WINTER 2016/2017 VOLUME 35 NUMBER 2

Eulogies
FAQ of TheWilds
 TheWilds Christian Association, Inc. publishes
TheWilds NewsLetter. Change of address information
and comments should be sent to:
TheWilds Christian Association, Inc
PO Box 509

EULOGIES
Taylors, SC 29687-0009
Phone: (864) 268-4760
Fax: (864) 292-0743
E-mail: newsletter@wilds.org
Visit our website at www.wilds.org or visit
TheWilds Online Store at www.wilds.org/store.
Editor: Ken Collier As with any family or
Graphic Designer: Craig Stouffer
Publications Coordinator: Maylin Seiter
Winter 2016/2017 Volume 35 Number 2
organization, there are
2017 TheWilds Christian Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
seasons marked with sadness
TheWilds and CampsAbroad are registered
trademarks of TheWilds ChristianAssociation, Inc.
at the loss of dear ones.
North Carolina Campsite:
This has been true of The Wilds ministry in the past
TheWilds
1000 Wilds Ridge Road few months as several original board members and/
Brevard, NC 28712-7273 or their mates have gone to be with the Lord. They
Phone: (828) 884-7811
Fax: (828) 862-4813 are greatly missed. In the following eulogies written
New England Campsite:
by fellow staff members, we remember with fondness
TheWilds of New England two dear ones who were intimately involved as part of
1181 Deering Center Road our full-time staff familiesBob Stoner, early volunteer,
Trustee, and Comptroller of the organization for
Deering, NH 03244-6529
Phone/Fax: (603) 529-0001
more than 40 years, and Barbara Hay Leatherwood,
TheWilds Christian Association, Inc. is an wife of CFO, Steve Leatherwood, and daughter of
independent, nondenominational, nonprofit, 501(c)
(3) organization created for the purpose of operating founders, Dr. & Mrs. Ken Hay. Thank you for your kind
Christian camps and conference centers. We are expressions of condolence.
fundamental in our beliefs, Bible-centered in our
philosophy, and evangelistic in our outreach.
TheWilds Christian Association, Inc. presently
operates a Christian camp and conference center
in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North
Carolina that is open year-round. The camp has a
carefully selected and trained staff and averages over
20,000 campers per year. In 2009 TheWilds of New
England began ministry at our campsite in Deering,
New Hampshire. In this peaceful, rural setting we
experienced good growth in attendance at our
summer camps as well as in our limited fall schedule
programs. We anticipate a continuing steady growth
and expansion of the ministry at this New England
location.
In addition to providing a God-honoring music
publication service as an integral part of our
ministry, TheWilds Christian Association, Inc. has
also established the CampsAbroad program to assist
others in the formation and operation of Christian
camp ministries around the world.

