- Aug 1

Monday: ABC 2009 has gotten off to a great start. Monday was a beautiful day and a great beginning to ABC 2009. We have a total of 178 campers, 80 staff, and 10 pre-campers at Fall Creek Falls State Park this week. A few things were forgotten by various campers and staff but thanks to Kevin Ray and Thomas Becker’s trip back to Nashville Monday night, most of the forgotten items made it to their owners. Please remember to let Sheryl Friend know if you plan to make a trip to camp this week. Stay Tuned!

Tuesday: Lisa Steele reports that it is rainy but that is keeping it cool. Good week so far. Update from Sheryl and her "source": Tuesday was a wet day but a good day. Classes and Chorus time were great on Tuesday. The rain, which began around lunch time, continued throughout the day bringing cooler temperatures. The rain necessitated relocating the “cookout” to the mess hall and cancelling the night hike.

Wednesday:  Bonnie Friend reports that the sun has come out. Alex Timm was baptized.

Thursday:  Despite the rain, camp is going well. Dallas Cropper broke his arm but is home and doing well. Donovan Patterson went home with the flu but is recovering nicely. Michelle Clark sprained her ankle and went home to recuperate but Teresa Williams is covering her responsibilities. The counselors enjoyed a few hours of free time this afternoon while the senior campers, teachers, and staff cover their duties. Overall, it has been a great week. Morning skits have been fun and meaningful. Chorus is the best it has ever been. Of course the food is TERRIFIC!

Tonight will be the hoe down or a night stroll depending on the weather. Tomorrow night is movie night.

Friday:  No update today. Phone service has not been kind! Later update: Braden Birdwell was baptized.

Saturday:  We had another baptism on Saturday and will post the name after confirming. Update: Two additional baptisms have been reported: Zach Marstiller and Nathan Woodard.

We are attemting to get the word out to anyone who had a camper at ABC that there have been 2 confirmed cases of H1N1 (Swine Flu) – we have had several kids and staff with low grade or high fever. Please call your physician whether you have symptoms or not to let them know you have been exposed. Since the campers are now home, the entire family has potentially been exposed.

  On the morning of July 26, there will be 40-50 ABC staff members at Fall Creek Falls State Park making last minute preparations. A total of 81 adults will participate in the guidance of camp.

  The great thing about ABC is that the real leadership is much more than the 81 adults listed on the staff list. In reality we have hundreds of people involved in camp through the prayers offered on behalf of the campers. It is great to remember during the week how many people are with us in prayer. On behalf of all the staff, I would like to thank the members of Antioch for your commitment to making ABC successful by praying for us.

Here are some suggestions on what to pray about on each day of the week:

Sunday – Pray that hearts are prepared for fun, fellowship, and being filled with God’s word.Monday – Pray that campers will understand the importance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.Tuesday – Pray that the campers will tear down idols that may prevent them from being closer to God.Wednesday - Pray that the campers will develop a dedication to God that will carry them through the battles of life.Thursday – Pray that the campers will seek fellowship with Christians in both worship and service.Friday – Pray that the campers will understand the blessings we are given by God both here on earth and in heaven.

Also pray daily for:

Safety – We need constant prayers for safety through all the sports, hikes, games and other activities we are involved in all day long.Enjoyment – It is difficult for the campers to listen with their hearts when they are not having a good time the rest of the day.Friendship – Camp is a great place to develop friendships that can lead to future spiritual growth.Maturity – Camp is a great place for growth, learning to get along with others, being responsible for hygiene (often for the first time), and having to follow directions all become issues at camp.Spiritual Growth – This is the reason we have camp. If this area is not working we have lost the very reason and purpose for having camp.

  Again, thank you for your commitment to pray for a camper, staff, or precamper and for the prayers offered on behalf of all the participants at ABC 2009. ~ Chuck Chisam