Wildwood Hills impacts hearts and lives

A letter from Maribeth below. Thanks, Maribeth, for loving God and kids, for the work you do to get the kids to camp, and for bringing many friends along in the joy of helping so many young people experience God's transforming love at summer camp!

Dear Friends,

Our Wildwood Hills Ranchers came home late yesterday afternoon--happy, tired, missing camp already, and chock-full of memories. I wish I could communicate the power in this week for so many of the kids. For a few years, I resisted the fact that many of the children who attend Wildwood are coming from situations that most of us can hardly imagine. I knew it, but I almost couldn't face it. Does that make sense? The euphemistic, politically correct label is "at-risk" to describe the children, and the road they may walk in the future. They may be at-risk of abusing substances in the future, for example, or of dropping out in the future, or spending time in prison. It's a catch-all phrase that has diluted what is really at stake.

Children are at-risk not only in the future, but RIGHT NOW, and that is the beauty of Wildwood Hills Ranch. They SEE that, and that's why there's this sense of urgency to find the kids who are tough, sad, angry, acting out, and hurting. They've made it their mission to take that child, where he's at, RIGHT NOW, and speak truth and hope directly to his heart in a way he can understand. I wish you could see the difference this can make!

This week, counselors loved, counseled, corrected, inspired, prayed with, cried with, laughed with, and worked side-by-side with kids. Man, did they look exhausted when those buses pulled up!

Kids slid down mud hills, swam, rode horses, sang, made friends, threw tantrums, had conflicts, forgave, calmed down, ate three square meals with seconds + snacks, caught fish, learned about how loved they are by God, and celebrated when their team did something awesome.

GOD stirred and softened hearts, protected, gave wisdom, calmed thunderstorms, broke chains, opened eyes, and POURED HOPE over the whole fun, muddy, sweaty, tear-filled, laughter-drenched week. Praise HIM.

Please continue to pray as kids re-enter their families and neighborhoods. May the light of Christ shine in these children, and may it spread.

If you can spare nine minutes, Wildwood has created a video on YouTube that will give you more of a feel of what their mission is, and what the kids' response has been.


Enjoy the sunshine today! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Maribeth