Development Updates

With summer camp in the rearview mirror, we have now been able to turn the Crossing back into a construction zone. Since we are busy holding retreats on the campground, we are not able to give a great deal of time to continue the completion of the drywall and painting until the end of October.

In the meantime, however, we are pursuing the addition of infrastructure to support the Crossing restrooms. We would love to complete these restrooms by next summer if at all possible. We do not yet know a complete cost on the project, but we are working with an engineer to help us deal with our county officials. This process will clarify what needs to be done so we can get estimates. In short, we need to install another septic tank and connect it to the current camp system. We will also need another water tank and pump. We believe these additions will satisfy the county, but we will know for sure after we proceed through the process.

We also will need to install permanent lighting, add trim, and install flooring. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide the finances and workers to complete these things for the summer of 2023.

In mid-March we completed the installation of The Rasmussen Crossing’s fire suppression system including a supporting large diesel pump and 40,000 gallons of water storage. This allowed us to hold the Men on the Move Conference in the building about a week and a half later. Unfortunately, we also learned that we would not have unlimited occupancy of the building. Rather, we are on an event by event basis. We have secured permission for Crossing use for our two remaining spring events.
In order to use the Crossing for summer camp, we have had to reserve a restroom trailer to have parked right outside the Crossing. This city obligation will cost $4,600 but will give us the use of the building for the summer! You can visit our donations page and give to the Rasmussen Crossing to help us raise the money for this requirement.
We have paused work on the building to accommodate our April – July use except for painting the exterior which will take place when weather permits. We also plan to use this time to employ an engineer to develop the plan for connecting The Crossing’s restrooms to water and sanitation on camp. We also will need to install permanent lighting, finish the drywall, paint, and trim, and install flooring. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide the finances and workers to complete these things for the summer of 2023.

We are nearing the end of the Rasmussen Crossing Phase One construction. The goal of this phase is to receive occupancy by the City of Williams for use as an auditorium. Phase Four will transition the building to include a kitchen. The City’s main requirements for occupancy are related to fire safety. Our fire suppression contractors are working to hook up the system which includes a sprinkler system operated by the $75,000 pump we purchased earlier this year. The system also includes a fire alarm system which is largely installed as well.

The other major aspect to completing this phase is the drywall installation. As of mid-November, volunteers have spent two days assisting us. We have completed approximately half of the drywall installation needed to complete the requirements of this phase. We still welcome additional volunteers to help hang drywall or do the mud-tape-sanding process, especially those with some experience.

As we complete Phase One, we would like to roll right into Phase Two of the project which will help certain aspects be a more finished product. The highlights of the phase are: interior and exterior paint, permanent lighting, ceiling fans, and trim. We may also address the permanent flooring in Phase Two. We believe that $60,000 would give us a good start. If you would like to contribute to Phase Two of the project, please visit our Development Donations Catalog page.

With camp fast approaching and our need to raise additional funds for the project, we shifted gears to prepare to have only limited use of the Rasmussen Crossing this summer. We were able to use it as a place to get in out of the rain or to have brief activities. However, we used our “old” auditorium once more, and it served us well. It was great to be back to full-sized camps. We were blessed indeed.

The response to our spring update letter was overwhelming. Churches and individuals from near and far were very generous. We thank the Lord that our $70,000 goal was met and then some. Projects always end up costing more than you expect. That is already proving to be true with the fire suppression hookup materials costs, but we are very thankful to be in a position to keep moving forward.

Prior to camp our additional 10,000-gallon tank arrived and during Junior Camp our $75,000 pump arrived. The whole thing is huge! It sits on a 10’+ x 12’+ skid and includes all sorts of pipes and tanks and so forth. It certainly looks like we got our money’s worth! Since camp has ended, we have been able to purchase the materials needed to run plumbing from the tanks/pump site over to the Crossing. Some of these materials were hard to come by. More than once in this project we heard that we were getting the last of something “on the ground” that would keep us from having to wait months into 2022 to get it. The plumbing work is scheduled to begin September 13. We have also been able to purchase dry wall for the interior finish of part of the Crossing. This is one of the requirements to be able to officially use the building. Lord willing, we will be setting up a “dry wall party” in the near future. Want to help? Let us know.

