Ben stepped on the gas but our fuel-efficient car went nowhere. The small bank of snow piled up on the side of the road was just a little too much for her. (Yes, our car is a girl and we named her Goose but that is a different story). Giving up, we decided to grab the groceries and what luggage we could carry and trudge up the hill. We were anxious to get home after almost a full two weeks of travel plus it was getting late and we still needed to make dinner. The first snowfall of the season and we had missed it but there still remained a soft blanket of white that made the camp path lights seem even brighter. Home. We made it home.
Immediately, we cranked up the thermostat. I smiled at the almost frozen olive oil as I prepped the onions for the soup bundled in my wool beanie and down-vest. Ben, ever the engineer, constructed a warming tunnel under the blankets with the blow-dryer so that when we climbed into bed the shock of the cold wouldn’t be too overwhelming. Just as we were to fall asleep that night, I asked Ben to check on the kitchen faucet. Earlier there was no running water so I had done the dishes in the bathroom sink. Ben came rushing back into the bedroom quickly yet gracefully jamming his foot into his sock as he stood on one leg. (I have always been amazed by his balance when putting on his shoes and socks). “There is water everywhere! It’s coming out of the dishwasher.” I mumble something about just turning it off (it was never on by the way) as I didn’t want to get out of the perfectly heated bed. The next thing I know though I am anxiously scooping out the small flood on the kitchen floor with the dust pan in my new Christmas robe. When Ben returns from turning off the water heater, I comment that things like this happen to missionaries living in other countries, not here. “Welcome to camp, honey!” he smiles and continues to mop up the remaining water with our honeymoon purchased beach towel.
The next morning we returned to the camp office to resume work. It was the first time the staff had been all together since the celebration of the new year so Jim gathered us together to pray. Ben took the opportunity to tell the maintenance crew about our problem. Paul then shared with everyone about other busted pipes around camp and some of the damage. But we were thankful, very thankful. Welcome to camp. As we stood there to pray for the coming year, we all were very well aware of the state of the camp this time last year. The 2009 and 2010 storms have given us such a perspective. A camp perspective, you could say. Pray for the extraordinary, expect the unexpected, and be grateful come what may. Step on the gas and welcome to camp 2011.
A Camp Perspective – Blessings of 2010
100 new chairs
Individual and church gifts for our dining hall total over $42,000
Over $30,000 in the bank that covered the waste water treatment plant damage
Computer upgrade to Windows 7
Prescott First Baptist Church gave us a stove
An individual donated 200 gallons of outdoor paint
The Elks Theater donated lumber from their construction site
A washer and dryer was donated for staff housing
First Baptist, Tempe donated a commercial refrigerator for Frontier Village
A new generator for the waste water treatment plant
250 truckloads of dirt
Upgrading of Hilltop One and Three
Golf cart from Tucson Gospel Rescue Mission
Air hockey games (two tables)
Wood chips from Groom Creek Fire
New database
The welcoming of our interns – Danny and his wife Kaitlyn, Chris, and Tristan
Our awesome volunteer, Seth
New staff - Allen becomes the Program Coordinator, Ben the Outdoor Education Coordinator, and Sandra, the Communications Coordinator
Our new housekeepers – Juil and Tori
Laura, our Accountants Manager, got married and Doug joins our Prescott Pines family
And we celebrated 97 decisions for Christ
No comments:
Post a Comment