Life Builders- C.E Work Camps. Week 3. Part 2. 7/24/13-7/26/13

Wednesday

The morning began with breakfast and Camp Gathering time. The speaker gave a message about seeing people for who they really are. He showed the campers a video of a young woman, Lizzie Velasquez giving her testimony about a disorder that doesn’t allow her to keep fat on her body. She spoke about a Video she discovered on YouTube that someone made of her, with only her picture, stating she was the “Ugliest Woman.” She spoke about her faith and how God showed her that her disorder was a blessing and everything she went through because of it made her stronger and led her to be a great speaker. The speaker reminded the campers of their royalty. He spoke about being sons and daughters to a king. He finished with a challenge, asking us to find what God’s purpose for us is and to maximize our potential in Christ.

After Camp Gathering time, the group cleaned up and went off to their work sites where they installed floors, painted, sanded, and spackled. The crew still seemed to be motivated, opting to work the full day, rather than the intended half day!

Knowing the group had worked extra hard, the kitchen crew added a dinner to the menu, making dinner on a Wednesday night, something not normally put into the schedule. After dinner, campers, staff and all went to Holden Beach. Being from Minnesota, many people in this group have either never gone to the beach or hadn’t been to one in a long time! It was a great experience for everyone!

Soon enough, time came for the campers to get some rest for their last day of work!

Thursday

Breakfast was hot, and the campers were ready to go! Soon, fully fed and the building all clean, they began to head off for their final day of work for the week. The group worked all day, some of them right until 5 when dinner was supposed to be served! They finished spackling, laying down base floors, painting, and cleaning up the work site.
After dinner, it was Camp Gathering time. The Speaker’s theme for the night was “Courage and the Cross.” He began to give a detailed visual of how the crucifixion panned out. He wanted to create an image for the campers that helped them understand just how Courageous Jesus was; reassuring us that some of our decisions to be courageous, such as telling someone the truth when it’s really hard or leaving friendships that are hurting our spiritual growth are not even a glimpse of what Jesus had to face and be courageous for. The speaker reminded us of the irony of God’s creation. He explained how the thorns on a thorn bush were made to protect birds from prey, yet people made a crown of them as mockery to go on the head of the one who created the thorns. The explanation of this really seemed to sink into the campers. With a powerful message, it was time for the Thursday night Ice Cream social with the homeowners.

After many had exchanged addresses to send letters of thanks and encouragement, the campers had some time to themselves before heading off to bed, getting ready to leave in the morning,

Friday

The group rose early and ready to head off to the next part of their adventure. Being from Minnesota, they were sure to not miss out on other sites they could visit while traveling such a long way, so they made a stop at Myrtle Beach before going home! What a great end to a great week. And a fantastic end to an amazing summer of Work Camp. The spirit of the Lord truly showed through each of these campers, through their words, and service.

Watch the videos of the week at:
http://www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

Life Builders-C.E Work Camps. Week 3, Part 1. 721/13-7/23/13

Sunday

The last week of Work Camp for the year has arrived! The opportunity to get to know each of the campers on a more intimate level arose because there was only one group this week! And they traveled all the way from Minnesota! They traveled for 3 days, making a few stops along the way, visiting tourist areas of the country. We were all excited to have them with us, and they all seemed to be full of energy!

Camp Gathering time was slightly different than it had been due to the size of the group. This allowed the speaker, Ben Murray to be more personal, and make better connections with the group. He led Worship in song along with two of the Female Staff members. He then began to give a brief overview of his testimony, and an introduction to the Camp Theme of 2013, “Be Strong and Courageous.” After Camp Gathering time, the group seemed tired after all the traveling, and headed off to bed.

Monday

Breakfast was off to a later start than usual, due to the camper’s late arrival Sunday evening. The group had a lot of questions; but they were very excited to see what they would be working on and how the rest of the week would go. For such a small group, the campers really had

It was a hot day at the work sites! Thankfully, the clouds were out which kept everyone cool if they were working outside. The already small group split up into about 4 groups. They were very productive, painting, repairing holes, and putting new floors in the homes!

