What is RVCA?
RVCA
stands for River View Christian Academy.
It is currently comprised of about 15 boys and 25 girls and
growing. There are approximately 20-25
staff ranging from administrators to maintenance men. It
started in the San Diego area in the 90’s and was evacuated some time after
because of a forest fire. It was
relocated to Northern California where it is in operation today.
How are the boys admitted?
The
students are admitted based on the parents’ choice.
How old are the boys?
They
can range from 14-18, but most of them are on the older side.
What do you do on a typical workday?
My
job as “house parent” is to take biblical principles and enforce them. The rules are clear cut. When a rule is broken, the discipline is
quick and clear. As a general rule of
thumb, I prefer to encourage and affirm more than I discipline….which means there
needs to be a lot of encouragement.
7:30 to 8:00 – Wake boys up
8:30
to 9:30 – Breakfast
9:30
to 12:30 – School
12:30
to 1:30 – Lunch
1:30
to 3:00 – School
3:00
to 4:00 – Free Time
4:00
to 5:30 – Physical Activity
5:30
to 7:00 – Showers/Free Time
7:00
to 8:00 – Dinner
8:00
to 9:15 – Evening Activity
9:15
to 9:30 – Get Ready for Bed
9:30
– Bedtime
I work Sunday through Wednesday and have off Thursday through
Saturday. Every three weeks I am on night shift.
How do the boys graduate?
They
start at level “A” and graduate at level “L3”.
Every 3 weeks they get a chance to level up if they have accumulated
enough points. They earn points for
school, phys. Ed., kitchen chores, dorm chores, attitude, etc. The amount they earn is based on their
performance in that certain category.
The success of the program depends solely on the accuracy of each dock/bonus
in points which places a large responsibility on us. Our job is not to fix them. Our job is not to convert them. That’s God’s work. Our job is to live out the fruits of the
spirit through accurate discipline and teaching. As they chose to apply these principles in
their own life, they will see fruit and blessing and then be pointed to the
source. Simply put; we are to be hearers
AND doers.
Do you have your own house or do you sleep in the dorm?
I have
my own house. Well…..it’s half of a
duplex, but it’s perfect for me. The
campus is huge and tucked deep in the pines.
My house, by God, is in the back corner of the property. It needs some improvements here and there,
but it is quite the humble abode.
Can I visit and how do I get in contact with you?
Yes! Come up and visit. You are always welcome, but the best days to
visit would be on my days off. Just
leave me a text or voicemail if you know you will be visiting a couple weeks in
advance. If it’s a short notice, I check
my Facebook every other day so just drop me a message there and I will contact
you. If it's a short short notice.....we're outta luck.
What do you do on your days off?
I
have no cell service…..period. I drive down
to Redding (45 minutes) once a week to get my groceries and voicemails/texts
for the week. My iPhone has become a
pricey paperweight…..and I've learned to love it. Just out my back door I can hike to a big
rock overlook, hike to a waterfall, fly fish on two ponds, or mountain bike on
endless trails. With a little driving,
the outdoor opportunities are endless.
One of my recent favorite discoveries is a high altitude reservoir about
10 miles away that is heavily stocked with Rainbows and Browns. During the spring and summer months, fishing
is a way of life around here. As far
as hunting goes, this area is mainly deer, bear, rabbit, and quail. In about an hour’s drive in the northeast direction,
there are thicker populations of elk, antelope, and sheep. My zone is regulated so I had to put my name
in for a Blacktail Deer draw and will know in a few days whether I can hunt
right here or if I will need to drive West to an open zone.
 |
| 14" Brown |
 |
| Limit |
If I could share one lesson that
I've learned on this unique journey, I would say that I was living too extravagant
which made my life entirely too complicated.
I spent so much time finding time that I lost track of time. Out here, I live simply enough to enjoy each
minute as it comes instead of dreading/anticipating the future. This has made it easier to focus on the one thing
that matters. Please let that go from
your head to your heart. Is your life so
complicated that you have no time for God?
If you are saying, “God can be in everything that I do, so it’s ok to
schedule out my evenings and weekends as long as I focus on Him.”, can I ask
you…..are you? If so, continue on. If not, don’t compromise by living the cycle
of being distracted for a while, then realizing you need a break to spend time
with God. I have a feeling that most
regrets by Christian’s on their deathbeds deal specifically with this topic. Life with God is now and forever; every minute
of every day.
