Living Bible Explorers plans for permanent camp
WINNIPEG, MB—An inner-city ministry dedicated to meeting the needs of the poor is moving forward with construction of a summer Bible camp after being gifted 100 acres of land.
Construction on the camp, which belongs to Living Bible Explorers (LBE), began this past December. Philanthropist Walter Loewen gifted the ministry 100 acres of land on the Whitemouth River at Hadashville, Manitoba in 2010.
"We hope we can do some limited camping on the property in 2013 if enough is built," says George Hill, who has been involved with LBE for over 35 years and currently works as its general manager. "Then in 2014 we hope to be fully open. It's a reasonable goal, provided that funding comes from individuals and businesses, and Christians who are interested in this [ministry]."
LBE runs a variety of clubs and programs out of its Burnell Street location year round.
While taking children out into nature for a camping experience is something that LBE has done since the ministry began in 1969, the organization has never had its own camp location. Instead, it has rented space at other camps in southern Manitoba.
Hill says that having its own camp will allow LBE to enhance the summer programs it already offers. Currently, LBE runs five weeks of resident summer Bible camp, and seven to 10 weekend camps during the school year. The ministry also runs four weeks of summer day camp programs that include an out of town element.
When he was helping envision the camp, it was important to Hill that it be close enough to Winnipeg for easy access to inner-city work, that it have access to water for water sports, that it be a place with lots of forest and that it be a place for simple activities such as bicycles, ropes, crafts, hiking, firesides and tree climbing.
Hill wants to create a camp that is a happy place that meets children's needs, but at the same time isn't too extravagant, making children "feel like they're at Disneyland." He hopes that the camp will be a place that the children return to year after year, instead of just visiting once.
"[Our goal] is to build a camp that the children realize they own—they have involvement in it," Hill says. "They will come back year after year, they will be there a number of times a year, they will grow up at this camp, they will know this is their camp, they will work at this camp, they will be trained at this camp and they will take over this camp in the future as leaders. That's our goal and if we don't do that, we feel that we're failing."
Right now, a 1.2 kilometre road has been built to the site and workers have started digging out the man-made lake that will be on the property.
Hill says LBE is looking for individuals who are interested in donating their time to help build the camp. Framers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and more are needed.
"We are going to build what we can build this year by gifts that come in and by gifts of individuals' time," Hill says.
"We're not trying to stay the same—we're trying to grow," he says of LBE. "A new camp will allow us to grow and [work with] more children."
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