CHAPTER FOUR:
SPIRITUAL VICTORIES
From the earliest days
of Camp Castle Rock the greatest blessings came from the spiritual challenges
received by the campers. There were
exciting hikes up Storm Castle Mountain and Garnet Peak. Swimming in the river or over at the Hot Springs was always fun. The tether-ball court was worn smooth every
year after only one week of camp. But it
was in the chapel that the most wonderful memories were created.
A three year curriculum
was adopted by the camping committee covering such subjects as My Bible, Bible
Heroes, Christian Living, The Deity of Christ, Christian Ethics and Personal
Evangelism
Music played an important
part in the worship experience at camp as well.
There was singing around a campfire after a mountain hike, and there
were special numbers at every chapel service from campers like the Sheehan
sisters and the many siblings in the Grotzke family.
Evangelists, and Bible
teachers from Baptist colleges and seminaries in those early years included
Bernard Northrup, Jerry Sivinsky, Jeff Alexander, Walter Olson, Earl Matteson,
B. Myron Cedarholm, Gary Gillmore, Joe Mark, Harold Asire, Richard Weeks, Neil
Cadwell and Warren VanHetloo. Most of
the teaching was done by pastors from within the state of Montana. Walter Lacy would leave Broadus in a big
church bus and pick up campers all across the state until they finally arrived
at camp. Once there, it was men like
Frank Moore, Art Coats, Arthur Allen, Carroll Onstatt, Arthur Bigelow, Ernest
Humphries, Shirley Sjoblom, Frank McQuoid, Fay Garner, Lester Mengel, Al Pearson
and Alfred Smith ,who would challenge hearts with Bible preaching and teaching.
It was after such meetings that campers would lie in bed at night,
listening to the rush of the river and thinking about God’s call on their
lives. It didn’t matter that you had to
move to new seats in chapel when it rained and the roof leaked. It didn’t matter that you had to brush your
teeth from water in a basin filled at the one faucet in front of the boy’s
cabins. What mattered was that God had
met with you and you had met with Him.
He was the One who made a week at Castle Rock Camp the experience of a
lifetime.
Friday night after the
evening service a campfire would be built in the area in front of the
chapel. There the campers would take a
hunk of wood, toss it into the fire to show their desire to “burn out” for
Christ, and give testimonies of what God had done in their lives during the
week. Those services often went on for
many hours as young people shared the spiritual victories which had come at
camp. Every year there were great
reports of those who had been saved, had re-dedicated their lives to Christ, or
had sensed a call to full-time Christian service.
Several individuals have been willing to share testimonies of what
Camp Castle Rock has meant in their lives.
So imagine yourself sitting around a roaring campfire, and listen to
these stories of spiritual victory.
TESTIMONIES
“I have many fond memories of camp, which began earlier than for
some, because my father, Pastor Arthur Coats, was also involved in the beginning
events of the camp. I remember work
days, meetings and hikes that became a big part of our lives every summer. As I reached camper age that enthusiasm did
not fade and I appreciated and learned from the Bible classes, missionary
teachers and even sports. After our
family moved on to another work, one of the first things we looked for was a
Bible camp like Castle Rock Baptist Camp.
After 15 years I returned with my husband, during the summer of 1983 as
missionary appointees to Japan. Castle
Rock has been an example of what summer camps should always be: an oasis
(getting away for a week from the every day struggle of the Christian), a week
of summer school (some great studies done in the Word); and a pep rally
(challenges for going on when we returned and the tools to do it with).”
Vicki (Coats) Mansell
“The Lord has given me the privilege of being at Castle Rock Camp
every summer for its first 24 years. At
the age of nine, I was a camper at the very first week of Junior Camp. I thank the Lord for a pastor and parents who
believed in a camping program and worked hard to see it become a reality. After my first year at Junior Camp, I was
never ‘sent’ to camp again. I spent
eleven months every year looking forward to July when it would be camp time
again. As a teenager, camp meant a time
of spiritual learning and played a great part in the molding of my life. During those years I grew to respect the
pastors and workers who cared enough to come and spend a whole week with
us. Now, as an adult, camp is even more
special to me. I realize more all the
time just how beautiful the scenery is, but even more important, I know how
much the bonds we formed with one another in Christ mean to me. Thinking of camp reminds me of the word
“church.” When we refer to the church,
we really mean the people of the church, not the building, even though it may
be beautiful. Camp is beautiful at any
season, but when the people are gone, there is a feeling of emptiness, because
the people make camp what it is. It was
the people who came year after year that influenced my life and that I have
grown to love in the Lord.”
Deanna (Strand) Leslie
“During the fifteen years we were in Ennis the camping program
became a very important part of our lives.
When the need for a new dining hall became apparent, many faithful folks
donated hours and hours of labor, using the adapted building plans from the
first phase of Rocky Mountain Baptist Church to make the new Allen Lodge a
reality. After God called us to Michigan
in 1988 we still wanted our own children to experience Castle Rock Camp. They did.
They took their friends and they were truly enriched spiritually by
making those trips to Castle Rock.
Cheyenne’s good friend, Angie Knapp, met her husband, Glenn Bies Jr.
during one of those camp weeks. No
matter where we are the strains of “How Great Thou Art” always take us back to
Castle rock—a special place with special people and a special purpose.”
