Camp Holsby
Camp Holsby. The same place, but with a new name! This last year we’ve been going through a bit of a rebranding process in the Camps and Retreats part of the ministry. As part of a push to connect better with both Sweden and the German speaking countries, we are officially launching our new camp website this winter. Please take the chance to surf through the new pages of the website and, of course, to watch our camp video. Above all, spread the word about Camp Holsby! Click on the screenshot below to see the new Camp Holsby website.
Links to the Camp Holsby website in all three languages:
Swedish: www.campholsby.se English: www.campholsby.se/en German: www.campholsby.se/deMany of you have encountered God via Holsby at some point during the 40 years this center has been in existence. We want to continue to be a Torchbearer center where people meet Jesus and are changed forever. If you’re ever interested in the possibility of bringing a group, either youth or family, don’t hesitate to contact us. We always love having former student and staff led groups come back to Holsby for a camp or retreat. Watch our new Camp Holsby video and share the link with your friends:
As the new calendar year comes upon us, may we remember why we even count the years as we do. As we look back on the celebration of Christ’ birth let us look forward to this new year with Jesus as leader of our lives. Happy New Year from all of us at Camp Holsby!
Christmas @ Holsby
This is a season of joy! We rejoice in the Child Who came to be born and the Son Who was given – Jesus, God’s Son!
And HIS Name shall be called –
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace!
Isaiah 9:6
JULKONSERT: This verse from Isaiah was the theme verse for our Christmas concert this year at Alsedakyrkan. “The King Has Come” was our theme. Lots of joy was expressed by both students and staff through beautiful and meaningful musical sounds, dance, and devotion. Kristi-Anna Eldridge led our choir (comprised of both students and staff) and was the responsible person for co-ordinating the whole program.
Other numbers included a small Swedish ensemble; instrumental renditions presented by a string trio, violin solo, French horn solo, and bagpipes played by our own principal, Luke Thomas; and an amazing a cappella ensemble wishing us all a “Merry Christmas.”
Following the interpretive dance to the music of the song, “City on Our Knees,” John Poysti shared a very appropriate devotion, parts of which follow:
“There is a Latin word that describes this attempt to hide your identity, it is the word “INCOGNITO.” Kingly and other famous people like to go incognito sometimes to avoid unwanted attention.
So, the question arises: did King Jesus also come incognito to this earth? The Bible teaches us that the eternal and kingly Son of God clothed Himself in the form of a human and was born in a humble manger. Not really the kind of entry one would expect from a king, let alone the King of kings. Did Jesus really want to hide His identity and avoid unwanted attention? Was that His purpose? I don’t believe so. Jesus didn’t come as a human in order to hide His identity as the Son of God; He came to reveal His Father and the message of salvation in the only way we could understand. He came into this world in a beautiful display of love, where two worlds collided: the earthly and the heavenly. And it was only because Jesus came in the form of a human being that we can fully and finally understand who God is.
There is another Latin term for how we treated Jesus. The term is “PERSONA NON GRATA” – an unacceptable person. If you have been convicted of a crime, or if your presence is seen as a threat or inconvenience in any way, there are some countries that will turn you away at the border. They will tell you that you are a “persona non grata.”
Jesus, the King of kings, was also treated as a persona non grata. But, we didn’t just confine Him … or send him away .., we nailed Him to a cross. And there on the cross, Jesus took the punishment for our sins that we deserved – in an act of supreme love. It was a dark day for humanity, but the Apostle John tells us that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). The good news is that death and the grave could not contain King Jesus. On the third day He rose again. He offers us forgiveness for our sins and hope for life eternal. Jesus is alive. He is here! The King has come. May we receive Him as our King and worship Him on our knees.”
++++++
LUCIA – A very Swedish tradition for the 13th of December is Lucia. When the nights are long and dark (some consider this to be the longest night of the year), Lucia comes as a bearer of light.
