We did it! Our camp season officially came to a close last Saturday with our final basketball camp at St. David’s School in Raleigh…our third camp in a 28 day span. Needless to say, we were depending on the Lord to supply us with the strength and energy to finish the camp season strong, and just as He has from the beginning, He provided so faithfully. There was such an outpouring of support from the school community for the event, from the administration and coaches down to the volunteer parents and players…it was exactly the type of enthusiasm we hope to encounter at every new camp site in the future.
With all the amazing volunteers we had on hand, both on the court and behind the scenes, the camp itself ran smoothly from start to finish. All in all it was a great camp experience. But don’t take my word for it! Check out pictures from the day’s events on our web album.
A big thank you to St. David’s varsity coaches Wes Wilder and Johnny Garrett for their help in running the camp. Coach Garrett brought out “The Gun” shooting machine and held competitions at his station, which quickly turned into the highlight for many of the campers. Coach Wilder held an instructional session with members of his Conference Champion Varsity squad and showcased some of the drills they ran in practice every day that resulted in their success on the court.
One highlight of the day was hearing Patrick Moody give his testimony to the kids following station time. As a member of UNC’s 2009 National Championship team, he shared with the campers the importance of putting God first in their lives, a powerful message coming from such an accomplished athlete.
Another highlight came during the Break Station, where I was able to sit down with each team and explain to them the real reason why this camp was being held. Of all the skills and learning that took place that day, above all else I really wanted every camper to walk away with a clear understanding of why they were there, and thereby encourage each of them to find ways to serve the people in their lives the way Jesus has served us.
An integral part of our mission is striving to reserve at least 25% of our enrollment spots at each of our camps for low-income children to attend free of charge. As we utilize the platform of sports to share the good news of the gospel with our campers, we feel it is essential to live out that gospel message by engaging and serving the less fortunate in the surrounding community. In the weeks leading up to camp day, we developed a relationship with an organization called New Day Ministries, a group that ministers to refugees from around the world who have been relocated to the Raleigh area. We found out that there was a group of 7 refugee children from Karen and Burma who would love to attend our camp, and we were so happy to offer our camp experience to them.
Around midnight on Friday we received a call from Agape Corner, a Christian boarding school in Durham that ministers to at-risk youth from across the country. They asked if there were still scholarship spots available for a group of 7 or 8 of their students to attend our camp, and we were so excited to extend an invitation to them! It was such a blessing for us to have the opportunity to show Christ’s love to the children from Agape Corner and New Day through our camp!
A special thanks to Helen Keegan, who tirelessly promoted our event from within the St. David’s community, and loaned us her expertise in camp registration for the day. Another goes out to Momma Shields, who almost pulled a five loaves and two fish type miracle in feeding all the STS staff and volunteers on Friday night with her delicious home-made lasagna! A huge thank you also is due to Lynn Garrett and Julie Johnson, who both used their platforms in the school community to generously market our camp and let everyone know we were coming to town. We could not have done it without their support!
As we conclude our camp season this spring, we are so excited to see what doors the Lord opens moving forward. Join us in prayer for His guidance and wisdom as we continue striving to love and serve the people of North Carolina and Ethiopia through Sports That Serve!
Lastly, we are also excited to announce that the Sports That Serve staff will be taking a “vision trip” to Ethiopia in May to build relationships with orphanages and other ministries within the country. We hope to lay a solid groundwork for funding change within this third world country that lies at the center of all we do through STS. Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming trip!
-Rob Shields
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