The Mountain Star Volume 18, Issue 2 Summer/Fall 2018
Captain's Corner Captain O.A. Fish, Retired Eastern Airlines Camp Founder, CEO “For I know the thoughts (plans) that I have you, says the Lord, thoughts (plans) of peace and not for evil.” Jeremiah 29:11 This scripture is a favorite verse when we are looking for words of encouragement. It is interesting to note that the word translated as “plans" or "thoughts” in our English Bibles is taken from the Hebrew word, makhashabah. Makhashabah speaks of the careful, skillful, intricate weaving of a fabric. So the verse could be translated as, “I know the meticulously woven purposes that I am skillfully, carefully, and intricately weaving together for your future.” This is important because it provides the major clue in recognizing the Fingerprints of God at work in our lives. We see that divine coincidences and the timely order of things happening to us are, in fact, being strung together for His divine purpose. Recently, Charlotte and I attended a Retired Eastern Airlines Pilots convention in Charleston, S.C. Since Eastern Airlines shut down in 1991, we have no new pilots to replace the older ones who have passed on. This was our 48th annual convention, so the number of attendees had dwindled to less than a hundred. I had been asked to do the invocations for our business meeting and at our annual banquet. At the business meeting, I was also given the opportunity to share about South Mountain Christian Camp, specifically, to tell of our multi-purpose building project.
South of the Mountain Trail Run Saturday, November 3rd, starting at 10:00 am • 5k run/walk for all ages • Trophies and medals for top finishers • Free backpack and t-shirt if registered by October 21 • $25 for pre-registered, or $30 on race day • Free fun run and supervised activities for kids We need runners, walkers, volunteers, and sponsors to make this fundraising event a success. Mark your calendars now! Get details and sign up at www.SouthoftheMountainTrailRun.com
When I stood to speak, my heart was warmed as I spotted a number of my old Eastern buddies who have been long-time supporters of the camp. I started off by saying that the story of my life at Eastern and South Mountain Christian Camp are greatly entwined. I told them that there were many other members of our Eastern family who were long-time supporters of the work. I also shared that it was my captain's salary that enabled Charlotte and I to purchase much of the land which is in use by the camp today. Other interwoven threads of connections were flooding my mind when I spotted tears in the eyes of Captain Jay Allen sitting in the second row. I knew what he was thinking. I first met Jay the day my daughter, Barbara, was killed in an auto accident. At the time, I was shaken and unable to think as I handed the phone back to the EAL flight scheduler in Atlanta. A big hand touched me on the shoulder and commanded me to follow him. He whisked me down stairs, and out on the ramp where he commandeered an EAL pickup truck. As we sped across the tarmac toward a parked EAL DC 9, he said, “that is the last flight back to Greenville, SC, and they are holding it for you.” It was New Year’s Eve and the flight was full, but the Captain was letting me ride in an empty flight attendant jump seat. (The whole story is in my book, Fingerprints of God.) continued on next page
TEN MOST WANTED Top ten items needed by SMCC. All donations are tax-deductible. 1. Track Hoe Excavator 2. Floor machine for waxing, buffing tile floors. 3. Pressure washer (2000 PSI or higher). 4. Commercial warming cabinet for cafeteria. 5. Two new office computers. 6. Clothes washer and dryer. 7. Outdoor benches. 8. Log splitter (we go through a lot of firewood). 9. Air compressor with 8-gallon or larger tank. 10. Volunteers!
Charlotte's Web
Captain's Corner (continued from front page)
Charlotte Fish Chief Operations Officer
Jay started relaying the story to the retired pilots sitting around him. Then I noticed tears in the eyes of our REPA president, Bud Robbins. Bud and I both grew up in Forest City, NC, and had known each other since childhood. We both became Eastern pilots where our friendship continued to grow. Then I told the group about Rod McLennan, a copilot who flew with me back in the early days of our camp. After listening to me talk endlessly about the camp, and seeing how desperately I wanted to build a second cabin site, Rod organized a group of pilots and flight attendants to come up and help me build the cabins. Bud had been one of the volunteers, but, while driving up from Atlanta, he had been stopped by a highway patrolman who informed him that his son, Jeff, had been killed in an auto accident. One of our cabins is named after Jeff. After the meeting, several pilots came up to talk and wish me well, and to tell me they were praying for the camp. Before we left Charleston, one of the pilots handed me an envelope that contained a pledge of $3,300 to sponsor a seat in the new multipurpose building.
