I've lost count how many times I've started this email, deleted the text, and started over again. Words just don't seem to carry enough weight to clearly convey my thankfulness this afternoon. Regardless of the shortfall, I am going to try.
On November 21st we ran our very first Livestream Telethon. We had set our goal for this fundraiser at $80,000. To be honest, when we set the goal for this fundraiser, I thought it was going to be tough to meet. Days before the Livestream, we were at $10,250 and I simply didn't know how we were ever going to hit our goal. I picked up the mail and there were enough donations to get us nearly halfway to our goal AND a $20,000 donation to Reaching Higher. WHAT?!
It was at this point that I really felt like the Isrealites in the Old Testament and how quickly they forgot about God's faithfulness. It is so easy for us to hear the world's message about how bad things are and how worse they're going to get and forget that we serve a God who is the Creator of the world, the great Provider, and who will see us through Covid.
Before we started our Livestream on Saturday morning, our staff gathered to pray. We prayed Ephesians 3:20-21 over the day:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
We knew that even though $80,000 was a big ask for us, it was nothing to God. By 11:00am, we had hit our $80,000 goal. Just as we had prayed in Ephesians 3:20, God was going to show us what "immeasurably more" looked like:
- 12:00pm - We were over $90,000
- 2:00pm - We were pushing $100,000
- 4:00pm - We passed $120,000
- And when I gave my closing comments and thank yous for the day, I did not know the final amount until they revealed it to me on camera. $138,000.
Our God can and will do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.
I want to say thank you. Thank you to every single person who donated:
- To the campers who donated their allowance.
- Our German staff who sent in money from across an ocean.
- Staff alumni who connected and donated.
- To individuals who were moved to donate because of stories of friends and family whose lives have been impacted by camp.
- To our camper families and families we have met through Wholehearted Camping and Evergreen To-Go.
- To those who donated their time or an item for our Silent Auction.
THANK YOU.
Finally, thanks be to our God, who is faithful, who loves us, who goes before us and never fails us. Thank you. All praise and glory is yours.
If you would like to watch the 8 hour stream, it is available on our YouTube channel here.
If you wanted to donate towards our Fall Fundrasier and were not able to on Saturday, you can still donate by e-transfer to main@camp-evergreen.com (no password required) or through our website at: www.camp-evergreen.com/donate.
The official total will be reported next week. Thank you again for your prayers and support. You are an important part of the ministry of Camp Evergreen.
Courtney Armstrong | Interim Executive Director
