Recharge at Mennohaven

Recharge at Mennohaven

Bryn Hovde, Noah Miller, Micah Miller, Brian Maren, Jesse Slater, Jeremy Niemeyer, Eli Ours, Logan Thomas, Kobe Borntrager, Dick Yoder-Short

Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center is located in Illinois and is a sister camp to Crooked Creek.  One of our goals was to learn about renewable energy by helping install solar panels on one of Menno Haven’s buildings.  Dick Yoder-Short volunteered his expertise to help lead the installation team and teach the students about the process. Matt Kauffman, a Goshen College grad gave us a tour of a local Wind Farm.  Having worked for many years in the Department of Energy in Washington DC as well a variety of solar and wind installations in the midwest, Matt was able to teach us about the complexities of the politics surrounding alternative energy sources.  Another of our goals was to learn about camp life and to help with whatever projects Menno Haven needed help with. We helped clear a forest of branches and trunks for a wedding coming up this summer, we cleared leaves and debris out the pool, and we helped burn brush.  In the evenings, students enjoyed the Menno Haven facilities and played basketball, spike ball, carpet ball, board games, had a ping pong tournament, air hockey, and shuffleboard. The Menno Haven staff led us in a fun crate stacking initiative. One evening, our group went to Willow Springs Mennonite Church for a potluck and saw the “Unique & United” SALT group presentation.  The students commented afterward that they appreciated the hospitality shown by the Menno Haven staff. It was hard work, but we had a chance to serve, get to know each other better, and enjoy being in nature, seeing God at work around us and in each other… we came back recharged and ready to go!