My first summer at Deerfoot Lodge, I was surprised that the Guides and older campers pretty much brought their own backpacks.  I soon learned the DL back packs were in really bad condition.

While moving from Texas, friend and Guide leader Jeff Littauer was opening camp for me.  I arrived and staff training began.   DL was a wilderness camp.  I had never checked out the tripping equipment.

Yes, the back packs were in miserable shape.  The packs had served well, but now had holes, broken zippers, and missing buckles and straps – and there was no money to replace them..

When the mother of campers Aaron and Greg Welsh arrived, saw the mess we were in, she told me she would fix the packs.  Elsbeth and husband, Earl, left with a car full of essentially unusable packs.  When they returned to pick up their camper sons, it was obvious Elsbeth had done little else than sew patches and replace zippers and broken straps during the 2 week session.  Elsbeth had ordered the zippers and straps from the manufacturing company of each type pack.  When Elsbeth and Earl left with Aaron and Greg, they took more unusable packs with them.  When I went on my February recruiting trip I picked up repaired packs, and brought the rest of the packs for repair.

Romans 12:4-8 “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; 

Matthew 6:3 “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”

Few knew of Elsbeth’s service, her generous giving.

Let us go and do likewise!