The Shelly Fire and Lives Transformed
This spring when we planned our Kidder Creek summer theme, “Forged by Fire,” we had no idea what awaited us a few months ahead. Our theme verse, 1 Peter 1:7 reads, “…so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Little did we know the practical life application the Lord had planned for us.
The first few weeks of camp were everything that we had hoped for and more. Counselors poured into students, helping them understand God’s great love for them. Kids and teens trusted in Jesus, and many were baptized.
On Wednesday, July 3rd everything changed as a small plume of smoke began to emerge just over the mountain. The Klamath National Forest is no stranger to fires… but the Shelly Fire was different: only four miles from camp. Uncertainty loomed after an evacuation warning was issued, followed soon by an evacuation order. We were forced to cancel camp for Week 5 and send our summer staff on an indefinite break.
Many of you know the story from there. The fire inched closer and closer to camp as Cal Fire prepared for battle on the Kidder Creek property. Thousands of workers flooded the area, using bulldozers to cut a 50-foot wide fire break just above the Timberline cabins.
All we could do was pray and wait for God to intervene.
In days that followed, we saw two miracles!
Firefighters back burned the area between camp and the fire. The winds miraculously changed direction at just the right time for firefighters to do their work!
Despite a forecast of severe dry-lightning strikes on Monday with NO precipitation we got just the opposite: RAIN! The skies opened and drenched camp and the surrounding area.
The rain was the game-changer and God’s answer to prayer, extinguishing the fire and halting all growth in the direction of camp. We didn’t even have smoke afterwards! Praise God!
In the midst of evacuating from camp we were able to pivot and run some of our camps from the river (about 30 miles away), and our first group back after reopening camp had 15 baptisms! Since then, we have had a “normal” fall ministry season, serving guest groups and wrapping up with the Fall Festival.
Thank you for your prayers and support. God heard them and now we collectively say “Yay God!” for His protection!
I hope that you are as encouraged as I am for how God protected this place; what a blessing to be a part of it!
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