After an exciting first day, the campers headed back to shower, and get ready for dinner. After dinner was served, it was time to Worship with the Lord! After Worship in song, the speaker led a few demonstrations of spiritually, “Punching Fear in the Face.” He had everyone get together and tell the person next to them, a time in their life when they acted courageously. He also had everyone turn to the person next to them and look them in the eye for a period of time, helping us remember how hard it is to face fear; but it is possible. Connecting with everyone in this way seemed very affective because it is such a small group.

After Camp Gathering time, a Work Site Coordinator, Josh Markloff, one of the homeowners from a work site, and the boys of the group joined in a game of football. Everyone really enjoyed the rest of the night; but soon it was time to rest up for the next day!

Tuesday

Another morning begun! The campers left with full stomachs and packed lunches as they went off to their work sites!

Another cloudy day with a breeze! The groups continued to replace floors, paint a bedroom, install trim work and replace the flooring in a hallway. All of the groups stayed on task and were determined to get the job done! Serving God one nail at a time!

As the work day came to a close, the groups headed back to the church for dinner and Camp Gathering time. Soon after dinner, the group gathered for some praise and worship. The Speaker’s main message for the night was to “Never Give Up.” He made the point in saying the best things take risk and perseverance. He gave the example of how he met his wife, speaking of their first date and how he expressed his interest in her afterward and she wasn’t interested. After she spent a summer in Africa, his mind was still on her and he took a risk to ask her out again, and this time she showed interest in him and well, ten years later, the married couple is proof that perseverance in our relationship with God will end in blessings!

After Camp Gathering time, the boys played Man Hunt around the church building. Then it was time to get some rest to rise early for the next morning!

 

 

Watch the videos of the week at:

http://www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

Life Builders- C.E Work Camps. Week 2, Part 2 7/17/2013-7/19/2013

Wednesday

The Campers started early just as the other days, breakfast was served, lunches were packed, but on this day, Camp Gathering time was in the Morning. The band for the week did a great job in leading Worship in song, while the speakers gave a message about “Courageous Obedience”; Providing the example of his sister who was Mentally Disabled and accidentally set herself on fire when she was younger. He went on to say that even though she had 3rd degree burns and many other problems because of the fire, she was obeyed God, and shared the Love of Christ with everyone she spoke to. He left us with the example of her singing a Hymn, “God Will Take Care of Me” when she had just gotten out of the Hospital and was still in pain from the surgeries she underwent. The speaker ultimately challenged the campers to act in Courageous Obedience in the instances in our lives when we often look to run from God.

Headed off to another day of work, some groups continued to Prime and Paint homes, while others were still tearing up floors and replacing them. Others were painting porches, or fixing screens of porches. All of the campers were making a great effort to get their work done, and do it efficiently. The groups had the option to take a half-day of work, like the other Wednesdays; but most groups worked a full day. Most of the groups decided to go to Holden Beach, a local Beach in Brunswick County, NC in the late afternoon into the evening.

After some time off, everyone came back in time to get some rest for their last work day!

Thursday

Off to another early start, the campers still seemed motivated to go out and finish what they started! They packed their lunches, and went their separate ways!

The campers were feeling up to the task of completing their tasks! The groups finished painting, flooring and cleaning up the work sites! Glorifying God through all they did during the day!

Dinner time came, and with everyone fed, it was Camp Gathering time. The band led worship in song, and then it was time to hear the word. The speaker shared a story of a man named Joe who was homeless; but he found Christ and made it his mission to evangelize to homeless people and help them see Jesus as he did. One night, Joe brought a homeless man to church, the speaker was so impactful that when he had an altar call, the man began praying, stating “God, make me more like Joe.” The speaker reminded him that he really meant to say “Make me more like Jesus.” The speaker refreshed everyone’s mind with the idea that when we are saved, we have the opportunity to witness to others, and we are preserving our faith by helping others along their Journey to meet Christ.