2 newsletter winter 2016/2017

Barbara Hay Leatherwood
Editor's Note: On May 27th, Barb Leatherwood went Once Barb embarked on what
she called her cancer journey, she
to be with her Savior after an extensive battle with endeavored to live her life with the
cancer. Many people were drawn to considering Christ gospel in her mind and on her lips. She
shared Christ with whoever would listen.
through Barb's delightful, hope-filled personality. So eloquently, honestly, tastefully, and
She was always sharing Christ with those around even with good humor, she would share
her all the way through her cancer journey. Mardi the hard reality of her journey with
anyone who wanted to hear. Her Caring
Collier, wife of the President of TheWilds, shares Bridge posts moved us to tears and, at the
the blessing of being Barb's friend. same time, gave us hope. She allowed us
to go on the journey with her. All along
Have you ever known someone who at any given moment, we were all on the way, she pointed us to the Word of
lights up a roomsomeone you cant that high list as well. She managed to God and our good and great God as He
help but notice when they are present? fit us all in, whether church family, close led her in paths of righteousness for His
Barbara Hay Leatherwood was one of friends, co-workers, Wilds staff, fellow names sake and eventually through the
those people. Yes, Barb was attractive, teachers, medical staff, her dear pre- valley of the shadow of death.
stylish, and classy. Yes, she was a super- school children, and even strangers (who We are grateful for Barbs life and
gifted teacher and communicator. And never remained in that status for long).
yes, she was outgoing and fun (who would Barb used her God-given, vibrant, loving
not remember her contagious laugh personality to draw us like a magnet,
and her red shoes?) But those outward with the goal of sharing the gospel or
attractions were not what ultimately encouraging us with Biblical truth. She
drew you to her. Barb Leatherwood managed, somehow, to make each of
had an obvious joy in her growing us feel like the most special, cherished
relationship with her Savior which could person in the world. Serving God by
not be ignored. Her unquenchable serving people was her passion. In her
love for God led to a compassionate memory and to commemorate her love
love and interest in people and their for children, her family established The
needs. Whatever room she occupied Barbara Leatherwood Junior Camper
at any given time, whether a classroom, Scholarship Fund at TheWilds.
an office, a convention hall filled with One of Barbs favorite quotes was:
educators, a church lobby, a kitchen, a
cancer infusion center, a waiting room,
her little sitting nook in her home, or God has a master plan
even outdoors in any of Gods rooms, that includes me, and
you would likely find her engaged with
although I may not
people. She just loved peopleperiod.
Though all people were fair game fully grasp His way,
for her encouragement and challenges, I can know that His for the grace and strength that God
her soul-mate of a husband, Steve; her gave and is giving the Leatherwood
plan is good. It is my
beloved children Kristen, Rob, Kara, and Hay families. Surely goodness and
responsibility to trust, mercy followed Barb all the days of her
and Amanda; their spouses; her adored
grandchildren; her Dad and Mom, Ken obey, and life, and, as Gods little lamb, she is now
and Diane Hay; and her sisters, Janie dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.
and Laurie were right there at the top
GLORIFY GOD. We love her and miss her.
of her People Priority List. However,

www.wilds.org 3
 Bob Stoner
[Editor,s note] in accounting. Their family was already
growing and Bob would tell me many
On June 29th, Bob Stoner, willing volunteer and
times how that responsibility to provide
later long-time Comptroller of TheWilds Christian for them grew him up in a hurry. He had
Association, Inc., was injured in a hiking accident to work a full-time job to make ends

on one of the many hiking trails on the Blue Ridge meet and to pay for school, but he and
Ann always spoke fondly of those days.
Parkway. He fell and the resulting trauma caused his Bob completed his degree and taught at
death on July 2nd. Gary Williams, Business Director Bob Jones University, but soon moved
of TheWilds and very close associate of Bob,s, gave the family back to Pennsylvania to do the
bookkeeping for the Ford dealership
this following eulogy at the funeral. We honor the
Bobs dad now owned. However, the
memory of this faithful servant of God. work didnt satisfy what God had
planted in their heartsa calling and
devotion to full-time ministry. Bob Jones
University again offered Bob a teaching
Bob Stoner was born and grew of Bobs personality. position and, discerning that God was in
up near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His But before the whole college plan it, he accepted. Bob taught accounting,
formal education came courtesy of the could play out, a young, cute athletic and Ann served as a docent at the Art
public schools but one area where Bob majorette at the school, Ann Gladfelter, Gallery.
excelled was, believe it or not, music. caught Bobs eye. They soon married Bob and Ann settled in at Hampton
His trumpet talents landed him two and the life-long love affair of Bob and Avenue Baptist Church in Greenville,
summers during high school at the Ann had begun. Ann was Bobs hand- a small work where Dave Yearick and
internationally-acclaimed Interlochen holding best-friend. She was the love his wife, Bobbie, were serving. That
Music Center in northwest Michigan of his life and no one who knew them started a life-long friendship for these
developing that talent. Bob had a ever doubted that. They had their two couples and is really where Bob and
temper and it earned him the nickname, differences and both of them could Anns spiritual growth took off. During
Rocky. He wasnt proud of it but he express themselves quite well, but their college, a close friendship with Ken Hay
said it fit. However, God had plans for bond was iron-clad and life-long. Their had started as Bob and Doc were in
this young man and the working out of ministry of hospitality to friends and the same society and enjoyed sports
Gods plan started with an evangelist the staff are legendary. An invitation to together. That friendship led to Bobs
by the name of Dr. Ed Nelson who came dinner meant you better come prepared introduction to and interest in a new
to preach a series of messages at Bobs to eat because it was a feast. Even a camp being proposed for the Southeast.
home church. During those meetings as stop by their house to pick-up their trash When Bob got involved with TheWilds,
an older teen, Bob accepted Christ and would normally earn you a coffee tin of he was teaching a full load, working at the
Dr. Nelson steered the young convert chocolate chip cookies from the freezer. accounting firm of Elliot and Davis on
to Bob Jones University. God started to Bob and Ann headed off to Bob the side, serving a number of personal
slowly-but-surely undo the Rocky part Jones University where Bob majored tax clients, and he and Ann were raising

