Cowboy Camp

This weekend my friend, Bonnie Long, is helping to host a “Cowboy Camp”
at the ranch where she works and lives, The Bell Ranch, in northeastern NM.

I met Bonnie at the 2004 Mt. Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in CA.
She has a passion for ministering to people, particularly a children’s home in
Kenya. Bonnie has been to the home several times and taken people from her
church to help add on to the home and establish a well.

She and her husband, Keith, plan to go back to Kenya this fall to help
the home establish a garden area where the large family of mostly AIDS orphans,
who have been brought together by a widow and her son to take care of, can grow
their own food.

But this weekend, Bonnie is working with other ranchers from her church
to host a revival at their ranch. They call it a “Cowboy Camp.” There will be
preachers and lots of singing and much of the food is cooked and served by Bonnie
and her friends. They also foot the bill for the food. People can camp on the
ranch and the services will take place under a big tent.

I wish I was there. It sounds like so much fun to have people excited
about being together to learn more about God. I admire Bonnie and her friends,
who are attempting to bring people together and present the Word of God to them
in this simple, but effective, manner. The group may number 50, but I’m not sure
about that.

My husband, son, and I visited Bonnie & Keith last year and met several
people from her church. They were friendly and very interested in studying the
Bible and talking about God. My prayers are with them this weekend as they
throw open their arms and welcome cowboys and their families to the 2006 Cowboy
Camp at The Bell Ranch.