It was busy in the office that early morning as the staff put on their “robes” and prepared to present Lucia to the students. Breakfast was well underway in the Holsby dining room when sounds of singing were heard. Lights went off and Lucia and her train entered carrying plates of pepparkakor — the hard ginger snap kind of cookie which is especially favoured at Christmas time. Swedish student, Anna, was the bearer of the candled crown this year, accompanied by our oldest “Teebee,” Kayley!
Origins for Lucia have their variations. She is an ancient mythical figure from the 300s, who gave much to the poor of her city but was eventually stoned to death. It is one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth.
JULBORD – The last official event of the fall term of Bible school is our big Christmas smörgåsbord, prepared so amazingly by our gifted and artistic kitchen staff!! This year’s delicious meal had a new flavour – more of a Japanese influence.
Students and staff were delighted as they walked into the dining room past the tables laden with all these delicacies! Then they seated themselves at beautifully decorated tables aglow with candlelight! Small tea lights at each table setting were specially wood-burned by Elke with names of Jesus. These were gifts to each and every one.
Excitement pervaded the room as people shared with one another many special things – including thoughts of the upcoming Christmas travel and reunions with family for the holidays.
May you have a most blessed Christmas as you celebrate with family and friends the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. HE is King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. Give HIM the rightful place in your hearts and homes as you celebrate HIS birth!
As Swedish greetings go for Christmas and the New Year, we here at Holsby wish you all …
EN GOD JUL & ETT GOTT NYTT ÅR
Outreach in Åhus
Over travel weekend, we (Karalie, Katrina, Luisa, Lisa and David) had the amazing opportunity to assist with leading a confirmation camp for youth in Åhus, on the Baltic sea in southeastern Sweden. After the three-hour shuttle and bus ride down, we arrived at our destination. Upon arrival, we were asked to lead in worship that night. Although we weren’t prepared for that, our team had all the abilities required. This was a real blessing, and throughout the camp we realized how perfectly God had prepared the trip for us and put together our team.
Throughout the weekend we periodically led worship. Introducing English songs to the youth was a challenge at first, but by the end of the weekend, all of them had learned the songs and some were found singing around the dinner tables. Friday morning was our opportunity to lead the morning devotional. Lisa spoke on the parable of the four soils, which really opened up the theme for that weekend, “Which soil will you choose to be?”
That day we got to know the youth a little better as we interacted with them a little bit more outside of the service. We got to choose between seeing the beautiful sights of the town of Åhus or hit the beach for some sunshine, swimming and ultimate Frisbee. It was a great time to develop some bonds with the youth, and learn more about the lives they lead, and just hang out.
Our role at the camp also had us lead some group activities. That evening we took half of the youth outside to get them active, and then half inside to focus on more team building exercises. Both were a hit. We also participated in the activities organized by the other leaders. In one of these activities the youth were challenged to write down a burden that they had been dealing with. We then went on a night walk down to the beach where they had a fire burning to cast their burdens into.
Saturday was our opportunity to be involved in some of the teaching. Friday had the youth sitting through classes and learning different aspects of what we learn from Jesus through what He said and did. There were four more classes for them, and we split up to lead two, one being on the topic of prayer and the other on how to read the Bible. At times, overcoming the language barrier was difficult, but we were able to have our classes translated by a leader as well, which helped keep the youth engaged. There were some really good questions and discussions, and it was good to see the youth wrestle with the subjects.
Sunday morning was perhaps the climax of our part of the camp. Luisa and David shared their testimonies to encourage the youth to take steps of faith. Before we left on Sunday we challenged them not to leave without taking something personal away – without being changed by God.
Åhus truly was an amazing time for all of us, although we came home tired and exhausted. We pray that the seeds we helped sow will continue to grow and develop as the Lord sees fit.
“2nd Gens” at Holsby!
For quite a few years now, one of my favorite things to write about for Holsby is the “2nd Gens“! Two years ago, we had 12, last year we had none, and now this year we have five. I’d like to introduce them along with a wee bit of info about their parents who were here those long years ago.
