Big Change at Big Lake Youth Camp

In early September, Big Lake Youth Camp, a Seventh-day Adventist camp and retreat center in central Oregon, received 44 Maranatha volunteers to help with a 10-day renovation project at the site. 

The main part of the project was to repaint the three-story headquarters building– this required scraping off old paint, pressure washing and applying a fresh coat of paint. Other projects included construction of a water heater shed, refreshing the large campfire bowl with new benches and planks, replacing decks and railings for the boys’ village bathhouse, and some general cleaning and landscaping. 

One of the unique aspects of Big Lake is that an official resupply point for hikers on the famous Pacific Crest Trail, a trail that spans 1,650 miles from the Mexican and Canadian borders,  passes close to the camp. Years ago, Maranatha volunteers renovated a cabin that served as a rest stop for hikers. During this most recent project, hiker DeChantel Komatka, who has been hiking since May, stopped to use the cabin and chat with volunteers. Komatka was curious about what they were doing and was so impressed with Maranatha’s work, she stayed and joined the group for several days. 

Komatka, standing second from the left, didn’t anticipate stopping on her cross country hike, but ended up spending several days volunteering with Maranatha at Big Lake Youth Camp. 

This proved to be a blessing not only for the Maranatha team but Komatka as well, who shared how the experience with such a selfless group impacted her in a season of grief. 

“I’d just lost my father-in-law to suicide… then my husband and I lost both of our fur babies within 32 days of each other. I’m turning 50 this December so there are questions about what comes next,” she shared during a worship. “I bought a backpack, tent and sleeping bag and headed north [on the Pacific Crest Trail]. I hadn’t originally planned to stop [at Big Lake] but I felt pulled there. I came needing something and I received it– rest, kindness, community and I got to give something back. That’s what community is. People giving and receiving from each other.” 

Located in the Willamette National Forest, Big Lake Youth Camp has operated fun and faith-building activities for youth and families since 1962. Maranatha has completed eight projects at Big Lake since 2014. 

Each year, Maranatha works with organizations in the United States and Canada to provide volunteer labor for various construction or renovation projects at summer camps and retreat centers, schools, and churches. Work ranges from renovations of existing buildings to new construction, and saves thousands of dollars in labor costs.