and your child's name in the commentsThese are the projects we're working on at Camp Jonah.
We sincerely appreciate your prayers and gifts!
Bus Barn Phase II
We are incredibly grateful for a generous grant for $94,000 given to us by the M.J. Murdock Foundation. This grant will enable us to complete a much-needed (and greatly anticipated) remodel of the Bus Barn facility! Because the school was not built to accommodate year-round, 24/7 use, we have limped along for almost fourteen years using classrooms for storage and an unfinished building as a shop. Since we were miraculously able to purchase this property, we can now move full steam ahead into Phase II!
When Phase II is finished, we will have full use of an inviting, centrally located Camp Store, Rec Room, Shop, Bus Parking, Adventure Camp Storage, General Camp Storage and more. As a result, more attention can be given to ministry, which is our number one priority and goal! But even though $94,000 is an amazing amount of money, it’s not enough to just call a contractor in to do all the work. It will take intense planning and funding and volunteering, plus extra time, to stretch this grant into enough for a complete remodel. However, if God continues to work at a fast pace through stirring hearts like yours to partner with us in Phase II, we could tear into this project before winter hits and hire the majority of the labor. This means that before 2011 is out, we could not only own, but be fully functioning in a fun, new, amazing facility!
UPDATE: As of April 1, 2011, we have raised $20,000 of the $30,000 needed for this project, and we'll be breaking ground soon! Will you help us bridge the remaining gap and get the Bus Barn up and functioning?
This building is not just about more storage or having a nice Recreation Room, it’s about increased ministry and the fulfillment of our purpose – to be the place where kids laugh, hearts change and God smiles.
NEED: $10,000 ($20,000 already raised, thank you!)
Update: Roof Replacement
We love the new, leak-free roof over the main building (thank you, WestLink church in Kansas)! And we'd love to finish this project for good and replace the final leaky section over the gym!
Will you help us get rid of the buckets and indoor kiddie-pools once and for all?
NEED: $40,000
Jeff's Dreams
True to the Duke blood running in his veins, Jeff is a dreamer just like his mother, Bernice. It was first of all her dream to sell land and farms to purchase the old school now known as Jonah Ministries. Once Jeff knew it was God’s will to transition from dairy farming to running a Christian Camp, the focus of his dreams also shifted. Now, if you ask, you must be ready to hear one of many dreams running through his mind at any given time.
Combined Dining Facilities Upgrade
This much-needed overhaul has been put on hold a few times while we focused on the roof last summer and the ropes course this spring. Now that the roof over the main building is leak-free and the ropes course is better than ever before, we would love to refocus our energies again! The dining hall has seen many a camper and retreat guest enjoying home-cooked food, and the outdoor Igloo dining area has hosted many summer meals, but both are really just makeshift solutions. In fact, the outdoor asphalt was so badly damaged in the Igloo fire of December 2008 that we currently can't use it at all.
This project has gotten put on the back burner time and time again because we have mostly been able to limp along with what we have, but we're quickly outgrowing these facilities!
Here's what we're dreaming: Outdoors, we'd love to replace the asphalt that was damaged in the Igloo fire. Indoors, we'd love to finally put the finishing touches on the dining hall. We've finished the insulation and sheetrock (and you should have seen the joy on Grandma's face when we presented her with the new, donated cabinetry to organize the expanded storage space!), but we're still lacking tile, a serve-through counter, and a handful of other odds and ends. Our goal is to do this project once and do it well, paving the way for many more mealtimes of fellowship and fun. We'd love to finish it as soon as possible, so we can usher in our 15th year with comfortable, welcoming dining facilities for our ever-increasing numbers of guests!
Will you join us in this project-- and come join us for a meal?
NEED: $20,000
Your support is essential for us to continue our ministry. Please consider a donation to Jonah Ministries!
What a team!
River's Edge Automotive (541-386-6774) in Hood River, OR, has chosen to partner with Jonah Ministries! They will donate 20% of the labor of each repair job to us if you will simply mention "Jonah Ministries" when dropping off your rig. Not only is River's Edge generous, they're also great mechanics! Please consider them the next time your car, truck, or trailer is in need of some expert attention.