May 27, 1942
That is the date etched into the concrete retaining wall of the pool, marking the completion of that very structure. Water reached the top just before the first official day of Cedar Lake Camp.
We’ve held 83 camp seasons since. As an amateur history student, I think back through all the American and even international events this little ministry has survived. First, the Great Depression and camp’s origins as an orphanage. Then amidst World War II, the Geigers took on a new endeavor: a summer camp. Subsequently, the world saw the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In more recent decades, events in the Middle East give the media outlets constant fodder to feed the masses. America has had 15 different presidents since camp’s inception, some good leadership and some not-so-good leadership. Yet, Cedar Lake Camp still marches forward.
First and foremost, we give credit to God.
Without His blessing and protection, we would not be here at all. He has provided our daily bread and beyond. He has caused tornadoes to bypass this property and walked with us through fires. Through illness, injury, and insult, God is our Rock, our Shield, our Mighty Fortress. He is the reason we exist.
But God uses people as a means of blessing as well. Our campers and parents, staff and alumni, donors and local businesses, volunteers and contractors—all a part of the camp family. Thank you so much to all who have acted as God’s “hands and feet” to sustain our efforts in reaching the lost and discipling young believers in Christ.
This past year, we were able to host around 700 young people in all of our camp programs.
That’s 700 children who heard the wonderful news that Jesus Christ is the Savior who takes away the sins of the world. I’m happy to report that hundreds of these had one-on-one time with their counselors and heard first-hand testimony about the power and goodness of God. More than this, those who have already trusted in Christ for salvation were encouraged to “make their faith their own” and follow God with ALL their heart.
We don’t shy away from the “hard things.” We talk about the persecuted church, the seriousness of following Jesus, and the real-life struggles we all face, both interpersonally and in our culture.
Multiple children made the decision to follow Jesus this summer. Almost 20 kids decided to take the next step of faith by being baptized in the camp pool, the same one that was finished on May 27, 1942.
You are a part of that!
It is our desire for you to continue being a part of it! We need people like you.
One way you can help is to continue sending children to camp. Both camper registration and staff applications open on January 7th. Whether they’re your children, grandchildren, kids from church, or neighbors down the street, please invite the children in your sphere of influence to Cedar Lake Camp.
It’s no secret that it takes a lot of money to pay our bills. As you may have heard through our social media, our expenses are rising. We try hard not to throw this increase of cost back on the parents. We aim to keep camp fees modest and affordable compared to other camps of similar style, size, and length. But something must change. Either we ask more from the parents or members of our community step into the batter’s box as donors and go to bat for the kids.
Thanks to the generosity of current donors, we were able to give out $22,000 in camper scholarships this year.
That being said, I encourage you to become a monthly donor. Any gift makes a difference. Monthly partnerships are the most stabilizing for the operating budget. Consistent gifts of any size add up! (And yes, all donations are tax-deductible, so get that end-of-year donation postmarked by December 31st!)
You can think outside of the box when it comes to supporting camp. Most folks’ assets are not always tied up in liquid cash but rather in stuff: businesses, properties, stocks, equipment, investments, and so on. There are multiple ways to donate to camp outside of cash donations. Consider adding Cedar Lake into your 401k rollover, making gifts of stock, including camp in a trust or endowment, or even making gifts of equipment, jewelry, vehicles, rare coins, and so much more.
Lastly, please keep us in your prayers. It is only by the Lord’s strength and provision that camp has marched on for 83 summers, and it will continue by the same means.
Cabin 5 (A.K.A. Red Fox) is the fifth rustic cabin out of ten to get a remodel and update (we’re halfway there!). Rotting wood has been replaced, the door and windows have been updated, new lighting was installed, the floor is now level, and a fresh coat of paint was the finishing touch. All this work will let us keep hosting campers and staff in Red Fox for many years to come. Thanks to all our volunteers who donated their time and labor!
I am so happy to say Phase 1 is finished! What does that mean? I’m so glad you asked. We now have a fully enclosed, dried-in structure with underground plumbing ready to tie-in. Construction has already begun on Phase 2. Interior framing is painfully close to completion with stairs leading to the mezzanine level. And the power company is working on getting temporary power to the building in the near future.
Our staff mission team will be leaving December 29th for a return trip to Anapra, Mexico. Our original plans were to return to Rwanda, Africa, but long story short, God had other plans. Because of a virus in Rwanda, we were delayed in purchasing flights. During that time, the ticket price increased from $2000 per person to $3000 per person, which was our entire budget.
Thankfully, our mission partners in Juárez graciously offered to host our 17-person team. Once again, we will be organizing a day camp for children in their community and assisting them in any other ways we can. Your prayers for this trip are much appreciated!
Although we weren’t able to visit Rwanda, donations to the trip allowed us to sponsor the education of 2 Rwandan children for a year.
Thank you again for your on-going support as we reach young people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Ryan Higgins
