Week #2 Camp of the Hills (Volunteer Work & a Necessary Correction)

This place is even more impressive than I realized.

I want to thank my subscribers for following along with our volunteer work with our Roving Volunteers in Christ’s Service assignment. I made an error in last week’s post that needs to be corrected.

We had a great visit with the camp administrators and learned so much about Camp of the Hills. Michael and Cara’s story about how they wound up here was awe-inspiring. The Lord does work in mysterious ways. I mentioned in my first post that the camp reenacts the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ on Easter Sundays. I found out that they do it every week in the summer for the campers.

Please watch this incredible video about Camp of the Hills' ministry. You’ll understand why we are so thrilled to be helping out here.

This is our fifth RVICS volunteer assignment; they have all been fantastic. However, this is the first camp we’ve worked at that caters to underprivileged children. The children come from foster care, juvenile detention, group homes, and broken families. Many have suffered unthinkable abuses.

Michael and Cara shared a few heartbreaking stories about the kids who had come through the camp. Standing in the gap for these kids is a privilege they are honored to have. I will be sharing those stories with you when we complete our assignment.

For many kids, the week at camp is a haven they look forward to for a year. Cara told us that many cry when they leave. They have about 40 volunteers, many college kids, who stay for the summer and work hard to make sure every child leaves feeling special and blessed. The camp houses 100 children simultaneously, so the volunteer-to-camper ratio is excellent. Many volunteers were once campers here themselves. I’ll share more on that in another post.

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We, ladies, have had quite a variety of jobs. Painting and staining have been the biggest ones. We’ve painted an office wall, the men’s room in the dining hall, and cabinets in the kitchen. We stained rocking chairs, railings, and posts on the patio deck behind the dining hall and a massive bench in one of the meditation areas in the camp.

Betsey and I helped in the kitchen for a few hours on Friday, preparing meals for a men’s group. There were 28 guys here, and according to Sandi, who runs the kitchen, these guys eat heartily.

Betsey trimmed chicken breasts while I made sandwiches and breakfast casseroles.

Tommy and Bill have spent most of their days fixing and replacing the skirting on the cabins. Tommy did sheetrock repairs and taped and textured the men’s room, which we painted, and one of the cabins we will paint next week. I only got one photo of him on the job. I always seemed to miss him but was able to catch Bill at work outside.

I used Canva to make this collage of the guys shirting work on the cabins.

It isn’t all work and no play. We enjoyed a fabulous meal together on Friday at Adeles Restaurant in Marble Falls. Betsey’s sister Jill joined us and was a great addition. When the rest of the gang headed to the Ragtime Oriole Coffee Shop to listen to live music, Tommy and I headed home. Neither of us sees well to drive at night, and after years in the bar business, we are party poops. We like being comfy in our motorhome when the sun goes down.

Our fun group at Adeles Restaurant in Marble Falls, Texas.

I’ve enjoyed my walks here so much. As I said in my last post, I haven’t gotten lost yet. I did, however, take a wrong turn in the golf cart when Sandy and I were headed back to the dining hall after staining these benches. We went through some rough terrain and popped out past the dining hall. I think Sandy would tell you we went four-wheeling.

Sandy and I in the golf cart and staining benches.

When the brave girl decided to join me for my morning walk on Friday when we don’t usually work, I took a wrong turn to avoid the steep hill that goes to the crosses. I was sure I was taking her on the trail that runs alongside the steep incline, but we wound up back at the slope with loose gravel anyway. Sandy was nervous about walking down it, and I told her we could turn around if she wanted to. She decided to go slowly, and I assured her she’d be okay because I had prayed that she wouldn’t fall.

Sandy made it down the steep hill without falling.

I should have prayed for myself, too. I wound up slipping on the loose gravel and landing hard on my backside. Sandy had to wipe off all the stickers lodged in my leggings because I couldn’t see them on my behind. We had a good laugh and made it safely back to the campsite. 😂 We have done a lot of laughing. We loved working with Sandy and Bill in Palacios, Texas in February and signed up for Camp of the Hills because we saw their names on the list.

I can’t say how blessed we feel to be a part of the RVICS community. We love doing God’s work with a bunch of amazing people, and we are thrilled to have a place to call home in the RVICS Village. God is so good.

The second week here flew by, so the next week will go even faster. Bill and Sandy will head back to the Villiage next Friday, and Betsey plans to stay a little longer here. She loves Marble Falls and the Camp of the Hills.