By: Colleen Friesen
“Memories – race across the pages of my mind “- words similar to these are part of a song I learned years ago but ring so true for me today!
When I think of my childhood, Hume Lake takes the biggest part of my memory. My parents, Walter and Frances Warkentin, were bigger than life to me. Dad, one of the five original founders of Hume Lake Christian Camps, was my daddy – yet at Hume Lake, he was “the man”. My mom was the most gracious, organized hostess you could imagine. She raised three girls while managing Hume’s staff, food service, and running the children’s camps at the beginning. All this while dad was still farming our small farm near Dinuba, California. I remember him leaving in the evening to go down the hill, drive a tractor, and be back the next morning to run the camp.
The miracles (a miracle by definition is a supernatural intervention of God) that brought Hume into being and have sustained it are many. Tears come to my eyes almost every time I think of all that God has done. Dad and mom were a young couple dedicated to the Lord and willing to do what He asked them to. I don’t have to wonder if they knew what they were getting into because they told me they didn’t! They just took it one day at a time, doing what needed to be done while being faithful to their commitment to be at the center of the Lord’s will.
I believe God places people where He can use the talents and gifts He has given to them. Dad was a visionary, and mom was an organizer extraordinaire! Those gifts were not coincidental – God knew before the beginning of time that He would use this young couple in a very special way to get Hume Lake Christian Camps up and running.
I am reminded when I remember my parents how important it is to keep my gaze on God and only glance at the circumstances. Hume’s beginning could NOT have happened without the supernatural intervention of God. What a mighty God we serve. God will use us according to His will, and I am so grateful to Him for His faithfulness in using my parents and, of course, others in His plan for Hume Lake Christian Camps.
Dad had a high school teacher who called him out and remained his mentor until he met Jesus. He was also one of the five men who founded Hume. He saw something in dad as a teenager that perhaps no one else saw. I want to be that kind of person who can encourage and walk alongside others as they follow the Lord. I believe the Lord wants to use us to spur others on in their faith and see what great things the Lord can do!!
The story of Hume is about God’s faithfulness! It’s His place – to God be the glory!
Colleen and her husband, Dennis, have three kids and nine grandkids (two will be on staff at Hume this summer!). Colleen has many special memories of growing up at Hume, with her dad as the first Executive Director. A fun fact about Walter and Frances Warkentin’s family is that they have had a family member on staff every summer (except for one) since the beginning of Hume in 1946! What a legacy!