At 6:41 PM Wednesday evening, the hardworking adults and children of Camp Cadiz were supposed to be chowing down on supper. Because, like the two days prior, their morning and afternoon had been filled with servant leadership for the Trigg County community.
An unfortunate mix-up led to a delay — and a scramble for a scrumptious supper.
It’s in this moment, however, where five children found Christ, and humbly asked ordained organizers to be saved. Out of the blue, the “Sinner’s Prayer” needed to be spoken.
Was it divine intervention? Happenstance? Or the spirit of the work? Only God has that answer.
Among this quintet: 14-year-old Brylan Tomlinson and 12-year-old Brayden Andrews.
For Tomlinson, this is his third time at Camp Cadiz. He said it comforts him, and trains him for the future.
Having just completed sixth grade, Andrews said he’d always seen the camp updates and heard the stories from friends, but wasn’t old enough.
That changed in February, and alongside Tomlinson, the two were part of five construction teams for the week — busy building ramps and decks for personal handicap accessibility on homes and properties.
They described one unnamed project, in which they built two ramps — one for a car patio, and another for a barn.
Alani Mayes, a 12-year-old from Cadiz, said she was also one of those five to commit her faith.
It was also her first time with the camp, and she noted she liked spending the night, doing the jobs and helping other people. She was part of what wound up being four cooking teams this week, delivering lasagna, meatloaf, ham and chocolate chip cookies to those needing a lift.
Taryn Carter, a 16-year-old at Trigg County High School, has been on the same cook team the last four years.
She called this year “the busiest” since she’s been involved — nearly 160 meals prepped, cooked and delivered.
Jennie Watts, a 15-year-old at Trigg County High School, was on that same cook team, too.
She keeps a multi-faceted and diversified schedule, yet made time for this in a third-straight summer.
Originally from Owensboro and McLean County, Lexi Majors and her family moved to Cadiz in November 2022.
As such, she said she wanted to get to know others, grow closer to new friends and get closer to God. And Camp Cadiz provided the avenue for all three in one.
Also on a cooking team with Majors, this is the second-straight year of attendance for 14-year-old Sara Dawson.
For her, and for many, it’s more than just a camp.
Kids aren’t the only ones looking to get to know people through Camp Cadiz.
On September 20, 2022, Kathy Gibson and her husband, Mike, ended their 18-month, 31-state traveling march in Trigg County — opting to set their roots here all the way from California.
They felt like Cadiz was the perfect place to be, and it was their new neighbors who told them about the good works and charity of the camp.
By the end of Thursday, she’d been part of a cooking team that had delivered nearly 200 meals in four days.
In a nod to scripture, “Here I Am” was the theme for 2023’s Camp Cadiz. One of its many organizers, Marc Frye said nine kids total chose to get saved, one surrendered to the ministry and others “got a new grip” on their relationship with Christ and God.
He added more than 100 kids and 70 adults had been involved in at least 125 assignments involving construction, cooking, staining and home repair, yard work, and a well-attended Bible school for kindergarten through sixth grade at The Way.
All of the cooking took place in four separate locations: Liberty Point, the Baptist Association, Cadiz Baptist and Locust Grove. Cadiz Methodist served as the home base for team lunches.
And a Thursday afternoon kickball game between the two yard work teams encapsulated the serendipity of it all — as forecasted sweltering temperatures never materialized thanks to the rolling fronts in west Kentucky.
