Kids from Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville, Texas, received a much-needed time of fun and rest following last month’s devastating floods in their area.
Leaders took a group of third through fifth graders to Alto Frio Baptist Encampment in Leakey, Texas, July 21–24 — helping these young campers to start taking the first steps toward hope and healing in the aftermath of devastation.
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“It was definitely a camp after a crisis, but our church really pulled together to rally around us in prayer,” said children’s minister Kellee Parish. “The church made prayer cards for the campers, and the counselors received so many encouraging texts throughout the week. Prayer is so vital, and it’s how we are able to keep moving during this time.”
In response to the tragedy at nearby Camp Mystic, organizers of Alto Frio Camp immediately began taking extra precautions to ensure the safety and peace of mind of campers and their families.
Leaders at Alto Frio had already postponed the July 14 start of a youth camp with 500 students to ensure that road conditions would allow churches enough time to arrive safely. To help streamline communication, camp organizers also began posting updates on their social media pages to include the condition of the Frio River along with the camp’s emergency response plans.
Growth amid tragedy
Trinity Baptist Pastor John Wheat said he was confident in the policies and procedures that Alto Frio had provided.
“Even during a time of tragedy, there is still a great opportunity to help kids grow in their faith at camp,” Wheat said. “I visited the kids at Alto Frio, and I got to see kids having a blast during worship and trusting the camp experience. It was a great opportunity for the kids to learn about trusting God and their leaders. It was exciting as a pastor to see that kids were experiencing normalcy though there was a tragedy in our community and that families were able to take a leap of faith and trust the camp experience.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was originally published by Kentucky Today.