After being given a lot to digest and consider, the campers were left to themselves, hanging out or doing devotions or even getting some rest. Then it was lights out, as they all would have an early morning, getting ready to leave.

Friday

Breakfast was even earlier than usual, just in time for everyone to get ready for the 9-12 hour drive back. The campers packed their bags, and headed off with prayers and words of encouragement. Wow, another great week, in which God’s presence was so visible in every aspect!

Watch the videos of the week at:
www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

View pictures from the week at:
http://bit.ly/LB2013wk2

 

Life Builders C.E Work Camps, Week 2, Part 1. Sunday 7/14/13-Tuesday 7/16/13

Sunday

The second week of camp already here! The campers arrived on time with little complications. One of the group’s vans broke down on the way; but the group still managed to pull together, and get settled easily. Praise God!

After the groups were all settled, there was a leader’s meeting, and following this, it was Camp Gathering Time. This week, the Camp had been blessed to have a Band by the name of “3 Shades of Blue” leading the music portion of the Worship time. The speaker this week was Chuck Jewell, a Pastor North of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And as mentioned the theme of this year is “Be Strong and Courageous.” The theme of the night was “Strong Courage.” He used some background of Joshua from the Bible and reminded us that Joshua was the one who inherited the Promised Land and he was courageous, he carried out his calling. The speaker ultimately challenged the group to meditate on the word of God, he gave the idea that we should read a verse aloud, and each time we read it, emphasize a different word in the verse and it will bring a new meaning to the scripture. He then left the group with the idea of worry. He asked us to worry about the word rather than our usual worldly matters. This left many of the campers enlightened and eager to take the challenge!

With a great message and a lot to think about, the campers went off to bed shortly after, resting well for the busy day ahead! Wow, what a day of the Lord.

Monday

The campers rose bright and early, to have breakfast and start their first day of work! Many groups were continuing the work of the previous week, as others began to work on different homes. There was another home where the owner was a hoarder, and a group began de-hoarding a house. Others were priming paint, replacing a screened in porch, fixing skirting on mobile homes and fixing holes in bathroom floors. The groups were working hard all day, and came back exhausted but feeling accomplished. Glory to God!

As the campers arrived back at the Church, they showered and took some time to themselves before dinner. After all were fed it was Camp Gathering time.

After some worship in song, it was time to hear the word of the Lord. The theme of the night was “Strong Faithfulness” The Speaker focused his message on Joshua 3:5-8 when Joshua was about to lead the people across the river after the Ark of the Covenant was lifted up. The speaker then showed a video about a man who, at fourteen years of age, woke up one morning blind. He put his faith in Christ and discovered talents and abilities he never knew he had before he was blind. He began to sing, play guitar and work at a blind institute. There was also a testimony given by one of the campers who struggled with both of his parents living with addiction and how he stayed faithful to God through his life. It was a great way to encourage the campers to take a leap of faith even when they aren’t sure of what the outcome will be.

Finally, the night was coming to an end and the campers broke off into small groups, enjoyed some time playing games and other activities, and uniting in devotional time. Soon enough though, it was time for lights out and sleep so these hard workers could be ready for the next day.

Tuesday

A new morning had begun. The groups rose early for breakfast, completed their cleaning assignments for the day, and it was off to the work sites!

The groups seemed to be even more on task than Monday if that is even possible! These groups have been great at whistling while they work! Enjoying their time and putting the effort in, as well as letting Christ shine through them and into the hearts of their homeowners. As we traveled through the work sites we saw people painting porches, putting up drywall, getting rid of trash, sorting through household items that were to be thrown away, and finishing up painting inside a home.

