Hello to all our family and friends! Thank you for taking the time to read this. On the weekend of February 7 thru 9, Rita and I had the privilege of running the East Side Dining Hall. Of course this isn’t a new thing for us, but it was our first teen retreat in the winter. Camp was packed with teens on both sides of the lake, along with their leaders and any volunteers that came up to help. The teens from our church were also there, many of whom had never been to Camp before. In total, we were prepping meals for roughly 200 people. That is a lot of food! That is even more hot cocoa. Rita and I were happy to be at Camp again, cooking for all those campers. It was a very fun weekend.
We had quite the crew helping us along the way, most of whom we had worked with previously. There was a lot of work to be done, but we had a great time working together. We shared stories and laughter as we chopped veggies, mixed pancakes, and baked brownies. The adults who volunteer at Camp are such a blessing! I hope we were as much an encouragement to them as they were to us.
Teens love hot cocoa. Leaders love hot cocoa. I love hot cocoa. We went through a lot of hot cocoa this weekend. When it is cold like it was (17 degrees on Saturday morning) you tend to drink the cocoa. “Schnecken” is German for Sticky Buns. Sticky buns were originally brought over to the USA from German settlers in Pennsylvania! Sticky buns have been a Barakel staple for as long as… well, Barakel. Week in and week out, these gooey, delicious little slices of heaven have been filling Barakel campers’ bellies for a very, very long time. We made a lot of sticky buns this weekend; 240 of them. We pushed extras on people. Then, after all the meals were ate, we brought out the remainder to watch a stampede of teens swarm the serving line to get sticky buns to take on their trip home. It was awesome to watch.
Rita and I love these weekends. Winter retreats have a special place in my heart. As a teenager I surrendered my life to Christ at a Barakel winter retreat! Ever since then, Camp Barakel and I have pretty much been inseparable. We cannot wait till we are up at Camp, full-time, managing the kitchen. That building needs someone to love it and take care of it. To watch over it, clean it, repair it, and make it a place that when campers come to Camp Barakel, they will have nothing but positive things to say about the East Side Dining Hall. Well, God has chosen for Rita and I to take this role. We want to be there, loving and serving people while maintaining the dining hall. We are ‘hungry’ for that day! But until we reach our 100% needed financial support, we cannot be there. Currently we are sitting at 73%! Praise God with us! He has brought us this far and we totally believe He will see us through to 100%. We know in our hearts that we want to be there full-time by May. But that will take individuals and churches stepping out in faith to God and giving their offerings to Him to get us there. If you are not already, would you prayerfully consider partnering with Rita and I? We do not need any monies now until we move to Camp Barakel. Just a commitment that you will be with us as we do this. That you believe God is in it and wants the ministry of Camp Barakel to continue with Rita and I, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ over some cocoa and sticky buns. Help get us there by May! If we get 30 more families who pledge $40, we will be there. If you can give more, great!
Also, spread the word of Rita and I to fellow friends and family and churches. We need people advocating on our behalf. We need your help.
Because of Calvary,
Dave and Rita Miron