We’ll use the sofa picture to identify each student:
Back row left: Annika Petersson, who hails from British Columbia in Canada, has quite a Holsby heritage behind her. Her mother, Ellen Petersson was here 1981-82, leading the way for the family. Ellen currently teaches kindergarten. Later during the 80’s, Annika’s Aunt Anna and Uncle John-Eric were also students. Two years ago, her sister Linnea attended Holsby. Annika has relatives in Sweden, and she visited with them right before school started.
Back row right: Kevin Dick is also from B.C. in Canada. His mom, Gwen Kroeker Dick, also a kindergarten teacher, was here 1979-80. Kevin, however, is not the only Dick to follow in Gwen’s footsteps. Sister Katie was here a few years back as well.
Middle row: Right in the middle we find Katrina Bartell from Alberta, Canada. Her mom is Jan Reimer Bartell from the years 1975-76. Jan is an accountant in a family business and a stay-at-home mom.
Bottom row left: We only found out at the last minute that Rose Hathaway was also a 2nd Gen. Her home is in the state of Minnesota in the USA. Janet Johnson Hathaway is her mom and she attended the spring term of 1980. Janet is another stay-at-home mom.
Bottom row right: Last but not least is Laura Thams from Denmark. Laura’s mom, Lise Rykjaer Thams, also attended only the spring course – in 1981. Lise, who says her life was really turned around here at Holsby, is a psychologist. Lise was the first of her family to come to Holsby. She was followed by her sister, Christina, and her brother, Jakob.
School has been in session now for a few weeks. It did not take long for the students to begin bonding together. I asked each one of these 2nd Gens what these early weeks have meant to them:
Annika: I am blessed to be here and to have this opportunity.
Kevin: I love the community and how quickly it has all come together.
Katrina: These weeks have given me a fresh start and new understanding of God.
Rose: The fellowship with the students has been great and it’s been so easy to connect with one another.
Laura: I’ve been feeling so blessed. It has been everything I have been praying for. I had not expected it to be this good so early on. I feel really safe here.
Thanks for your prayers for all of our young people as they go through this year. Their hearts are open and our Lord loves to pour in HIS truth and life and love!
Set your hope fully on the grace… Holsby 2013-14
A few weeks ago we welcomed 62 students from 10 countries to Holsby Bible School 2013-14. Here is a short video, put together by the guy’s RA, Stephen Reith, capturing the highlights of this year – our students.
It’s great to see and hear this place filled again with young men and women who have come to study God’s Word and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ. The theme for this year is “experiencing in part what one day we will experience in full,” based on 1 Peter 1:13: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” As we look to that grace that will one day complete God’s work of salvation in our lives, we trust it will begin to express itself now as Jesus gradually changes our lives to reflect Him.
Please continue to pray for all of us as we seek to faithfully serve the Lord and His purposes here at Holsby.
Holsby “Teebees”
Teebees are some of my favorite people on campus! This summer, we’ve added two of them to the Holsby family. (By the way, the name “Teebees” is what we call our staff kids, and it derives from Torchbearers).
Our most recent one was born to Jonathan & Trista Miller. The Millers have been here for three years and Jonathan is the director of Holsby’s camp program.
NAME: Nox Emmanuel Miller
DATE: 6 August 2013
TIME: 12:22 a.m.
WEIGHT: 3260 grams; 7 lbs. 1 oz.
LENGTH: 50 cm.; 19 in.
SIBLINGS: Hazel and Huxley (2-year-old twins)
After Nox’s birth, Trista was hospitalized for a full week due to complications after receiving an epidural. Lots of prayer went up on her behalf and various staff helped out with the twins at home. The Lord answered in some pretty amazing ways and HIS presence was very tangible! Trista shares: “Once again I am overwhelmed and grateful for the Holsby community. The load I felt was much easier to carry when the weight was distributed amongst other believers.”
Two weeks later, it was so good to see the whole family together at a birthday party for our oldest Teebee!!
Trista and Jonathan – God has blessed you and your young family and shown Himself strong on your behalf! All the ways have not been easy ones, but you’ve witnessed HIS grace and HIS love surrounding you and carrying you. As you guide little Nox through his growing-up years, may he come to learn that his Heavenly Father has placed valuable nuggets out of the treasures of HIS love all along the way – just waiting to be discovered. May Nox grow to be a man of God, one who shares HIS truths freely.
