August 1, 2008
The summer months are here, and the Morning Star Ranch campgrounds are active and alive. The Lord is sending many young boys and girls from our surrounding towns and nearby cities. For some of these young campers, this camp experience is their first. And for other campers, this summer is an awaited time to repeat their camp experience. It does not matter if this is their first year at camp or their fourth year, the overall message is still the same. The presenters may have different faces or names and the theme may change from year to year, but the bottom-line message will never change. This message is that God loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with each one of them through His Son Jesus Christ.
At the end of each camp week, there is always an invitation given for the campers to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. The entire week is centered around and is leading up to this special event. Each camper has an opportunity to start over in Christ. We encourage them to seek out God’s direction for their lives instead of seeking out the direction the world has to offer.
All the students in our discipleship program serve as camp counselors. They sleep in the same cabin, eat the same meals, and participate in all the same activities as the campers. All the many lessons and principles God has taught them from September to May will be lived out and practiced over the summer months. Just today one of our new students, Lamar, walked up to me and said that being a part of summer camp has helped him in the areas of self-confidence and in his personal relationship with Christ.
Please continue to pray for the upcoming summer camp. Pray that each camper will experience Jesus in a new, exciting, and real way. Also pray for the follow-up which needs to take place for each camper who has made a decision to follow Christ here at the camp. Pray for the spiritual growth and a discipleship process that needs to happen in their early walk with Christ.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve the Lord here at the Ranch and for investing in these young lives. As you pray for us and support us, you, too, have a part in each of these young lives as well as our students’ lives. Thank you for investing in God’s kingdom.
Jim and Becky Elam