What is Happening at Camp Emanuel?

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support of our ministry at Camp Emanuel in Uruguay. Please pray for these ongoing projects.

New Fencing for the Camp Perimeter

After more than 30 years, the current fence around the camp needs to be changed. Not only because it has deteriorated, but also the neighborhood around the camp has changed. The new fence will provide added security.

It is a joy to be able to share that God has provided $28,334 for the total project and by the grace of God we are confident that by the end of July we will be able to completely close the perimeter of the camp.

We appreciate your prayers to complete this project.

Sidewalks around Buildings

Most of the ground at the camp is sand. We have several buildings over 30 years old that need added sidewalks around them to protect them from erosion. The project has an estimated cost of $8,865 and today we have received $ 4,500.

This project, as part of the Rick Work Projects, will begin in August. We have prioritized the most exposed buildings to start with the money received.  We appreciate your prayers so that we can have volunteer workers to help us and that we will receive the rest of the needed funds to complete construction of these sidewalks.   

 Bathrooms off of the Dining Hall

Throughout the last 6 years, different groups that have passed through the camp have told us how useful it would be to have bathrooms near the dining hall. There is also a need to provide bathrooms for disabled people. The bathroom project will meet an extremely important need and will help us comply with regulations.

This project has a cost of $ 32,500 and so far, we have received $18,000.

In May we will begin construction with the foundation and framing. Lord willing, we will receive the rest of the needed funds and will be able to complete this project as soon as possible.

Let us pray that this project prospers and we can receive what we lack and thus attend to this important need.

Replanting and Ordering of Trees

Most of the trees in the camp are pines and eucalyptus. The trees around the buildings are many years old and given the sandy soil around the camp have been prone to fall during storms. The pines have generated extensive damage to the buildings. Roofs have been perforated with branches that have fallen.

Among other things, these trees provide great shade in the summer, but in the winter they do not let the sun reach the buildings, making them very humid, causing significant damage to mattresses and walls.

Last year we started a project to remove the dangerous trees from around the buildings and to plant new trees that are not as tall and that drop their leaves during the winter to let in sunlight.

We were able to start this project of replanting trees in August of 2022 with money that we made by selling the wood from the trees that we removed.  

This year we need to continue the work, but it is becoming more and more difficult to sell the wood. We need wisdom from God to cut down the most dangerous trees and to be able to sell the wood to buy and replant new species of trees.

Thank you for your prayers for this project.

Monthly Budget

We need a lot of prayer and financial support. This is, if we could say so, the biggest problem facing the camp financially. Several solutions have been thought of, but their implementation is long-term and with important changes.

How is the camp maintained today? Being a non-profit organization the options we have are very limited.

The activities that we organize each year for the benefit of the churches associated with the Mission do not cover the total expenses and these are covered by camps that we rent during the summer. In large part, this is our feeling, to be able to benefit our churches through others that use the camp.

The groups that rent the camp during the year only cover the expenses they generate and although we try to cover monthly expenses, we are limited in what we charge, since everything that goes into an activity must come out as an expense.

Being able to rent to more groups is quite a challenge. Being able to have more frequent camps would help us cover the costs, but there are obstacles that we must solve to achieve this:

First, we do not have staff to be able to meet all the needs if we receive groups in the camp, especially to be able to provide food service.

Second, there are very few churches who take a good doctrinal position. There are also many other camps that they can rent. 

Third, Facilities. Although it is recognized by all who come to the camp that our facilities are excellent, there are churches that prefer other places that provide rooms for families, facilities that we do not have. There is a group of churches that are good, and that we would like to receive, but they opt for other places where they can stay with the family during the nights. This increased during the pandemic. This does not apply to Children, Adolescents and Youth camps, but it does apply to church and family camps.

Fourth, the churches that attend the camp or belong to the mission in Uruguay are not yet able to support the camp financially. We only have one church that gives around $20 per month for expenses.

We have an average of $2,300 expenses per month.

How have we sustained ourselves until today? Through some rents that help us pay the expenses each month, added to the offerings that have received for the budget, but this has not been enough.

We currently have a deficit of $9,860.

We appreciate your prayers so that we can cover the monthly expenses and be able to make the camp self-sustaining. Historically, no Christian camp like ours has been self-sustaining. It is only by God’s goodness and grace that a work like this is maintained and sustained. God in his grace has used different families who have offered, not only for projects, but for monthly support.

We do not have regular offering commitments for the budget except from one church in Uruguay that has been faithful for the last three years.

Reaching New Groups

This remains our goal, but we have been hindered by three factors:

First, the lack of facilities for families for churches outside of the Mission.

Second, the months of January and February are used by our regular camp programs but are often the months that other churches and groups want to have their programs.

Third, the lack of staff. We staff our camps with volunteer personnel. During the year, due to lack of volunteer support, we had to reject groups for not having workers.

The question we ask ourselves is: How many more groups could we reach?

Multi-purpose Area

This is a long-term project that would generate a radical change in the Camp and generate more opportunities and provide added capacity.

Benefits:

• The possibility of hosting new groups that the current facilities are not sufficient or adequate to meet their needs.
• It would allow us to utilize the camp more in the summer, the time when all the churches want to have their activities.
• Generation of added income that will help us maintain the property.

We have been able to define and structure the different stages of the project.

Other Needs

• Acoustic problem in the room affecting how people listen.
• Audio equipment of more than 15 years that needs to be changed.
• Air in cabins and living room.
• Kitchen coffee maker.
• Access to the Camp. (Goalkeepers…)
• Retaining Pond.
• Walking Path.
• Lighting of the property.