A House!!!

We have been praying for the last nearly 9 months here at LifeChange Camp, for God to lead us to the right solution for housing for our family. Our desire is to live close to the ministry, so that we are available when needed and can give of our lives. This Camp ministry is not an 8-5 job – rather, it is a way of life for our family in ministry and service – much like a mission station! Because of this, our current rental house 30 min away from camp is not ideal. As a matter of fact, during the summer season, we actually moved into a little apartment in the basement of our directors’ house! This enabled us to serve well, being actually on camp for the summer season, but obviously is not a long-term solution for our family.

After talking with the camp board, we have felt that the best direction for us would be to look for a house to purchase close to, but not actually on camp. This would allow our family some space of our own, as well as allow us to build up our equity somewhat – which is often difficult to do while in ministry. We began looking at several different properties in the area, and one came up for sale directly across the street from camp. We moved forward on placing a bid on that property, but for one reason or another that sale was delayed until we were finally informed that the owner had several higher bids. They offered to allow us to raise our bid, but we felt strongly that the number we had put down was where God had led us to place our budget.

However, throughout this process, we have said that if that property did not work out, we would believe that God was leading us toward something ultimately better. So, feeling led to put this faith into practice, we turned down the opportunity to raise our bid, and instead went looking to see if there was anything else in the area. That same evening, we found a property that had just been put on the market 10 minutes down the road from camp. We went by, looked at it from the road, and loved it! It is a little white house built in the 1920s, on 5 acres. We called the realtor, and he lined up a walk-through for us the very next morning. Again, we felt that, with a little work, it could become a house that would be perfect for our family. The realtor told us that the previous contract on the house was actually falling through that very day, and it was now open for us to make an offer on!

So, we went to the bank, and got pre-approved for a loan, and have now had our offer accepted on this house!

Now, again, this is a faith venture for us, because we need $8500 for the down payment on this house. Please join us in prayer that everything would work out well with the appraisal, inspections, payment, and renovations.

 I have included below the letter from our directors including the financial details for this purchase. 

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Dear Friends,

As founders and directors of LifeChange Camp, a ministry and facility we have been building for the past 13 years, we have found that it is a challenge to find staff members who are willing to commit to the hard work of achieving excellence at a Bible camp.  Some are willing to work but not commit while others are just  looking for the fun of camp.  We believe we have found a couple who understand that camp work is both demanding and fun and are willing to commit to it for the long haul.

Morgan and Danielle Stephenson and their two children, Theron and Lula, joined us last November and have been proving themselves as extremely valuable members of the LifeChange staff.   They have skills and abilities that we need and a willingness to apply them whenever they are needed.

The challenge we face however, is housing for them.  To date they have either lived in a rental home in Windsor, MO, 12 miles away or for the past three months have been living in our basement so they could be right on camp for our demanding summer session.  Although this has kept them out of the weather, it is by no means ideal.  As a result, they have been looking for a house nearby to purchase which would not only give them a good place to live, but also give them a place of their own which would be building credit and equity for their future.

Well, they found one!

A house just 5 miles away has come up for sale.  It is in good shape but does need some renovation.  On 5 acres, it will provide a great place to establish a home.  The cost of the home agreed upon is $52,000 and additional dollars will be needed to do necessary repairs.  Pre-approval for a loan has already happened, inspections are under way and $8500 is needed for a down payment.  Here is where you come in. To assist the Stephensons in making this purchase, LifeChange Camp has made a $3000 matching grant available to them.  Every dollar raised toward this purchase, will be matched by LifeChange up to $3000. 

Therefore, for the benefit of LifeChange Camp and  Morgan and Danielle Stephenson, please give generously, LifeChange will match faithfully and the Lord will supply abundantly.  Thank you very much.

In HIS service,

Bill and Carol Anderson

Founders/Directors

If you would like to give toward this down payment, you can donate (with "Stephenson housing" as the memo) here:
http://www.lifechangecamp.org/get-involved/giving

Or send checks to
                     LifeChange Camp
                     351 NE 831 Rd
                     Clinton, MO 64735

Summer Season 2016 Update

Dear Friends,

Wow, what a summer! Over the past 2 months we have welcomed over 250 children and highschoolers onto this camp. We have worshipped with them, fed them, led them through team building exercises, challenged them, taugh t them, told them stories, sung campfire songs with them, worked with them to find answers to hard questions, and watched them make life-changing decisions. We have seen lifelong relationships built, lives be turned over to Jesus’ transforming Love, and hearts offered up in prayer.

