By Aaron E. Ziebarth, Executive Director
I was spending the weekend with more than eighty fathers and daughters. The daughters’ faces spoke of their excitement to have this special time with their dads at a place they enjoy.
Our culture doesn’t provide many opportunities for dads and daughters to connect with each other. So we have created an event that these two are comfortable to attend, and then we provide them with many activities to enjoy together and to deepen their relationship with the Lord.
I have participated in many of these events with my daughters. This weekend, I was able to spend the time with Anna, my 9-year-old. We considered many options for free time: go-karts, the zipline, archery, but we decided to go canoeing.
Due to the recent rains Back Creek was moving a bit faster than normal. I was impressed with Anna’s canoeing abilities, as well as the way she listened so closely to my instructions. We continued upstream with a goal of passing the bridge. We encountered a few more challenging spots, and then we reached a very narrow channel where fallen trees and the underwater rock structure made the current very quick and very difficult.
We paddled hard, digging deeply, but we were pushed back by the current. Not giving up, we reevaluated our plan and prayed. After much effort, we achieved success. We hooted in victory and Anna declared, “God answered our prayer.”
Yes He had. We were in beyond our control, and it was clear we couldn’t do this on our own. The lesson was clear that day: God does answer prayer.
And God reveals Himself like that often at camp.
Anna will tell you her highlight that weekend was the special banquet, followed closely by our canoeing expedition.
Registrations are coming in at record paces for summer camp: day camps, traditional overnight camp, adventure camp and community day camp. Encourage someone to register today at www.joyelcamps.org.
