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2005-2007 2010

First Friends of Camp Latest renovations was
Victory dinner held in to begin adding new
Dothan, Alabama bathrooms to upgrade
all the cabins
Air conditioning was
added to cabins and
dining hall

From Verses to Lessons
Classes: Teaching the Bible in Alabama Public Schools continued
counties each month. n the beginning, summer camp was an incen-
Just ninety miles away in another Alabama county, a product of CBM, Mrs. tive to memorize Bible verses-300 of them!
Cindy Johnson, has answered God‘s call and began teaching Released Time as I As time progressed and economies changed,
well. Cindy teaches in four schools in Escambia County, Alabama. She writes of the CBM missionaries found another way to offer
her CBM influence, ―… I was surely a camper only once, a three hundred Bible incentives for camp and more importantly, ensure
verser! Then, a seven year Mailbox Club participant with Miss Dorothy. God has that the school children were continually learning
about God‘s word.
been training, testing, trying, teaching, and turning my heart toward the chil-
dren, their salvation in this last fourteen year journey with Camp Victory that The Mailbox Club is
brought the possibility of our children here [Escambia County] to come to know one of the ―three C‘s‖ Awards for memory work were given
and love Him. How grateful I am for...all the folks at camp.‖ o f C B M —
Correspondence. The club consists of lesson
Win a child….win a life! courses designed for each grade in which students
Another Alabama school and campers receive lesson booklets in the mail,
ministry story is that of read and learn about God‘s word, complete the an-
Mr. Charles Lewis. swer sheet and return it for the missionaries to grade. At the completion of a
Charles went to school in course, the students receive discounts toward summer camp. The biggest reward,
the Dothan area when Bea however, is the knowledge of God and His Word hidden in the hearts of the
Ames was the ―Bible students.
Lady.‖ He listened to her Memorizing the three hundred verses continued through the 1970s when the
tell Bible stories and emphasis started to switch to the Mailbox Club. At first each area staff graded
learned 300 verses to earn and sent their own lessons, paying for postage
themselves through the 1980s. In the late 80s,
a week at camp. During memorization phased out and credit was given
that week at camp, he was solely for lessons. In 1984, the lessons were
saved. Later on, Charles centralized at Camp Victory for consistency and
went to seminary and re- the postage and expense were then covered by the
turned to Dothan to pastor camp.
a church. Miss Bea, his Approximately 200 new students enroll each
Miss Bea with Charles Lewis (back), his wife, and his beloved Bible teacher, year before coming to camp and then continue to
associate pastors then became his church do lessons each year afterward. Many of the
Released Time students also enroll in the club
member! Barb Shearer grading
Mailbox lessons and receive a small prize during Released Time
classes in addition to the certificate and coupon
when completed. Overall each year about 9600 lessons are sent out to the
approximately 800 students who complete them and earn credit for camp!

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