West Cocoa Chat

I find it interesting that in the span of hours, things like letters, emails, and phone calls can run a full spectrum of labels such as “good news” and “bad news.” It reminds me of an old joke. The scene is a German Prisoner War Camp for Americans during WW2. The American Soldiers have gone months without showers or change of clothes. The setting is an early morning roll (think “Hogan’s Heroes”) call. Using my best “German accent:”

Commandant – “Prisoners, I have good news and bad news. First, the good news – There will be a change in underwear today!”

Prisoners – cheers and hoorays.

Commandant – “The bad news is that Prisoner #1 will change underwear with Prisoner #2, Prisoner #2 will change underwear with Prisoner #3, and Prisoner #3 will change with Prisoner # …….”

A couple of days ago I received a letter from my “old camp” detailing their reasons for dismissing me. Most of you know the details of how this camp has become practiced in the fine art of “un-inviting. Enough said.

I started my morning yesterday with a voice mail from one of our members and a close friend. This guy is a shepherd without the title. His message was one of encouragement, praying for not only our week of camp but also our impending merger with DCC.

Later that day I called the Director of the Camp we’ll be holding Bible Camp at starting on Sunday. I told the brother that he needed to prepare meals for 90 campers and 30 staff! His camp is practiced in the fine art of inviting and reaching out. His response was the same one I had when we discovered that God had given us a way to have Bible Camp despite the best efforts of legalistic terrorists – “Praise the Lord!”

Pray for us this coming week as we reach out in the name of the Lord to our campers. God bless.