May 2024

Dear Friends and Family,

I (Launa) have been reading through my Camp Oak Hills support letters from the last several years, and I’m noticing a common theme. Almost every letter contains a plea for prayer for Paul and I, and the difficulty in being separated for the summer. I’m happy to say that the Lord has answered those prayers by bringing us all to Bemidji! Our move here allowed me to go to Oak Hills Christian College full-time, using Paul’s GI Bill, and he started teaching HVAC and Ethics at Northwest Technical College. So not only are we in the same city this summer, but, because of Paul’s teaching schedule and the fact that he doesn’t have any summer classes this year, he will be joining us on camp staff!

Paul’s role will be as Camp Pastor. In this new role at camp, he will be mentoring the summer staff by giving spiritual guidance, emotional support, truth from God’s Word, and encouragement to press on through challenges. He also plans to help out with the shooting sports, both archery and on the .22 range. And I think our directors will probably be able to talk him into driving the tubing boat too!

Launa’s job will be very much the same as it was last summer. I have been hired as the Head Lifeguard again, and will be training under the Waterfront Director to maybe someday take on more of his role, as he is getting close to retirement age. I will also retain my position as the Health Office Director, and hopefully get someone else to help me out with those duties.

Jordan and Christopher will be joining us at camp again this summer. Jordan is the Media Specialist; her time at Trout Lake Camps last summer and over the school year has given her a lot of training, and she is eager to put that to use here. Christopher will be working on Junior Staff again, and is planning on taking on the role of Waterfront Assistant as well. Sierra continues to work as full-time missionary staff in the front office. And Brooke and her friend Maggie (aka. Broogie and Maggookie) are planning to counsel a cabin together during middle school week. I am so glad we get to minister together as a family! It has been such a blessing!



Paul’s new position is unfunded, and my position is only partially funded, so we are both raising the rest of our salary this year. Our goal is to make an extra $5,000 this summer between the two of us. But we also realize that you will likely be receiving support letters from our children. So we are asking that if you are unable to send support to all of us, that you would consider supporting them first, especially Christopher, as this is his first year trying to earn money, and we would like this to be a very positive experience for him.

Please remember the Schlador family in your prayers!

●     Thank God for our new home in Bemidji! We are settled into our apartment on campus at Oak Hills Christian College. Paul is really enjoying his new teaching job, doing well in his Army Reserves career, and is able to do some pulpit supply for area churches. Launa has completed her first year as a full-time college student at OHCC with a 4.0 GPA in her Christian Ministry/Pastoral Studies degree program. The Lord has been so faithful!

●     The kids are doing so well here in our new community. Christopher and Jordan have transitioned seamlessly into the youth group here. Jordan finished her high school program this month and now has her diploma. She has been very involved at church and at the college helping out with audio/visual and worship arts, and she has been working part time for Trout as a media specialist, and also babysitting for a family of five children. She has been very busy. Christopher has completed his first year of high school. Brooke and her husband Jeff were also able to move to Bemidji. So almost all of us are here now, with the exception of Renee and her husband Noah, who are still in the Green Bay area, close to his parents. The Lord has been faithful to our children too! Praise the Lord!

●     We were able to purchase a piece of land last fall with some of the proceeds from the sale of our house in Duluth. We have 16 acres about 7 miles east of Sierra and David’s house. We have been working with a company down in the Cities on getting some plans drawn up. And this summer we are working with a contractor who will be doing our approach, the dirt work for the pad for our house, and our septic system. We are also hoping to get the well dug and power to the building site. Please pray that all of this will go smoothly and that we will stay on or under budget.

●     And of course, please pray for our time at camp this summer! Pray that Paul will acclimatize to his new role as camp pastor and all that means. Pray that Launa will be able to provide a fun, safe environment at the waterfront for all the campers and staff. Pray also that God will send more staff for Camp Oak Hills. It seems like God likes to wait until the last minute to fill these positions, and we can’t help but feel a little anxious about it!

Thank you all for your faithful friendship and prayer support! We love you all! (And please drop us a line and let us know how we can pray for you!)

Blessings,

Paul and Launa Schlador

paulschlador@gmail.com      701-953-8452

launabug@gmail.com           218-600-6204