Stitching Together a Story of love, quilts, and camp

Every year, our staff joke that I start counting down to the next Quilt Auction as soon as guests leave from under the tent. “Just think, Kirsten! We get to do it all again in 365 days!” 

But really, they are not all that far off from the truth. Once all the equipment has been put away, the quilts and items have been picked up, and the dust has settled, I do start to feel an ache for the next Quilt Auction.

I think about all the quilters and makers who watched their meticulously created treasures find a new home. I wonder who found inspiration for their next project, and who has already started carefully planning and selecting their materials.

I think about the hundreds of joyful guests, excited to be back at Green Lake Bible Camp again, and the additional hundreds of people who bid online from afar. I want to invite them back to camp to ask about what motivated them to visit and bid on the items they won, or lost.

I think about the campers who get to experience the best summer of their lives, drenched in sunshine and surrounded by God’s unwavering grace, all because of the generosity shared by others. I wonder if the quilters, makers, donors, bidders and sponsors know just how big of an impact they made on thousands of lives.

I start to dream about what comes next and find myself in awe of what this powerful community has done over the last 40 years. Over $2 million has been raised to extend God’s community through summer camp and day camp programming, service opportunities, retreat ministry, and so much more. Putting the impact you have each made into words is near impossible, but it’s surely heartwarming.

But there are other things to work on and focus on before the next Quilt Auction comes around. Gosh, it’s hard to be patient. It’s hard to wait for something you want to experience again and again. It’s hard to wait for that next quilt to arrive, for the tents to go up, for that next summer full of sharing God’s overflowing, beautiful, messy, wonderful love.

Beautiful things come together, one stitch at a time. 

This event, this place, this community - it has been coming together with a purpose and a mission, one stitch, one moment, one person at a time. And it’s here again! Each and every quilt, item, bid and donation during the Quilt Auction helps to stretch God’s love further and further, and this community is ready.

Let’s stitch something beautiful together.

Kirsten Palan, CFRE
Associate Director of Development

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