Our Impact

Thanks to early exposure encouraged by her parents and congregations, Jacqueline’s connection to camp runs deep.  Now she seeks to provide similar experiences for her own family.

Mark Ehle was one of the youth performer in "One Wonderful Day." He states, "Just like the girl in the musical, I was afraid at camp when I was younger, but in the end we both overcame our fears and wanted to go back the next summer."

As the Forest Park students were loading onto the bus, one who often hung on the fringes lamented about camp ending. He stated, “I wish we could come to school here every week and just go home on the weekends.” The fresh air and outdoor fun, the connections with others, and the camp community had made an impact. 

As the rain drew back, the sky opened up to reveal a double rainbow. The group made their way out of the pavilion to bask in the sun and the majesty of the twin rainbow. A mother deer and her twin fawns meandered their way into the clearing right in front of them, under the beauty of the now blue sky.

By leaning into the opportunities that interested her, Christine has made Fortune Lake a regular part of her faith and family life. Her experiences here inform the way she not only navigates the world, but shares her love of God with others. 

The Spirit calls staff like Heide beyond themselves to wildly bless the lives of campers, and then that same Spirit bathes them in the grace of radical acceptance, the capacity to show up just as they are.  

Fortune Lake helped Sean cultivate communication skills, taught him how to interact with new people, and showed him how to demonstrate authentic welcome.