We thank the Lord that we were able to have enough elements of our building completed to temporarily use it for our Men on the Move Conference in mid-March. This included most of the electrical work, the heat, and some temporary lighting. During the event, we announced the name of this new multi-purpose building: The Rasmussen Crossing. This honors the very generous donation of $1,000,000 given to get us this far in the project and denotes that this building (which is in the shape of a cross!) sits at the crossing of camp between the cabin and activity areas. We pray it will be usable for many, many years to help young people and adults, hearing and deaf alike!

There is still a lot to accomplish before we are able to have full occupancy. These elements may or may not be able to be completed before summer camp. Before full occupancy, we must meet the City of Williams’s requirements for fire safety including dry wall throughout much of the building and a fully operable fire suppression system. We have been able to purchase a large water pump which is necessary for the project. We are in the process of ordering an additionally needed 10,000-gallon water tank. These things are now out of our hands. As many construction materials are taking longer to arrive, we just have to see what the Lord allows.

However, we do know that we need roughly an additional $70,000 to cover the dry wall and remainder of the fire extension project. Please pray with us that we will be able to reach this goal soon enough to complete what we can do before summer camp.

The  City of Williams is allowing us to occupy our building once we complete certain requirements of “Phase 1.” This would allow us to use the building as an assembly area (church services, etc) but address the bathrooms and kitchen later. While our goal to complete Phase 1 is by summer camp, we are now making a push to complete enough aspects of the building to use it temporarily for our Men on the Move services in mid-March.

All that remains on the exterior of the building is the painting and a small amount of trim. The building is basically dried in. Inside, we have begun work on the fireplaces including hearths and mantels. All of the roof insulation is in. The sprinkler system installation has also begun. Electricity is now extended to the building, and electricians have begun to install the main panels.

Over $1,000,000 has been donated to this project. To complete Phase 1, we are appealing for an additional $150,000. Of this amount, $56,000 has come in. Please pray with us that the remaining $94,000 will come in to complete this Phase by summer. Also, we could use additional volunteers to help in the following areas: installing wall insulation, framing closets, installing doorknobs and locks, creating walkways, dirt moving, moving items into the building, and general cleanup.

The work on our new 10,000 sq-ft multi-purpose building continues. The siding is complete and the stone wainscoting and trim are well past half-way complete. We have experienced a few delays on materials (doors, windows, steel trim) that have held up the project a bit. However, the building is basically in the dry and is looking great! The stone trim around the building and up the chimneys inside and out looks very nice!

The electrical work has also begun with wire being pulled from the nearby switching cabinet to a panel on the building. The full building electrical design as well as the fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems are in review.

To complete this first phase of the building, we still need to complete the fire protection system and bring water to the building. This requires a $58,000 pump which we have $10,000 toward right now. Please pray with us for the provision of the remaining amount so that work on the fire suppression system can happen as soon as possible, as weather permits.

The work on our new 10,000 sq-ft building is well underway! The steel is up; the roof is on. The framing for the walls has begun. As the framers continue to work on the walls, a second layer of roof insulation will be able to be installed. We have also begun the process to outfit the building electrically. The goal is two-fold: 1) get the building dried in before winter, and 2) have the building be usable for meeting in during the late winter or early spring.

The building is being built as an assembly building (auditorium) first but will eventually transition into being a dining hall with full commercial kitchen. To complete this first phase, we also need to complete the fire protection system and bring water to the building. This requires a $58,000 pump which we have $10,000 toward right now. Please pray with us for the provision of the remaining amount so that work on the fire suppression system can happen this fall.

The dining hall work has begun! With the generous help of a donor, our goal is to complete phase one by the end of the year. The steel arrives August 20. This phase includes a reinforcement of our current concrete slab, a steel structure and roof, insulation, exterior walls with rock wainscoting, two fireplaces and chimneys, and the fire suppression system. We have been given indication by our local building department that we can occupy this building for meeting space once this phase is completed. We will deal with the kitchen and utilities later on.

Once we near the end of this phase, we will need help moving on to the next phase. While a single donor is covering the cost of getting this building up, we are still responsible to raise additional funds and recruit volunteers to finish the inside, outfit the kitchen, and deal with the water and sanitation to support it. We also need to run electrical supply throughout the building. (Power has already been brought to the building.)

Additionally, a large new multi-use rodeo corral was built from March to May and was used for events and services this summer. Missionary builder Mike Smith took the concept from start to finish. We received special help from Maranatha Baptist Church in Yuma, Arizona, who spent many days here to see it done.

