This past weekend our Georgia Chapter held its Primitive Skills Program. It was wet, rainy, and humid but that did not stop us from getting our boys and mentors together for a great weekend program. Program Director, Don Brooks and mentor, Tom Veale, headed up the program as we all packed into the mess hall for a BBQ dinner with all the trimmings prepared and served by Leslie Brooks and Carrie Davis. We welcomed three new boys, Mark, Lance and Chandler, and one new mentor, Matt, to the program. Guest speaker, Jim McMillan, shared his life story, the depths of pain and disaster that God rescued him from and how God has influenced and touched him through a few strong godly men he calls his friends. We were honored and know God will continue to use his story in a powerful way. Afterwards, we had a visit from Aaron’s mom, Andrea, who shared what Truth in Nature had meant to him, the change she saw in him and how much the mentors and the friendships with his TIN family meant to him and to her. She encouraged our boys to stay on the right track, read the Word and get to know the God Aaron had grown to love. We concluded the night with the boys and mentors split up into small groups to talk and pray, then came back together for knot tying and an outdoor trivia competition. The outcome determined which supply bucket each team would receive for the following day. After that, it was time to hit the bunks and lights out.
Saturday morning, we enjoyed a big country breakfast, received instructions from Cowboy Tom and then four teams headed out to choose their campsites along Pumpkinvine Creek. Each team set up their camp, built a shelter and a fire in order to cook their lunch. We were impressed at the different skills and creativity shown within each campsite. Each team chose one youth as their spokesperson to explain how they chose their site, the materials they gathered and used from their surroundings and what it took to do it. Each camp was unique in every aspect and each had its own strengths. We were all so proud of them for what they accomplished and for learning to work as a team to do it. To close out the program, mentors chose one youth from each team who worked hard, set an example and exhibited leadership qualities. Daniel N, Lance, Mark and Bobby were all awarded for their all around performance, attitude and teamwork.
This was another great program where boys and mentors came together to share in their faith, story, and in fellowship. Our continued prayer is that God will use each of these programs in the communities we serve to reach, inspire, engage, and support young men from fatherless and single parent homes to draw close to Him and make the right decisions for their life moving forward.
You can check out all the pictures by using the link below
2017 Georgia Primitive Skills
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