Into the Woods with Curio: Fox Furs

Did you notice the two furs on display on the dining room porch this past summer? Here is their story:

These are fox furs, as you may have already guessed by the overall length and shape of the animal, along with the thickness of the fur and the diagnostic white tip on the tail. You can also tell by the face, of course, as these furs include the entire head, which is the norm for prepared furs such as these, though it’s not very appealing.

But why aren’t these furs red in colour? They ARE from the species we know as the red fox, (Vulpes vulpes). It is the most common fox species in Ontario, and the only species of fox you will see in Muskoka and at Beacon. There are a number of natural variations of fur colouration in the red fox. One is known as a cross-fox, called that because of the cross pattern of darker fur running down its back and then crossing at the shoulder. There are also silver foxes, which have a dark undercoat and silver tips on the fur, much like these two furs. A darker variation is sometime called a black fox. None of these different coloured foxes are commonly seen.

However, these two furs are from foxes raised on a ranch, maybe as long ago as the 1920s, which means they could be almost 100 years old. Back then foxes were ‘farmed’ for their fur, and their furs made into coats, wraps and other ‘accessories’. Fox farmers discovered that through selective breeding they could get different colours of fur, including many variations of silver, black, and even a lighter version that was pale blue in colour. Fox fur was in fashion back then, with women wearing fox-fur coats and sometimes just a single fox around the neck, known as a ‘stole’. By the 1950s and 60s fox fur, and furs in general went out of fashion, mainly because there was a lot of protest about how inhumane it was to raise foxes, (and mink and other fur bearers) in cages, just for their fur. But many of those old furs are still around, including these two.

Unfortunately, fur coats are still in vogue in some countries, so wild foxes are still trapped for their fur. November is when the trapping season begins, because the fur is ‘prime’ at the beginning of the winter. That’s because foxes need a coat of thick fur to survive in the cold. Come spring they will shed their long fur, and look very different with their short summer fur coat. Whether their fur coat is short, or grown long for winter, they still need it. We don’t. We can make our clothing from such things as cotton, wool, alpaca and synthetic fibres, none of which require an animal to give its life for our benefit.

There was a time an animal sacrifice was needed, when Adam and Eve first sinned. And countless animal sacrifices were made since that time, to pay for our sins, until the Lord Jesus offered His life as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Now nothing is required from us, except to believe… ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…’ (Acts 16:31).

Monk's Musings: Grandparents, Parents, and Children

He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers… I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (Malachi 4:6 and 2 Timothy 1:5)

Two of our most memorable Fall Camps this Fall Season have been “Mother & Daughter” and “Father & Son”. We were so encouraged to see parents and grandparents investing in their children, young and older, spending quality time together with their own kids and with like-minded parents. We got to see God turn parents’ hearts to their children and children’s hearts to their parents. 2000 years ago, Timothy had a godly mother and grandmother who shared their sincere faith with him, until he too believed and committed his life to following and serving the Lord Jesus. We are likewise all challenged to invest our limited time and resources in the coming generations that are closest to us. It is one of the most durable and strategic investments we can ever make! Let us be proactive in seeking opportunities while we can.

Of course, each son and each daughter must make their own decision, whether to follow or reject Jesus. We cannot force the issue. Even God does not force anyone. He is the patient Father who waits for each prodigal son and daughter to freely return to Him. And even Jesus had a Judas, who after three years of discipling, rejected and betrayed him. Nevertheless, we can and do play a significant role in instructing and encouraging those closest to us to come to Jesus and love Him, through our life example and our thoughtful words.

May the Lord help each one of us to grow in our own “sincere faith” and to be a faithful instrument in God’s hands to help the next generation to also grow in their faith and love for the Lord Jesus.

With all our best wishes for the Fall Season,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Those Red Fall Colours!

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it. Psalm 139:6

Each fall the brilliant colours of the leaves have us talking about how they get these colours. It all starts with photosynthesis, of course, which is the incredible way in which the trees turn sunlight into energy through their leaves. Green chlorophyll is needed for this, and that is the predominant colour we see from ‘leaf-out’ in early spring until the late summer and early fall.

As the days get shorter, the trees start the process of losing their leaves for the winter. Tree leaves are like herbaceous plants, that is, they are not made for freezing temperatures, so the tree drops them before they are damaged by winter weather.

But before the leaves fall the tree re-absorbs the nutrients that are still left in the leaves, including the chlorophyll, taking them back down into their roots for the winter. The result is that the yellow and orange colours, which were always in the leaves but hidden by the dominant green chlorophyll, become visible. These are carotenoids, the same pigments that we see in such things as carrots and even egg yolks! If the fall weather is frosty there are more yellows and oranges, as the cold temperatures destroy the green chlorophyll in the leaves.