The campers arrived back at the church, most of them early, giving them time to wind down and get ready for dinner. Dinner came, and then it was time to join in worship with the Lord.

As the band had finished leading worship in song, the speaker preached about the theme of the day which was to have a “Strong Narrative.” The speaker used Joshua 4:1-9 to describe a Strong narrative of the 12 tribe leaders Joshua had make a pile of rocks called an “Ebeneezer.” The speaker then left the crowd with the story of Staci, a girl that came to know Christ at a young age; but because of her peace and joy, which was so prevalent in her, many were influenced and came to know Christ, especially when she died at a young age and they had realized how God used her to serve others. The group was left with the idea of how to infiltrate their own “Strong Narrative” in their lives, so they would be equipped with answers, when others had questions about their faith.

After Camp Gathering Time, it was once again, time for all to rest up for the next day’s work! What a great week so far, it will be exciting to see what the Lord has in store for the rest of it!

Watch the videos of the week at:
www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

View pictures from the week at:
http://bit.ly/LB2013wk2

Life Builders- C.E Work Camps, Week 1, part 2, Wednesday, 7/10/13-Friday, 7/12/13

Wednesday

Wednesday morning was unlike the other days of the week because Camp Gathering time was in the morning, right after breakfast as opposed to the usual evening time the campers would meet. Many of us were especially intrigued in the gathering time due to the illustration given by the speaker. The theme of the day was “Courageous Obedience.” The Speaker showed a video clip from Toy Story two when one of the main Characters, Woody was taken with some other toys he met, the person who found the toys was going to sell them to a museum; but Woody’s friends came looking for him. When they found him they reminded him to look under his shoe, when Woody did he saw the name written “Andy,” the name of his owner on the bottom. It reminded him who he belonged to. The speaker was trying to remind us not to forget who we belonged to. He gave the example of Jesus declaring that there would be a church built on a rock, and Peter would take part in that. Even though Peter denied Jesus three times and forgot who he belonged to, Jesus didn’t forget that peter was His. What a message to leave people thinking!

Excited to head to the Beach, out to dinner or wherever the groups wanted to go, they went about the half day of work with great enthusiasm and Charisma. By this time of the week, it was clear; many of the groups had grown quite close to their homeowners. One group had even used their own church fundraising money to add some finishing touches to the house they were working in. These touches included floating candles for a bathtub, new curtains, a new vacuum cleaner, and some fresh paint to name a few. What a conspiracy of Grace! Another group was so motivated; they decided not to take a half day. Instead, they worked into mid-afternoon to finish the job and finish it right! They fixed the skirting on a mobile home, and fixed siding that was falling off as well as rebuild front steps. Wow, what hard workers! Sounds like a great work day to me!

The groups were set off to eat dinner on their own, including places like Golden Corral, Chick fil A, and even some family owned Ice Cream shops. The groups came back feeling relaxed and filled with laughter and memories of a great day!

Soon enough though, it was time to go to get some rest to begin their last day of work!

Thursday

The campers woke early for their last day, breakfast was served, lunches were packed, and they headed out to finish what they started!

As we traveled around to each work site, it was amazing to see the progress from the beginning to the end of the week! A man went from not being able to see the color of his furniture, infested with a plethora of bug families, to a clean, bright, painted, and soon to be exterminated home. What an accomplishment! A woman started with a porch that needed painting, to a home that shined bright white on the outside due to a power washing and new paint, with a painted porch and a cleaned up yard. One group had a camera crew from the Local News filming the end result and broadcasting the work of Christian Endeavor in Supply, North Carolina. This woman’s home now had a strong porch, a remodeled master bedroom, and a functional kitchen. The accomplishments of all the groups were astounding. Working hard till the very end!

