Various Goings On

We had another successful camp committee meeting last Sunday. After some time discussing what basic camp organizational model might work best for us, we began to assign responsibilities. Kelly and I are obviously responsible for most of the administrative responsibilities but it was important to decide what responsibilities belong in the hands of the camp directors and their programming committee. Daniel Lucas, Janna Fox and David Edgecombe carry the bulk of that responsibility along with Maria-Eugenia Castaneda and a few others. The decision was made to have a third key area of responsibility, that being Camp Maintenance and Construction projects. Due to his considerable experience with the construction of the camp, Dale Horst will continue to head up this important area. It looks like we are slowly developing into a group that understands more clearly who is responsible for what. We have one more general planning meeting before camp hits to ensure that everything is on track while the sub-committees will handle the various details.

On Wednesday we had a midweek meeting with Janna to get a greater understanding of costs and programming details. Janna has been involved in the camp ministry for a number of years, even before El Faro was built and has a real interest in seeing this ministry being successful. One benefit of adding a second week of children’s camp this year is that we can invite more kids in the 9-11 age range, funds permitting. Kelly and I are going to begin to approach some local families in El Arenal to see if there might be around 20 children in this age range that we can invite to El Faro for a week of camp. Although a few individuals have been invited before, this will be the first time that a concerted effort will have been made to bring in a number of local kids. Please pray that there will be a good response. It costs approx $50 per child, per week so if you would like to help defray those costs you can do so by sending funds directly to the MSC address on the right hand side of this blog and specify that it is for El Faro campers and not for our personal support.

There are a number of practical details that need to be taken care of before camp begins and we are working through those little by little. We are in the process of finishing and equipping the interior of the last cabin which currently is without toilets, showers, sinks, mattresses, curtain rods etc., although bathroom doors are being added as I write. This cabin, which can accommodate 48 in 4 bedrooms of 12, was left unfinished last year due to lack of time and funds, but we are planning, God willing, to have it ready for this year’s groups.

We went through the kitchen and took an inventory of all appliances, cutlery etc. this week and found that we are short some items mostly smaller ones like spoons, bowls, large plates, oven mitts, and dishtowels. There are also some tables and chairs that have been damaged and will need to be repaired or replaced. This is partly due to general wear and tear and attrition and also because we need to add to the inventory due to the addition of the fourth cabin which will allow us to sleep a maximum of 192 campers and staff this year.

We have begun meeting regularly with a young man named Carlos for a time of Bible study and are also helping him with his English. Carlos became a Christian last summer and is showing a lot of interest in learning more about God. He will be meeting again with us this Sunday to continue our studies in “Firm Foundations”, a study guide that leads us through some of the important fundamentals in the life of a Christian. Carlos is hoping to go to university in Guayaquil in April so we want to meet with him as often as possible before then. He already knows a number of the youth in the city from spending time with them at various camp gatherings.

One final note, this is a big weekend in Ecuador! Carnival is here at last and although it takes an entirely different turn from the world famous exploits of the Brazilians, it is nevertheless, a time of fun and laughter for some and a time of frustration on others because in Ecuador Carnival is a time to get soaked! It is difficult to go out for the next few days without getting wet as people spray hoses, throw buckets of water; fire water pistols throw water balloons and generally try to drench passers-by! You have to take it as the good natured fun that it is intended to be, nevertheless it can be frustrating for those who are all dressed up for work!

Verse for the day:

Psalm 14:2, 3
“The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

We read part of Romans chapter 3 with Carlos the other day and noticed that the apostle Paul quoted a couple of times from this passage. It struck me again as being very forceful and clear and also very relevant to our society today. It also struck me as being very personal because it describes me in my natural state. I have been as guilty as the next man in not seeking God - and many times I have clearly chosen to do what is wrong rather than what is good. Thank God for His grace and mercy! However, we must not wallow in our sin and allow it to become an excuse for not serving God. Charles Spurgeon is reported to have prayed “God be merciful to me a sinner” as he stepped into the pulpit and our sinfulness should not prevent us from appropriating His grace and serving Him either.

We thought that you might like some fotos of the various animals that are working for their living around this place.....although we forgot Kuma, the big German Shepherd. I thought that I had a picture of him on my memory stick but apparently not.

Picasso taking a nap in a laundry bucket!

Beethoven (Baby) is getting bigger every day!

Ginger waits all day, every day for her owners to

come back and rescue her from this zoo!

Beethoven and Leonardo are dreaming up a musical, artistic masterpiece.