Family Camp: A God's Gift to Wesley by Barbara Hiura
‘“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and don’t forget his benefits” [Psalm 103:2]. {From Rev. Jon Visitation’s Message}
Whoa…What? A one- pounder? A trout at Pinecrest Lake? Who caught it? Jace, a youngster. Geez, he caught the biggest fish at Family Camp this year and not only did he make the parents proud, but the news of his catch was broadcast in the camp grapevine by his even prouder grandmother, Judy Yasutake. Jace beat out all the adults too and was declared the fishing champ of Wesley All Church Camp 2026. And fishing…isn’t that one of the blessings of family camp?
Wesley’s All Church Camp over Labor Day is the place to be. This is God’s country, meaning, here among the Sugar Pines and Doug Firs, the rarified fresh air, the mountains, lakes and trails at over 5,000 ft. you can clear your mind, relax, and allow yourself to feel the presence of God. This is the blessing, the benefit. And we are thankful for this time and place where our church family not only experiences a unique time together, tbut builds lasting memories. We hike, fish (that’s the big deal, here), swim, kayak, go boating, sing around the campfire, eat S’mores and do craft projects. This year Wesley had 114 campers. And what a time we had.
Hat’s off and thank you to Camp Director, John Ng for putting our camp experience together. It is, after all, his Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter holidays all rolled into Family Camp and does he ever make it a time to remember. Christine is an equal partner in our experience as this is their family experience. They both share in making Family Camp the highlight of the year. Jon’s hardest task isn’t all that organizing which he has down to a science, but it’s putting together the Scavenger Hunt list and trying to outwit team Carmen, but alas, this year was no different. Team Carmen was once again top dog so it’s back to the drawing board for Jon.
A huge shout-out to our fishing gurus—John Ng, Ham Tran, Bob Yasukawa, and Cindy Fukuda. Thanks to them, novices like me and the children had a wonderful time catching fish at Wesley Rock and out on the lake. The fish may not have been prize-winners, but the thrill of feeling that first tug on the line and reeling one in creates unforgettable memories. I can see how camp plants the seeds for future anglers and gives us yet another reminder of God’s blessings.
Mark Teagle not only provided all the music leadership, for the campfire sing-along and the worship, he also led a group on a Kayak outing. That was an experience I’ll never forget. This year, a fierce wind kicked up and all the kayakers, even a little for Mark, had us all struggling to get back to the dock.
Camp skits and musical numbers created many memorable moments! But, Camp G stole the show with their skit and performance of our camp song, “Golden.” While most groups tried to sing it, Camp G had no singers—so they rapped it instead—and won the competition hands down with their creative interpretation. Imagine Judy Yasutake rapping the verses and chorus in a New York Jewish accent, and you’ll get the idea. DeeDee Azuma added her spoken-word style, backed by Carmen Cook and the Sakakihara family. Hilarious!
The multi-talented Urata family turns Family Camp into their annual family reunion. They share great fishing stories and, this year, gave us a new rendition of our “Family Camp” song. We also heard Natalie and Arissa from the Wesley Keiki Band perform “Surfin’ USA,” and Natalie danced a beautiful hula while her parents played “Mele o Lanai.” It was simply awesome.
Once again, David and Becky Wong, from Clovis, brought their portable sno-cone machine and provided that Hawaiian sweet and delightful shave-ice experience at camp. We had many of us walking around with blue tongues. There were after campfire food and snacks. Camp D had movies nights, with hot dogs and rice, and nachos for snacks. Camp E and F, had chili and sushi rice along with cookies, lemon and lime bars. Nobody goes hungry.
This year, with the gorgeous lodge finally open, it was game night every evening. The battle that never ceased was the Scrabble tournament and with DeeDee returning after many years away (thanks to the four-season cabins) provided much needed competition for Paul Ueunten.
The Four Seasons cabins and the beautiful brand-spank’n new Lodge were God Sends, as now our older less mobile folk can attend and that’s made a huge difference. And with the lodge being located on level ground, we’re hoping more of our seniors will want to join the family camp experience.
Our Sunday worship service was graced by Rev. Jon Visitacion. What a delight it was to have him and his family at All Church Camp for the first time. His meaningful message focused on the challenges he sees in his health care workplace, where cutbacks, layoffs, and heavier workloads have created difficult times for many. Yet even in-the-midst of these trials, he reminded us, God’s blessings remain. It is hard to see friends and colleagues struggle, but God’s light of hope shines through our gifts of giving, consoling, understanding, and sharing. Rev. Jon encouraged us all to keep remembering God’s blessings and benefits. While the message was brief, we were uplifted. Thank you, Jon.
