Washington Family Ranch Creekside

WASHINGTON FAMILY RANCH CREEKSIDE — 2009

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians:20-21).

OK, you’re in middle school. If you could create a place where you and 350 of your friends could spend a week together, what kinds of activities would it have? A pool, you say? OK, but I want you to dream a little bigger. A water slide, you say? Now you’re dreaming. Oh, and an indoor ropes course, a climbing area and miniature golf? All in a climate that has warm sunny days and cool comfortable nights? Well, guess what? We have that! As if donating the 100-square mile property wasn’t enough, in 2008, 10 years after Dennis and Phyllis Washington donated Washington Family Ranch to Young Life, their foundation gave enough money to completely finance the building of a second camp on the property. A property now known as Washington Family Ranch Creekside actually outdoes all that is described in the above paragraph. In an act of hilarious generosity, God saw fit to allow Young Life to have a middle school property that featured not one water slide, but eight. This water-park themed camp was designed especially for WyldLife campers and was the first of its kind in Young Life. Accommodating more than 350 guests, Creekside increased Washington Family Ranch’s capacity to more than one thousand guests per week. In the words of Denny Rydberg, “This unprecedented gift to the mission will allow us tremendous flexibility as we look to the future growth of our ministry to kids in the Northwest.” (MFT, p. 159)

Antelope, Oregon

There are clearly times when God flaunts His power and shocks us with a gift greater than we could have asked or imagined. The story of Washington Family Ranch Creekside is a story of “more.” It’s a common-day reminder that God truly “owns the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). We are OK to pray big prayers. Is there anything in your life you have resisted lifting up to God? Any needs that just seem to be too much or too big? Perhaps you know someone who would appreciate your big prayers on their behalf? We serve a God of abundance, not scarcity.