Coffey Family Prayer Letter May 2025

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We are back home in South Africa! It has been a blessing to return to Camp Rhino and our church family, though leaving our grandson behind was difficult.

The past few weeks have been incredibly eventful. Please continue praying for the Sullivan family as they spend time in the States. We are still rejoicing over how the Lord miraculously rescued Josh.

My wife Amy returned from South Africa just in time for her MRI, which ended up being canceled. Thankfully, with help from our friends, Pastor Michael Plowman and one of his church members, we were able to schedule another MRI within three days (the original had taken four weeks). Praise the Lord, the results came back clear with no signs of MS. However, there is still optic nerve damage, which our general practitioner believes it may be caused by some kind of virus and may return or may never return.  Please continue praying as we seek clear answers and try to connect with a good ophthalmologist here in South Africa.

Not to be outdone, I also ended up in the ER early one morning during our VBM orientation and discovered I had a kidney stone. On April 26th, I had to return to the ER with a fever and low kidney function, and they wouldn’t release me. Instead of preaching the next day as planned, I was having a kidney stone removed via laser surgery.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Please continue to pray for the Sullivan family as they are back in the States, recovering from the kidnapping experience. They plan to return to South Africa in July for a few weeks and are preparing to move back long-term after Thanksgiving.
  • Pray for answers concerning Amy’s health. We’re asking the Lord to help us find a good eye doctor who can walk with us through this process.   
  • Pray for the young people in the Rhino Youth Home. I’m praying the Lord will use them in a great way.  Two of our graduates live on campus and are doing well.   One is attending Bible college and the other is working full time here at the camp and plans to start community college soon. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • While we were in the States, Camp Rhino hosted several groups and a few camps. I’m grateful for the team the Lord has brought together over the years. They’re doing a terrific job even in our absence.
  • Next weekend, we will be hosting a Women’s Retreat at Camp Rhino.
  • We were also able to reschedule the soccer ⚽️ and netball tournament that had previously been canceled. It is now set for July. Please pray that many teens will come to Christ through this big event. 
  • Because of what happened to Josh, several groups understandably chose to reschedule their mission trips for a later time. However, we still have two groups planning to come, one in July and another in October. Please be praying that God will do a great work during their time here.
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Coffey Family April 2025 Prayer Letter

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On April 10th, our close friend and fellow missionary Josh Sullivan was kidnapped during his midweek church service by a syndicate crime gang operating in our city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Josh’s church is located about 15 minutes from ours.

In a calculated move, the kidnappers chose to communicate with my cousin Jeremy, attempting to extort a ransom for Josh’s release. In response, my wife Amy flew from Atlanta on Saturday to be with Josh’s wife, Meagan, and Jeremy’s wife, Bekah, as they endured this traumatic ordeal together. I jumped on the phone to support family, and help recruit US Senators & Reps. 

Then, on April 15th, in a miraculous display of God’s power and mercy, Josh was rescued and reunited with his family. Amy has since returned to the States and is now back with me. What a wild, emotional, and unforgettable turn of events.

We cannot thank you enough for your prayers for Josh, Jeremy, and their families. God heard and answered. He worked miracles and brought Josh back to us safely. While this was clearly a physical attack on our team members, we believe it was also a spiritual attack from the enemy, an attempt by Satan to hinder the work God is doing in South Africa.

Please continue to pray for our entire South Africa team as we navigate the aftermath of this horrific event. Josh’s church has been impacted, and all of our ministries have felt the weight of this moment, but we know, without a doubt, that God will have the final victory. 

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Pray for the Sullivan family as they are back in the State recovering from this experience. 
  • Pray for the Jeremy Hall family, who also came back to the states a for few weeks.  There are safety concerns for both families and they believe getting away for a few weeks is best at this time.  
  • I want to ask you to please keep my wife, Amy, in your prayers. After a visit to the ophthalmologist, the doctor discovered she has optic nerve damage in one of her eyes. This could be caused by MS or by an eye stroke. We were hoping to get an MRI for her this week and also see the Neuro Ophthalmologist, but unfortunately, the MRI had to be canceled because of issues with my wife’s prosthetics, which she has in her ears.  We’re hoping to get things rescheduled so we won’t have a problem leaving for South Africa on May 8th.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We had a great VBM Orientation this past week, even though 3 of our main speakers were helping in South Africa last minute: my wife Amy, Missionary Mark, who is the Sullivan’s brother-in-law, and Kevin Hall, Jeremy’s brother. 
  • The Josh Barton Family landed in Mozambique.  Pray for them as they get settled and begin their language studies. 
  • Because of the kidnapping, we canceled our big soccer tournament at Camp Rhino, but hope to reschedule soon. 
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Coffey Family March 2025 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise

  • $10,000 was generously given to cover one of the two dorm rooms needed for the girls at Camp Rhino. We praise the Lord that this dorm is now fully funded! We are always humbled and grateful for your support and involvement.
  • When we arrived in the States in December, Camp Rhino had about $31,000 in debt from new construction, as well as repairs and remodeling due to the flood in June. We praise the Lord that we are now completely debt-free across both Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home!  
  • I want to ask you to please keep my wife, Amy, in your prayers. After a visit to the ophthalmologist, the doctor discovered she has optical nerve damage in one of her eyes. This could be caused by MS or by an eye stroke. We are hoping to see a neurologist soon for further testing, including an MRI. Please pray that we can quickly secure all necessary appointments, receive clear answers, and, most importantly, that God brings healing and peace through this process. Your prayers and support mean so much to us.    
  • Josh & Morgan Barton should be leaving for Mozambique the first part of April.  Pray for them as they travel and get settled in their new country with their beautiful twins. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The past few weeks I’ve been in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin for great meetings.  I’ll be traveling to Iowa next week. 
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and upcoming construction projects at Camp Rhino. We still need to build one new dorm for the girls and purchase the necessary appliances and furniture for an additional kitchen. We are incredibly grateful for how God has used so many of you to make this ministry possible.

We have been incredibly blessed during our time back in the States. God has provided new support to help cover the shortfall in our camp and youth home ministries. We are still praying for an additional $500 in monthly support before we return to South Africa on May 8th. 

Last month, Rocklands High School had a great experience at Camp Rhino as students prepared for their graduation exams. Many gave their lives to Christ, but many still haven’t made that decision. Please pray for them as they return in October—pray that hearts will be softened and lives transformed.

For over a year, we’ve been working to send a shipping container filled with books for our Christian school and Bible college libraries. At last, we’ve secured shipping, and we’re now adding Bibles and tracts alongside the donated books to fill the container. We are grateful for a wonderful ministry handling the shipping logistics. 

We still have room if you’d like to contribute more books to help build these libraries, you can send them to:  Directline Ministry– 218 Stockyard Rd. Statesboro, GA 30458.

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Coffey Family February 2025 Prayer Letter

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Sometimes the Lord opens doors you never expect. In 2016, when we first envisioned Camp Rhino, we never imagined the opportunities we’d have to share the Gospel.

For the past three years, a high school about 15 minutes away has been renting our facilities. What started as a two-week rental grew to one month, and now they stay for two months each year. 

At first, I was hesitant. The idea of them staying for weeks at a time and preparing their own meals felt overwhelming. But after talking with the principal, I couldn’t turn it down. I told him, “We are a Christian ministry, not a business. Our goal is to share Jesus.” He agreed to let us hold a daily service, and the rest is history.

Since then, we’ve had the privilege of preaching the Gospel to many high school seniors who weren’t believers. Over time, many have come to Christ.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Pray for Blaine & Holly Hooper, missionaries to South Africa, as they begin deputation. They are our newest VBM missionaries and members of my father-in-law’s church, Whitfield Baptist in Dalton, GA.
  • Pray for my cousins, Jeremy & Rebekah Hall, missionaries in South Africa. They lost $17,500 in an elaborate scam while trying to purchase a 15-passenger van for their Christian school ministry. We’re praying they can recover some of the funds for a new van.” 
  • Thank you so much for your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She continues to experience daily fainting episodes, sometimes multiple times a day, but her doctor has given us hope for some recovery. Although she is still struggling, Chase and Ashley feel encouraged to continue her treatment abroad and will be returning to South Africa on February 20th. Please pray that we see improvements soon. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Joy Wahl and Madison Brown both arrived in South Africa in the last few weeks after finishing their deputation.  We’re excited to have two new missionaries on the field. 
  • This month, I am speaking or have spoken in Florida, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Please pray for fruitful meetings and that we inspire greater interest in missions across Africa.
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and upcoming construction projects at Camp Rhino. We still need to build two new dorms for the girls and purchase the necessary appliances and furniture for an additional kitchen. We are incredibly grateful for how God has used so many of you to make this ministry possible.
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Coffey Family January 2025 Prayer Letter

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We’ve been back in the States since December 14th and still have a few open dates available. If you’d like me to come and present our ministry or provide a report, I’d be happy to do so. I currently have Wednesday evening services and weekday openings for mission conferences before we head back on May 8th.

