Merry Christmas from Shepherds Camp!

Special Ops: Sunup to Sundown

Yesterday we had some great Special Ops volunteers join us for another blitz trip to Arrowhead.  One of our SO Guys from southern PA arrived early in the morning just as the sun was coming up.  First, he completed several outside projects that have been looming on our to do list.  Then he moved inside and joined up with a few more skilled guys.  In just a few hours we rerouted electric, built three walls, sound proofed, hung drywall and had the first coat of mud complete!

A big thanks to our local skilled guys and to our SO Guy from southern PA.  Just as the sun went down, he and I shook hands and he set off on a four hour drive back home.  What a huge blessing to have Special Ops volunteers who bring their excitement, skill and desire to serve... especially on time sensitive projects like this one.

Special Ops: Blitz Trip

What a day.  Literally, it was just shy of 24 hours!  Yesterday, we had a Special Ops crew in to build a deck.  Even with the three hour drive to camp they arrived before the sun came up and left well after the sun had gone down. 

What an impact to have their skills, energy, commitment and time.  Their investment in this Special Ops project is a huge blessing, keeps us moving forward and allows us to continue to honor our full time staff.

Lumber & Steel: Special Ops

Had a great weekend with some friends from Lumber City Church and Steel City Church.  They were a hard hitting Special Ops crew.  We made the winter switch, cleaned corners, nooks & crannies, built new decks and made a bunch of repairs in the gym.  They also brought a huge pile of items from our wish list.

Who doesn't love a little Lumber & Steel.

Shepherds Fall (Summer) Retreat 2017

It felt like summer this past weekend for our Shepherds Fall Retreat.  We had a great time reconnecting with campers, staff and volunteers from the summer. 

Impact Story: Staff Housing

Spe-cial Ops
     /speSHəl  äps/

noun
     1. a camp project which requires a particular skill or set of skills to complete.
     2. a project or projects completed by the investment of skilled volunteers, causing greater momentum, efficiency and effectiveness in accomplishing our mission and realizing our vision.
     "After serving as part of a James Project group this summer, he came up for the weekend to build a deck.  What a great Special Ops project that honors our staff and enhances the new roof that was put on back in the spring."

adjective
     1. serving at camp as a lone volunteer or small group of volunteers.
     2. a trip to camp which is predicated by a specific project or task.
     "We are grateful for all the Special Ops volunteers who invest their time, energy and talent to serve at camp.  We couldn't do it without them.  It's a privilege to partner together to make camp great."

Impact Story: Lakeside Fire Ring

The new fire ring at the lake looks amazing!  With comfortable & adjustable bench seating for 150 and firewood tucked away in the firewood shack, the new fire ring creates the perfect lakeside atmosphere for our campers, guest groups, James Project teams and volunteers.

A huge thank you to Refuge Church for bringing funding and skilled labor to create the new fire ring.  They took the blank structure of this monstrous fire ring, made the interior fire ready and covered the exterior with stone that matches our Picnic Pavilion.

We have been greatly blessed with James Project groups like Refuge Church that come to Arrowhead in full force - to serve in the kitchen, tackle projects around camp, immerse themselves in the program, complete a host of projects for our neighbors around the lake and take on specialized projects like our new fire ring.

Here's the old fire ring.

A special thanks to Chad, Marty, Tony (and Jeff)