A Look at 2014 Morning Star Camps
By Brandon Reeves
Once again we had a great year with all of our 2014 Morning Star Camps. What God set out to do, He accomplished. Many kids lives were touched and changed at our campfires, devotion times, one on one counseling with kids, spending time loving and influencing them for Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.
This year we sent nearly 100 at risk kids to our 4 camps, 3 boys and 1 girls camp. We had enough girls to fill 2 camps but had to turn girls away because of the lack of female volunteers and finances.
The kids from our camps came from homeless shelters (Shelters Inc.), (STAND) a program for domestic violence, Foster care, and CPS. Along with other low income single family parent homes from Pittsburg, Antioch, Bay Point, Concord, Martinez and from all around the Bay Area.
Our camp directors were:Week 1, Girls: Brenda Walker; Week 2, Boys: Rob Walker; Week 3, Boys: Brandon Reeves; Week 4, Boys: Trevor Hamlin. Each camp had 20 or more kids and 7 staff members.
Our Camps theme was “Change”. Camp not only impacts and changes the kids for the gospel of Jesus, but also changes, mentors, and moves our staff for the work of the ministry. Our staff is strengthened and encouraged in Christ, some being called to ministry, but all grow closer to Christ. They have been given a passion for the hurting, hopeless, forgotten and the lost of their community.
Many of our staff are former campers that Jesus has transformed their lives through past camps. God has given them the burden to reach the lost. Our camps were very effective in reaching our community. No other ministry, program, camp, in my experience, has ever been as fruitful as Morning Star.
This year we are prayerfully in hope of adding another girls camp with God’s provision of staff and finances. I thank God for the opportunity to serve Him in Christ at Morning Star Ministries.