Our churches in South Africa are doing well, though attendance is lower during this time of year. December marks the start of the holiday season, and many people return to their hometowns or visit family, resulting in about 50% attendance.

Our Teen and Junior Camps were a great success! Over 30 young people made decisions to trust Christ as their Savior. Once again, our counselor team did an outstanding job, and it was exciting to see quite a few new faces on the team this year.

Today, I received wonderful news: two men I’ve been doing Bible studies with have started their own Bible study with a young man who attends our church. We’re praying this young man will soon make a decision to trust Christ. It’s incredibly encouraging to see these men stepping up and teaching the Word of God.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Josh and Morgan Barton: Please pray for Josh and Morgan Barton, missionaries to Mozambique, as they near the end of their deputation. They hope to be on the field within the next 2-3 months. Mozambique is currently facing significant challenges following the recent elections. Pray for peace in the region and that the Bartons can enter the country without any complications.
  • Lighthouse Baptist Church: We are encouraged by the direction of Lighthouse Baptist Church over the past few months. We’ve witnessed remarkable spiritual growth among both the men and women in the congregation. Please pray for Pastor Mvume as he faithfully leads the church in our absence.
  • Ashley’s Health: We deeply appreciate your continued prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She is still dealing with serious health issues, including blackouts and memory loss. She and our son Chase are seeking answers and hoping to return to South Africa in February. Your prayers for her healing and for wisdom in their decisions are a great source of comfort to us.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Youth Home Kids: Our Youth Home kids in South Africa start their new school year on January 21st. Please pray that the Lord will guide and grow them during this season. This is the first time we won’t be there to send them off, which makes us feel a bit uneasy, but we trust God will watch over them.
  • Upcoming Meetings: This month, I’ll be speaking in North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Arizona. Please pray for fruitful meetings and that we can inspire greater interest in missions across Africa.
  • New Grandchildren: I had the joy of meeting my two new grandchildren, and now I completely understand why grandparents love showing off pictures. They are simply amazing, and we feel so blessed!
  • Camp Rhino Construction: Please continue to pray for God’s provision for our current and future construction projects at Camp Rhino. We are deeply grateful for how God has used so many of you to support and make this ministry possible.
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Coffey Family December 2024 Prayer Letter

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Our final weeks in South Africa before heading to the States for a few months have been incredibly productive. I’ve been enjoying Bible studies with five faithful men from our church, and we’re celebrating that 10 teenagers trusted Christ during our recent teen camp! 

Church attendance has been steady at around 80 people, but what’s even more encouraging is the growing spiritual maturity among adults of all ages. 

Junior Camp kicks off today, and we’re praying that many of the 9-12-year-olds attending will decide to trust Jesus and follow Him. We’re expecting over 100 kids to start arriving at 3 PM.

We leave this Friday for our furlough in the States, where we’ll be from December 14 to May 8. During this time, we’re excited to meet our new grandchildren and work on raising additional support. If you’d like us to visit your church and share about our ministry, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Next semester, I will be teaching a college class on Discipleship at Vision School of Mission on Tuesday mornings while I’m in the States. Please pray that this class will be a blessing and a help to the students. If you know anyone interested in becoming a missionary, Vision School of Mission is a great place to explore that calling. 
  • We’re excited to see new people attending our church! Some have recently been saved, while others are still exploring their faith and haven’t yet made a profession of faith. Please pray that more people will come to Christ and grow in His Word. We are particularly encouraged to see older men and married couples joining us—something that has been rare in the past. 
  • Please also pray for Noah Haught. He worked with us for a year as an intern at the camp and youth home and is now raising support to return here full-time. Pray for God’s provision and guidance as he prepares for this ministry. 
  • Finally, we deeply appreciate your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She is still facing significant health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and our son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa in February. Your continued prayers for her healing and their direction mean so much to us. 
  • Please pray for God to raise up more laborers for the harvest in Africa.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Missionary Mike Haley from Botswana was our special speaker for teen camp, and his time with us was a great blessing. We rejoice that 10 teens made professions of faith! 
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and future construction projects at Camp Rhino. We’re incredibly thankful for how He has used many of you to make this ministry possible.
  • We are currently seeking sponsors for our campers, and any support would be greatly appreciated! Each camper costs us about $50– $60, but we only ask the teens to pay $5 to make it affordable. We’re aiming for at least 100 sponsors to help cover expenses for over 200 kids.
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Coffey Family November 2024 Prayer Letter

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December marks the beginning of our summer camp season here at Camp Rhino. Please keep our Teen and Junior camps in your prayers, as we expect around 400 attendees, including campers, counselors, and staff.  

