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!

Spring has sure sprung and we are gearing up with groups. This week we had a group of boys overnight from Ranch Hope. It was awesome to hear their comments and see their enthusiasm. Some commented that they didn't want to leave. It does your heart good to see that. :)


Last night at our auxiliary meeting we planned for the upcoming Bike Ride Fundraiser. Can't wait to see who wins the trophy this year! I hear some buzz about a couple of churches throwing down so we'll see! It's gonna be a fun day!


Last night a group of staff from Camp Andrews in PA rolled in and spent the night. They are observing and helping with a ropes course here today. Pray for us as we continue to plan for summer and that we are effective! Thank you Lord for opportunities!

Funding and God's Riches

Well it's official. In the last couple of days, one of our neighboring school districts cut 91 positions, another 30. With all of the budget cuts put out there by the governor, schools are really suffering. This has a direct impact on camp, since we depend on school groups throughout the year for ropes courses and outdoor education programs. Not to mention how this will impact our kids. If classrooms end up with 50 kids each next year, the kids will have less attention, more time will be spent keeping order, and the youth will suffer. Where do we go from here, Lord? You are our glorious, amazing, Abba Father, and we look to you for our next steps. How do we bring the income we need and most importantly, how should we deal with our youth to equip them for these changes life brings?

The Icemaker Cometh!

Well as you know we've been praying for an icemaker. Our old one finally had to be laid to rest. There was no more patching it. We've prayed for an icemaker for several years, and each year were able to nurse the old one a little longer. Tina Thomson, our auxiliary president's wife, found one on craigslist and for a Very good deal (thank you Tony), we brought it home to our cafeteria where it has filled the bin and is running smoothly. Isn't it something how God doesn't provide until the very moment we need something. How many times has that happened? Too many for us to count. Please remember to Praise him when you think of it, for this latest gift!

Who we are

Living as Camp Directors, Parents, Mentors, Mentorees (is that a word? lol) Encouragers of believers and non-believers alike, we are humbled to be living under the grace of God in a fallen world, struggling every day to be more like Him. This page is a place to put our thoughts, and give you a glimpse of what camp life is all about.

Snow

(from Thursday, February 25, 2010)
Well this is it. My first day of blogging. And with it, another snow day. How fitting. With the big flakes floating down and the silence, it reminds me of another snow... the day we tore down the office after the fire. There were plenty sounds that day, with the tractor and the scarred wood being broken down. But it was the snow that made it so memorable. The clean blanket of white, covering the smells and sights that had been part of our daily surroundings for such a long time. Putrid smells of burnt wood, plastic and chemicals that hovered over the camp.
I wonder if we are smelly when we come to God. If his senses are bombarded by our filthiness the way the fire overtook our senses. I wanted to dance around in the snow as it covered everything until it was beautiful. And I'm sure that is no comparison to how heaven's hearts sing when one of us comes clean. It's snowing again... Big flakes that make me remember, and smile.