Camp Penuel Celebrates 30 Years of Service
Spring Fund Raiser Set
for April 3rd
By Jim Day
Camp Penuel will hold its annual Spring
fund raising banquet at the Holiday Inn located at Hwy. 55 & Lindbergh
Blvd. in South St. Louis, on Saturday, April 3rd starting at 6
p.m.
This year’s banquet however will be very special in that Penuel will be celebrating
30 years of ministering to inner-city underprivileged children through their
camps.
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During Camp Penuel’s 30 years of service,
some 50,000 children have stayed at their two camps (one located here
in Missouri and the other in Pennsylvania) with thousands of them
receiving the Gospel and making decisions for Christ. Last year alone
saw 2,800 children attend their camps with 1,900 coming to a saving
knowledge of Jesus.
Nestled
on the shores of Lake Killarney just outside of Ironton, MO, the children
who are brought to camp (at no cost to themselves) spend an exciting
week engaged in various activities such as swimming, fishing, canoeing,
paddle wheeling, hiking, doing arts and crafts, sports and, of course
being ministered to with the Gospel.
For most of the
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children, a visit to Camp Penuel is first time they have
ever been outside of the crime ridden inner-city neighborhoods in which they
live.
Harry
Douma, founder and president of Camp Penuel, is praying that contributions
from churches, Christian businesses and individuals from this year’s banquet
will allow him to host at least 3,000 children this summer when the camp
reopens. “I only wish everyone who contributes could see the joy that’s
reflected on the faces of the children who visit our camps. It would be an
incredible blessing for them.” stated Douma. “When they’re used to hearing gun
shots and sirens in the middle of the night and playing in burnt out vacant
buildings or being confined to the house except when they’re going to and from
school, spending a week at camp is literally like visiting another planet for
them.” Douma continued.
Seating
at the April 3rd banquet is limited but there is still time to make
your reservations. For tickets contact Verna Ganz at (314) 423-0183.