Eagle FerNovember
n Camp
2010
Unsung Heroes
I have never heard a song written
about sewer or septic workers. If anyone out there is able to write one,
don’t! However, we had several
“heroes” out here that were literally in
the trenches this last week. Dan Jossi,
Paul Montgomery and Scott Henderson
led a team that laid pipe from the
Lodge down to the new tank location
with a tie-in to the main line in the
middle of the street. Mike Evans came
out several days while Pete Jossi was
able to spend most of a day out here
as well. We had a team of Westside
folks which included Darren Rommel,
Mike Renner, Paul Kauffman and Robert
VanEgmond. To top it off, Martha Jossi
stopped by and Al & Joy Jossi ran an
errand for us. Scott Henderson provided his equipment at a highly discounted rate. Estacada Rock rocked by
donating several loads of gravel. HD
Supply Waterworks also discounted the
pipe and fittings they supplied. Since
our old steel tank developed pinholes,
we decided to be proactive rather than
wait for a collapse. An added bonus is
getting the system sealed and out of
the center of camp which should eliminate the smell. We now have a second well which is producing much
more water than our old one, and
soon we’ll have a new septic system. If
we only had a Chapel…
Chapel
Update
We are in the process of redesigning
the Chapel, taking advantage of the
work that has already been done and
developing a building that we can readily build ourselves at a much lower cost
than the previous one. With the money already available for this project and
the money pledged, we are very close
to starting. There are many steps in
the process, but we hope to have more
details at the upcoming Annual Meeting
in January.
Spreading the Word
This was our 58th season of camping
ministry here at Eagle Fern this summer. Many of the campers out here
this year came for the very first time.
At the heart of our ministry are the
volunteers. 222 people volunteered
this summer, 50 of them were first
time volunteers! Coming from various
backgrounds, these “rookies” were
invited and encouraged by many of you.
You shared your excitement for the
effective ministry of camp with others,
and they were eager to serve. Keep
spreading the word.
A Tribute
Anyone familiar with the history of Eagle Fern Camp is familiar with the name
Ted Jenkins. If there was building
going on at EFC, Ted was there, often
with Ruth at his side. From the first
Lodge and Cabins to the building of
Cabins 51 & 52, Ted was there. He
was on the board, counseled, directed,
mentored and taught here at Eagle Fern
Camp. This faithful brother turned 90
on August 16th. If you would like to
drop him a note his address is 7431 SE
78th Ave, Portland, OR 97206.
The picture below is of Ted Jenkins
working on the main lodge.
I also want to mention Jack Mackie who
over the years donated a lot of his time
to electrical work that needed to be
done here at EFC. He had a reputation
for being fast. So fast, in fact, that he
didn’t like coming out for the workdays
because no one could keep up with
him! He went to see his Lord on July
19th of this year.
Generous
Community
Some of you may be unaware of just
how generous you are. Besides camperships that are funded by our annual
garage sale and individual gifts, PREP
scholarships are funded by individuals.
Church scholarships also help enable
campers to come to Eagle Fern. We
also give discounts to some who are at
a critical juncture in their life. Here is
sample of just such a camper:
Getting in trouble€with the director meant
spending time with me. One little
boy€actually beamed when I told him he
couldn't go€do the afternoon activity on
Monday, but he would have to sit with me
instead. I€quickly realized that was what
he wanted and so I suggested he€sit with
me for chapel every day. His mother had
died two months before camp and they
were living at My Father's House, a homeless shelter for families in Gresham. He
never got in trouble again. He whispered
his questions to me during chapel as we
went along and by Thursday night I€wasn't
surprised when he asked me to pray with
him to accept Christ. I knew
he€understood!
Ginger Clausen
We were able to provide a camping
experience for 14 campers from My
Father’s House this year.
Paul Schroth