About Camp Chacauco
Camp Chacauco, ambulance Ecudor
Camp Chacauco is a Baptist Camp and Ministry which seeks to proclaim Christ via camps for youth, discount young adults and local Baptist churches. The camp also supports Ecuadorian Baptist pastors through pastor education conferences.
Missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson oversee the operation and ministry of Camp Chacauco. They are affiliated with Global Outreach International, a missionary support organization located in Tupelo, MS.
Hi! My family and I work as missionaries with Reach Beyond in Shell and are interested in stopping by for a visit sometime. Would you please send us directions? Thanks!
Steve,
I hope you are doing well. Someone sent me a link for your promo video. I am President of a non-profit ministry called Press On Missions. (www.PressOnMissions.com) My ministry is under the umbrella of another non-profit ministry called International Commission (www.IC-World.org) where I serve as their youth camp consultant. In a nut shell what I do is I travel to other countries to work with leaders to help them establish and/or strengthen evangelistic Christian youth camps. I have established 14 in Cuba, 6 in Brazil, 2 in Costa Rica and 1 in Paraguay. My ministry model is to bring in a very small strategic team to work with local leadership to train, mentor & encourage them as they conduct a camp. We do not come in to do camp for a church/association/convention, but rather we come to do camp alongside them. Our goal when the camp is over is have the local leaders trained where they are equipped to be self sufficient for future camps. We have conducted camps in campgrounds (like yours), at local churchs and even at a school. Our camp model is based on dividing the camp into color groups and small family groups within each color group. Each family group is made up of about 10-15 youth and 1-2 local adult leaders. The Bible study begins with a celebration time led by local leaders (or even youth) serving as a praise band and the Bible study is taught to the entire camp group by a master teacher. After the large group Bible study the camp breaks into their small family groups. In these small family groups the leaders walk their group through a discussion guide. Their job is to act as facilitators to get the youth to discuss the spiritual truths taught in the large group. The goal is to help youth make personal applications to these truths. (Their main role at camp is not to teach, but to minister to the youth in their family group.) The recreation time is a bit different as color groups compete against each other in a variety of games that are designed to appeal to the athletic & non-athletic youth. The grading system of the game time rewards teams for winning, but also for playing the games with the proper spirit (playing like Jesus would have played). I would love to talk with you about how I might could help you with your ministry if this model is something that might interest you. I have been working in Cuba since 2004 with this model and we are seeing great results as the Eastern Baptist Convention has transitioned all their camps (15) into Evangelistic camps using this model. I have also been able to get into two major Baptist seminiaries in Cuba where I have been teaching young leaders: “What is an evangelistic camp” & “How do you establish one in your community.” Our vision for the camps we help to establish is for Christian youth to bring one of their lost friends with them to camp. There their lost friends are clearly presented the gospel, are surrounded by a Christian community, are loved on by Christian adults & see the church in action. We are finding a good percentage of them coming to know the Lord as a result. The camp studies are also geared to grow Christian youth in their walk with the Lord. One resource I have available are some youth camp Bible studies. I served in the local church (Baptist) for 24 years as a Youth Minister and also served as a camp director for our camps for 19 years. During that time God led me to develop some studies for our camps that met the needs of the youth groups coming to camp. I currently have several of these in Spanish which we are using and making available in Spanish speaking countries. (And I don’t speak Spanish!)
I am always looking for open doors to come and serve. Again, the teams I bring are very small and geared to be strategic. When I bring a team we come at our expense & bring the needed recreation supplies to be used at camp (which we leave with the local ministry to be used for their future projects.) Once in country we ask for the local ministry to take care of our ground transportation, lodging and meals. My ministry, like yours I’m sure, is a faith based ministry. I have to raise funds for my salary and camp supplies support.
I wanted to give you a clear picture of who I am and what I do. If after reading this you feel I might be someone who could strengthen your ministry & be an asset to the youth leaders you are training up I would love to hear from you. I can be reached at 214.412.9020. May God continue to richly bless you, your family and your ministry.
In Him,
RIck J. Collins
Dear Steve and Carol Thompson,
I got your information from Allen McWhite. I actually went on a week long trip with him to Ecuador in 2009 and visited the camp.
I am writing to you because I remembered your ministry and I am very interested in learning more about what you do and if there is any way I can help.
I am part of a Christian missions organization called Adventures in Missions which is based out of Georgia in the United States.
My team of seven and I are currently on a trip called the World Race in which we go to 11 countries in 11 months. In each country we work alongside a ministry to help or serve them in whatever way necessary for one month. This month my team and I are visiting and traveling around Ecuador in hopes of finding people/ organizations which may be interested in partnering with World Race and hosting future teams.
Please let us know if you would be available to meet sometime soon to discuss your ministry and how we might be able to help. Or please feel free to email me back with any questions.
Thank you and God Bless,
Holly Swaney
The World Race
Team Roar
Hello Chacauco!
I currently work (going on two summers) at a camp in Texas. Being nearly done with college I have been looking into possible intern opportunities with other camps as being a part of camp ministry is the career that I want and God has made clear that is desired for me to pursue. Within a year and a half my college career will be done and I will have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Healthcare. Although there are great camps around the globe, I have heard wonderful things about Camp Chacauco and I am deeply fond of the environment and mission that you work for. I look forward to hearing of possible opportunities or just connecting with individuals whose footsteps are foreshadowing those of mine. Have a blessed day!
-Kryssie Valdes
kev005@shsu.edu
Attn: Steve and Carol Thompson
My name is Jason Lang and I’m serving as a career missionary in Nicaragua with ABWE. We are also partners with Servant Life. The Lord has recently given us the opportunity to expand our camp ministry from just a few weeks during the Summer with teams from the US to year round camps. I share this because I could use some insight and advice about how you have found camps to work in a Latin American country. We also are looking for resources (i.e.: policy and procedures, schedule, counselor handbooks, etc). If you would be willing to help or just talk I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks and God bless!
Steve,
Eric here from Shell. I was wondering if you could pass onto me the information about your pastor training.
Thanks
Eric
0999141099