All the paths of the Lord are
mercy and steadfast love,
even truth and faithfulness are they for those who [obey Him].
Psalm 25:10
A couple of months ago, a little girl was welcomed into the home of our staff volunteers, Martin & Danielle Aspegren.
NAME: Ottilia Faith Aspegren
DATE: 4 June 2013
TIME: 10:41 p.m.
WEIGHT: 4110 grams; 9 lbs. 1 oz.
LENGTH: 52 cm., 20-1/2 in.
BIG BROTHER: Max, 3 years old
Little Ottilia Faith is named after her grandmother, Faith – a special name with a lot of blessing when one reflects on its significance!
Danielle shared that a very meaningful part of her experience took place after the births of both their children. The simple song, which we call the “Doxology,” was a thoughtful expression of what flowed from her heart the very first time she was alone with these little ones. She offered her praise with these words:
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise HIM all creatures here below
Praise HIM above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen!
Danielle & Martin, you have been great examples in the home of serving the Lord in the ordinary junctures of life. May your little Ottilia learn early to follow in your footsteps – you who are following the Lord’s footsteps – and serve HIM with joy and gladness!! May she know HIM as Lord, and in turn allow her life to touch many lives with the simplicity of God’s love!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before His presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!
Psalm 100:2-3
In this calendar year, we’ve actually added five Teebees to the Holsby family: Ember Thomas (February), Tobin Strohm (February), Laura Schnizler (March), Ottilia Aspegren (June), and Nox Miller (August). Here you see all of them together with their moms!
At a recent gathering, we assembled all these young families together for a photo – which doesn’t have the chance to happen very often! Pray for our young families who are serving so faithfully here at Holsby. It is a “juggle” sometimes to put all the schedule together between work and home. But our families are committed to both! Pray for:
- … wisdom and understanding in bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
- … good contacts with families both inside and outside the Holsby context
- … strength and health in the midst of schedules that are not always routine
- … the moms and dads to be encouraged in the Lord in the midst of their daily contexts, and to grow in their walk with HIM
I’m sure all of our Holsby families, younger and older, would say:
“… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
Jesus Changes Lives – 40 years of God’s Faithfulness
“Jesus Changes Lives” was the theme for Holsby’s 40th Anniversary Retreat, and it turned out to be quite the week full of fun, fellowship and growth. Before you do anything else, check out the Anniversary Retreat video!
All of Holsby’s former directors, along with Torchbearers’ General Director, Chris Thomas, were in attendance.
Continue Reading →
Staff Conference & Anniversary Retreat
Most of the longer-term Holsby staff attended the Torchbearer Staff Conference at Capernwray Hall the last week of June. Every four years, the worldwide Torchbearer staff gathers at Capernwray in England for a time of teaching, worship, fellowship and sharing of ideas. This year, the featured speaker was Pastor Richard Dahlstrom from Seattle, who taught from the book of Acts. His teaching was both inspiring and practical. With over 300 in attendance, it was a wonderful week that went by all too quickly.
Holsby staff at Capernwray 2013
Our General Director, Chris Thomas, was re-elected for another four-year term, which will be his last before retirement. Each of the 26 centers worldwide gave a report of the progress and challenges in ministry. The health of the Torchbearers family is strong, and there was a definite sense of optimism and hope about the future.
In my report to the other participants, I shared the following:
“Holsby is turning 40 this year. It’s a great milestone and a clear indication of God’s goodness and blessing. Now, it would seem that with so many years under our belt, we would have already answered the question of “Why do we do what we do? Why Holsby?” But a few months ago our leadership team met for an offsite retreat and we spent most of our time considering just that question: “Why Holsby?” We know what we do: we present the life of Christ to a dying world. We know how we do it: we disciple young people through the teaching of God’s Word and modeling a holy life. But why do we do it??”
