Quiet time…
God is good! In this time of ever-changing guidelines and expectations He is the one thing that stays the same. Through it all, he is working for our good. He has been good to Camp Elkanah during this time.
June brought the excitement of summer day camp and then the disappointment of canceling after much prayer and consideration. God did bring an amazing staff together and we had an amazing staff week. Turning staff week into staff camp. During the week we had amazing worship and crying out to God as well as productive project time where we worked on painting and trail building. It was a great time of seeking God through hard work and praise. Many staffers commented on how the week was just what they needed.
July came and silence fell on camp. When usually rental groups are busy providing camping opportunities, the only sound is the sprinklers and lawn mower. In the absence of campers running and laughing we have taken the opportunity to complete projects on a longer less stressful timeline. Our new commercial dishwasher, Hobart 2.0, was delivered and installed, ready to keep the kitchen safe and sanitary for campers. With the help of a small but dedicated team, the trail started during staff week to the ropes area was completed. Campers will no longer compete walk with traffic on the road past the shop.
And now we are into August… what does August bring? We know it will bring new staff to camp. We are excited to welcome Josh and Kaitlin Gustafson to the Camp Elkanah Family. Josh will be our new Site Manager and will oversee the physical maintenance and upkeep of camp. Kaitlin is joining the team as the Guest Services and Program Coordinator. Kaitlin will help in the implementation of camp programs and outdoor school. As a staff, we are excited to see where God will take camp with this team. Josh and Kaitlin are excited to bring their life experiences in education, construction, and emergency medical services to the team and allow God to use them at Camp.
Also, in August, we are kicking off our donor drive to increase monthly support. Camp has long been supported by a core group of churches and individuals. God has laid it on my heart to increase Camp Elkanah’s monthly support. With the current COVID situation it has only become more evident that the monthly expenses at camp need to be covered by consistent monthly support. This will allow the event income to be reinvested into camp to improve and maintain the facilities. If you feel that God is asking you to partner up with Elkanah to change lives you can donate through our web page or feel free to call the office at 541-963-5050 and we can help you set up your giving options. We will add updates to our website as we make progress toward our goal! Stay tuned!!
In Christ,
Joe “Mr.” Wing