Paul Leslie
“As a junior higher I
had already attended Camp Bethel for several years and was not too excited when
I learned that our church would be participating in a new camp in Montana. But one week in the summer of 1961 changed
all of that. Castle Rock didn’t have the
beautiful facilities we had enjoyed at Camp Bethel, but it had a spirit and an
excitement that quickly convinced me it was the most wonderful place on the
face of God’s earth. The next few
summers I did everything I could to be there every week the camp was in
session. If I was not a camper, I would
volunteer to work. By the time I entered
high school I was even allowed to help as a counselor for some of the younger
campers. It was during one of those
weeks when I was serving as a counselor that God used a special series of
messages to challenge my heart. Rev.
Carroll Onstatt, from Butte, was sharing the story of Missionary Jim
Elliot. He and five other men had been
killed by the Auca Indians in Ecuador just a few years before. Jim was the man who had written, ‘He is no
fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ As I listened to Pastor Onstatt I made a
decision. God could have my life to do
with it whatever He desired. I belonged
completely to Him. Later we moved back
to Missoula and pastored the Bible Baptist Church, making it possible for our
children to enjoy the same camping experience I had so loved. Although they didn’t realize it until during
their college days, our son Kent and his future wife Dorinda Lind went to the
same weeks of camp and met each other at that time.”
Bob Allen
The camp has been a part
of my life since 1977 when I married Harold.
We went to family camp and the children attended camp. I began helping as Junior High camp as a
counselor and loved working with those girls.
The camp needed a cook and I was asked to cook for several weeks. I cooked in the old kitchen up until the new
dining hall became useable. It did not
have the conveniences, as all the dishes were washed by hand and dried with towels. We had a dog named Mercy that I had to bring
with me during the weeks that I cooked and she became well known and liked by
the kids and workers alike. Joyce
Nichols was a right hand helper and helped make it a blessed time as well as a
successful endeavor. One of the fun
times I remember was the time Joyce and I decided to fix a special pancake just
for Jack Phillips that contained a strainer pad. My current job at “Senior’s Camp” is to work
with crafts for the ladies.”
Edith Davidson
“Our memories of camp are many and varied. What we remember most are the campfires at
night with singing and testimonies.
Climbing Castle Rock and swimming at the hot springs was loads of fun,
but the best part was being with other people our age and singing about God and
studying His Word. We all went home at
the end of the week determined to be better Christians, better witnesses and testimonies
to others at home and in our neighborhoods and school. Jerry and I probably saw each other at camp,
but didn’t know each other until high school in Laurel when I moved from Great Falls and then Billings.”
Roxy and Jerry Lawver
“We thank God for our camp.
We have seen many give their hearts to the Lord in salvation, a great
number of dedications, and many continuing on.
Yes, many of our own children continuing in the Lord’s work. Preachers, those who have married preachers,
missionaries and Christian workers. It
was at camp that our own children were grounded in the Word and now the next
generation as well. Thank God for a
great Christian camp and the things being accomplished there. Continue on—don’t let down in our lives and
prayer life for this camp.”
Bob Grotzke
“I went to Castle Rock during the summers of 1983-1988. There are a
lot of fond memories of the people who were also there during those years. Dr. and Mrs. Allen, Jack and Lilas Phillips
and Ken and Vicki Mansell were the three couples who had the greatest impact on
my life as a camper and later as a leadership camper and counselor. I remember responding many times after Ken
had preached to just be willing to go wherever and do whatever God would lead
me to do. The faithful example of the Phillips and
their willingness to befriend a gangly teenager will always be a cherished
memory of my high school years. I
remember the buzz that would go through the camp each year as they would pull
in the gate. We were all awestruck by
Jack and his knowledge of the outdoors and his love for hiking and we would
wonder how an old codger like Jack could out hike us youngsters. Dr. and Mrs. Allen were also dear friends
during
those years. I enjoyed learning about Israel and I
remember the summer we all participated in a reenactment of the Seder
meal. The one message I remember from
camp that he preached was, of all things, on choosing a wife. Don’t choose a wife because she had a
beautiful face, but because she has beautiful feet. Make sure that the person you marry is willing
to serve the Lord. I’m so glad God has
given me a wife with beautiful feet.
Those were important
days and years in my life and I’m so glad that God used Castle Rock Camp to
help prepare me for a life of service in another camp, Ironwood Christian Camp
in the Mojave Desert of southern California.”
Andrew Pust
“The first time I saw the site it was hard for me to believe that
the Lord could use that run-down place for
His glory. But after some work days the appearance was soon
changed. We repaired and replaced the
water system and worked on the cabins.
It was here that I first met Pastor Onstott whom I learned to love a
great deal. I remember building an
outside toilet in the early days. I
believe it was Jerome Maart who helped me with that construction job. It was not all work, however, as we had many
good messages in the evening after work was done. I saw the Lord work in mighty ways. If you have never attended a “campfire
testimony time,” you have missed a great blessing. Here we would sing gospel songs and give
testimonies of the blessings we had on our hearts. All of our children, and some of our
grandchildren, have attended Castle Rock Baptist Camp and it is always a
highlight of their summer vacation.”
Grant Lawver
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