Monday, August 31, 2009

Family Camp Memories

Last week was a special one for our family. We were at Camp Lebanon in Upsala, MN for Family Camp Week B. I was asked to be the camp speaker earlier this year, and we had been to family camps before, but never as the speaker's family. Wow. What a wonderful experience.

The staff at Camp Lebanon are fantastic. Bill Abeler has been the Camp Director for over 20 years, and that experience shines through in everything that he and his wonderful wife do. He is a mentor to the high school and college students that are employed by the camp over the summer, and a tireless servant to the families.

Camp Lebanon's motto is A Meeting Place With God. The camp, which is set on the beautiful Cedar Lake truly does allow one to meet with God. There is such beauty surrounding the camp. One night as I fished on the dock I watched a shooting star blaze across the night sky. The bass fishing is great. Camp Lebanon allows campers to use the camp's pontoon boats, kayaks, canoes, etc. There are beautiful hiking trails and opportunities for recreation abound with a zip line, beach, disc golf course, and more.

But, it was the people who made Camp Lebanon truly special. There were about 80 campers last week, from a wide variety of denominational and church backgrounds. My highlight, by far, came on Tuesday night. It was my last night in my thirties and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel. Ten people invited Christ to be their Savior and Lord, including an entire family. What a wonderful way to end a decade of life! God worked in an awesome way. I'll be back at Camp Lebanon for "Family Camp A" next year. It happens towards the end of June. I hope your family will consider joining us. Everyone in our family loved their time at Camp Lebanon. You will too.