We are currently seeking sponsors for our campers, and any support would be greatly appreciated! Each camper costs us about $50–$60, but we only ask the teens to pay $5 to make it affordable. We’re aiming for at least 200 sponsors to help cover expenses for over 300 kids. 

Once Junior Camp concludes, our family will travel to the U.S. to begin our five-month furlough and meet our new grandson and granddaughter! Our youngest son recently welcomed a son, and now our oldest son and his wife are fostering a little girl, hoping to adopt her. We feel incredibly blessed to have these two new additions to our family!

If you’d like us to visit and share about our ministry during this time, please let me know. We’re working to raise additional support to help cover a funding shortfall due to Camp and Youth Home expenses. We also hope to report back to as many of our supporting churches as possible.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • I currently have four Bible studies underway with five men from our church. Please join me in praying for their growth in Christ and that they may become strong spiritual leaders. Also, keep them and our South Africa pastor, Mvume Johnson, in your prayers as we prepare to leave in December. 
  • Last month, our youth home girl Sisipho, who was set to be married this past Saturday, was tragically taken from us. Please continue to keep our camp family and her fiancé, Amine, in your prayers as we feel her absence every day.
  • Please pray for the country Mozambique, where our missionaries Jacob and Christen Clower are serving. The country is facing widespread strikes and government protests amid concerns that recent elections were corrupt. 
  • Thank you so much for praying for our daughter-in-law Ashley.  She’s still experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The 70 teenagers from Rocklands High School are still here at camp, and we hold a preaching service for them every night. With one week left before they depart, we are praying to see many come to Christ
  • We still need $6,000 to complete the dining pavilion and snack shop at Camp Rhino, and we’re hoping to finish these projects before Teen Camp begins on December 3rd.
  • We attended the Africa Regional Conference in Greece in October, where we enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and training with our VBM missionary team. Please pray with us for more laborers to serve in Africa.
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Coffey Family October 2024 Prayer Letter

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Please pray for our family and friends here in South Africa.  We suffered a great loss on Sept 21st. The first girl who moved into our youth home and lived here for 4 years was tragically killed at 19 years old.  She was like a daughter to us.  She was saved at our first teen camp at Camp Rhino in 2018.

She left living at the camp about 6 months ago but was at the camp that day working to help with our Soccer and Netball Tournament.  She also met with Amy and me to ask if I would walk her down the aisle at her wedding.  She and Amy made plans to go shopping for her wedding dress the next week.  

When she returned home, not even 2 hours later, she went to the store by her house and a guy robbing the store shot and killed her. 

We had her funeral this Saturday with over 400 people in attendance.  She was a young lady who truly impacted her community and those who knew her.  My daughter Emilee flew back to South Africa to be here during the funeral and to comfort us and her friends during this tremendous loss. 

Please pray for her fiancé, Amine. He is one of the young men here preparing for ministry. Sisipho will be missed, but we will see her again one day.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We had 15 young people trust Christ during our Soccer and Netball Tournament.
  • 3 more older adults were baptized at Lighthouse Baptist this month.  
  • Our first grandson was born on September 11th.  He is still in the NICU, but he’s doing great.  Amy was able to be there for his birth, but I’m grateful to have her back home.
  • Baphumzi and Phumlani, the twin brothers of Sisipho, who are living at Camp Rhino, were baptized this past Sunday. 
  • Please continue to pray for our daughter-in-law Ashley, who’s experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We now have the $33,000 to buy a brand new 15-passenger Toyota Van for our Youth Home and Camp. We are so thankful to those who helped meet this need.  
  • $6,000 is still needed to finish the perimeter wall to protect against future floods.  This is a reminder to please pray for those affected by the hurricane and flooding in the States. The pictures we’ve seen have been terrible.  
  • $6000 is still needed to finish the pavilion, snack shop, and gift shop at Camp Rhino. 
  • My trip to Benin was terrific.  I’m encouraged to see how the Lord is using Nate & Emily Wilkerson.  Please pray for more laborers for West Africa. 
  • Amy and I will be coming back to the States at the end of December for a 5-month furlough to present our ministry in churches and to see my new grandson:)  If you would like us to come and present our ministry or know of a church you could recommend us to, please let us know.  We look forward to seeing many of you.
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Coffey Family September 2024 Prayer Letter

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This Sunday, we are excited to have four older adults getting baptized at Lighthouse Baptist Church, with another baptism planned for the following week. 

