The Psalmist gives praise to God for His changelessness. Yet he blesses Him still for the ebb and flow, the creational rhythm, the alternating cadence of his created order. Night turns into day. Fall displaces summer. “He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting” (Psalm 104:19).
The signs of change are in the air. The days are growing shorter. Children are back at school. Each weekend, the stadiums are brimming with excited fans. Even the trees seem to anticipate losing their summer garments. At camp, the horses have left. The kayaks are put away. A calm has replaced the hustle and bustle of summer camp. And the sun stained grass groans as fall and winter approach. Summer camp is over.
We give the Lord praise for His faithfulness to us throughout summer 2014. We give Him praise for our campers. Roughly 2000 children across the southeast came to experience our summer camp program! They came to ride horses, to climb our rock wall, to swim in the lake, to be in a place that was safe to be child. We give Him praise for our summer staff. Nearly 90 individuals, who came from across the eastern United States, gave of their time and energy to invest in little children. We give Him praise for his creation. As we look across the campus of Twin Lakes, we see a place where all our guests can fast from the demands of technology and find rest as they experience the beauty of God’s handiwork.
Thanksgiving
Certainly our camp program would not be successful without the support we received from our camp families. We are very thankful to all our parents entrusting us with the care of their children throughout the summer. The design of our camp program rests upon the principles of safety, fun, and Gospel. We firmly believe that a safe environment, coupled with a place where a child can enjoy their childhood, is a powerful tool for the advance of Christ’s kingdom in children’s lives. Thank you for allowing us to care for your children in 2014.
We are also very thankful for God’s provision for us. In 2014, Twin Lakes saw a number of changes that helped improve our camp program. With the addition of staff in our lakeside cabins, we were better equipped to serve the needs of our campers. The renovation of our camp office allowed us greater flexibility in the management and administration of the camp program. And what camper didn’t play in our new Octoball court at the tree house? Having a multitude of campers lined up to play or watch a round of Octoball was enough proof of the game’s success!
God’s House
Even among all the fun we had in 2014, our main focus was to teach about God by learning about his house. “For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place” (Hebrews 9:1-2). Such was the sight for each camper this summer. Following our Friday night adventure where we learned about the glory of Jesus Christ through his miraculous signs and teachings, the entire camp moved into the Temple court beholding the house of God, the Temple.
But what is so special about a house? During Twin Lakes Camp Summer 2014, each camper learned about the Temple construction and its various furnishings. They learned that each aspect of the Temple served as a sign or shadow of the greater realities found in Jesus Christ. Each witnessed the power of Christ’s atoning death as darkness passed over the pavilion, an earthquake rumbled through the crowd, and the great veil that separated between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom. We imparted to each camper that to draw near to God, one must look to the One who tore down the dividing wall between us and God!
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Summer 2014 saw numerous campers come to know Christ. We thank the Lord for allowing us to be a part of this harvest.
Our closing ceremony this summer featured a song patterned from Psalm 84. In this Psalm, the writer looks upon the Temple of God and longs and faints to be in the joy of God’s immediate presence. He desires to be with his God in His house. We praise the Lord that we can look forward to one day being in the very presence of God without shame or guilt.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God … For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:1-2,10)