Work Camp

Yup! That is right. Each summer for the past six years I attend "Stay At Home Work Camp" put on by Lake Wales Care Center where I used to work (A faith based social service agency supported by local churches, businesses and families). This is the 23 year of work camp. They even take "work camp on the road" to Mississippi after Katrina during the kids fall, winter, and spring breaks. The camp allows high school and middle school students the chance to do home repair projects around the community for disadvantaged home owners who are physically or financially unable to do the work themselves. These kids actually pay to come to this camp. They stay out at Camp Endeavor (A Sertoma camp in Dundee) and all the local Churches and other community businesses and groups provide all the meals each day for the group. The kids come from all the different churches in Lake Wales even a group from NC. Campers get a chance to work on different work sites each day and have evening sessions with area youth pastors and bands. As well as several other special activities throughout the week. There were around 100 campers and leaders at this week long camp for high school students. They completed over ten projects in five days including the following: Completely re-roofed 4 homes, repainted 3 homes, built 2 wheel chair ramps and demolished one home destroyed by hurricanes. They also loaded an entire semi trailer full of donated clothing to distribute overseas. WOW! This was camp 1 for the summer. There will be two others coming up and I will keep ya posted on how they go. I can't wait. I love work camp and just maybe we can get this going here in Sebring!!! It is an awesome opportunity to build relationships with young people by helping them grow spiritually and allow them to share God's love to the community.

Bob& Wendy (Rob Quam-executive director of LWCC & yours truly). This year's theme was "Building Building" (play on words: noun-verb) each night's skit had bob the builder , wendy and the Can Do Gang focus on each day's goal based on 1 Peter 2:5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (lay the foundation, the cornerstone, building the house, the capstone (Jesus) and curb appeal)