Indiana—When Austin and Lauren Bell, and Noah Guffey, went to Timber Ridge Camp last summer, they had an experience they could not wait to share with their friends back home. They brought back the week-in-review video as well as a barrel full of stories for their friends in the Monticello Church. They sang new camp songs at church, too. As a result, their friends also wanted to experience the many activities the camp had to offer, including the dynamic and Spirit-filled worships and campfires.

Marilyn Thompson, Monticello's Primary Sabbath school leader, heard from her class of young people their great desire to all make it to camp the next summer. She knew, however, that it would be a struggle for all those kids to be able to afford the camp registration fee. She then came up with the idea to organize a fund-raiser the young people could do to earn their way to camp. The parents agreed, and soon they settled on a plan for the young people to sell cookie dough in their community.

No one knew how it would go, but the young people were very excited and motivated. Together, they sold over 300 tubs of cookie dough! This ended up being more than enough to cover the cost for all eight kids to go to Timber Ridge Camp this past summer. In addition, through the Lamb’s Offering taken at the church each week, the Monticello Church family was able to send Tammara Draper, a friendship camper from their community.

The young people who sold cookie dough were: Austin and Lauren Bell, Noah Guffey, Alyssa and Austin Parish, and Matthew, Jeffrey, and David Gould.

Camp this summer was something extra special for the Monticello young people, and an experience with Jesus they will never forget. By the way, the young people have already begun selling Creation magazines for their next adventure together.

Sabbath school teachers, like Marilyn Thompson, bind our young people to Jesus with their dedicated service, creative endeavors, and encouragement.

Lynette Bell, Monticello Church correspondent