"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8
2021 sure did surprise us. We set out to be faithful, like Abraham, to the call and heart of the Father. Camp Refuge had its own promises from God . . . an inheritance so to speak . . . one that we knew we would "later receive." Our little human minds couldn't comprehend the Lord's timing, but "later" sure did sound far off. "Later" turned out to be March 19, 2021 with the blessing of our very own Promised Land. So, we hosted our last set of retreats at what we have always called our "temporary headquarters" and said goodbye. It was such a bittersweet day for us. I was sad to say goodbye to where it all started, but joyous for the next season of growth for our organization. As I looked out over the empty platforms, I was filled with a more profound set of emotions - GRATITUDE and AWE. God did so much with our humble beginnings, but just like the Israelites we had to follow the cloud of His presence, and His cloud was now moving.
"I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey - the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live." Exodus 3:17
The land is beautiful. It's glorious. It's awe inspiring. It's hard work! BUT, it's JOYOUS work. We took the next 7 months (April - October) to prep our grounds, freshen up paint, tear down and rebuild the tent platforms, change light fixtures, move our office, and set up a consistent maintenance schedule (I had no idea how much work a 3 acre pond was or how glad I would be for the grass to stop growing).
As the time grew near for our Fall 2021 retreat season to begin, the excitement of being on the new grounds began to build. The grounds were pristine thanks to an amazing crew of volunteers. We put some finishing touches on a few things and made our final plans. Can I just say how thankful I am for our CareTeam leaders??? They know their roles so well that I don't have to worry about the "what ifs" because they have already planned for them. BIG VISIONS require BIG TEAMS and I'm so glad to have leaders and volunteers who consider it a JOY to serve.
Our Fall sessions went so smooth, but more importantly God moved on hearts. Story after story was told of restored marriages - some couples were even separated before coming and left reconciled! No accolades for man. God alone! His forgiveness is never-ending and to see couples leave healed and walking in the freedom of forgiveness makes all the "work" worth it. Oh, the honor of co-laboring with Him!
"Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!" Genesis 15:5
It all started with a promise for Abram (later to be renamed Abraham), but it didn't happen overnight. Even when Abraham did finally have a son, it was no where near the multitude of stars that were in the sky. It was the start, but not the fullness of God's promise. So, it is with Camp Refuge. The Lord's faithfulness is evident and we have seen the miraculous happen, but there is still more to come. I hear the challenge "count them if you can." Yes, Lord, we will declare Your goodness and "count" each and every one.
"For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen." Romans 11:36
