Warmer Weather!

With the warmer weather of today I can't help but miss even more the green of spring and summer!

Reminds me of the story, Keep Your Fork. Do

you know that one? It goes like this....

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.

Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor. The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?'. Then I want you to tell them:

"Keep your fork... the best is yet to come."

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question. "What's with the fork?" And over and over again, he just smiled.

During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

~ Author Unknown ~

Have a Wonderful Day in the Lord!

Successful Muddy Bottom Run for 2010

The mud run was a wonderful day! Pictures can be seen on our Camp Edge facebook page, and also at our photographer's website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrphotoaccount/
Numbers are still coming in, but it looks as though we've raised over $6,000 for summer camp next year. God is so good!
Thank you all for your support. Our auxiliary and volunteers made it all possible.... and of course, thank you to our runners!

Mud Run's Bridal Team Winners

Here's a great before and after shot....

Rainy Days

As much as we don't like working in the rain, we're excited to see stormy skies! 

What fun is a mud run without major mud?!? 

We now have about as many runners pre-registered as we had for the whole event last year, and the paperwork is still coming in. I hope you all are as excited as we are! It's going to be a great time!!

Summer's behind us...

It's a bittersweet feeling. Having summer finished for another season. Stepping out onto the grounds now, we're met with silence. It's a beautiful reminder of God's love and promises. The chaos of summer is hard to describe. Our hearts are so burdened with knowing details of our campers' struggles, and as heavy as that is, there's the extreme elation when there is a breakthrough and they acknowledge Jesus' sacrifice. It's an emotional roller coaster for sure, but if there's anything in life that you can do where you Know you can make a difference in this world, it's here. I'm sure it's true of so many mission fields.

One of the things we added this summer for the kids were backpacks. With help from individuals, we purchased backpacks, flashlights, pens, journals, and bibles. Each camper got a backpack of supplies to not only help with their week here, but that they could take home. Over 300 homes in the area now have bibles in them! Thank you all that contributed. :)

~The Prayer Project~

We're going to start recording our petitions here on our blog site. Our goal is show God's immeasurable riches as he provides for our camp needs. As camp gears up and we are approached by different families and groups, we begin the list of "needs" to make camp successful.

Today we've realized our need for family sized or larger Tents. Also, for the funds for each camper to have a devotional that they can not only read here but also take home with them. These books cost $1.35 each. Please pray with us for these items!

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer as we petition for the needs of the least, last and lost!

New CIT Program!

This summer begins our annual Counselor-In-Training program. We're taking past campers who have shown great leadership potential and plugging them in as junior leaders.
Our purpose is to provide past campers opportunities to participate in leadership training, designed to prepare them to be future counselors.  Our program focuses on supporting teams through their developmental changes and provides opportunities for them to practice activity skills and life skills in a safe, controlled environment.

CIT’s are assigned to an experienced counselor to assist and learn during sessions.

CIT trainers demonstrate and discuss effective leadership techniques and skills in communication, group management, decision-making, and conflict management.

The CIT is evaluated by his trainer(s) and peers based on attitude, communication, values and character, program support, team building and leadership style.

Please pray for these campers as they grow this summer!