2023 is almost over! We have so much to be grateful for as I think back over the past year.  We had a team bring in the New Year on mission in Mexico and another group celebrating at camp’s New Years party.  We hit the ground running with summer planning, volunteer workdays, Spring Camp, school field trips and soon summer was upon us. 

We had our biggest staff ever, with the most new staffers that I have seen in a while.  Through training week, we all became one big family and worked throughout the summer seeing God do some awesome things! We saw young people grow, kids get saved, and God glorified.  We played and cried, we worshiped and listened, we served and learned, and God moved hearts and changed lives. 

Then summer ended and we moved into the fall season with retreats, church groups, fall camp, and our fundraising banquet.  Now here we are again planning for another mission trip that will bring in 2024. 

We are preparing to go to Rwanda where our team of 16 will serve alongside missionaries and churches to bring the gospel to the lost.  Our reasons for doing these mission trips are many and of course stem from our Lord’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations.”  I often tell people that we have three goals for our trips:

• First, we want to share the gospel with the lost.
• Second, we want to encourage and support the missionaries and local churches that we work with.
• Finally, we want to equip our staff with knowledge and practical hands-on experience with international missions.

The goals of Cedar Lake Camp stay the same whether we are in middle Tennessee or the middle of Africa. I want to quickly highlight the testimony of one of our staffers that emphasizes our goals of seeing children come to Jesus and grow into a lifestyle of ministry.

Morgan came to camp for several years as a camper, but it wasn’t until she joined our counselor-in-training program that she fully realized her need for Jesus. She gave her life to Jesus and has been growing ever since. It has been a great privilege to be a small part of what God has done and is still doing in her life. Morgan has served Jesus at camp as a CIT, a junior counselor, a gap year student, a counselor, and this past year she served as our girls’ CIT director where she was leading and teaching the next generation of leaders. And now as we approach the end of the year with our upcoming mission trip Morgan will be joining us on her 5^th CLC International trip.

Morgan is just one example of how God is using our mission of discipling the next generation into a lifestyle of ministry. Would you consider partnering with us in this mission with an end of year donation.  As always, we appreciate your prayers and support.

Thank you all for your love and faithful support of Ceder Lake Camp.  Have a Merry Christmas and may grace grant you grace and peace in the new year.

-Jared