After a hard day’s work, it was dinner time. Several groups had invited the home owners to Thursday evening Camp gathering time. Each person was required to bring their own rock, big enough to fill the palm of a hand. The speaker wanted everyone to use the rocks as a symbol of the weight of our sin from our past, holding us down. As we held on to the rocks, the speaker gave the illustration of our arms becoming weaker as we held onto the rock tighter, holding onto the sin longer, eventually leading to an ultimatum, that we must let go of the rock, letting go of our sin. A large, wooden cross was put up on the altar; below it was a small board of plywood, in which everyone was instructed to drop their rocks on, dropping their sins and leaving them behind at the cross. The speaker left the audience with one last challenge, that we ask ourselves who we were going to serve, and if it was the one true God, in order to be saved by the blood of Christ, we are to leave our past sins at the cross, thus our actions of dropping the rock, created our own “Ebeneezer,” a significant moment in our “Strong Narrative;” which tied in with the last day’s theme “Courageous preservation;” hoping we would have enough faith and courage to follow Christ and preserve our faith by letting go of what used to weigh us down.

Following Camp Gathering time, the home owners were invited to an Ice Cream Social, which led the campers to an evening of energy. Also, being the last night to make care cards, free time consisted of speed care card writing, mixed with fun, laughter, and who knows, maybe there was even time for devotions!

After a great ending, to a great day, it was time to say their prayers and head off to bed!

Friday

The last morning has arrived! Breakfast at 6am; but all the groups were ready to get going, one group even leaving at 5, getting ready for the long drive back home! The rest of the groups left shortly after breakfast, grabbing their care card envelopes, and joining in prayer with one of the site coordinators, they were ready for the journey. What a great end to a fantastic week. A wonderful week of seeing Jesus in Disguise in every one of these 99 campers!

Watch the videos of the week at:

http://www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

View pictures from the week at:

http://bit.ly/LB2013wk1

Life Builders-C.E Work Camps week 1, Sunday 7/7/13-Tuesday 7/9/13

Sunday

What a trip! All from Pennsylvania, these campers had quite a long trip down here to Supply, North Carolina! Some groups left as early as four in the morning to get an early start to a great week God has planned for them! Altogether, there were 99 campers, not including staff and volunteers.

That evening, Fred Whaples, the speaker reeled in the crowd at Camp Gathering time with his illustration about this year’s camp theme, “Be Strong and Courageous” from Joshua 1:9. In his Sermon, Fred used a live fish, throwing it out of the bowl to demonstrate the need of the “restrictions” Christ gives us when we accept Him into our lives. The fish only being able to swim in a small bowl became a metaphor for our own lives showing there could be no life for the fish outside of the bowl. The camper’s reactions varied to the fish being thrown out of the bowl; but it certainly was effective. Fred challenged them to step up and “be strong and courageous” in their own lives by reaching out to our neighbors in need of the life Christ has to offer.

After camp gathering time, these excited campers used their free time playing cards, laughing and simply having an enjoyable evening with one another, many groups, concluding the evening with devotions.

Monday

What a lively group! The campers enthusiastically grabbed breakfast, packed their lunches and cleaned the facility, then they were off to their first day! Not all the groups received the materials right away, which gave many of them the chance to engage in great conversation with their homeowners. A group from Christ Lutheran shared their devotional time with their homeowner. What a great way to share the good news! That same group brought along quilts and prayer shawls to be given to each homeowner as a thoughtful and encouraging gift. The groups that had materials available, began to fix the skirting of a Trailer, Power Wash a home, tear down overgrown bushes and weeds, and alleviate the situation of a hoarder. Every site visited, we could see these campers let Christ work through them! They were praying with their homeowners, encouraging them, and working together with great effort and a positive attitude!

People began to return mid-afternoon, showered and given some time to wind down, dinner was served!

After dinner, it was Camp Gathering time! Leading the Worship this week was a worship team from Christ Lutheran, Niantic. There was a great unity in the worship Monday night. Next, the speaker began to preach about “Strong Faithfulness” as the theme of the day. He began with a 9 question, true or false response, “Test of Faith,” ultimately challenging the campers to take a leap of faith and rid themselves of their humanity in order to let God’s divinity shine through.

