Our prayers are with those in Texas and on the gulf coast.  We experienced a large amount of rain (9" at camp and up to 12" in the area) over the past 48 hours.  We can't imagine how devastating the hurricane was to that area.  Just that much rain in our area left things pretty flooded as the pictures show.  This was after 24 hours of drying.  We are excited to see the sun today!

The two family camps this year were a huge success!   There were nearly 500 people who attended the two camps this year and there was a waiting list on each camp.

Due to the popular demand, we are opening a 3rd family camp next year over the Memorial Day Family Camp!  Kick off your summer with your family at this great retreat!  We are also considering an option for a week long family camp sometime in August or a winter family camp.  If you have any other ideas for family oriented events please email jason@miraclecamp.com

We are excited to have a group of volunteers here for the month of September, helping out with various work projects.  RVICS (Roving Volunteers In Christ's Service) has provided us with 6 couples who have various skills and are able to help us finish the remodel of Bankson Lodge as well as other miscellaneous projects.  Their website is www.rvics.com for more information.

We are in need of a good 1/2 or 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup truck to be used for plowing throughout the winter months.  It would be great if it had a plow package, but this could be added later.  The newer the better.  If you can meet this need please email larry@miraclecamp.com.

Miracle Camp recently finished installing stadium lights for our playing field, soccer field, ice rink, outdoor basketball court, and mini golf allowing us to continue many camp activities into the evening hours.  We are excited to be utilizing these lights for our summer camps and winter retreats as well as provide extra options for guest groups throughout the year.

This past week Miracle Camp and Retreat Center registered campers that broke the previous record for total number of campers in a summer.  The previous mark of 1,409 was set in 2002.  This year's total numbers will be 1,416.  While camp isn't all about numbers, it has been encouraging to see the growth over the past three years.  In 2005 there were 1,047 campers, in 2006 there were 1,143, and in 2007 there were 1,229.  That is a 35% increase over 3 years.

More than the number of kids exposed to Miracle Camp, we are excited to see the changed lives.  This year there has been more than 100 decisions to follow Christ and many more who have grown deeper in their personal relationship with Him.

Thanks for your support in making this a great summer!

This past week, the hull of our Hydrodyne Ski boat ripped apart and the boat partially sank, flooding the engine with water and leaving it totalled.  We were unable to take campers tubing and waterskiing for the rest of that week as a result.  We have found a boat as a replacement to get us through the summer, but are still looking for another boat to provide redundancy in case of mechanical failure and to allow us to take multiple groups of campers tubing at a time.

We are looking for a reliable, inboard ski boat that we could use on a daily basis in the summer.  If you or anyone you know could donate a boat to the ministry, we would greatly appreciate it.

Be sure to check out our YouTube page for a weekly highlight video of each week of camp. You can relive the excitement from your week and email it to all of your friends and family members. We will post the video of each week of camp on the web after the week is over.  The video above is from this past junior high 1 camp session.

If you would like to purchase the DVD you can email us at info@miraclecamp.com or call us at (800) 354-9609.

Be sure to check out our photo gallery for pictures of your week of camp after you return home.  Each week we try to get pictures of the week so you can remember your activities, your friends, and your counselor.  If you have a great picture of your week of camp that you would like to share you can send it to us at info@miraclecamp.com

You can also upload pictures of your week of camp to flickr.com.  Sign up for an account and find the Miracle Camp photo group.  You can add your photos to the group and they will be shown on our website and are available for friends and others to see!