ROSCOMMON, MI – Every day is a new day at Bambi Lake. New challenges, new experiences, new people await you. If you don't know what I am talking about, you have not been to Bambi.
Only last week, snow and ice were plentiful, making travel around the camp difficult at best. Many of the staff had vehicles stuck somewhere between home and the lodge, so walking became the best mode of travel. Melting snow brought deep ruts of mud and rivers of water running and pooling, making travel by foot undesirable, so vehicles splashing through puddles was the best mode of travel and it was fun!
This week a beautiful new day dawns as the sun rises, bringing us a sunny and bright spring day. The tapping of a woodpecker and the warbling of another bird are heard, making a most wonderful song to greet the day. Two deer bound down the path and into the woods. The trees are budding and spring is finally showing true signs of its arrival. Winter is over, and the promise of a new day has come.
Today the puddles have dried up. The grass is visible in many places. It is a new day! “His mercies are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:23. Spring is the best time to start the new outdoor projects for the year and clean up from the winter storms. We have many volunteer work teams providing manpower necessary to accomplish a large number of projects around the camp. Michigan Disaster Relief is coming to cut out dead trees and get our supply of firewood ready for summer campfires. North End Youth plan to clean up the grounds. Riverwalk Youth have a building painting project planned. The Chilton Builders for Christ are coming to renovate the bathhouse and build cabins in the campground. Hillsdale Baptist Church is bringing a team to tackle whatever else needs to be done before the summer camping season begins. Volunteer opportunities are always available at Bambi Lake. Another couple has joined the Bambi staff living at camp, bringing our total staff to six, and our summer staff will be joining us soon. A full staff of sixteen or more will be available to meet the needs of campers this summer. To provide the level of service we are striving for at camp, the additional staff is meeting a critical need.
New camps and events are planned for the summer season. Kicking off with the first big name gospel concert being held at Bambi Lake, the Martins, will be performing on Saturday evening during Memorial Weekend.
The God and Country Gospel Concert event, featuring Karen Peck and New River, will be held in on the Fourth of July.
Summer camps will feature two Wild Weeks for teens with a different band for each week as well as a comedy group featured mid-week. Wild Week II will provide an opportunity to work on a ministry project with Habitat for Humanity.
Girls Missions Camp and Mom and Me Camp will offer missionary education as well as outdoor fun and activities for girls, grades 3-12.
"Game On" camp for kids 1st through 5th grades will feature the VBS music and activities in an expanded form-perfect for a camp setting!
New this year is the Worship Arts Camp, WAC Week, for teens age 12-18. Vocal and instrument teachers will work with students. A technology component will be featured for sound and lighting. Special camp weeks are scheduled by groups as well, creating a full calendar for the summer.
Having a visionary leader directing the camp makes every day a new adventure. Bambi Lake Camp is moving forward and changing on a daily basis. In addition to the new camps, retreats and events, there are always dreams and ideas of ways to make the reach of our BSCM camp more effective. To have a camp that is successful means that it is busy year round, well-attended by the people from our churches and the communities around the state, and is ministering to people where it is planted. Bambi Lake is becoming that camp! To God be the glory!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nancy Spears serves as the administrative assistant for Bambi Lake Baptist Retreat and Conference Center for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.