God showing off

My good friend, Dave Robinson, was the Camp Mohaven Director and also the pastor of the Delaware SDA Church.  In his church service, he had a God Showing Off Moment, and he sometimes talked about what is happening out at the camp.   

 

After one of these, Betty called me to come and see her.  I visited with Betty, and she wanted to do something for the camp.  We talked about many options, and she settled on setting up an endowment for Capital Improvement, Maintenance and Equipment.  She was very happy to know that funds would be there for the camp every year.  I told her that others would add to the endowment through their estate plans.  So, in 2015 Betty established an endowment for Camp Mohaven, since then over 40 families are planning to leave part of their estate plan to the camp endowment.  What a blessing this will be for the camp!   

 

Betty had not been out to the camp since the 1960s.  So, on a nice sunny day in the spring, I took her out to see what Pastor Dave had been telling his congregation.  She really liked seeing the horses.  I took some pictures of her and Dave with the horses, and gave her a framed copy which she has on her fireplace mantel in her home.   

 

Betty asked me a couple of years ago, what more could she do? She wanted to see the endowment grow and be more of a benefit to the camp.  I told her if she wanted to give more to the endowment, then maybe we could do a matching campaign, so she wouldn’t be giving it all; but, others would help.  I told her that I would pledge $1000 myself.  Betty pledged $25,000.  

 

Now for the God Showing Off Moment.  I visited with Betty in mid-January, and she showed me her investment statement for the end of the year 2017.  The increase was $24,994.80.  Betty and I just looked at each other; we were both a little chocked up.  I had with me an intern that was shadowing me for the day from Michigan, so I didn’t want him to see me teary-eyed.  The Lord only asked Betty to provide out of her pocket a $5.20 from her pledge.  If we step out in faith, the Lord will provide.  We just need to prove Him.  - Harry Straub, Director of Planned Giving, Properties, & Trusts