Category: Stories
Just like the rest of the world, Mindy Van Andel watched the pandemic news closely this past spring. Early on, she had an idea that the coronavirus would somehow impact camp. Her kids weren’t scheduled to attend youth camp for four more months, but the Lord was already stirring something inside her, whispering for her […]
Tags: life change
The summer of 2018 was a season of grief and hope for Caitlin Keeney, but she was reminded of the Lord’s promises through a hang time with her counselor, Anna Joy, or “Oovoo Javier.” Caitlin grew up in Tyler, Texas, spending many of her summers as a Pine Cove camper. Camp became a refuge for […]
Tags: life change
As Caleb Kirk navigated the twists and turns of his freshman year at Auburn University, he slowly began to realize that he was craving something. He did not know what this yearning was for, but he knew there was something missing, a void to be filled. The following summer, he watched in awe as the […]
Inside the Cove | Stories | Summer Staff
It’s no secret that this summer didn’t look anything like we expected it would! But of course—God was still at work. Join our Chief Ministry Officer Craig “Dutch” Langemeier as he recaps and reflects on summer 2020, thanks you for your support, and shares a story of just one of the many lives transformed by […]
As many former staffers may know, it’s tempting to let our performance at camp determine our worth. With spiritual breakthroughs happening each week, it’s easy to credit ourselves for the fruit we see, rather than remember that it is God who works graciously in our weakness. For Emily “Blog Without A Dog” Rutledge, it wasn’t […]
by Anna Birch
A week (or two!) of camp can be the catalyst for major life change in a camper. God uses everything from Bible study to songs at Club to activity classes and more to soften hearts. One of our favorite things is getting to hear from campers and parents about what they learned during their stay. […]
Tags: 2020, family camp, life transformation, quotes, stories, summer, youth camp
by Anna Birch
Blake had wanted to be a counselor at Pine Cove since she was in fifth grade. When she got the chance to work at the Shores, she never could’ve imagined the impact that one week would have on one particular camper in her life—her little brother! See how God answered Blake’s prayers to soften and […]
Tags: siblings, stories, summer staff, transformation
When Megan Bates Hunt was fourteen years old, she wrote a prayer on a post-it note: “Lord, let me be a foster parent.” Little did she know, God would abundantly fulfill this desire and give her a family that would mirror His heart. Megan, also known as “Victory,” was a Pine Cove staffer for years. […]
Tags: adoption, family, stories
by Grant Wilkie
“Spins, will you pray with me to help me accept Jesus?” These eleven words have been seared in my mind since they were spoken to me on July 23rd, 2019, the second Tuesday of Overflow D (Week 9). They have become a part of me, a driving force within my story. This summer, I was […]
Tags: life transformation, salvation, shores, summer staff
In the summer of 1999, Casey “Skipper” Brewer was tasked with what appeared to be an impossible job. But bolstered by his fellow staff and empowered by Kevin East, he humbly said yes to adversity and saw, firsthand, how God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Today, Casey leads Kingdom at Work, an organization that […]