I pray you all enjoyed reading OA’s article on how we as Christians are intertwined and how God has His perfect plan for each one of us. While he was in his business meeting, I was in a meeting with the women and the subject was how we are like a country quilt with many colors, patterns, and shapes to keep one warm. This caused me to think way back 43 years to the camp philosophy and objectives we drafted as our guide lines, and I would like to share that with you all now. When a person is enthusiastic, interested, and searching for answers, he is at the pinnacle of his teaching moments. We firmly believe, and many educators agree, that these rare moments can be readily achieved during camping experiences. In the scriptures, we find that when Jesus wanted to impart great truths to his cabin group (The Twelve Disciple), He would always take them aside. Usually, He would take them into a garden, up a mountain, or on a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The Old Testament tells how God told Moses to instruct the Children of Israel to hold a feast, known as the “Feast of Booths” once a year. This feast was to be a meaningful time of remembering their past, worshipping God and learning the Scripture. It is our aim at South Mountain Christian Camp to fully utilize this effective, Bible-centered ministry to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Through well planned programming, teaching, sharing in fellowship, and healthy physical activities, we hope to help campers respond in faith to the call of God on their lives and then nurture their faith and fellowship in Christ Jesus so that they may mature into responsible citizens of God’s Kingdom. There is a quote from Ron Luce of Teen Mania that we all like here and it goes like this, "All of this work is designed to organize the logistics so that people can be at the right place at the right time to hear from God. Basically everything we call 'the work of the ministry' is simply setting up an encounter with God." I pray you can see that all of you are part of the quilt, that is intricately woven by God that makes the ministry here at the camp succeed.
There are just so many other threads to this story, but not enough space in this newsletter to tell. I hope you can see how Jesus works in our lives when we make him Lord. He truly is intricately weaving His purpose in and through our lives. If we have eyes to see, we'll notice His Fingerprints at work continuously in our lives.
Memorials & Honors Special gifts received 2/22/18 - 9/16/18 In Memory of... John & Nell Maxwell by Pamela Hopper Tex & Nell Maxwell by Thyra Hayes Sue Hardin by Faye Wilson Sue Hardin by Barbara Walls Sue Hardin by Gary Toney Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Carl Parton Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Michael Nanney Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Donald Morrow Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. James Harrill Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. James Hamrick Sue Hardin by Caroline Baynard Trixie Webb by Bob Webb Sue Hardin by Phillip Toney Sue Hardin by Ingle Sunday School Class Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Jolley Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Dwayne Hunt Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Hardin Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Hardin Sue Hardin by Betty Brown Sue Hardin by Big Springs Baptist Church
Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Phil Godfrey Nell Maxwell by Diana Zeller Sandy Carawan by Lloyd Carawan Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. William Plowden Sue Hardin by TJR LTD Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. T Ronald Harrill Sue Hardin by Carolyn Hardin Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Joe Godfrey Sue Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. James Davis Sue Hardin by Ruth Hardin Trevor Bowman by Laurie Oostdyk Herbert Browning by Nell Carpenter Ruth Hodge by Jeffrey Hodge Margaret Davenport by George Davenport Frances Haney by Averette Haney Sue Hardin by Ruth Hardin Tom Kaut by Sparks Crossing Tom Kaut by Margaret Truscott In Honor of... OA & Charlotte Fish by Janice Haynes Charlotte Fish by Becky Carson
Jen's Journal
Jen Collins Guest Group Coordinator
Camp News
Paul came to camp excited. He loved this place. Unfortunately, he started feeling bad the very first day, so his cabin director brought him to me. I checked his temperature. He had a fever, but he didn’t want to go home. After Tylenol, water and rest, he was back to normal and stayed at camp.
• Our South of the Mountain Trail Run is coming up on November 3rd. This 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) race is for runners and walkers of all ages, and raises funds to help send kids to camp. Get details at SouthoftheMountainTrailRun.com
Paul's cabin director brought him back to me the next day because he cut his hand while trying to jump over a metal sign. I took a look to see how bad it was. He needed to get a few stitches, but he didn’t want to go home. After he got stitched up, his parents were able to bring him back to camp.
• Our Pumpkin Patch fundraiser will return in October. Come pick out your pumpkins, take some family photos, and help raise funds for summer camp scholarships. Details below.
Paul had just one pair of shoes that rubbed against his heels as he walked around camp. When I noticed he was limping, I took a look and saw that he had a foot full of blisters. But he didn’t want to go home. We were able to find some donated flipflops for him, and he got to stay at camp. At one point during all this, when he realized he was going to have to leave camp (to get the stitches), he gave me a big sigh and then these words came from him: “Ok. I know God works everything for my good.” My heart filled up. I knew that Paul experienced the love of Jesus at SMCC and put his trust in Him. He is a beautiful example of how much this camp means to these kids. What a blessing it is to be a part of this ministry.