Before the summer began, we asked you, our partners, to pray with us for: (1) male counselors, (2) harmony and Christ-like love for our full-time staff during the hectic summer season, (3) continued leading and provision toward the goal of housing for our family, (4) God’s preparation in the hearts and minds of all who would serve here this summer, and (5) God’s preparation in the hearts and minds of the kids who would come through our doors this summer.

We can say with confidence that we saw all of those prayers answered! Thank you SO MUCH for your partnership in prayer! We absolutely believe that those prayers make all the difference.

At the beginning of the summer, we did not know how we were going to meet the need for male counselors. God, of course, kept us in need of faith until the last minute, but in the end we had incredible counselors for every single cabin of guys, for every week of the summer. It was a privilege to serve alongside the young men who stepped up and gave of their time, energy, and hearts to pour into the lives of the boys who came to camp this summer.

Throughout this hectic summer season, through living, working, eating, praying, serving, and walking together, we have definitely seen the hand of God in the love and unity He gracefully has given our full-time staff. We are imperfect humans working together in close quarters – but in end we have come out of the summer with confidence in the Love of Christ in each other through it all.

            We have indeed seen God’s hand in moving forward on a housing solution for our family. 

During the very busy summer, we moved into a small apartment on camp, which was a good temporary fix that allowed us to be right here and very involved in the summer work – much more than our rental house half an hour away would have allowed. However, this apartment is actually the basement of our director’s house, and obviously not a permanent housing solution. We have continued to look for houses for sale in the area, and believe we are making significant progress. There are still some details to be worked out – look for an update in this area soon!

These answered prayers also extended to the rest of our team here this summer – counselors, both guys and girls, dishwashers, speakers, cooks, worship leaders – we felt the presence of God and His peace in the entire staff these last two months. There was an amazing unity and love for each other, a blessed lack of drama or issues, and a humbling testimony to how God can work through and within a group of people who are dedicated to serving Him.

As for the kids … wow. There are as many stories as there are people who pass through our doors, but a few highlights from our summer were:

Gathering with the entire camp staff and campers around one child to pray for his home situation

Working with a counselor to find scriptural answers to the questions his group of campers were asking

Worshipping with abandon alongside energetic highschoolers

Serving alongside the Senior High Mission Trip at the headquarters of the Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Another way we have seen the hand of God this summer has been in our support. We had no time during the busy summer season to send out newsletters and ask for support as we usually do, and yet June was the first month since we have been here in which we actually hit our support goal! Through several one-time gifts, and a couple of new ongoing pledges, we received the full $500 support for June – what an immense blessing!

As we move forward into the fall season, we will be serving guest groups: family reunions, women’s retreats, and many other kinds of groups that come here looking for a place to connect with God and with each other. Our goal is to provide them that place, to serve them well, and to show them God’s love in our every action.

We continually covet your support in prayer, and ask that you join us as partners in this way, and, if you are so led, financially as well. This month, please join us specifically in praying for:

1.      Continued financial support sufficient to meet our family’s needs and allow us to serve to the best of our ability.

2.      Please pray for ongoing love and unity among our full-time staff: our family; our Kitchen Director, Kristine Detweiler; and our Directors, Bill and Carol Anderson. We do not take this for granted, and believe that one of our greatest witnesses to the world is the love and unity we have among ourselves.

3.      Our directors, Bill and Carol, are going on sabbatical for the month of August. Please pray that this time would be deeply refreshing and restful for them, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

4.      
Please continue to pray for the ongoing health of our family – again, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, that we would be able to serve God well in this ministry.

We are so incredibly thankful for you, our supporters, partners, and friends. Thank you for praying for us, giving to our ministry, and allowing God to use you in our lives.

Serving Him with You,

The Stephensons.

Support for our family can be given online at this link:

http://lifechangecamp.org/get-involved/giving

Or can be sent as checks with the appropriate memo (Stephenson support) to:

LifeChange Camp

351 NE 831 Rd

Clinton, MO 64735

Summer Season 2016 Update

Dear Friends,

Wow, what a summer! Over the past 2 months we have welcomed over 250 children and highschoolers onto this camp. We have worshipped with them, fed them, led them through team building exercises, challenged them, taugh t them, told them stories, sung campfire songs with them, worked with them to find answers to hard questions, and watched them make life-changing decisions. We have seen lifelong relationships built, lives be turned over to Jesus’ transforming Love, and hearts offered up in prayer.

