Rebuilding Camp of the Hills

GATA and friends recently spent a weekend near Marble Falls, Texas at Camp of the Hills, a Christian summer camp that operates on donations to allow inner-city kids the opportunity to experience God.

In March, the camp was struck by a calamitous fire, bringing down the dining hall, which housed the kitchen, nurse’s office, camp supplies, and served as the gathering place for campers during the summer.

GATA has connections to the camp, as GATA Ally Craigie has served as a camp counselor at the camp, and 2008-09 GATA Beau Drew Bowen is the director. When the girls heard about the fire, they knew they had to help.

Eight GATAs and three “Men of GATA” piled into cars and made the three-hour drive through Texas hill country to help the camp staff prepare for more than 400 campers to arrive at the beginning of June.

Between cleaning out the volunteer cottages, doing laundry and digging a ditch to run electrical wire to a cabin, the group got the chance to marvel at the beauty of springtime in the woods.

When they gathered for an evening devo on the “Jesus hill,” a hilltop bearing three crosses, which looks out over the camp and a nearby lake, the group was reminded of the importance of getting away from the hustle of the semester, juggling jobs, school and relationships, to enjoy the gifts that God has created.

Drew Bowen posted this video that shows more about the fire and Camp of the Hills.