”Hello family, friends, and supporters,
As camp has come to an end, and fall begins to enter in its brisk state, Dylan and I begin to reflect on the summer as a whole. This summer felt like it ended as soon as it started. Fast and slow, pain and healing, laughter and tears. We’ve formed new friendships, and relied on the old to keep us going. We have cherished another summer at Camp Daniel.
The kitchen is always a bit chaotic, that’s normal for us. This summer, with not nearly enough volunteers to help us, it became clear we had to call in for back up. Many returning kitchen volunteers helped us out immensely by taking one day each week to work alongside us. It’s so special to form a great bond with everyone who steps into the kitchen, especially when we can rely on each other when we need it most. We do hope we can recruit some fresh faces for next year!
Fall is usually time for everyone to take a step back and slow down. But this season looks a little different, as Dylan and I are in the process of buying a house! This means we’ve created an entirely new project to add onto everyone’s plate, but we’re all very excited for this new chapter.
We are not a typical couple, so we knew that we wouldn’t be able to afford our dream home. During summer camp, Dylan found a home in Crivitz, right outside of town. It has smoke damage from a fire that has lead to the whole building being gutted-no walls, no saved appliances, no flooring, no electric. We’ve been pre-approved for a loan that covers the cost of the house, and also applies the loan toward renovations. This is where our village comes in. The foundation of the building is solid, and with the help of everyone around us, we are going to build our dream home!
The only downside, closing costs. What we originally thought we could pay up front, almost tripled when we got the estimates back from our lender. The numbers we looked at were scary, and right now, we are putting a lot of faith in God, in our family and friends, in anyone who will listen, that this will work out for us. This is something that has been on our minds and heart a lot this year. We know that when the time is right, God will come through for us and show us where we need to be. For now, we have moved back into the Chicagami house at camp, and will be living here until we can make our dream a reality.
One of my favorite events is coming up, the holiday getaway! It’s full of hot chocolate, laughter and cheer, comforting homestyle meals, and packed with holiday spirit! I cannot wait to start preparing after our annual Spooktacular extravaganza.
We’re looking forward to everything that surrounds fall, and silently dreading winter as it approaches. Sounds of snow blowing and shocking chilly temperatures are in Camp Daniel’s future.
Thank you to everyone who has and continues to support us. It means the world to us and we feel blessed every day by the people who surround us with so much love. We simply cannot thank you all enough. We appreciate any financial support that is offered, and we ask that you continue to have us in your prayers as we navigate many new steps. Please reach out to us to chat or even come visit us soon, we’d love to see and hear from you.
With love,
The Stonelakes
