Blog

Thank you so much for your support of our ministry these past several months. In the paragraphs below, I want to share my heart and what’s happened at camp. Then I want to tell you what we are planning in the months ahead and how you can come to the mountain.

Last April and May the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire impacted our camp, displacing staff from our homes, and prompting the cancellation of all 2022 camps and retreats. While the damage to many of the older structures at camp was substantial, the most devastating impact was the loss of the Forest Service road bridge that provides the only access in and out.

After negotiating temporary access through two neighboring properties, the camp board made their first visit to the property in June. Then staff made damage assessments, worked through insurance claims, and restored the basic services of power, water, and communications. In July, August, and September the annual monsoon season brought flash flooding of Beaver Creek and mud slides over parts of the road, cutting off our access again. We worked at camp when we could, using log jams and extension ladders to cross the high waters on foot, but destructive flooding was an ever present threat. Once water levels dropped, a week of bulldozer and excavator work by the Forest Service in October restored drive-in access just in time to winterize cabins and make the most essential repairs before winter. After 7 months displaced, my family moved back into our home a week and a half before Thanksgiving.

In December the Forest Service received full federal funding for a new bridge that requires them to start construction by December 2024. This was and is great news, but the lengthy timeline remains very difficult to accept. The factors are complex for this potentially multi million dollar project, but the consensus for now is to leave the responsibility of a new bridge in the hands of the Forest Service while we work every angle to accelerate their timeline. In the meantime, we’re doing what we can to make our crossing as durable and accessible as possible for all types of vehicles when water levels are manageable.

In December and January, local contract crews completed the debris removal of the 12 main cabins that were destroyed. Staff and volunteers continued the work, cleaning ash from window sills, picking up nails and bits of glass, trimming back weeds and brush that had become overgrown. At one point, volunteers were mowing through several inches of accumulated snow.

As winter set in, I talked with journalists, politicians, engineers, and state officials to explore a faster rebuilding of the bridge. Conversations produced a few poor options and many dead ends. The camp board made their second trip to the property at the end of January to consider the future of the camp and our 2023 plans. Convinced that our future ministry will be very strong, the board set aside $750,000 in funds to start rebuilding, and made plans for future fundraising and loans. We hired legal counsel to represent our interests, with the highest priority of exploring all options for a new bridge as fast as possible. In mid February, a task force of board and staff met with a consultant at camp to decide how to phase the rebuild.

Allow me pause and step back again to last April. When the fire began there were 4 families living at El Porvenir gearing up for what was to be our big come back year. Our calendar was packed with Christian youth camps and retreats, our activities were prepped for maximum adventure, our deans, speakers, bands, sponsors, and staff were preparing for God to do what he has done for 67 years on this mountain, change lives with the good news of God’s love in Jesus. In a single day of destruction, those plans were lost. Our spirits were broken.

We’ve suffered lost ministry opportunities before, but never has the road to recovery been so long and hard. Never have our families been so traumatized, and our hearts so stretched. As the devastation soaked into our souls over the subsequent months, some staff members moved on to other opportunities. Accepting that the trees and trails, the sights and sounds, and our own mental and emotional wellbeing, have all forever changed…that will continue to be difficult to accept. But you know what, that’s ok. God is present in every moment. The journey of faith together continues.

As we enter 2023, God is writing a new chapter in the story that is El Porvenir. We are far from being back to “normal”, but we have 160 beds and many buildings that are in great shape and available for use. We think it is important to offer opportunities for our churches and ministry partners to get back on the mountain. So while we continue our recovery, we are opening our doors for groups large and small during certain months throughout 2023.

 1. We will be booking guest group events in May, June, October, and November. The upper cabins, retreat center, chapel, and dining hall are available for groups to use during the months that our road access is not affected by the heavy rains of monsoon season. Things will be different than previous years, but we believe we can still offer a valuable ministry experience to guest groups. We’re also looking for support staff and volunteers to help make this possible.

 2. We will be booking volunteer work groups throughout the whole year. Getting camp back in shape is a massive task, and we would love to have groups and professional volunteers come to camp to serve and help us recover from the fire.

 3. We will be hosting a handful of adult and family EPCC events throughout the early summer and late fall. We are still formulating what that will look like and will be launching and marketing those events in the near future. We know this can’t replace our summer youth camps, but we hope you’ll take full advantage of this opportunity. We hope to see you here, very soon.

 We are also seeking to hire a full time project manager to oversee our recovery including the most ambitious building projects in our history. Please pray for this, details will be posted soon.