I went on to explain how we came up with a very simple but important conclusion. We do what we do, because Jesus changes lives! That is the “why” of Holsby – the fact that, by His grace, Jesus transforms the lives of staff, students and guests during their time at Holsby. And for the last 40 years, we have had the privilege of seeing so many lives radically changed by the indwelling Son of God.
This next week, we will be hosting a 40th anniversary retreat here at Holsby. All of the former directors will be participating: Fred and Sharon Wright, Wally and Donna Schoon, Ulf and Eva Andersson, and Ric (Keli) Schoon. The theme of the retreat and the teaching will be, of course!!: “Jesus changes lives.” Former staff and students from Norway, Germany, Sweden, Canada, United States, Austria and Poland are among the participants. We expect it to be a great week of celebration of God’s goodness in the past, and of our hope and faith in His continued blessings in the future.
By God’s grace, in the next 40 years of Holsby’s history, we will continue to see many lives changed by Jesus for His glory. Jesus changes lives!
Bible School in the words of our students
We are once again grateful to the Lord for the group of students we had this past year and how each of them invested into the Holsby community. As with every year, we are most encouraged by the life-changing investment that Christ made in their lives. Our theme verse this year was Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Through obedience to this command, Joshua was led into a life of worship as he continued to witness all that God was able to do through his availability. In the first chapter we see that Joshua had to be available to the promises of God, the word of God, and the presence of God. Our prayer for every student who journeys on from here is that they would continue to mature in their availability to Jesus Christ who indwells them, being their daily expression of worship and the opportunity to be continually led into worship.
Student Life: Teya Bartel
Student life at Holsby is different than other Christian environments because it is honest, open and real. At Holsby you have the perfect balance of exploring nature with friends by going on adventurous walks or spending quality time with Jesus.
It is small enough that you feel comfortable opening up to the students and staff and making friendships that will last a lifetime.
Lectures: Ramona Schmidt
The lectures are one of the major things that distinguish being at Holsby from my normal life back at home. I have never been in a place before where I am under the influence of biblical teaching for up to five hours a day! Having guest lecturers from very different backgrounds broadened my understanding of the variety that is in the body of Christ and helped me accept differences concerning personalities and opinions.
It has been a privilege to learn about things that matter in my everyday life for these eight months!
Discovery: Anna Schmideder
The Discovery program was a big part of what made these nine months at Holsby really special. For various reasons, I grew a lot in my faith through being outdoors. While hiking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing or skiing through the beautiful nature of Sweden, God revealed Himself to all of us through His creation. The different settings gave the perfect opportunity to reflect on the lectures at school, talk about questions and observations we had, and to basically share what the Lord had been teaching us with the tight-knit group of brothers and sisters.
We developed deep friendships with each other based on trust, honesty, love and the mindset of being pushed out of our comfort zone into the given challenges. We learned to stick it out together and enjoy the outdoors, and because of that we were all willing to go on new adventures, leaving the comfy life in Holsby for one to ten days. Looking back I can say with all my heart that the Discovery program was a perfect place to learn about myself, of being a leader and follower, and about the many technical skills we needed to know.
Outreach: Christopher Guido
Outreach has been such a blessing for all of us, whether you were playing basketball with kids or having fika with the elderly. It’s great that we had this opportunity to give back to the community and share about God at the same time.
Missions (Bosnia): Viktor Kaisler
Fifteen students from the Bible school served ten days in Bosnia, at the Gorazde Hope Center. We helped the people at the Hope Center with food distribution and health fairs in schools. After the civil war in Bosnia and a very high unemployment rate, there is not just physical need but also spiritual need. In teams of two and a translator, we visited many homes of people living in poor conditions and brought them basic food essentials.
We also went to schools and taught them basics about health and played games afterwards. Some teams could share the Gospel while they talked with the families. I am going back to Bosnia for seven weeks to help with the Hope Center in their adventure camp and English camp as an intern. I am looking forward to how God will challenge me and what He will do in these few weeks.
Meet the Spring Adventure Team
Here is a brief glimpse into the spring camp season at Holsby. We are thankful to the Lord for bringing a solid team of people to host our spring confirmation and youth camps. Here are a few of their stories from their time at Holsby. Enjoy!
