Wonderfully Made Family Camp, 2018: A Look Back
This shot of parents goofing around in the photo booth set up for Saturday evening’s Adult Night Out says so much. To see these caregivers able to shed their duties for an evening of laughter and fellowship shows that WMFC is for the entire family, not only for the kids with special needs.
Wonderfully Made Family Camp 2018 was a 68 hour whirlwind that impacted families and volunteers alike. Mere words can’t communicate how the days spent together impacted 40 families comprised of 200 family members and the 100+ volunteers who served unselfishly. So instead of trying to tell you in my own words, I’m using words spoken and pictures taken by others who attended the third annual camp held at Hidden Acres Christian Center in central Iowa.
We had the privilege of going to Family Camp this year and it was such a blessing. Catching up with old friends, making new ones, and the time we all spent together was so wonderful! All the buddies, staff, parents, kids, and folks that put this on made this a memory our family will never forget! ~ from a parent
Year 2 of Wonderfully Made Family Camp in the books! What an amazing weekend and we are just so humbled and blessed that we had the privilege to go. The overwhelming love from all the staff and volunteers touches my heart on such a deep level. ~ from a parent
Thanks to everyone who worked so hard all year to make another year of WMFC camp run so smoothly. My son and I both enjoyed the activities Friday night and Saturday. We also enjoyed the many thoughtful gifts in our room. My son can’t wait to use the pool items and we both enjoyed the popcorn tonight while watching a movie before bed. ~ from a parent
This has been such a wonderful camp opportunity for our family. The board works hard fundraising all year so that it isn’t a financial hardship for families to go. If you or someone you know would like to help families attend next year, they are always looking for sponsors! It takes a lot of volunteers to pull it off too! ~ from a parent
Hidden Acres is always a great time! It was a great transition from school to summer – literally coming home from the last day on Thursday to finish packing up and heading out! And there’s never one favorite thing because there’s so many fun things and just the entire experience wrapped up together! ~ from a parent
First time serving the camp. It was a wonderful experience and a true blessing. Came away with some new friends, and really learned a lot! ~ from a volunteer
This past weekend has been one of the best weekends of my life. I can not put into words how amazing it was to serve a family in such a simple way. For those who don’t know my sister and I spent the weekend at a camp to serve families who have been blessed with a child who is disabled. It was the best weekend of my life. From hanging out with the family I severed and seeing the young lady laugh and enjoy some outdoor activities to stay out late by the fire getting to know people from my church on a different level. I am already looking forward to next year and can’t wait to continue serving families in so many ways! Wonderfully made family camp you truly have blessed me ~ from a volunteer
This is the leadership team God used to make Wonderfully Made Family Camp happen the weekend of May 31-June 3, 2018. We look pretty good after saying teary good-byes to the 200 family members and 100+ volunteers.We’ll be going to bed early this week to recover in time for Friday’s meeting where we start planning for next year. Three years in, this is the first photo of the leadership team all together. We learn slow, but we learn! ~ from a planning board member
We had 5 kiddos with 5 awesome buddies, but this young man did an amazing job with Stevie! Thank you Alexander. ~ from a parent
It was a weekend filled with fun, love, gnats, great food, friends, new friends, gnats, tears, joys, swimming, boating, gnats, sunshine, pictures, horses and so many memories! We are all worn out, but totally blessed! Thank you to over 100 volunteers that gave selflessly and over 200 family members that shared their lives with us. Blessed by WMFC 2018! ~ from a planning board member
If you’re hungry for more, check out the Wonderfully Made Family Camp, 2018 video created by the talented Kevin Barber. Grab a tissue…you’ll need it. If you feel so moved, please consider making a donation for next year’s camp to move us closer to our $40,000 goal.
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By Jolene
Jolene Philo is a published author, speaker, wife, and mother of a son with special needs.
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