April was a blessed month for us here at QRC. We started the month with the 2010 RMYM men’s retreat. About 18 guys showed up for a wonderful weekend of hearing from God’s Word and a short work project. The guys all pitched in and replaced and repaired the benches at the Cove bonfire pit in about an hour and a half. Not only that, they found time to rake and grade the area and build a couple of retaining walls to help divert runoff water. The Cove looks 100% better and the guys did an awesome job. The retreat itself was well received with many requests to make it an annual event, so we’ve already blocked off a weekend for late April of 2011 and will begin the process of organizing the program this coming winter. Stay tuned to our web site for more information.
And for some truly wonderful news, we now have in our possession, the construction permit from Teller County to finish Clark Lodge. Dave is now running in 10 different directions getting things going again after such a long stall out. We passed theinitial plumbing inspection in early May and now the electricians are hard at work. Unfortunately, due to the delays in getting the permit, the work won't be done before summer camp. We will continue our work on Clark Lodge throughout the summer, but on a much reduced scale and pick the pace back up in the fall.
We also had a great couple of days with the Young Life work crew at the end of April. As with last year, Young Life sent up a crew of 30+ of their full time staff and interns to work around the camp while the Youth For Christ National Office in Denver also sent down 8 or so folks to work. It was an amazing thing to be a part of and was an inspirational time for the QRC staff. As one of the interns prayed over dinner the second evening, "Thank you Lord that we get to work hard in Your service." The hard work and cheerful attitude displayed by these brothers and sisters in ministry was a testimonial to what it means to wrap a towel around your waist and follow Christ's example of a servant's heart.
Here is a list of what was accomplished in two days:
*removed rotten sections of pool fence and replaced with new logs/rails/poles
*removed tons of dirt, concrete and sod as well as some existing trees and graded interior of pool landscaping area in prep for a new deck to replace the sod
*built new retaining wall and steps for interior of pool area
*dug diversion ditch for runoff water from Chapel/Kinser area to divert it away from the pool
*built and installed pressure treated wood benches along tops of entire concrete block retaining walls around the volleyball and basketball courts
*regraded the slope from the pond down to the basketball court east retaining wall
*repaired and installed the broken light pole and lights for the east side of the basketball court, dug up and repaired the underground wiring for same
*built a new bell tower in the pond area (just off the Chapel porch), repaired the damaged bell hanger assembly and mounted the bell
*formed and poured concrete landings for the front and back doors to Fox and Penn cabins
*dug up the old mulch and bedding areas around the chapel and pond and installed new mulch
*raked up and removed debris around the entire central camp area and Infirmary cabin
*replaced all 12 leaking shower stall valve assemblies in Clark Lodge
*scraped, primed and painted every single picnic table we could find
*helped Katrina with housekeeping chores in the dorms
*installed additional (donated) stage lights in Chapel
Another big project on the "done" list is the regrading and improvements to the recreation field behind the Chapel. The contractor removed dirt from the East side and moved it to the West side and then graded the area for proper drainage to maintain a level and safe surface. This will make wiffle ball, soccer and field games much safer and more enjoyable for everyone.
And yet more April blessings: Zak and Katrina just announced that they are pregnant with baby #2! They are hoping for a boy to be a little brother to year and a half old Parker, but are happy for whatever the Lord blesses them with.
As we post this in late May, our 2010 summer staff are here and training in. Please be praying for the ministry here as so many lost kids will pass through that front gate and be exposed to the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray that this pregnancy is easier for Katrina than with Parker. Pray for the summer staff kids who are coming – that this will be a summer of changed lives and hearts for them as they put the term “Servant Ministry” into practice in this “me, me, me” generation.