After Camp gathering, most of the campers took a quick trip to the local Dairy Queen and ended the night with devotions.

Tuesday

The second day of Work already here! The campers enjoyed their breakfast and packed their lunches off to serve the Lord! As we visited the sites, the campers seemed to be even more motivated than Monday! God was working in them as many of them worked together patiently and intently to build new steps for a porch, fix plumbing for a shower, paint the siding and the porch on a house, level a driveway, and continue to de-clutter and clean a messy home. One group was at a trailer that had to be mostly demolished because of the damages, and in the process they discovered a harmful source of mold which resulted in a hospital visit for this group! The spores were making it hard for one of the men to breathe, causing his asthma to act up, fortunately, praise God, he was given some medicine and began to feel much better.

Sure enough, the groups began to return from their long day, showering and getting ready for the remainder of the evening.

Camp Gathering time came, the theme of the night revolved around “Strong Narratives.” The speaker used the example from the week’s passage in which Joshua knew his strengths of leadership and delegation, and was therefore given the task to pick 12 people from different tribes to travel across water that God separated for them, as they would place their stones at the other side to make a pile, referred to as an “Ebenezer.” The speaker challenged the campers to create their own “Ebenezer,” a place where they could recollect a moment that gave glory to God, adding a piece to their own” Strong Narrative” of their relationship with God throughout their lives. At the end, everyone was given Band-Aids to write their names on to give to the person next to them to represent a spiritual, emotional, or physical scar that has been part of their own “Strong Narrative.”

After Camp Gathering time, many joined in devotional time, eventually it was lights out, and another day was to come in which God’s servants would again rise with excitement and willingness to work for His glory.

Watch the videos of the week at:
www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

View pictures from the week at:
http://bit.ly/LB2013wk1

Statement on Helping Those Affected by Sandy (11/5/12)

Life Builders Work Camp Ministry, as well as many others, are wondering if next summer a work camp can be held to help people affected by the storm, Sandy. Natural disasters are an area which Life Builders Work Camps often will seek to help those affected. It has been one of the reasons many will attend our work camp ministry.
While there are many people who are in need, it is way too early to begin discussing about having work camp at any area that was affected. Sam spoke with a ministry today, and the person mentioned that today is the first day they could meet as a staff. Previously it had been too dangerous to travel. On top of all of this, there is also the shortage of gasoline.
As some may know from the news, FEMA and Red Cross hasn’t even gotten into some areas and really offered any assistance for basic survival a week later after the storm; and many still don’t have power. Once some of those details are taken care of, FEMA and other agencies (like VOAD’s which are made up of volunteers) are able to begin taking assessments of the affected areas. The areas affected, from the Delmarva Peninsula up to Connecticut, is a large area, with some really densely populated areas, like NYC. It will take a long time to do this work.
Once the assessments are done, there is then the waiting for checks from insurance agencies and federal government. All not happening quickly for various reasons. It could take some people nearly a year to be at a place where they are prepared for assistance.
Now, none of this is to say Life Builders has not made contacts and begun to look into the possibility of assisting the affected area. But it is going to take time for a lot of things to fall into place before serious discussions can be held about what help we can meet and where.
Since the affected area is so vast, there probably will be work still to be done in the summer of 2014 and 2015 (just as it had taken years to help those affected by Katrina).
We will post updates as any major progress is made. But in the mean time, the current planning is to help needy people in the Southeast corner of North Carolina. This is not definite either, and am waiting to find out if they were affected by Sandy in that region.
In the mean time, if you can, please help through other ways.  Here are some places to start: Samaritan’s Purse www.samaritanspurse.org; Red Cross www.redcross.org; Recovers.org www.recovers.org/communities, or other agencies you know are seeking to provide assistance. {Please note, Christian Endeavor Mid-Atlantic, The Pennsylvania Christian Endeavor Union, Inc. or Live Builders – CE Work Camp Ministry supports the above organizations, they are provided as a resource.}

What happened at the 2012 Life Builders Young Adult Fall Service Trip?

