Summer 2019 News
The Electrifying Summer That Was
If you haven’t had a chance to watch the end of summer video, please have a look. It’s under 5 minutes and gives you a glimpse of the feel and energy that a week at camp can have. It was another record year with 1730 campers attending. Camp staff poured into the lives of these children and young people. There are many stories of lives that were changed because of the message from our summer theme RECHARGE that spoke about being rooted in Christ. Our hope and prayer, as always, is that God will use this message to draw people to Himself and that lives will be transformed.
The Bible tells the story in Acts 8 about the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the scriptures but did not understand what it said. Philip was sent by God and explained to him the good news of Jesus. Verse 36 says, ‘As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”’. At camp that very same story plays out over and over. The Good News message of Jesus Christ is told over and over and many campers choose to give their lives to Him. For some, they say as the eunuch said, “Look, here is water.” Our lake has been the site of many baptisms over the years and was again this summer. During the last week of camp 6 of our staff shared their testimonies in front of family and friends and made a declaration that they wanted to live for Jesus for the rest of their lives. It was a special time for all who were in attendance.
Sailing
Our sailing program was resurrected through a generous donation of a Hobie Cat sailboat. We are thankful for help from Robert and Jaden who taught our staff to sail and refueled the desire to make this a part of our summer programs, and are excited as to where this might lead in the future.
Old Lodge Coffee Trailer
One great addition to the camp this summer was the Old Lodge Coffee Trailer. This old travel trailer was renovated in part with materials out of the original lodge that was torn down this spring. Situated just a little off the beaten path of camp, it provided a place for our summer staff to hang out and rest while sipping on an iced coffee, or some other delicious drink concocted by the baristas. Many an important conversation transpired here and we look forward to many more happening in future years!
Campfires are some of the greatest times in a week of summer camp. They are times during the week where campers are able to share what God is doing in their lives and how they’ve seen God work. SABC was the recipient of a nifty device that has helped us to both amplify the sharing that goes on, so everybody can hear, as well as record these special moments so they can be shared with others. We are thankful for the gift of the Catch Box. Here are some examples of this sharing time.
Vision 75 Update
All along while summer camp was going on, construction was progressing on the site for the new addition to the Lodge at Travers. Presently the floor trusses on the second floor have been completely installed and work will be starting on the second level framing as well as the electrical and plumbing on the lower level. Completion for this building is still targeted for April 2020. We are so thankful for the work of Silver Ridge Construction and the care they are taking to build this well and on budget. Almost $2 million has been raised in cash towards this project. Financing is in place for the balance of the $4.1 million total cost. In order to meet our financial targets we will need to raise $550,000 per year, please consider a commitment towards this today.
As the director, I can’t help but think about the significance of this time in history in the life of the camp. Right now we are essentially setting the camp ministry up for the next 40-50 years by building this facility. I’m not sure there will be another project of this magnitude for SABC for the foreseeable future… but who am I to limit what God can do? I can tell you that after this project our plans are to not grow in numbers any more on the site at Travers. If there is to be future growth, it will have to be on another site or in a different way. It will be exciting to see where the Lord leads at that time.
Please save the date for our Fall AGM. Please don’t let the Annual Meeting part of the event title scare you away. It is truly a great day of celebrating all God has done and looking at what the vision is for the year(s) ahead.
November 2 is the date at the camp from 10:00 to 12:00 with a short lunch. We would love to have you here!
Summer Stories
Summer was great, but don’t take my word for it. Here are some comments from campers of parents that were shared with us:
I picked my son up last evening from his first ever sleep away camp experience and he had an absolute blast! I just wanted to say thank you so much to all your staff from his great camp leaders (Grasshopper and Iron) to the kitchen staff, Fort organization team and everyone else in-between. I cannot say enough positive things about his experience and my overall impression of the camp. I was so impressed with the religious component as well as the fun daily activities your team had planned for the kiddos. Thank you SABC…we will see you next year!
Grandfather died while away at camp, and my child was aware this was possible. She said praying with others lessened her worries and strengthened her belief in God. She added that God listens to all prayers…. her faith has not seemed shaken despite the loss. Thank you SABC
Asher loved his counselor. They obviously really bonded with him because he cried when we left & when we drove past the camp on our boat later that night he asked if he could please stay another week with tears in his eyes. He didn’t want to be done. His behavior has been completely transformed. It’s been a really nice 3 days since we picked him up. It’s also been lovely hearing him sing every day.
Our 3rd year in a row and fantastic as always! Appreciate the organization, the activity choices, the kitchen staff, the nurses and the many people on site to help the kids. It is one of the highlights of my kids’ summer plus as a parent, I just know they are in such good and loving hands.
We are so appreciative of the laid back manner of the staff, the phenomenal organization of the camp, and how much our son felt cared for by his camp leaders and daily instructors. Very thankful for how staff invested in him, encouraging and building him up.
Lizzy accepted Jesus for the first time. She has always gone to church with me but made that very important decision at camp. We are both thrilled. She really enjoyed all the activities, counsellor and all the friends she made. She accepted the Lord as her personal saviour at 10…does not get any better than that!
This is our 3rd year and can’t wait to send both my boys next year. We value the care and commitment you have to making it a fantastic week of independence, faith development and fun! He always comes home with stories of chapel and singing songs! We talked a lot about what it means to recharge and how we can do this as a family. Spending more time making face to face connections!
