For the ninth time in 30 years, the 29ers, a missions group from Michigan, have come to Mechuwana for two weeks to work on a variety of projects that include: painting floors and new window shutters in all the cabins; installing new energy-efficient light fixtures in all the cabins; construction and roofing on the new year-round village; sewing curtains for the new village; and the list goes on.

Here are a few photos from their visit so far. We can't thank them enough for their hard work and enthusiasm!

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On August 23rd, friends of Mechuwana gathered to celebrate the installation of new solar panels on the third retreat building and the construction of a new year-round village behind the dining commons. This dedication was read by Mechuwana youth during worship, which was led by Rian Lewis and Chip Simpson:

The Past

Perhaps nowhere in our church is the past remembered with such reverence as the camping ministry. There are many reasons for this. Here are a few:

1. Camps tend to have multiple generations taking part in their ministry. 

2. Older volunteers impact very young campers' lives and those young campers never forget that kindness and love they felt from those older volunteers.

3. There is an understanding that the ministry came to be because of hard work, dedication, and courage. The impact on our own lives forces us to reflect on the question: What if this place did not exist, how would my life be different? And so we are personally thankful for those who made this place possible.

4. We pause and take time to acknowledge and give thanks to those who came before us. 
And so today we once again give thanks to those who showed great courage, who were persistent, who had a dream and did not let that dream die. We give thanks that the Holy Spirit led them in this direction. And we give thanks that they trusted in the generations yet to come to take care of this tremendous gift. 

The Present

The volunteers and leaders of right now have embraced the gift, and have gladly taken on the challenges of running this ministry. We ask for prayers as we make decisions that we know will impact future generations.  
We ask that the local church continue in relationship with us and that this relationship is strengthened in the years to come. 

We acknowledge that it is not an easy road we walk down. There are many challenges that we face as a denomination, a church, a people—challenges that could not have been foreseen just a few years ago.  But we move on with God, with the understanding that we can meet any diversity. We are especially thankful for the younger generation who already understand the gift of Mechuwana.

And so today we dedicate our new year-round village area. May God bless this new part of our ministry, and may it open doors that we cannot even imagine.

The Future

Our ministry thrives on tradition, on memories. But not just old traditions and old memories; it also thrives on new ideas and the ability to reinvent itself. We can change and still keep our values, our sense of belonging to something bigger. We have faith in the generations to come just as the founders had faith that we would continue what they started. We are excited about what new opportunities our ministry will give to people. We are excited about the lives that will be changed here. We believe that this ministry makes our world a better place, and with your help and with God's constant guidance it will continue to do just that for generations to come.  

AMEN