Before the summer began, we asked you, our partners, to pray with us for: (1) male counselors, (2) harmony and Christ-like love for our full-time staff during the hectic summer season, (3) continued leading and provision toward the goal of housing for our family, (4) God’s preparation in the hearts and minds of all who would serve here this summer, and (5) God’s preparation in the hearts and minds of the kids who would come through our doors this summer.

We can say with confidence that we saw all of those prayers answered! Thank you SO MUCH for your partnership in prayer! We absolutely believe that those prayers make all the difference.

At the beginning of the summer, we did not know how we were going to meet the need for male counselors. God, of course, kept us in need of faith until the last minute, but in the end we had incredible counselors for every single cabin of guys, for every week of the summer. It was a privilege to serve alongside the young men who stepped up and gave of their time, energy, and hearts to pour into the lives of the boys who came to camp this summer.

Throughout this hectic summer season, through living, working, eating, praying, serving, and walking together, we have definitely seen the hand of God in the love and unity He gracefully has given our full-time staff. We are imperfect humans working together in close quarters – but in end we have come out of the summer with confidence in the Love of Christ in each other through it all.

            We have indeed seen God’s hand in moving forward on a housing solution for our family. During the very busy summer, we moved into a small apartment on camp, which was a good temporary fix that allowed us to be right here and very involved in the summer work – much more than our rental house half an hour away would have allowed. However, this apartment is actually the basement of our director’s house, and obviously not a permanent housing solution. We have continued to look for houses for sale in the area, and believe we are making significant progress. There are still some details to be worked out – look for an update in this area soon!

These answered prayers also extended to the rest of our team here this summer – counselors, both guys and girls, dishwashers, speakers, cooks, worship leaders – we felt the presence of God and His peace in the entire staff these last two months. There was an amazing unity and love for each other, a blessed lack of drama or issues, and a humbling testimony to how God can work through and within a group of people who are dedicated to serving Him.

As for the kids … wow. There are as many stories as there are people who pass through our doors, but a few highlights from our summer were:

Gathering with the entire camp staff and campers around one child to pray for his home situation

Working with a counselor to find scriptural answers to the questions his group of campers were asking

Worshipping with abandon alongside energetic highschoolers

Serving alongside the Senior High Mission Trip at the headquarters of the Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Another way we have seen the hand of God this summer has been in our support. We had no time during the busy summer season to send out newsletters and ask for support as we usually do, and yet June was the first month since we have been here in which we actually hit our support goal! Through several one-time gifts, and a couple of new ongoing pledges, we received the full $500 support for June – what an immense blessing!

As we move forward into the fall season, we will be serving guest groups: family reunions, women’s retreats, and many other kinds of groups that come here looking for a place to connect with God and with each other. Our goal is to provide them that place, to serve them well, and to show them God’s love in our every action.

We continually covet your support in prayer, and ask that you join us as partners in this way, and, if you are so led, financially as well. This month, please join us specifically in praying for:

1.      Continued financial support sufficient to meet our family’s needs and allow us to serve to the best of our ability.

2.      Please pray for ongoing love and unity among our full-time staff: our family; our Kitchen Director, Kristine Detweiler; and our Directors, Bill and Carol Anderson. We do not take this for granted, and believe that one of our greatest witnesses to the world is the love and unity we have among ourselves.

3.      Our directors, Bill and Carol, are going on sabbatical for the month of August. Please pray that this time would be deeply refreshing and restful for them, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

4.     
Please continue to pray for the ongoing health of our family – again, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, that we would be able to serve God well in this ministry.

We are so incredibly thankful for you, our supporters, partners, and friends. Thank you for praying for us, giving to our ministry, and allowing God to use you in our lives.

Serving Him with You,

The Stephensons.

Support for our family can be given online at this link:

http://lifechangecamp.org/get-involved/giving

Or can be sent as checks with the appropriate memo (Stephenson support) to:

LifeChange Camp

351 NE 831 Rd

Clinton, MO 64735