Lastly, we were honored our last evening, with the presence of Warren Shimonishi. He was our Family Camp Director for some 40 years along with his late wife, Rosie, before John took over. Accolades and high-fives all around for Warren because through his dedication and perseverance, and with John taking over, we’re continuing his legacy. Also, the man likes to fish…and by golly, he won the second-place fishing award. Way to go, Warren!
We were Blessed by God and certainly got high from God’s gifts. Next year comes around quickly and if you've never been, think about coming and if you attended this year, y’all come back, hear and feel God’s presence at a higher altitude.
Whoa…What? A one- pounder? A trout at Pinecrest Lake? Who caught it? Jace, a youngster. Geez, he caught the biggest fish at Family Camp this year and not only did he make the parents proud, but the news of his catch was broadcast in the camp grapevine by his even prouder grandmother, Judy Yasutake. Jace beat out all the adults too and was declared the fishing champ of Wesley All Church Camp 2026. And fishing…isn’t that one of the blessings of family camp?
Wesley’s All Church Camp over Labor Day is the place to be. This is God’s country, meaning, here among the Sugar Pines and Doug Firs, the rarified fresh air, the mountains, lakes and trails at over 5,000 ft. you can clear your mind, relax, and allow yourself to feel the presence of God. This is the blessing, the benefit. And we are thankful for this time and place where our church family not only experiences a unique time together, tbut builds lasting memories. We hike, fish (that’s the big deal, here), swim, kayak, go boating, sing around the campfire, eat S’mores and do craft projects. This year Wesley had 114 campers. And what a time we had.
Hat’s off and thank you to Camp Director, John Ng for putting our camp experience together. It is, after all, his Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter holidays all rolled into Family Camp and does he ever make it a time to remember. Christine is an equal partner in our experience as this is their family experience. They both share in making Family Camp the highlight of the year. Jon’s hardest task isn’t all that organizing which he has down to a science, but it’s putting together the Scavenger Hunt list and trying to outwit team Carmen, but alas, this year was no different. Team Carmen was once again top dog so it’s back to the drawing board for Jon.
A huge shout-out to our fishing gurus—John Ng, Ham Tran, Bob Yasukawa, and Cindy Fukuda. Thanks to them, novices like me and the children had a wonderful time catching fish at Wesley Rock and out on the lake. The fish may not have been prize-winners, but the thrill of feeling that first tug on the line and reeling one in creates unforgettable memories. I can see how camp plants the seeds for future anglers and gives us yet another reminder of God’s blessings.
Mark Teagle not only provided all the music leadership, for the campfire sing-along and the worship, he also led a group on a Kayak outing. That was an experience I’ll never forget. This year, a fierce wind kicked up and all the kayakers, even a little for Mark, had us all struggling to get back to the dock.
Camp skits and musical numbers created many memorable moments! But, Camp G stole the show with their skit and performance of our camp song, “Golden.” While most groups tried to sing it, Camp G had no singers—so they rapped it instead—and won the competition hands down with their creative interpretation. Imagine Judy Yasutake rapping the verses and chorus in a New York Jewish accent, and you’ll get the idea. DeeDee Azuma added her spoken-word style, backed by Carmen Cook and the Sakakihara family. Hilarious!
The multi-talented Urata family turns Family Camp into their annual family reunion. They share great fishing stories and, this year, gave us a new rendition of our “Family Camp” song. We also heard Natalie and Arissa from the Wesley Keiki Band perform “Surfin’ USA,” and Natalie danced a beautiful hula while her parents played “Mele o Lanai.” It was simply awesome.
Once again, David and Becky Wong, from Clovis, brought their portable sno-cone machine and provided that Hawaiian sweet and delightful shave-ice experience at camp. We had many of us walking around with blue tongues. There were after campfire food and snacks. Camp D had movies nights, with hot dogs and rice, and nachos for snacks. Camp E and F, had chili and sushi rice along with cookies, lemon and lime bars. Nobody goes hungry.
