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Nebraska Camp Reaches Out to Abused Children
HORDVILLE, NE (October 28, 2001) - Kids from broken homes need Jesus as much as anyone and
at Covenant Cedars Bible Camp in Hordville, a handful of unique non-church camps helped bring nearly a dozen children to Christ while providing a safe place to enjoy God's creation.
Covenant Cedars, directed by Dan Buhr, played host to Royal Family Kids Camps, the leading network for abused, neglected or abandoned children in the country. There are 83 Royal Family Kids Camps in 32 states throughout the United States, serving a total of 3,500 children. The organization, based in Santa Ana, California, ministers to children ages 7-11. Local churches
sponsor each camp.
About 80 percent of kids at the Royal Family camps have been abused, according to documentation provided by the Department of Health and Human Services of Nebraska. Counselors are given 15 hours of training to help them better understand needs of the children they serve. The counselor-to-camper ratio is also small (1:2), which gives counselors a unique chance to become a true friend to a camper.
Dan and Becky Buhr have worked with various Royal Family Kids Camps for eight years. They have helped coordinate a one-week camp at Covenant Cedars the past seven years. "It's been fun to see the Royal Family Kids campers over the course of many years - it's neat to see them grow in confidence and trust," said Becky Buhr. "You wonder if one week makes a difference and we see that, yes, we do. We get letters from social services telling us that there are changes in behavior."
Covenant Cedars dedicated its new Cedar Lodge and Playground, adding a building project to a budding summer program for denominational youth. The four Covenant camps totaled 625 participants - an increase of 75 over the previous year - and included grade school, junior high and high school students. Covenant Cedars also hosted a camp for children of incarcerated parents and a camp for children who are affected by AIDS. The versatility and care of camp counselors was much appreciated by the Buhrs, who are completing their first year of ministry at Covenant Cedars.
"The staff of Covenant Cedars has a great support system," Becky Buhr said. "They are a great group of people and they recognize the special needs of the campers. And the Royal Family Kids Camps know that we're a Christian camp and profess Jesus and they're willing to let us do that
because they respect our program so much."
For more information about Royal Family Kids Camps, email the organization at info@royalfamilykidscamps.org. For more information about Covenant Cedars camps, call Covenant Cedars at 402-757-3241.
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