But what about the reds? This year the reds have been dazzling, and this is due to all the clear, sunny days we had in September, though the nights were not below freezing. The red, (and purple) colours in the leaves come from anthocyanin pigments, the same pigments found in different fruits and vegetables, including red cabbage, raspberries, blueberries, certain grapes and many others. Frosty nights weaken the red anthocyanins, so there are less reds when the fall nights are cold.

The tree produces these anthocyanins when there is too much sunlight in the fall, so it can protect the leaves during the re-absorption process. At least that is what we think is the role of anthocyanins. It may also be that the tree uses the red colours as a signal to parasitic insects that want to make the tree their home during the winter. Red indicates a higher chemical defense, so may serve as a warning to insects, similar to the bright colours of a monarch butterfly warning potential predators that it is not good to eat.

There are a number of other theories about anthocyanins in leaves, making it a little confusing, for sure. It may be that we really can’t know with 100% certainty why the trees produce these anthocyanins in the fall, though we certainly enjoy the show! God’s Creation is incredibly complex and amazing, demonstrating how worthy He is of our praise!

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colours of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming:
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God.
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God.

(From ‘Indescribable’ by Chris Tomlin. CCLI Song # 4403076)

Monk's Musings: Law or Grace?!

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 CORINTHIANS 3:18)

At one of our recent camps, we were challenged to live “grace-based lives” instead of “law-based lives”. The “Law” encourages us to set expectations, which as humans we fail, and then we deal out punishment, to others or even to ourselves! On the other hand, “Grace” encourages humility, confession, repentance and true change, in our own lives and those we love. Law or Grace, which of the two do we want?

The Fall colours remind us that everything is changing. Green turns to yellow, orange and red. Warm weather turns into crisp fresh days. This is inevitable change. But God, who planted His seed in our hearts, calls us to cooperate with the changes He wants to bring about in us. Whether we try “Law” or “Grace”, in both cases we are seeking positive change. However, God gave us His Law to show us our sinfulness and our desperate need of His Grace. The Law has no power to bring about lasting change, only by God’s Grace and His Holy Spirit, as we look to the Lord’s glory, can we really be transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory. Until we are like Christ. For that is the goal our Heavenly Father has set Himself: to make us like His Son Jesus Christ!

And so, may the Lord bless you this Fall, may God’s Law shine the spotlight on the necessary changes He wants to bring about in you, and may you experience His Grace as you humbly confess and allow God’s Spirit to transform you from the inside out.

With all our best wishes for the Fall Season,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Rattlesnakes at Beacon!

“For every animal in the forest is mine…” Psalm 50:10a

Have you ever seen a rattlesnake at camp? They look different than some of our other snakes, with their thick body and black belly. And their rattle, of course, though that is not always obvious, unless they are making noise with it.

Massasaugas are a pygmy rattlesnake, which may sound strange to us, as it still gets about one metre in length, though is usually smaller than that. But that is small compared to the other two rattlesnake species found in Canada, and the more than 30 species found in the US. Other species in Canada include the prairie rattlesnake, which is 1.5 metres in length and lives in southern Saskatchewan, and the western rattlesnake, which is 1.5 metres in length and lives in the dry southern interior of BC. The timber rattlesnake used to be found in Ontario and Canada, but it hasn’t been seen here for over 80 years. It is still found in the US, and is up to 2 metres in length, which is about as big as any rattlesnake can get.

Let’s be glad Massasauga rattlesnakes are not that large! And Massasaugas are quite docile compared to many rattlesnakes, preferring to hide from people.

Why are they at camp? Beacon’s property is located within their range in Ontario, which is mainly along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay, including any rivers draining into the Bay, such as the Moon River in Bala.

Beacon’s property also provides excellent habitat for them, as they favour low, wet areas, though they can also be found in a variety of places, including woodlands, old fields and rocky barrens. These habitats provide shelter, and prey, which includes frogs, salamanders, small mammals such as mice and voles, and small birds.

Besides food and shelter, there are a couple of other things Massasaugas need to survive. One is a place to hibernate, known as a hibernaculum. Because snakes are cold-blooded they can’t stay active in the wintertime, so must hibernate underground, below the frostline. The same hibernaculum is often used every winter, as such spaces are not common, and the snakes couldn’t make one for themselves. Another thing Massasaugas need is a warm, protected space where they have their young – a gestation site. Massasaugas give birth to live young every other year, in late summer. But they occupy these sites for up to three months before they give birth, and don’t move from them during this time.

