Written by Eric - Friday July 9, 2010
In 1976 in Loveland, Colorado 12 inches of rain fell in 3 hours. The sudden and unexpected rains flooded Big Thompson Canyon washing out homes and killing 140 people. The call went out for youth groups to come and help with recovery and clean-up. Over 300 youth and their leaders showed up to help. Group Workcamps Foundation, now Group Cares, was formed that year as an organization to help local residents with housing needs and now has over 200 camps each summer. In the past CrossRoads has served with Group Cares in Manistee, MI (Kris Gidley's home town), Blytheville, AR and Red Lake, MN.
Today Kristen and I join with a 15 other volunteer staff from across North America for a workcamp in Cornwall, ON. Cornwall is just across the border from the northeastern tip of New York. Cornwall was the town that the British created following the American Revolution for British sympathizers. Today it is a town of 40,000 people.
We drove 12 hours yesterday through heavy rain to get to Toronto and we are headed off to Cornwall today, another 5 hours. The campers come Sunday for a week of work and worship. I will be directing the camp and Kristen will be serving as a construction supervisor. Chris Kemp is joining us here on staff for the week to also oversee construction. Ed Gill was supposed to be here too but, at the last minute, work would not allow him to join us. He is disappointed not to be here, so when you see him Sunday give him a hug to lift his spirits.
Carol and Greta drove with us and are spending the week in the area seeing the sights of Ontario and Quebec.
Oh yes, and for the record, so far on this trip others have guessed our nationality as German and Swedish. Last night the dinner server greeted us with, "And oh you must be, let me guess, Dutch." The blond hair and blue eyes confused him. We gladly told him we were from Indiana and he was most surprised.
On to Cornwall to enlarge our family to 400+ for the week! Pray for ours, Chris' and the many groups' attending our camps safe travel.
Hello to you!
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(Also, I hope you know that you don't have to go out of the country to have a good and eventful summer!!)
Karen and Lou