When we first began the camp expansion project, we had a desperate need for additional housing. In the front part there were 24 bunk beds in very cramped quarters. It was OK for children and teens, but adults didn’t like staying there. We worked furiously to develop the back portion of the property with a special focus on the needs of adults. For the first five years, we focused on building comfortable sleeping quarters. With the completion of the dormitory and the third cabin being almost finished, we have greatly expanded our sleeping facilities and created a comfortable space for everyone (especially adults). Now that we have comfortable sleeping quarters for around 40-50, our attention has shifted to other needs, most notably additional meeting space.
The pavilion on the front portion of the camp.
The front camp area has a dining area and a meeting pavilion and those have both served well, but they are in very close proximity. Here in the tropics, we build the roof for the rain but do not build walls. We need it to be a cool as possible. The lack of walls mean we cannot use the dining area and the meeting area at the same time or for two different groups. To fill that need, we were looking to building another meeting pavilion on the back part of the camp. This year, as we finished the dorm building and closed in on finishing the third cabin, we turned our attention to the much needed meeting pavilion. Two of the four work crews this summer helped in some way to move the pavilion project along.
Pouring columns on the back pavilion.
One group poured the floor using a cement mixer to make it easier and faster. During that week we also began working on the structure. The second work crew arrived in early August and focused on pouring the columns and preparing for the roof structure. In the time they were in Colombia, all of the columns were formed up and poured, and iron work for the tie-in beam was started. After their departure, the Colombian workers continued to work to finish the tie-in beam. Once they finish, the work on the meeting pavilion will be stopped until the Lord provides the funds for the roof structure. That will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $6,000 to $7,000 dollars. This meeting pavilion is the next priority in our expansion efforts at the camp as it is sorely needed. We wait on the Lord through His people to provide for this important next step in our camp expansion project. Perhaps He will use you or your church to help meet this need and provide for this important resource for the camp project in Colombia!