MONDAY

It was a Monday today here at Camp Agape & Ocoee Resort Ministries.

The to do list was infinite and the amount of people that just popped into for one reason or another was infinite as well.

My favorite of them all other than a couple of local favorites I always enjoy visiting with was Roger. Roger is our bug guy. I guess exterminator would be more appropriate. When I think or say exterminator I always begin to think of THE Terminator. Which gets me distracted.

Back to Roger the bug guy.

We have known him for a few years now. He and his dad are both in the ministry. Recently he has taken over the pastorate at his dad's church. Roger's son has definitely been the prodigal son dabbling in lots of not legal things. Chris and I have gotten to listen to Roger's broken yet faithful heart concerning his son.

Today we got to hear joy and excitement. Roger's son has returned to the Lord with a new found passion. One of those passion that doesn't come from earthly things but only for the Lord! It was awesome to see this man standing with a can of bug stuff getting louder and louder and his smile getting bigger and bigger as he talked about his son and what God was doing!

Roger went on to tell us about what's happening at his church. He has not encouraged people to simply get involved. He has encouraged them to sit at the feet of the Father. Roger said as their love for God grows their love to show up and work grows to. He said it's amazing! What a joy to hear of a church doing it right things in the right order. Love the Lord first and then let all else fall in place. According to God's leading. Pretty sure there's a few words like that which can be found in the Book.

Do you know the story of your bug man? Might want to ask. Might be the highlight of your day as well!

3:45pm February 1, 2010

We will no longer be sending our cash to the bank to pay off a loan! Yes, that is correct... As of today, February 1, 2010 Camp Agape is officially DEBT FREE!! To some of you that's not a big deal. However, to many of us it is a sense of freedom. What a joy! Continue to pray that we and all those involved in this ministry will faithfully follow God's leading for direction. The blissful impact of no more loan will have full impact come this time next month when we do not have to write out another check. May we always seek to be faithful stewards of all the Lord will entrust us with!

complete in Christ,
Lindsey
Missions Associate

PS - Simply because we have paid off a loan does not mean we will be able to allow everyone to come to Camp Agape for free. Unfortunately, there are still many other people (gas, electric, water, etc.) that will still be needing a monthly check from us. I hope you will still celebrate with us on this joyous occassion!

Common thread?

Today I know someone who is leaving for a week to travel to Nicaragua (Erin F).

Today I know someone who is leaving for Jamaica for a week (Kevin L).

Today I know someone who is leaving for Hungary for 2 YEARS (Stephanie)!

At the end of this month I know someone who is leaving for Honduras for a week (Shelby C).

What's the common thread?  Well, there are a few of those.  I am blessed to know each of these folks #1.  Then of course there is the common thread of what each of them will be doing...  They are going to far and distant lands to share the most powerful Truth that can be found in this world.  That is the Truth that Christ is alive and real!  The #3 common thread is that each of them has served with Camp Agape & Ocoee Resort Ministries as a summer missionary.  

I had the privilege of visiting with the young lady going to Nicaragua last night before her trip.  As I was getting ready for bed I received a text from the young man heading out to Jamaica.  The young lady heading to Honduras recently shared the extreme excitement in getting her first passport!  It has been a great joy to watch the young lady heading to Hungary for 2 years as she as grown and matured so much in her obedience to the Lord. 

The most amazing part of all this is that this is but a glimpse of what God allows us to do through Camp Agape & ORM with summer missionaries.  My dad ask me yesterday about how often students return to work with us.  Unfortunately, we do not have a high rate of returning students.  I went on to explain to my dad though about each of these students and how God uses our ministry more often than not as a time of great learning and experience as each of our students prepare to go further in their service for the Lord.  

As I stated this is but a glimpse.  The number of summer missionaries we have had still living in the states and doing work for the Lord both vocationally and in secular positions is incredible!  

More than anything I ask that you be in prayer for these students who are traveling to far and distant lands.  Pray for safety and pray for obedience.  

Rock Slide

"But Jesus answered, 'I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"

Luke 19:40

Rarely do I see large stones, rocks or even mountains without thinking about this scripture. Last week out on the Ocoee there was a bit of a rock problem. Actually, it was a huge rock problem. What is pictured above is the put in for the middle part of the river. For those that hav been rafting that is the area where you walk your boat down to the water. You can also see what use to be a section of Hwy 64 missing.

There was a rockslide. It was huge! I noticed in our local paper today a link where you can go to see more pictures and keep up to date with the project. For those interested you can go to

ROCKSLIDE

to see the most current news.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Above you should find a few pictures from our mission teams this summer. It is but a glimpse of what goes on through the ministry with Camp Agape & Ocoee Resort Ministries!