• We've made a number of year-round staff changes since our last newsletter. We welcomed new housekeeping manager Dawn Evans who has picked up the job very quickly. Eileen Griffin joined our year-round staff as our office receptionist after volunteering with us for years in various capacities. Michelle Kramer now volunteers in our office year-round working with camper registrations and tracking donations. And after working eight summers in nearly every capacity including housekeeping, cafeteria, maintenance, lifeguard, cabin director, and assistant director, Mikel Collins is now leading our fall programs overseeing weekend retreats, ropes course activities, and outdoor education field trips. • Special thanks to John Cooper who donated a soil tiller, lockable storage cabinet, lawn tractor, table saw, trailer, and an abundance of other useful tools and equipment. • Another special thanks to Bob Luckadoo for his donation of three kayaks for our lake. The campers really enjoyed them! • We want to thank Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Morganton NC for organizing a volunteer service week here, helping with big projects including rennovating a bathhouse, building changing rooms at the pool and a new ga-ga ball arena.
Pumpkin Patch
Multi-Purpose Building This single building will have more impact on the ministry of South Mountain Christian Camp than any project in the past 25 years. It will provide increased meeting, dining, and kitchen space while improving camp aesthetics, and enable us to reach more campers with the Gospel every year for generations to come. You can sponsor a seat in this building at $3,300 each. Each seat sponsor will be commemorated with a leaf on the giving tree which will be on permanent display in the building. These leaves can also be done in honor or memory of a loved one, or as a business sponsor. For more information, visit www.SouthMountainChristianCamp.org/MPB.
The pumpkins are coming! All October long we will have a wide variety of beautiful pumpkins for sale on display here at the Camp. Bring the whole family. Let the kids pick out the perfect pumpkins, take some great family photos, and stick around to enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. Fishing, disc golf, and hiking trails are open and available. The pumpkin patch is open 7 days a week, during daylight hours. Pay for your pumpkins in the camp office, or use the drop slot after 5 pm. The best pumpkins get picked first, so don't wait too long!
Steve's Story
greater than everything I have to go through." April smiled and help Erica pick out her beads.
Steve Collins Executive Director
At the end-of-week talent show, Erica wanted to sing a song. This little seven-year-old, whose short life had already been filled with so much pain, stood on the stage and sang out her new favorite song:
I want to tell you about one of my heroes. This person isn't rich and famous, but she is one of the strongest people I know. Her name is April Wells, and she has worked here each of the past three summers as a cabin director. You'd never know it by looking at her, but April battles Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Anemia daily. Despite these physical ailments, each summer she has chosen to come here to work 125 hours per week pouring out the love of God into the lives of our campers. She has every excuse to take it easy during the summer, but she chooses to give instead.
"Every day I wrestle with the voices that keep telling me I'm not right, but that's alright. Because I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed when others say I'll never be enough. And greater is the One living inside of me than he who is living in the world." The other campers sang along, and April's heart leapt for joy. Read more from Steve at www.SouthMountainChristianCamp.org/Blog
Last spring, April's mom died unexpectedly. She was a beautiful person who managed the Grace of God women's shelter. Despite suffering this tragic loss, April still chose to work with us here this summer. During the summer, one of April's campers was a little girl we'll call Erica. Over the course of the camp week, April learned that Erica was a foster child. Erica shared that she was in foster care because her mother didn't want her and her dad continually made bad choices which got him in trouble. On top of all this, April learned that Erica's grandfather had recently died. One day at camp, Erica heard the song "Greater" by MercyMe. "What does that song mean?" she asked April. "When it says 'greater is the one living inside of me than he who is living in the world.'" April explained that life is full of storms, but God is greater than the storms. When we put our faith in God, He comes to live inside of us, so we can make it through whatever comes our way. We might not understand why we have to go through these difficult times, but we can know that He is there with us. It was a lesson April knew all too well. Erica thought about it for a minute and smiled. On the last night of camp, April was helping the girls to create memory anklets. They were to use alphabet beads to spell out a word on the anklet. "Choose a word that has a special meaning to you," April explained. "Something that you learned about God this week and want to always remember." "I'm writing GREATER," Erica excalimed. "Because I learned that God is
Summer Camp Report What a tremendous summer! Here are the numbers: 600 kids attended camp, 420 of them came on scholarship, 77 of them made a profession of faith and were baptized in our pool. Camp, however, itsn't about numbers; it's about people like April and Emily. We are so grateful for the love of God which reaches hearts and changes lives. Our theme, The Faith Awakens, taught campers what it means to live their lives by faith in Jesus. They learned that they can trust the Lord no matter what comes their way and that His love for them will never change! --Steve
PH: 828-245-3322 FX: 828-245-1659 smcc@southmountainchristiancamp.org SouthMountainChristianCamp.org facebook.com/SouthMountain 1129 South Mountain Rd PO Box 9 Bostic NC 28018 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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