These reasons are why the laws protecting Massasauga rattlesnakes stipulate that they can’t be moved more than 250 metres from where they are found.

How can we live with Massasaugas at Beacon? We have always been aware of their presence at camp, and thankfully have never experienced a serious incident. Best practices include first being sure it is a rattlesnake, as water-snakes and hognose snakes also live at Beacon and look similar, but are harmless. Knowing where Massasaugas live on the property, and when they are active, helps with avoidance and tolerance. When there is a potential problem let the on-site team take care of things.

Monk's Musings: Labour for God is never in vain!

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 CORINTHIANS 15:58).

With the Lord’s help, we have just finished the 2023 Summer Camp Season! In total, 223 brothers & sisters in Christ came as volunteers in one capacity or another. Without their help and dedication Beacon would simply grind to a halt. So we want to take this opportunity to thank each one for giving to the Lord and our campers a week or more of their valuable summer time to serve, and to grow in their faith as they did so. We know the Lord will bless each one as a result: because “your labour in the Lord is not in vain”!

At this time, we would also like to thank Susan Mikitka, Mark & Judy Vandervecht, and Suzie Rofaiel, from the bottom of our hearts for their service at Beacon. Each one has let us know that they are planning to transition out of their present role at Beacon over the upcoming months, while helping to train up others to take over their responsibilities. May the Lord bless you as you serve out the remainder of your time at Beacon, and as you embark on the next chapter of your service for the Lord Jesus! Again, remember: “your labour in the Lord is not in vain”!

We are also grateful to the LORD for the great Summer Staff team we had this year: Brio, Chief, Cuppa, Kernel and Moth. Thank you, once again, for serving at Beacon Bible Camp. And don’t forget: “your labour in the Lord is not in vain”!

Finally, to all of us, wherever we are living, and however we are serving the LORD: Let us take heart, and persevere in serving Him joyfully and with all our hearts. For “our labour in the Lord is not in vain”!

With all our love and best wishes,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn

Monk's Musings: God Listens and Answers our Prayers

When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said… “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ACTS 4:24,29-30

We are halfway through the Summer Camp Season! Five camps done, and five to go. We have also experienced multiple challenges and multiple answers to prayers. At the last camp, we heard how God’s people repeatedly came together in the book of Acts to pray together to God. And God always answered their prayers. In ways they were not expecting, and often in ways that were uncomfortable and involved suffering. But the Sovereign God of the Universe stooped down to listen to His People. And He promises to do the same for us today! Yes, God answers our personal prayers, but even more so, the prayers of His People when we come together as the Church of Jesus Christ. That is why congregational prayer is so important to Him. Do our actions show that it also important in our lives?

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who regularly pray for Beacon and the campers and the cabin leaders and the session staff, and the many volunteers who make camp possible. We too have experienced some amazing answers to your prayers. We want to give God all the glory for doing so. But we also want to thank you for standing in the gap and interceding for us all before God’s Throne of Grace. One of the amazing answers to prayers is that during four of our camps so far this year we have had reports of campers who have taken the decision to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour! And so we unite our voices with those of the early disciples quoted above, that the Lord would continue to enable his servants, teachers and cabin leaders, to proclaim His Word, the gospel message with great boldness, despite any difficulties or challenges or trials we may face. That God’s Word would continue to be wonderfully confirmed by transforming lives and saving souls for His glory and our joy.

So thankyou, once again, for praying for us all at Beacon Bible Camp. And be encouraged to make it a priority to meet with fellow believers to pray together with one mind and heart. God is waiting for us to pray, so that He may answer.

With grateful and encouraged hearts,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn

Monk's Musings: What we can Learn from a Wedding!

On the day you were born… you were thrown out into the open field… Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and I said to you, “Live!” I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels… Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. Ezekiel 16:4-8

This past month has been a time of weddings! A number of our friends and relatives have “tied the knot” and entered into a lifelong covenant of love and faithfulness. Each one has chosen someone special with whom they wish to spend the rest of their lives, serving, encouraging, and building up one another until death do them part. Each time I attend a wedding I am reminded that God’s Word illustrates His relationship with us as a marriage covenant: Jehovah with Israel in the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ with the Church in the New Testament.

It’s not that God chose us because we were such a wonderful bride! In the graphic passage of Ezekiel quoted above, he likens us to a rejected baby thrown out in a field, bloodied and despised, awaiting certain death. But He intervened, and elected to love us, to rescue us and give us eternal life. He provided generously for us and helped us to grow. Then, amazingly, He entered into a marriage covenant with us, so that we might be His people and we might be His Beloved forever! Being married to another human being is privilege enough, but being married to the Creator of the universe is mind-blowing! Human marriages are only designed to last for this life, but the Lord’s covenant with us will last for all eternity! This is an incredible picture of God’s love and grace towards us.