Two Sundays ago, Lynette Osborn, a dedicated single missionary working with us, presented certificates to eight young ladies who had completed an extensive discipleship course. It’s truly encouraging to witness the spiritual growth in our community over the past few weeks.

In recent months, we’ve been raising funds to purchase a 15-passenger van for our camp and youth home ministry. We’ve received an additional $1,000, bringing us to $17,000. Please pray with us as we work to raise the remaining $14,000. This van will greatly benefit our current group and will be invaluable as we continue to grow. We anticipate welcoming two more children into the youth home soon, but without better transportation, this will be a significant challenge.

We also have a few young men serving in new church plants. We’ve initiated a plan to support them in full-time ministry for 6 to 12 months as they help these young churches grow. If you’re interested in supporting our program to help these young preachers, please let me know.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Please pray for our upcoming Soccer and Netball Tournament on Sept. 21st at Camp Rhino. We’re expecting over 200 people on campus and praying that many will respond to the Gospel invitation.
  • Also, pray for our son Luke and his wife Adri as they await the arrival of our first grandchild. Little Liam tried to come two months early, but thankfully, the labor stopped, and he’s still growing strong. Their due date is October 23rd, but the doctors think he might arrive any day now.  
  • Please continue to pray for our daughter-in-law Ashley, who’s experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.
  • My wife Amy has been away for over three weeks due to our daughter-in-law’s early labor scare but is expected to be home by the end of the week. Please pray for her safe travels back from the U.S.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The construction and remodeling at Camp Rhino are progressing well. Most repairs from the major flood are completed. While we’re on hold with the perimeter wall, we’ve started construction on a new snack and gift shop, thanks to a generous donation specifically for that project. This addition will be a significant asset to the camp. Please pray we can begin construction on the new girls’ dorms soon, as we aim to have them finished before our busy camp season in December. 
  • This month, Amy and I will be traveling to Benin for a week to visit missionaries Nate and Emily Wilkerson as part of my role as the Africa Field Director for our mission. We’re looking forward to spending time with these new missionaries in West Africa.
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Coffey Family July 2024 Prayer Letter

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A few weeks ago, a family of six visited our church: a father and mother with their four children. This was the first time in our history of working in the townships that we had a complete family visit our church. It’s rare to find a married couple with children in our area; we only have one other married couple in our congregation outside of the leadership. 

After their second visit, I set up a weekly Bible study with the father. During our first session, he trusted Christ as his Savior. He shared that he grew up in a Baptist pastor’s home but hadn’t attended church for almost 20 years since his father’s passing. Please pray for the Mcanda family. The wife is skeptical of Christianity, and none of the children have made a profession of faith. We are praying they will all believe in Jesus soon.     

In September, we plan to ship our first container to South Africa. Over the past year, we have collected books in the United States to start a library for our Christian school and Bible college. The time to ship has come, but we still have plenty of room in our container. Please let me know if you are interested in sending any books or supplies for the ministry. Whitfield Baptist Church in Dalton, GA, has been collecting the books and will arrange the shipping.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • This month at Camp Rhino, we will host our first Men’s Camp. In May, we had our first Ladies’ Camp/Retreat, which was a great success, and we believe the Men’s Camp will be equally successful. Please pray for the men of our churches to be strengthened and for many to come to Christ during this event.
  • Please pray for Graham and Olivia Young as they return to Nigeria with their new baby girl, Lyla Jane. The Youngs will be completing their language studies and plan to start their first church in the spring of next year.  
  • Please continue praying for my daughter-in-law Ashley. She’s having health issues, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • An additional $1,000 has been given towards the new 15-passenger van for Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home, bringing our total to $16,000. The van costs $31,000, so please pray we receive the remaining $15,000 soon.
  • One of our supporting churches sent $10,000 last month, enabling us to build the boys’ dorms. Additionally, $1,000 was donated this week for the girls’ dorms, which are estimated to cost $10,000. Both our teen and junior camps were filled to capacity, accommodating 25 more juniors than we had space for. This expansion will support our growing camp in the coming years. Our goal is to complete the girls’ dorms before December when our summer camps start.
  • Since the flood at Camp Rhino, a couple of months ago, most repairs have been completed or are underway. Generous donations and insurance have covered most of the damage. However, we need an additional $8,000 to finish the perimeter wall to protect against future floods.
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My daughter Emilee is finishing up the last week of her 6-month internship in Argentina. Please continue to pray for her as she takes her next step in ministry. Thank you to all who helped her make this internship a possibility. I am very grateful.

Emilee’s Prayer Letter July 2024Download