Thursday, October 11, 2012, was the first day of the 2012 Fall Young Adult Service Trip at River Valley Ranch in Manchester, MD. It was a nice afternoon to begin serving the camp and doing so in sort of secret. The group was given the job of taking care of some garden work around Frontier Town. This included weeding, clearing out dead brush, raking leaves, and trimming back plants for the winter.

After supper, a time was held for a spiritual challenge. The facilitator, Tim Hart, lead the group in a discussion about David’s life. Each session he lead, focused upon something that happened in David’s life that begins with an S. On this first evening, it was about David being selected. When the session was over, a few went out and took advantage of look up at the stars on a clear evening, and with little light pollution.

Friday morning, after breakfast, before the group was split into smaller groups to do work, the director of the camp stood in front of the group and gave a welcome, and a little bit of the details about the camp. He then went on to tell a story about the building of the Sistine Chapel. The point of the story is that people may do different things for the glory of God, it doesn’t matter if you are a mason, carpenter, or person sweeping the floor. Hence, the work that we were doing was for the glory of God, although it may not be greatly noticed.

The group tackled four different jobs through out the day. These jobs included: racking leaves and preparing Camp Roller for Maizefest the next day; doing some clean up around Arrowhead woods; taking apart a deck and building a temporary entrance to the X-barn; cleaning the snack shop, game room, and lobby; and taking down, cleaning and drying the screen panels for the dining tent.

Again, after supper, we got together for a spiritual challenge. This evening the focus was upon David being Strong.

The group was then able to experience the Corn Maze in the dark, and then enjoyed a camp fire and made s’mores.

Saturday we a much different day. The first half of the day half the group went and helped with Maizefest, and the rest doing gardening work around Frontier Town. The second half of the day, the two groups swapped jobs.

At that evenings spiritual time, Tim lead us in a discussion of David and his Sin, mainly the sin with Bathsheba.

The group was fairly tired this evening, and so there was not much done by the group.

Sunday morning, after breakfast, we ended with a time of singing songs of worship, and then again a discussion about David’s life. The S word for this time was Steadfast.

Overall, it was a great weekend. New friendships were made, ministry work at the camp was tackled, the camp’s staff are able to now focus on other tasks, and had a great opportunity to help the camp minister at their Maizefest.

Pictures and a video of the weekend have been posted on-line for you to view.

If you are between the age of graduated from High School and 29, please consider attending one of our Young Adult Service Trips (www.theworkcamppeople.org/servicetrip). The next one will be in the Spring of 2013, in Montgomery, WV, with a variety of weeks available to attend.

Life Builders Work Camp – Sunday-Wednesday (July 8-11, 2012)

Sunday

Groups arrived safely and timely.  There were no issues for groups arriving at camp.  This is the fullest week we have this summer.  Nearly 180 people, plus staff and volunteers.  A lot of work will get done with this group.

That evening’s Camp Gathering focused upon Being and Example in speech.  This evening it was done through worship stations.  Some of the stations included, writing words that have been said to you which are negative and then writing down words that you have said that were negative toward people – and then seek forgiveness for those people and for what was said; another one included the use of Jenga blocks – removing a block for different negative things said and then placing a block in the tower for positive things said, considering how one’s speech affects others.

After the Camp Gathering and some free time, it was time for lights out.

Monday

After breakfast and packing lunches, it was off to the work sites.  Some of the work being done this day was helping a man rebuild his home, digging a ditch and putting in a drain pipe to help prevent water from entering the basement, finishing the tearing apart of a trailer, cleaning a gutter of a home, and building a pad so a homeowner’s washer could be higher.  It was a nice day for work.

