Proverbs 16:3 is a favorite verse of mine: “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Cedar Lake Camp does not exist for the glory of man. It exists for the glory of God. But this is most clearly seen in the salvation of mankind. For when one truly “tastes and sees” (Ps 38) the goodness of the Lord, then their mouth will be filled with praise.

When we set out to accomplish goals at camp, we must give them over to God. He is the one who equips, enables, and ensures that what we do for Him is successful. And He most certainly did that again this year. As indicated in the Fall newsletter, the Lord sent us a record 906 campers for summer camp in addition to the children who attended spring and fall camps. I am still amazed at how many kids we had!

Not only did we witness boys and girls come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ but alongside this were a number of those who grew more serious about their faith. We encourage kids to “make their faith their own.” That is, to take the fundamental elements of the Christian faith bestowed by their family and transform their head knowledge into a heart knowledge of the Savior.

Drew* has attended CLC for some years now. He has a solid family background of faith as well as a supportive church family. He’s always been a good camper (despite a few pranks!). But as he ages out of his resident camper years, he is beginning to mature in his faith. At one point this summer, he indicated his desire to follow through with baptism. Despite having been a young follower of Jesus for some time, he wanted to take the next step in obedience. I am proud to report he did, indeed, publicly declare his submission to the Lord through the symbol of baptism. And he was not alone– a number of campers made the same decision to be more serious in their Christian faith.

These reports are, of course, only possible because of God’s faithfulness to bless the work of those who dedicate their plans to Him. But the Lord often time uses people to help accomplish these goals- summer staff (of whom we had 80!), prayer warriors, volunteers, and donors. I want to thank each of you who helped make camp possible this year. Whether you sent your children to camp, prayed for us, or gave of your time, talents, or treasures- thank you! With as many acres, buildings, and equipment as we have there’s always a project that needs attention.

Now that Cabins 9 and 10 have been overhauled, this year I would like to draw our attention to our associate director’s house located on the property. Two big tasks need to be accomplished there- new windows ($5000) and a garage ($15,000). The Marsh family has faithfully served CLC for over eight years now and it’s time we bless them with some updates to their dwelling to accommodate their growing family.

Remember, all donations to CLC are tax-deductible! Gifts of cash are always appreciated but there are other options: vehicles, jewelry, rare coins, stock, IRA rollovers, annuities, and other items of value. Just last month, I invited a neighbor to our big fundraiser event. He didn’t attend the event but donated his used Honda Element instead! We have now sold the vehicle and applied his donation toward another project.

Thank you in advance for your gifts. May the Lord bless your generosity!

Ryan Higgins, Executive Director