And so, may you and I have our hearts warmed towards Jesus. He not only wants to save us and make us a child of God, He also wants to enter into an eternal covenant of love with us! May this thought be the driving force that spurs us on to live for Him. That we may love Him because He first loved us. And with what a love!

With grateful and humbled hearts,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Fireflies

“Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.” Matt. 5:15

It only happens a few nights each summer. That’s when a marshy area, such as along the Beach trail at camp, or a wet meadow such as Beacon’s old soccer field, come alive with the ethereal light of fireflies.

A steady blinking of light on the other side of a low, wet area gives one away. Its soft light blinks on and off for a few seconds, then is gone. Another starts from the nearby bushes, blinking on and off, on and off, then disappears, only to reappear further away. Gradually more and more fireflies start blinking from different locations. Most move giddily through the air, their soft glowing lights turning on then off, keeping you guessing where they will appear next, while others remain stationary near the ground.

Fireflies, or lightning bugs as they are also called, are a type of beetle that produces bioluminescence, that is, their own light. Only a few living things, such as certain algae and deep-sea fish, own this trait. Entomologists, (scientists that study bugs) have been intrigued by the cold light of fireflies for a long time, and have discovered that fireflies produce light in special organs in their abdomens by combining a chemical called luciferin, enzymes called luciferases, oxygen and the fuel for cellular work, ATP. Entomologists think they control their flashing by regulating how much oxygen goes to their light-producing organs.

That’s the how. Why they do it is simple enough – it is to attract a mate. After spending most of the previous year as a larva in the leaf litter eating earthworms and other grubs, then pupating underground for the winter, the fireflies emerge in early to mid-June and start looking for a mate. In most firefly species only the males can fly, while the females remain on the ground or climb up in the grass or into other low vegetation. When the female sees the light of a male of the same species fly by, she signals with her light. They keep signalling each other until they can get together and mate. Remember, this is happening in the dark!

June is the first display of fireflies, and is usually the most prolific. Another more modest display at the end of August is from the offspring from this time. These August fireflies go through the same ritual, in order to produce still another generation, which will be the one to overwinter and give the same kind of display next June.

The repetition of this event does nothing to take away from its charm.

Why has God done this? All of the practical reasons are mentioned above, but the end result is still an amazing light show, (with no noise or fire hazard). It’s a wonderfully pleasing display of God’s amazing love in Creation.

Monk's Musings: Praise the Lord for 60 Years of Beacon

“Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!” Psalm 147:1

A few weeks ago, 75 “Beaconites” of all ages came together at camp to celebrate Beacon Bible Camp’s 60th anniversary! It was a moving time of worship and prayer, testimonies and thanksgiving, anecdotes and laughter, as we praised the LORD together for His goodness throughout the history of four generations of families and campers whose lives have been indelibly changed though our contact with Beacon. From our simple beginnings with tents and small buildings, to the present day facilities we all know and enjoy, Beacon has encouraged and challenged many of us to have our eyes pointed to the marvels of Creation, and our hearts called to a living relationship with God! He continues to speak to us today through His twin books of Creation and Revelation.

A few were with us who lived those first few years of Beacon’s humble beginnings, and shared stories of Uncle Charlie and Aunt Thirsa, Ted and Barbara Becker, Bill and Mollie Weir, Ron Luke, Lou Landgraff, Ben Van Noppen, who together with many other volunteers, worked tirelessly to build roads and cabins, and run each season of camps, and gradually built up the buildings and facilities, and the reputation and extended camp family that we know today.

Many have helped administrate and keep up the campsite over the years, including Gary & Alice Wood, Tom & Liz Williams, Kevin & Cari McKelvey, Stephan & Naomi Smith, Dave & Julie Charters, Luke & Alyssa LaRocque, Mark & Judy Vandervecht, and now we have the privilege of serving here also. I’m sure there are many more that should be added to this list, but God knows their names, and He will give each their generous reward for God is no man’s debtor.

Praise the LORD for His faithfulness and provision during each of the past 60 years at Beacon Bible Camp! Thank the Lord for each of the pioneers who helped to build up Beacon over the past 4 generations. We are reaping the benefit of their sacrifice and service, but ultimately it is the LORD who has brought all this about, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

With all our best wishes as we anticipate the LORD’s continued blessing and guidance,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn