Kaléo Program

Monday, July 28, 2014

A word from last year's leadership award winner

Following along in our series, here is a word from last year's leadership award winner, Ian Friesen.

Hello Kaleo 2014-2015! I am so excited for the cool amazing ways that you will see God work this year! As a former student I remember many people telling me this at the beginning of the year and it caught me off guard. I was really uncertain as to what I was getting myself into, but what an amazing year! God did so much that I was able to see, and much more that I was too proud to open my eyes and see. 

As you have heard the Kaleo program has a focus on leadership development. Some of the greatest personal spiritual growth for me occurred in the area of leadership during the Kaleo program. The term 'leader' has a much more dynamic meaning than you may now know. Your typical leader as someone in an authoritative position of power with people under them is quite narrow minded as you will find out. Apparently the introverted, quite spoken, and non trend setters can lead in ways they don't even know they are doing!

Leadership is a really unique and fascinating concept. I am excited for all that you will learn about it this year! How one human can have such a powerful effect and impact on another human, to the extent that is possible, is beyond me. People of complete opposite character types and personalities can lead in the same powerful, effective way. The perfect mould for a leader that you envision is only one of many moulds. This is exactly where you can see God do only what God can do; use the weak to lead the strong. Weak as in muscle, sure but that is far from the point; weak as in shy, absolutely; weak as in not courageous, for sure; weak as in afraid of uncertainty, certainly; weak as in opposite of what the world would call a leader, indeed! As you dive into service, classes, out trips and so much more keep your eyes open to see how God uses people to lead others, including how he uses you to lead others. Godly leadership takes strength, but only the kind of strength that God gives will suffice for the job. Please, I urge you and myself, don't think you can do it on your own.

For me personally, and I believe for all people, the key to leadership is a servant heart! Servant leadership cuts through barriers and obstacles like a hot knife in butter. Jump in and serve God! Allow God to use you however He will as you lead others this year and on! 

A note of caution and encouragement on this topic. Leadership is not for the weak, meaning it is challenging in so many ways: intentionality, integrity, prayer, planning, flexibility, humility, pressure, trust, faithfulness, competence, time, effort, the list goes on. As a leader it sometimes feels like you are always giving. This is the challenge...and the reward, it is more blessed to give than to receive. That being said the rewards are very much present and leadership is very worth it. That is, if you are leading others towards holiness and Christ likeness, directly or indirectly. Godly leaders rely fully on God's strength, not their own, to do the work of God. That is where the strength comes from. Keep your eyes open for how your leaders, Andrew and crew, rely on God's strength. You will learn a lot from them. Then, as you lead others, the privilege is on you to rely on God's strength. 

So take courage, be bold, and go to God for help! Seek Him and ask Him to use you to lead others towards Him. Soak in what you are taught about leadership. Enjoy the somewhat terrifying, yet oddly fun, games with so called leadership lessons. Practice leading, in different styles too. Be prepared to be put in tough and uncomfortable situations, but trust me from my experience that it is worth it and you will grow in really cool ways toward Godly leadership. I'm so excited for each of you to grow in this area and I am even more excited for when the leaders of Kaleo 2014-2015, you guys :) , go out into the world as missionaries with servant hearts ready to lead others towards intimacy with Christ!!


In Christ,

Ian Friesen

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

A word from last year's community award winner.

Here is word from last year's community award winner, Riley McCrea. Riley excelled at being intentional with conversations and challenging people among the community. Riley was always willing to challenge others, ask them what they are learning, and pray for them. Here's Riley:

Hey Kaléo 2014/2015!

I am so excited for you guys to be here and being a part of this program! This program has many aspects that will help you to grow in your faith and one of those is the community in which you will be living.

You guys will be doing life together for 8 months and will be challenged by each other and grow with each other.  There are a few things that I believe will help you guys to get to know each other faster, deeper, and quicker.  Firstly, be real and follow after God first. Let your guards down and be vulnerable, it will happen eventually but when it happens is up to you.  Secondly, it takes courage and initiative.  Everyone wants to be a part of a community, and a community centred around Christ is the best kind of community.  However, if nobody has the courage to start going deep and challenging one another during the year, it will not happen.  If nobody takes the initiative to start to try to learn about all these other people in the program, it will not happen.  Take initiative and be the first to get to know one another and care for one another truly loving them in Christ.  

              Thirdly, be a part of this community here at Qwanoes.  Plan to be with the people that you are living with here and now.  Be here for the people that need you now, finish things that need to be finished before entering the program, tie up all loose ends before you make the journey out here.  Whether that loose end is: apologizing to someone in high school that you didn’t get along with, or maybe you are in a disagreement with someone at home; make things right before you come out here.  It may be difficult and humbling but it will be good, not easy, but good.  You never know God’s plan, it can end up being very different than your own. Tie up loose ends because you don’t know when you’ll have the opportunity to tie them later. I cannot stress this enough, finish and tie up things at home so that you can be present here with the people here, not always skyping people back home every chance you get.  I avoided doing this before I came out here last year for the Kaléo Program and the person that i didn’t apologize to, or make things right with, haunted me all year long, and now i’m here for another whole year; did i plan that to happen? No, but God has a plan and we don’t always know it.  
            Fourthly, be prepared to get to know people, expect to get to know people and strive to live life along side them through the good and the difficult.  There is only one you, only you can affect people the way that you do, so make your impact on people count for the greater good of the kingdom of God instead of your own self.

Thanks for reading this guys, hope this gets you excited for the upcoming year and getting to know a lot of other people.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

A word from last year's adventure award winner

Continuing in our series of posts from last year's award winners, here is a word from Cara Tetreo the adventure award winner.       

     First off I would just like to say that I was not the most adventurous heading into this program. However this past year through a lot of the out-trips I have learned about allowing God to take me out of my own boundaries and build perseverance. I have learned to try new things and not push myself so far that I will never try it again, but step by step I was able to accomplish what I thought was not possible for me. Through prayer and the overwhelming encouragement I received from my friends in the program I realized what I thought was not possible, was! This program will stretch you maybe more so than others in this component but that is good thing and it will allow you to receive growth in learning new skills, being challenged, relying and trusting in God and your fellow students.
            Personally I have realized that through the adventures, it is important to really absorb what you are doing and how it applies not only to the program but your life and walk with God.
While you are on the adventures try to let the beauty of His creation around you soak in and take those challenges as an opportunity to talk to God! A huge stretch for me was our out trip to Mount Albert Edwards. I knew that this out trip was going to be quite the challenge and I was unsure if I was able to accomplish it, having never hiked much before. However I used prayer all through the hike as a big support and there was nothing but praise and thankfulness towards God that I felt while reaching the top of that mountain!
            I also suggest on the adventures that you take the chance to be intentional in starting conversations with your fellow students. Ask them about their interests, home life, hobbies, family and more. The adventures are a great opportunity to bond together, have fun, and really get to know each other. While you still can do that during life at Camp Qwanoes, the adventure component is really tailored to communicating with one another, which allows to create a community very quick.
            Also, while you are going through your what to bring lists to pack for this September ask your friends, family or church family if anyone has what you need on that list. I ended up buying a lot of new things for our out trips when I could have easily asked people if I could borrow for the year. In the long run it saves you money and if you end up loving the adventure you tried you can always buy the stuff needed later to pursue the activity after the program! 

            Lastly, I would just like to say that the adventure aspect of the program is such a highlight! You are going to make memories of a lifetime with such an incredible Christ-centred small community! Soak in everything you can and take confidence in knowing that you do not have to be a professional at anything you try, I certainly was not! Just try your best and allow God to stretch and challenge you! You are going to have a blast!