Dry Creek Baptist Camp (One of Nehemiah's Favorite Places to be!)

We spent part of this past weekend at one of Nehemiah's favorite places on this earth. On our way home he asked me if I would blog about our weekend... so this if for Nehemiah! And I'm happy to write it because he loves this place SO MUCH and our kids are starting to love it too!

Nehemiah started working at Dry Creek Baptist Camp the summer of 2002 as a staffer. He washed dishes, served food, and cleaned bathrooms. He has told me a story of  his first summer at DCBC multiple times, and he shares it with others ANY time the opportunity arises! In fact, recently we saw one of my favorite Christian comedians (Dustin Nickerson!) and we got to talk to him after the show and Nehemiah shared this story with him! Dustin said it was such a weird story that he knew Nehemiah didn't make it up and it had to be true! haha So the story goes... Nehemiah was cleaning the bathrooms of the tabernacle one day and he found that one of the stalls was being used. I don't know how you even do this... but he struck up a conversation with the person in the stall and ended up leading him to Christ! He always says "He led someone to the throne, while they were on the throne!" haha

He took a few summers off from DCBC and came back in 2006 as a counselor. In 2007 he worked as the Staff Coordinator, where he was in charge of the summer staff. And fast forward a decade and he became a member of the board of trustees for DCBC. Honestly, it's one of his favorite commitments. Getting to be apart of helping DCBC grow is one of his pride and joys. While Nehemiah served on a master plan committee he helped plan a weekend for all past staff members of DCBC to come back to the camp and reunite with old friends and just relive their glory days! We brought our family in 2018 and then again this past weekend. Our kids had such a great time! Actually, our whole family did! We're planning on attending Family Camp at DCBC in the fall of this year! When I told our girls about it they were instantly excited!! 

I went to GA camp as a little girl at Dry Creek and I accepted Jesus into my heart in the back of the tabernacle! I wish I had only good memories of it, but I was such a home body and cried most of the week because I wanted to go home. I went back to youth camp in high school and I vividly remember my best friend, Emilie, and I crying into the pay phones calling our parents begging them to come get us... we were some pitiful teenagers. haha I do love Dry Creek though! It is such a great place to go and just be together. I'm just as excited, for Family Camp, as the girls are. I would be so proud of our kids if they worked at DCBC one day! And you better believe that when they are old enough they will attend Girls and Boys Mission Camps!

Dry Creek has such a special place in Nehemiah's heart. I'm so thankful for this place for  bringing thousands of kids, teens, and adults to Jesus! They are changing lives here in Louisiana! I'm also thankful for DCBC for helping shape Nehemiah into the man he is today. He is stronger because of it, I'm sure! 

Some pictures of our fun this past weekend! 

On Friday night we worshiped around a bonfire under string lights! It was powerful. Each alumni family in attendance was given a lantern to remind them to pray for DCBC. A reminder to pray for the camp and to keep our hearts centered on being the a light in this world. We put it in Luke's room!

Saturday morning:
The kids loved shooting at the rifle range!

Their favorite part of the day was the archery range!! Ella was a natural!! We had so much fun and the girls are already ready to go try again!!

 Luke LOVED retrieving the arrows!! lol His favorite part!

Hiking to the prayer garden!

 Family pic in front of the pond! It was so beautiful with the algae growing on top! Cora didn't believe that it was water until she threw a stick and moved the algae! 

 Cora took our picture! :)

I've been to the prayer garden before (and loved it) but this time it reminded of one of my favorite books I've read recently... Where The Crawdads Sing. It was beautiful! (the book and the pond!)

 We spotted a water  moccasin... and we got out of there quick. haha It was down below us in the creek. 

 Nehemiah found his name on the list of Staffers from the 2000's

 These two are the silliest!

Ella lost her second tooth while we were there! She is so proud to say she lost her tooth at Dry Creek!