This year, with the gorgeous lodge finally open, it was game night every evening. The battle that never ceased was the Scrabble tournament and with DeeDee returning after many years away (thanks to the four-season cabins) provided much needed competition for Paul Ueunten.
The Four Seasons cabins and the beautiful brand-spank’n new Lodge were God Sends, as now our older less mobile folk can attend and that’s made a huge difference. And with the lodge being located on level ground, we’re hoping more of our seniors will want to join the family camp experience.
Our Sunday worship service was graced by Rev. Jon Visitacion. What a delight it was to have him and his family at All Church Camp for the first time. His meaningful message focused on the challenges he sees in his health care workplace, where cutbacks, layoffs, and heavier workloads have created difficult times for many. Yet even in-the-midst of these trials, he reminded us, God’s blessings remain. It is hard to see friends and colleagues struggle, but God’s light of hope shines through our gifts of giving, consoling, understanding, and sharing. Rev. Jon encouraged us all to keep remembering God’s blessings and benefits. While the message was brief, we were uplifted. Thank you, Jon.
Lastly, we were honored our last evening, with the presence of Warren Shimonishi. He was our Family Camp Director for some 40 years along with his late wife, Rosie, before John took over. Accolades and high-fives all around for Warren because through his dedication and perseverance, and with John taking over, we’re continuing his legacy. Also, the man likes to fish…and by golly, he won the second-place fishing award. Way to go, Warren!
We were Blessed by God and certainly got high from God’s gifts. Next year comes around quickly and if you've never been, think about coming and if you attended this year, y’all come back, hear and feel God’s presence at a higher altitude.
It’s all about fishing. Here Dave Wong from Clovis along with Jon Ng and the children have their first trek out to Wesley Rock.
Cynthia Fukuda second from left, helps the other novices fish. She does the set-up so all look like pros. Check out the stringer held up by Terri Koiki, third from left. Bev Acuna is at the stern and Misao Fukuda is stem side.
Wow! Nice haul for the Urata kids, both Tina Urata’s grandchildren. This was caught off a rented boat on the lake.
The yucky job…cleaning the catch. Cynthia Fukuda shows how it’s done.
Jeffrey Oldham learned Radio Taiso and was prepared to lead this early morning exercise. This too is part of our camp tradition.
Back at the craft area, Bev Acuna on the right is making a colorful T-shirt.
And there was making a lanyard with Tina Urata showing her granddaughter how.
Ashley Cook and her friend, are designing their cloths.
Kayaking with Mark, the seasoned veteran with Carmen Cook working on her stroke.
Finally, Kelli Martines get’s a chance to slow down and relax shown here with Richard Poczulp.
The Murillo’s, Carlos and Melissa do the same as they watch their boys, Sato and Hideo in the pool.
Camp gatherings are about singing around the campfire led by Mark Teagle and Roberta Gee on guitar.
I believe 11 new families participated in the telephone skit which is a traditional highlight.
April Kawahara cannot believe what her friend Cynthia is pantomiming. Like, Really?
Natalie and Arissa performed “Surfin’ USA” to an appreciative audience. And below, a hula accompanied by her parents, Richard and Junko playing “Mele O Lanai."
The youth girls do the “Cups” song made famous by Anna Kendrick in the movie “Pitch Perfect.” Very cool.
The youth boys also performed a song they did at Junior High Camp.
Camp G’s winning performance of “Golden” with the Sakaikhara family, Carmen Cook, Judy Yasutake, and DeeDee Axuma and their Bad Lemon Table skit below.
The youth Fishing Derby awards went to Jace, Kaia, and Arissa.
Among the adults…third was a tie between Barbara Hiua, Bev Acuna and Cynthia with our hugs 8 oz catch.
Second place went to Misao Kusuda for her 9 oz fish.
Warren received his fishing award and was recognized for his Camp Leadership.
Carmen Cook’s team wins the coveted Scavenger Hunt event.
Roasting marshmallows for S’mores is a Family Camp tradition.
Game night in the Lodge is gong to be a much attended highlight of the camp experience in years to come with the Paul Ueunten, DeeDee Azuma, Scrabble tournament accompanied by Becky and Dave, friend and Ashley and Carmen Cook.
It’s quiet enough to read or
Play the raucous Spoons card game or
Chess or
Jenga.
Our final meal before heading home! Sadly we bid goodbye to our home over the Labor Day Weekend. See you next year.
Posted in Newsletter 2026-09-24