After returning to the housing facility people showered and cleaned up from the day.  Then it was time for dinner.

After dinner it was time for the Camp Gathering.  This week people from a group’s youth group are leading worship.  The person who was going to lead it was not able to make it, so they are doing well on their own.

This evening’s spiritual focus was on Being and Example in life.  The camp went to a cemetery and discussed about the way people live lives and how they impact people.  This week, interestingly, a person shared about how he has his cemetery stone already since his wife passed away.  Also, another person, shared that his career is working on making tomb stones.  These helped to give a different perspective on the topic.

Tuesday

The morning was a typical morning, meaning that after breakfast and packing lunches it was off to the work sites.  Some of the jobs were completed on Monday, so there were some changes in jobs.  Some of the sites included scraping then painting the outside of a two story home that lies close to a lake and was impacted by the flooding, tearing down and repairing a fence, taking out a porch and replacing it, cleaning brush that has been allowed to grow up around a home, as well as continue a drywall installation job from the other week.

After dinner it was time for this evenings Camp Gathering.  Again there was a video from the day and songs of praise and worship.  The spiritual focus time was on Being an Example of Love.  This time included the use of stations again.  One of the stations was a time of considering what items do we love more than God.  People were to create a symbol of that idol out of play doh.  After a scripture reading, the people were to demolish their creation to symbolize destroying the idol that was blocking them from loving God.

After the Camp Gathering and some free time it was now time for Lights Out.

Wednesday

The morning started differently.  After breakfast, a Camp Gathering was held.  For the spiritual focus aspect a time of Lectio Divina, or Spiritual Reading, was done in smaller groups.

After this, it was off to work sites.  Some of the work today was cleaning brush from another home, pumping out water from a basement that was still there since the flooding in September, painting the foundation of a home and moving a mound of dirt from the back of a person’s home.

Work was done till about noon.  The groups then had the rest of the day off to enjoy and relax.  Some of the groups went to Hershey Park, another group went to Coleman Park, and another group went to Gretna Glen.

Watch videos of the week at www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

View pictures of the week at www.http://bit.ly/NVgbLI

Life Builders Work Camp – Thursday-Friday (June 28-29, 2012)

Thursday

After a restful night after an afternoon and evening of fun, it was back to the work sites after breakfast.  One of the tasks for the day was pulling out supports on a trailer so the roof would come down.  This was accomplished safely with no injuries.  Praise God.

Another job was preparing an area for cement to be poured.  The homeowner wanted a small patio area and walk behind their home.  One of the issues they deal with is a natural swail develops when there is a heavy rain.  The hope is to change the flow of the swail.  Putting in a cement walk is hoped to stop the swail from forming.

At another site, they were putting up drywall on the walls and ceiling of a home.  While at another place people were still insulating and sealing a basement.  The homeowner of this place appreciated the gardens the group created for her and her flowers.

After showering, and having dinner, it was time for the Camp Gathering Time.  Local residents were invited to this evening gathering.  Some residents shared, while weeping, about the help provided to them and deep appreciation held by them.

Friday

It was the last morning of work camp.  Before breakfast was served, many were packing their belongings and loading them onto their vehicles for their trip back home.

After breakfast, it was time for groups to help clean up the school and prepare it for the next group.  There was cleaning of the shower/locker rooms, sweeping hallways and sleeping rooms, and cleaning the eating area of the cafeteria as some of the items the needed to be done.  All groups were finished with the cleaning, and packed ready to go by 9:00 AM.

It was a great week.  A lot of items were accomplished and lives had been changed.  Praise be to God for the great week of ministry in Pine Grove & Tremont, PA areas.

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A local newspaper reporter came and interviewed some of the people working, a homeowner, the work coordinator for the week, and the local coordinator for work.  To read the article click  here.

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Watch videos of the week at www.youtube.com/theworkcamppeople

View pictures of the week at http://bit.ly/MC2wDV.