Given, Taken, Given Again!
THE FOLLOWING STORY IS TRUE!
One of the greatest things about camp ministry is God orchestrating all the people and bringing them into the work He’s doing here! We recently had someone reach out to us about donating a fifteen passenger van. What? That’s amazing! We have needed that to help shuttle all the people to the lake each week of summer camp! Our one dollar bus given a few years ago has been a major help, but we still can’t fit them all in one trip!
So, YES! We’d love to receive that van — and THANK YOU! Details were worked out with the donor (who wishes to remain anonymous!) and a time was arranged to pick it up down in Florida. Marty and Shaun would be going down to a Fun Shoot Fundraiser some other folks were hosting to benefit Whisper Mountain in the Okeechobee, Florida area! They would drive down to Fort Myers to pick up the van after the shoot. We lined up another friend of the ministry to put some branding on the back windows that same day. All was set!
The van was picked up, branded, and the drive back up to camp had begun. The guys had met up with some people before leaving, so they were getting a later start and would only drive part way on that first day of travel. They got a hotel, parked in the brightest light out front like Marty always does, and fell soundly asleep.
In the morning, Marty opened his curtain to peek out the window to just make sure everything looked good down in the parking lot. His personal truck was there, but he didn’t see the van. Hmm, maybe he got turned around and didn’t park where he thought he did. He went down and checked it out. He was in the right spot alright, but there was no van.
THE VAN HAD BEEN STOLEN!
Turns out a couple guys hit up a couple vehicles in the parking lot that night. The cops had them on the chase and they were fleeing. The guy driving the van jumped out of the vehicle without putting it in park so the van rammed into a parked vehicle. The cops caught the guy, but the van had some damage. (Could have been worse — smaller dent and new noises, among couple other things being checked out.) Shaun and Marty had the “fun” job of police reports, tracking down the van from the impound, getting a few parts to make quick repairs to be able to make it drivable, and still making it to the camp conference they were traveling to that day.
In the end, the van is being processed through the insurance company, Marty and Shaun made it to the camp conference and were poured into for a few days, and the hope of driving campers to the lake this summer is still alive and well!
We never know why these things happen, do we? But they always seem to. Something bad seems to grab a hold of the heels of something good. Life can slowly grind us down when we always have struggle after struggle after struggle to get through. Surely, you know what I speak of. But when we keep the goal in mind, we keep going. We don’t give up, because we believe even these sort of struggles can bring about God’s glory somehow, someway!
Let me be a voice in your ear today, friends…keep going! Even if the struggles continue to stack up and wear you down. You don’t walk through them alone. Our God will never leave you and He helps you with His mighty right hand!
Plan to come and see the van in person soon. Since its arrival, this van has now become a story of God’s goodness and provision and faithfulness. God stories are the best! ANNDDD, we’ll even drive you to the lake if you want!
BIG THANKS | to the anonymous donor & to Fort Myers Digital for the beautiful branding work!
