic world to see who can play the most danceable tunes.

So the kids fill the gym and the music blares. The black lights are in full effect, and they are privy to a TRON-like battle of the bands.

You should have seen their faces when these guys walked out all lit up.

One of the kids told me today, "THAT was the coolest party I've ever been to."

See...it works.

We show them they can have fun, and it frees them up to fill their imaginations as to how they can duplicate fun back in their home towns.

I can't wait to show you pictures of the next extravaganza. Come on back to KIVU today, and we'll show you how to throw a hoe down like no one else.

Just Another Day in Paradise

We've got a saying here in Durango. When someone you know approaches you and says, "How's it going," the answer is inevitably, "Just another day in Paradise!"

We started yesterday with a little treetops action as we put the kids 60 feet in the air to experience the high life at KIVU.

Then we took a little tube trip down the river for a relaxing break. There's nothing like tubing the Los Pinos with new friends.

And Paradise wouldn't be complete without a couple of friends to share it with. All smiles. All around.

Every day at KIVU is another day in PARADISE!! Last night we had our GRID party, and the kids were having a BLAST! We started in the Lantz and introduced them to two rival DJ's. They went up to the gym for a little 'disc war' TRON style, and then danced the night away.

Keep checking back, as we'll be uploading different pictures and videos here at KIVU TODAY!

When the Stage is Set

Worship is a key component to the night as we enter into our program called 2Deep. This year we've got a host of incredible talent to form one of them most cutting edge sounds KIVU has ever heard.

There's something special about listening to hundreds of people worship the Lord together, most of whom are teenagers.

There is plenty of fun going on out here in Durango, but we're excited as God continues to move in the hearts and minds of the students here.

Term One Opening Day Awesomeness!

We are so PUMPED that camp has begun for the KIVU 2011 Summer! Today we greeted our first term of campers and went straight to the freezing cold river for crazy wild, super exciting tubing fun! WHOOOOOO!!!

Campers and counselors loving KIVU!

These girls braved the ice cold river for a wild ride!

Boys conquering the river!

Boys living it up their first day at camp!

For more pictures of all the excitement and adventures going on here at camp, visit our website for daily postings! Go to Parents Place at campkivu.com to see more updates of the week's activities!!

- Allison, Sarah, and Katlyn