Because I love to feel my spirit SOAR!

Thanks to a partnership with The Adventure Guild of Chattanooga, the new High Ropes Course at Cumberland Pines is now fully operational!!! A retreat group from New Hope Baptist Church of Illinois had the honor of being the inaugural group to take on the new challenge elements up in the treetops, and did they ever soar! They conquered everything from the Giant's Ladder and the Trapeze Leap to the 300 foot zip line--see them in action!

Cookie Face

On Sunday nights at YSM, the community plays Minute to Win it games!  This challenge includes getting a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands!  Check it out  ...

Breaking News....

The filming project for new promotional materials is underway!!!!!!!!!!  Believe it ... the MTOP DVD is being updated!

We're ecstatic about this new project.  The goal of these videos is to shed light on the needs of the families in the Cumberland Mountains ... to do right by them ... to spread the word of God and all He's doing on this mountain through volunteers, staff, families and community partners ... to illustrate all we CAN do (even in the midst of financial crisis, natural disaster and accessible, affordable, exotic mission trips to Jamaica) to alleviate poverty RIGHT HERE AT HOME IN OUR OWN BACKYARD!

Some of you may remember Nathan Schweinberg from 2007.  He served as a Ministry Coordinator at Camp Cumberland Pines.  Since then, Nathan finished undergrad at Florida State University and has been living in Nashville as a filmmaker/photographer for Hope Unlimited.  When I contacted him a few months ago about helping with this project, he was thrilled.  We've had several phone conversations and brainstorming meetings and now it's all really happening!

A little story as to how we encountered the funds ...

Back in March I attended a Global Missions Fair at Heritage UMC in Clearwater, FL.  While I was there the missions committee had us fill out an application for donations.  On that form, we could tell them about fundraising projects and immediate organization needs.  Since we had just kicked off our Capital Campaign, I decided to aim big and throw out a request for money to fund one of the new camp cabins.

About two weeks after my visit, some of the youth from Heritage came for Spring Breakout.  And then a few weeks after that I received two checks in the mail... One that matched the EXACT amount I was seeking for the film project!  I spoke with Marsha, Heritage's missions coordinator, and she told me about a couple that had given $50,000 to be used in whatever way needed.  She wasn't sure what to do with the money... but when she got back from MTOP, she sat down and started writing checks.  God had given her a vision of how all the missionaries that attended the conference could have some of their financial needs met through that $50,000 donation.

So, call it happenstance or what you will, but I call it divine.  God has provided and we're ready to see what happens!  AMEN!

Nathan filming at Fish Camp on Sunday!