Groups typically come and stay a week. Through that week they go through a bible study together which is taught our director, Chris Stewart. Then after that each morning, starts the day of sharing God's love through many different ways.

This summer mission teams did several different Community ministries:

Copper Basin Crisis Center

Angel Wing's Daycare

Prayer walking Benton area

Polk County Food Bank (preparing bags & distribution)

Senior Adult visitation and church service

Prayer walking local schools

Trail maintenance on campus

On Thursday & Friday the teams would move into the Resort ministry area:

Prayer walking ministry sites

Beach Reach

Watering Hole (giving out water to rafters on the Ocoee River)

Prayer Hikes

Friday night Guide Meals

For us it's all about finding people where they are and meeting simple needs in order to share about the greatest Love that there is! We meet many people who have heard of this Love yet have never seen it in action so it's hard for them to understand it. It's our desire that through our simple ministries they can begin to see glimpses of the great Love. It's through our simple ministries we desire to see mission teams take home ways they can begin sharing of this Love in their hometowns! In the days to come will be quotes from different trips that have come through Camp Agape & Ocoee Resort Ministries.

Thanks for taking time to check out more of what was happening around here this summer!

are YOU wondering?

YOU are probably wondering what is going on?!?

Yes, I'm fully aware that tomorrow will mark two entire months in which no blogging occured.

Have you ever dropped something and it just bounced off the floor and you picked it up with no problem? Then sometimes when you drop things it makes a loud noise but nothing shatters. Then you drop the fine china and it shatters into a pretty good size mess. Not to mention the sensitiveness of what you just broke.

Then there are those days you drop things like a fish tank.

You're walking along fine carry this fish tank with fish, rocks, fish village and all in it. Something happens and it slips from your grip. Time seems to stand still...

The crashing of the glass tank comes first. Followed by the clanking of all the rocks from the bottom. Then the thud of the fish village comes next followed up by the gushing water and flopping fish. Lest we forget the feel of GUSHING WATER!

Some people say they drop the ball but I believe on blogging this summer I dropped the fish tank. I do apologize. Above you will see five reasons why I did drop the tank. Those are five of our full-time, live on campus summer missionaries. I cared more about them then carrying some silly fish tank or blogging.

I won't waste time saying I'm going to start blogging more tomorrow because I know that's not going to happen. Let's just say this... I do hope to catch everyone up to speed with our camp happenings in the next few weeks. Until feel free to continue to ask God to use this ministry for His Glory!

Thanks for being patient...

Still Alive

I promise we're still alive over here in Benton, TN.  It's simply that time of year again where things get a little out of control.  Well, out of our control anyways.  Daily we pray for God to stay in control so we don't have to worry about that part of life.  I hope these pictures provide a glimpse of some of the things our hands have been doing over the past several weeks.  

The garden is an after hours special project but I just thought I'd throw a few pictures in anyways. It's the first garden I've really ever been involved in so I'm fascinated every time I leave my house to see a seed that I helped to plant now growing into something we'll be eating soon!

We've started us a garden!  The lettuce and onions have turned out well.  The potatoes and beans are growing well.  The peppers, tomatoes, and peas were most recently planted.

Open house for our new building was last Sunday afternoon.  There was a flow of people in and out throughout the afternoon.  The building looks great!!  There's still much to be done before we can officially move in though.

We've tried to make some real parking spaces to help with all the different vehicles that will be around here in a very short time!

We've watched our flowers blossom out!!

We've scraped, blown and painted the entire ceiling in the dinning hall.

We fixed a culvert that was washing out with lots of BIG and little rocks.

We've created new trail systems for our cabins in the back.

We've built a really, really, REALLY cool bridge back by Calvary's Hill called Saved by Grace Bridge.

We've also added another bridge on the trail leading to Calvary's Hill.

Whew...  Those are a few of the things that could be documented as to what's going on around here.  I use the word "WE" with caution.  When I say we I am referring to those of us at camp agape all the time as well as some amazing saints the Lord has blessed us with to help with many of these projects!  We, as in the camp staff, would not have done much at all without WE as the body of believers the Lord has sent to this place!  

Among all of this work we've had a couple of different groups come to campus for retreats.  We've cleaned for them, cooked for them and even done some recreation with them.  Then of course there is the office work that's always beckoning for attention.  More groups continue to be booked for this coming summer!  

Hopefully that's enough of an update to keep you satisfied for a few days.  

This Friday we will have our first mission trip for the season.  Please be in prayer for the team as they prepare to come and for Chris as he is preparing the Bible Studies to be taught throughout their time here.