International Connections

Camp Lebanon has the privilege of partnering with two international Christian camps in Ukraine and Venezuela. A missions love offering received at the end of each summer youth camp session is shared between the two camps. Through the Quilt ministries Camp has also contributed to the work of Amani Missions in Africa, a training ministry for women utilizing the tool of quilting and sewing to meet spiritual, commercial, and social needs. Love offerings of over $3500 sent ten sewing machines to The Amani Center.

At just the right time, God brought together a camp in central Minnesota USA and a young but growing church in southwestern Ukraine to berth a Bible camp in the rolling hills near Chernvitsy. On a missions trip to in 1996, Executive Director Bill Abeler heard firsthand the exciting story of Peter Babich and his friends who were given a vision by God to start a camp to reach boys and girls for Christ. With a crippled economy, rampant corruption, and no money, these Ukrainian pioneers needed a miracle. Camp Lebanon was God’s provision and Source of Life Camp came into existence. Over the past ten years Camp has sent funds to conduct programs, purchase buildings, make repairs, and rework the septic system. Camp’s current desire is to underwrite the costs of installing filters and pumps for the Source of Life swimming pool, a huge need considering the fact that the camp is not situated on either a lake or a river. In recent years God’s blessings on the ministry has enabled Source of Life to hold camps for youth, families, and adults as well as training events for the Chernivtsy region.

Through a gift of God’s providence, the timely reunion of two college friends opened a door for partnership in camp ministry. In 1994, Camp Lebanon’s Executive Director, Bill Abeler, and Peter McMillan, a missionary with TEAM in Venezuela, renewed a friendship and in so doing discovered a shared mission in Christian camping. As it turned out, 1994 was the first year of a new camp ministry called Churparipal Campuno located near Caracas, Venezuela. Organized as a cooperative effort of several national churches, Chuparipal has grown into a fruitful seasonal camp ministry reaching children, teens, and families with the love of Christ. Over the years Camp Lebanon has assisted in the ministries by sending annual financial gifts that have planted orange trees (cash crop for revenue), poured a concrete basketball court, trained staff, and helped the camp become debt-free. Camp’s 2006 gift will purchase a multi-purpose service vehicle for the Camp. At LoTeens Camp 2 in 2005, Camp Lebanon was blessed by a personal visit from Peter and Sharon McMillan. Its been many years since Camp Lebanon sent a team of workers to Chuparipal, a situation the Camp hopes to change in the near future. Camp also hosted "Pastor Harold" back in 1996 as he spent six weeks at Camp studying the program and ministry of Camp.