BRITISH CAR CLUB OF SARASOTA

On Friday, the Cowboy and Miccosukee groups had the privilege, to attend the British Car Club's Annual event for Gator Wilderness Camp. This annual event gives our boys the chance to look over an array of finely restored British cars and then choose the winner of the group. The boys are also given trophies for designing cars of their own. It is a great day for the boys to practice listening and learning to ask the "right" type of questions about this certain subject (cars). 

Thank you again to the Sarasota British Car Club for inviting the boys to attend this event and for the hospitality and your great friendship!

HURRICANE IRMA

As many know, Hurricane Irma struck Southwest Florida nearly three weeks ago now. We feel truly blessed that Irma slowed down to a category 2 by the time it went over camp. Thank to all of you who prayed fervently and without cease! The following is a video made by Chief Devin, showing the destruction that Irma sought at camp. Thank you again for your support and the prayers that we know our Father heard from His children!

SUBMERGED

We've recently had a lot of rain at Gator Camp and everything seems to be submerged under water. Our trails, ditches, ponds, and lakes are all extremely full with the numerous inches of rain we have received here in Southwest Florida over the past week. But we have managed to stay dry and we are glad someone invented rain boots!

                                               

Along with the recent rain, we are very excited for two boys from our Cowboy group who decided to submerge themselves on Sunday by being baptized. Both of these boys recently came into a relationship with Christ and asked to be baptized. It was a great joy to watch these boys make a declaration of faith and to say that they want to stand for what is right and do what is right by being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Aidan & Logan ready to be baptized

Logan being baptized by Chief Greg at the lake

& then Aidan's turn

What a great day! We praise the Lord for His faithfulness in carrying out the work that is being done in these young men's lives. Please pray for these two boys as they have begun the most important relationship they will ever take part in with their Lord and Savior.

THE FOURTH

The constitution of America starts with the preamble. "We the people in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity to ordain and establish the constitution for the United States of America." But the the 4th of July is Independence Day. The 4th is more than fireworks and backyard bbqs. The 4th is the day where America stood up for themselves and basically told Britain to let us be free. So we did by writing the Declaration of Independence. Now we are a free nation from 1776 to 2017. 241 years of freedom!

Written by Max, Cowboy group
Graduated July 2017

Celebrating the festivities out at the pavilion

All dressed up with good spirit

4th of July Annual Water Slide

LIVING WITH ONE FOOT IN THE WORLD

Have you ever tried to read a book with only half the words in it? No, you haven't because it wouldn't make any sense. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will." We cannot understand God's will and serve Him if we conform to the ways of the world even with only one foot, half of our mind, half of our time, or half of our actions. In order to serve God, we need to stop only going half way and give our entire selves to his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Chief Andy Martin

The Cowboy group
Chief Andy Martin & Chief Sammy Kauffman

CARVING WITH TOBY'S RV WOOD CARVERS IN ARCADIA

During the past couple months, a group of men from Toby's RV Park in Arcadia, dedicated their time to helping our boys learn carving skills. Thank you Toby's RV Carvers for using your talents to help enrich the boys lives at Gator Wilderness!

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE AT THE LAKE

Each year for Easter, a spot on the property is chosen to have our sunrise service. This year, the west side of the lake was chosen to have the service. It was a beautiful morning to watch the sun rise over the trees on the East side of the lake. We gathered to praise God for sending His son to die on the cross for our sins so that we may live victoriously!

THIS IS WHO WE SERVE

We are sorry for the delay in recent e-updates; however, from here on out our e-updates will be posted on this blog, along with pictures, videos and ways that you can pray for camp. Thank you again for your support of Gator Wilderness Camp and the many ways you continue to bless the boys and families that we serve in Southwest Florida.

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I have been working as a family worker for just over a year now and I find it an honor to be a part of such a positive program as wonderful as the program Gator Wilderness Camp provides. I was made aware of Gator Wilderness many years ago. At that time, I thought I had an idea of what type of young men attended the camp. I am ashamed to say I thought it was made up of predominately punks or thugs that just needed a good ole fashion whooping. I am here to tell you I was terribly wrong. Now that I have been given a chance to interact with both the young men and their families, I have a completely new perspective. I see now what Gator Camp is faced with on a daily basis. Part of my job is being the first to take the calls from the desperate family members begging for help with their child. Many of the children’s parents have given up on them due to their own problems. Their schools have given up on them as well as society as a whole. Sometimes the call comes from not the parents not the grandparents but the GREAT Grandparents who have taken on the responsibility of a 10 year old boy because there was no one else to step up. The calls from adoptive parents that find out too late about the abuse, both sexual and physical, that the child had endured from being passed around from place to place before finding someone to give them a permanent home. Some of the young men have had parents who were so strung out on drugs they could not even tend to their basic needs for food not alone affection for days. I know that this comes across pretty heavy, but I felt it was important to make you aware of who we are serving at Gator camp and why. We have a saying at camp” It’s not your fault, but it is your problem.” Our team of Chiefs help these innocent children learn to trust people again and help them gain a better perspective on life through love, much patience and understanding. They teach them that they can rise above their circumstances no matter how dark they may seem. At Gator camp, we help the boys find their voice.

Jackie Brucker, Family Worker