First Week of Camp at Hidden Acres

Fishing camp-- biggest catch of the week

Camp is off and running: 350 campers arrived Sunday afternoon; the rain held off until after the hot dog picnic and every mom and dad were gone. But true to form, we had a good shower that muddied up the roads and trails; for the kids, it created another adventure; to the housekeepers… it created opportunities!

There were so many new families bringing their first time campers to camp. We had underestimated the number of cars that would be arriving in a 2 hour period. Our new registration area in the Family Life Center worked well, but after the first week, we know we need to make some logistical changes for the upcoming weeks. For future Sundays parents should see even a smoother system in place to get their campers registered.

Our speakers this week are Damian Peasley from the Madrid Free Church and Tyler Parsons from the Sioux Center Free Church. Both are youth pastors and both have spoken at camp before. Our prayer is that each speaker will reach the heart of every boy and girl and that the Spirit of God would do a mighty work.

I have to tell you a story from Sunday. A mother approached me and introduced herself and went on to explain that the camp had given her daughter a full scholarship to come to camp last summer. The little girl had such a wonderful experience last year she had to come back for another dose of summer camp. The mother handed me an envelope with a lovely note stating how thankful she was for the experience her daughter had enjoyed last year, and included a check for $300 with a note stating they wanted to “pay forward so that another child could get the opportunity to come to camp on a scholarship”. Wow! Did that ever bless my heart! Thank you dear parents who understand how valuable one week can be in the life of a child.

Two different camps going on at the same time: Jr. High age campers and 4-6th grade campers; one group who acts a little squirrelly at times, but tries to mask it with a sense of coolness and lack of interest, and the other group who are still intrigued with life and are full of questions and energy. We love them both and know that no matter where they are, God has a wonderful plan for their lives and our prayer is that each child will return home renewed in their Spirit and with a clean heart to serve and to grow.

…. And just a reminder to parents…. Don’t forget to pick them up on Friday!!! We love them… but they will be plenty dirty, plenty tired, and will be ready for Moms and Dads to take them home and indulge them with regular showers and daily changes of all clothing! Sorry Mom, if you find your son’s suitcase unpacked from Sunday… we really do try to make him shower!

Written by
Earl Taylor, Director of Vision and Design
Hidden Acres Christian Center, Dayton, Iowa
earldtaylor@yahoo.com
Hidden Acres is a Christian youth camp and adult retreat center located in central Iowa. Hidden Acres is owned by the Evangelical Free Churches of Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri.