The Effort
When you were growing up, how many ways did people pour into your life? Think about how huge that was for you! Most of us received unconditional love from numerous sources. However, feeling loved is a big challenge for kids in our remote communities. They need to feel that they matter; to see that people are willing to sacrifice for them. We are not saying that the villages don’t have good role models because they do. However, these kids need all the love they can get. This is one of the main reasons we are so passionate about Summer Bible Camps and other regional events.
Make no mistake about it, these summer camps and events take a surprising amount of effort from a few paid staff and many amazing volunteers. I want to give you a glimpse at what is required to pull off these events. It can be summed up nicely by the words of one person, “Holy Cow, the effort!”
First and foremost you must realize that in camp every single thing you could need must be flown in and out every single week (for every camper and volunteer.) Let’s take Tanalian Bible Camp for example. Every new week of camp, 30 staff rotate in and out on Saturday. On Monday, campers arrive and leave on the same day (you need to fill the planes coming and going to be efficient). That means about 150 itineraries are arranged for people, not including the supply runs, using bush planes that seat 5 or 6 people. 90 percent of the planes are VFR, which means completely weather dependent. If you can't see you can't fly. Every Monday is a 12-hour ordeal IF
the weather looks good. The logistical craziness is the lynchpin in the whole thing, and that is just the day of travel.
Remember, flights can’t be scheduled until kids get registered. You have to plan for what kind of airplanes you have at your disposal and how many trips is it going to take. While you have some kids apply ahead of time, there are still many last minute changes. Often when the pilot arrives, they find out a kid can’t come because their dad said no. Or when they show up there may be three more kids at the airport wanting to go, but they didn’t register. This is to be expected.
There is no doubt that the pilots are indispensable in making all of this happen. They sacrifice and volunteer their time. They are flexible and will do whatever needs to be done so anyone can come. Most of these volunteer pilots will see these same kids throughout the year at other events, so they love the opportunity to build relationships with them.
Even with all the volunteer help, the cost is still a significant factor. SEND North gives ten percent of its Church Ministries Budget to help with camp flying. Please click over to our camp sponsorship project
and prayerfully consider joining us in providing this vital service.
The work is worth it! Next week we are going to talk about how camp and many other events work together to profoundly impact people’s lives.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