We are looking very seriously at the possibility of using a metal building structure for our dining hall. We have received a bid on the project, and, weather permitting, we soon have a foundation engineer looking at the foundation we already have to see how it could be altered to support the metal structure. We are still hoping to begin construction on the building this summer.

We also have  volunteer volunteers helping us construct a rodeo corral including a stage for skits, fencing, and bleachers. We are fighting through the spring mud, a result of the generous moisture the Lord has sent us. This corral will be used for our weekly camper rodeos along with other camp games and the Illustrated Bible Message for junior campers.

We were also blessed to have volunteers from Iowa here in January to make several minor repairs and build a housing for a camp bell and two sets of box hockey for camp activities.

The Lord has put us in contact with a contractor who has begun assisting us in getting all the facets of the dining hall project organized to be completed so that we can begin the construction of the dining hall. This involves  fire suppression expansion, potable water support, and sanitation plans. We also are working to connect with an architect to complete some plans we have.

Though there is much that must come together, we have set a goal of beginning construction on the dining hall next summer! Along with infrastructure work and finalizing the plans and gaining approval, we also need to raise about $115,000 to reach our 4-to-1 matching funds goal.

We have also begun clearing land and gathering materials to construct a rodeo corral for use next summer. We are grateful for a volunteer (a staff counselor from the ’90s) who has stepped up to help us in this project. We could use other volunteers to help in parts of the project. In addition, we have volunteers coming from the Midwest in January to help us with minor projects and maintenance needs.

The focus of our attention lately has been a busy camp and retreat schedule. We thank the Lord for the spiritual decisions made which encourage us to continue in the work we are doing. The development process is also very important to moving forward to see new opportunities for service.

This summer we welcomed three new additional staff members: Josh & Dee Dee Porter who are helping primarily with facilities and food service, and Brandon Laseter, our new camp intern. They were each vital in our summer program and are working hard to keep the facilities ready for our fall events. We are also speaking to a young man about helping with maintenance needs starting next May.

As we turn our attention back to the dining hall infrastructure, we are in need of additional donations to take advantage of the 4-to-1 matching funds being offered by a friend of the ministry. We are also working with the City of Williams to complete the fire suppression system engineering permitting process. This aspect of the infrastructure is needed before we can turn our attention to the dining hall building itself.

In a huge, unexpected turn of events, our fire suppression engineer discovered code that enabled us to design a fire suppression system about one quarter the size we originally thought required while still providing what we need for safety. This will save us at least $50,000. The City of Williams has approved the plans which are now being finalized. Then we plan to line up volunteers and contractors to get the project underway as soon as things can be scheduled.

We also had volunteers here from Iowa which completed an upgrade to our open-air auditorium. In between 15″ and 37″ snowfalls, they installed a heavier-duty screen with a half wall. This gives the auditorium a more finished look, more durable screening, and the opportunity to easily be winterized for use in the cool fall weather!

We still are looking for a full-time facilities manager to handle maintenance as well as day-to-day duties to keep the campground, housing, and vehicles functioning well. We also need volunteers to help us with projects during two work days coming up: May 25 and June 8. Contacts us if you can help!

We are continuing to raise funds toward a 4-to-1 matching donation. As we raise $250,000 toward anticipated infrastructure improvements and additions, the donor will provide $1,000,000 for the building itself. In the past two months, an additional $19,000+ has come in bringing us to 52.8% of our goal. In the mean while, we are spending some of that money. Currently, our engineer is working on the fire suppression system upgrade required by the City of Williams. There is some possibility that we will not be required to add as much water storage as originally thought. If this proves true, there will be a large financial savings.

One to two different volunteers have contacted us about helping with projects this spring. In February, we plan to upgrade our temporary auditorium with a more durable screen wall around the perimeter. We also have some regular maintenance projects that need addressed. The greatest need in this area is filling a new full-time facilities manager position before summer. Please pray with us about this great need

We have finally found the engineer we need to expand our fire suppression system from a volume of 30,000 gallons of water to 180,000 gallons of water. We believe he will be able to provide us the best way to use the equipment we already have while providing us a cost-effective, workable upgrade to the system size needed before we build our dining hall. We still need to raise the additional funding needed toward our 4-to-1 matching donation. As we raise the anticipated $250,000 toward the infrastructure upgrades, a donor is promising the $1,000,000 estimated for the dining hall itself.

We have also been continuing to upgrade the grounds in the ongoing fight against mud! We have had a couple of discussions with potential volunteers about projects later this fall or in the winter.

After operating for a couple of years on temporary permitting, we were able to complete all aspects of development Phase One and receive full permits for year-round operation in May.

With summer in full swing, we have worked on only minor development projects. We installed chain link fencing near the basketball court, began the fencing for a new pasture, and completed numerous landscaping projects. Just before summer began, we also completed a new platform in our temporary open-air auditorium. This was a great addition to our facilities and was an obvious help in the services.

As we hit fall, we are working to regain momentum on our dining hall infrastructure projects. The main project is expanding our fire protection system from a volume of 30,000 gallons to 150,000 gallons. We are also continuing many of the landscaping projects begun during the summer and looking to complete our pasture fencing.

We are continuing to raise funds toward a 4-to-1 matching donation for our future dining hall. We are now above $106,000 raised for the project. The goal is $250,000. We have also been able to work on some smaller projects with our current facilities. We are gearing up for summer camp and are in need of some additional volunteers to help with fencing projects between now and early June.

We have a work day scheduled for Saturday, June 9, but can host volunteers at other times as well. We would like to install smooth wire fencing to create additional horse pasture and also put up chain link fencing near our sports courts. We have the materials and are just in need of volunteers to help with the projects. We are also completing some other projects around camp that were started in January during a warm spell.

Funds have continued to come in for our dining hall infrastructure as we pursue a 4-to-1 matching donation. We are now above $103,000 raised for the project. We have also had some additional final approval permitting finalized in January for already completed projects. Plus,we were very pleased to have volunteers from California and Iowa here to work on several smaller projects including a platform for our temporary open-air auditorium, a torpedo ball game table, and guttering on two buildings.

Praise the Lord that we have already received over $52,000 toward our matching funds goal! For every $1 raised for the dining hall infrastructure, a donor is matching $4 toward the building itself. Please pray with us as we seek to raise $250,000 for the infrastructure. We were blessed to have a group of volunteers come from Raleigh, North Carolina, to help complete several projects. Among them was a concrete floor for our open-air auditorium. They were also able to complete fencing for a horse pasture, trenching for our electrical expansion, and several other projects. The electrical expansion, which continues to move forward, will not only service the new dining hall when built, but also provide lights and electrical outlets at our basketball court. This month we also welcome our first year-long intern, Isaiah Nuno, who just graduated from Bible college.

Praise the Lord that we have already received over $52,000 toward our matching funds goal! For every $1 raised for the dining hall infrastructure, a donor is matching $4 toward the building itself. Please pray with us as we seek to raise $250,000 for the infrastructure. We were blessed to have a group of volunteers come from Raleigh, North Carolina, to help complete several projects. Among them was a concrete floor for our open-air auditorium. They were also able to complete fencing for a horse pasture, trenching for our electrical expansion, and several other projects. The electrical expansion, which continues to move forward, will not only service the new dining hall when built, but also provide lights and electrical outlets at our basketball court. This month we also welcome our first year-long intern, Isaiah Nuno, who just graduated from Bible college.

As we gear up for the dining hall project, we are majoring on two aspects of the infrastructure: the electrical support and fire protection. The City of Williams will not allow us to build without 150,000 additional gallons of water in place and connected to the cuirrent fire hydrant system. The electrical expansion will not only service the dining hall, but will also supply electricity for basketball court lights and future buildings. While we are coordinating details on these aspects, the number one need we face is fundsfor the support projects. For every dollar we raise for infrastructure, a donor is providing $4 for the building itself. We are currently working to finalize the dining hall plans, get needed approvals, and seek bids. Please pray for wisdom and funds as we move forward.

Final loose ends in getting the sanitation system approved have been delayed by over two feet of snow. However, we are thrilled to have volunteers here for a week to build additional furniture to outfit more cabins. They have been building closet cupboards for two cabins. We are also grateful for the work being done behind the scenes to prepare us to move forward on the dining hall project. With a donor committed to build the building, we still need funds for the infrastructure work. The electrical component is being worked on now. We also have a lead on some affordable fire protection tanks to expand that system. We have a very important Advisory Meeting February 10 to discuss these things and are planning a fund raising banquet March 23 in Phoenix as well.