4 newsletter winter 2016/2017

3 small children. Even
with that load, Bob and Bob was not
Ann didnt sacrifice a "preacher"
time with family. I think
but he was a
Bob identified Myrtle
Beach as a destination
"man of the Book"
spot long time before and a prayer warrior.
it became as popular
as it is now. Ann kept the camping
gear prepared as many Fridays Bob
would announce that the family was
going camping as soon as his last class
finished. Bob and Anns priority to family
lasted a lifetime.
As the camp grew, it required more of
Bobs time, as it needed an experienced
business hand AT the campsite. So,
discerning Gods leading, the team
of Bob and Ann made another major
transition, this time
to North Carolina.
They worked tirelessly
in those early days.
When I started with
The Wilds 34 years
ago, many mornings I
would head down to
work in the kitchen around 6 a.m., and
the light in Bobs office was already on.
On many of those same days, his light
remained on until 9 p.m. I just thought
Bob started work that early. Then, one
day I got called to his office. I arrived
early and knocked on his door. He called
for me to come in, and I was embarrassed
to see that I had disturbed his personal
time with the Lord. An open Bible and
commentary books were lying open on
his desk. He was gracious, but it helped
me see Bobs priorityhis love for God
and his devotion to his personal spiritual
growth. Bob was not a preacher, but
he was a man of the Book and a prayer
warrior. If he knew you, he prayed for
you.
Bob was so gracious. We did dumb
things in those early years, and I know
he knew they were dumb things ahead
of time, but he gave us the freedom to
learn some lessons the hard way. He
had an open door policy before the
business gurus ever started writing
about it. He and Ann loved the staff
and considered them as their family.
We miss Bob and thats as it should be.
Proverbs 22:1 instructs us that A good
name is to be chosen rather than great
riches. Im convinced Bob could have
earned greater riches but he made a
better choice to love and serve God.
Because of that choice, God has given
the Stoner family a good name. Bob
missed his Annie as she slowly left
us in her battle with Alzheimers. The
lessons in love and faithfulness that he
demonstrated during her last few years
on this earth, when she could no longer
love or express love back to him, are life-
lessons none of us will ever forget. Bob
was a faithful man.
Bob Stoner was not a flashy man
but he was a lover of God, a lover of
his wife, a devoted family man, a faithful
church member, a humble servant, and
hospitable. Any regrets he had, and he
had a few, he left at the foot of the cross.
www.wilds.org 5

The world is full of
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
...(FAQs) and occasionally, they are even helpful! What
are FAQs? They are a list of Frequently Asked Questions
most often with their answers included. On our website,
weve got five different topics with a list of FAQs under
each one. Thats a great idea!
However, what do you do when you have intriguing,
fascinating, delightful information and no one will give
you an opening or ask you a question so you can share
it? We have just the solution. We want to tell you about
so many enthralling, riveting, and gripping thoughts
about happenings at The Wilds, that we are creating
a way to ask ourselves questions so we can bring out
some of the hidden blessings, thoughtful moments, and
cheery happenings we encounter at The Wilds in North
Carolina, New England, and all across the world through
CampsAbroad. Introducing FAQsWilds Style. We call
them FAQsFictitiously Asked Questions!
Thats right! These questions are guaranteed to be
fabricated, fanciful, and fictitious. However, the answers
are all true! Some of the questions we wrote ourselves and
gave them to our staff members to answer. Some of the
questions we invited them to write for themselves. So here
are some Fictitiously Asked Questions about which our
staff are passionate. We hope you find them interesting.
And, by the way, thank you so much for asking!
6 newsletter winter 2016/2017
Ken Hay
Founder, Former Director, Chairman of the Board
When did the first camper trust Christ as Savior at
TheWilds?
Before our first camp week began on August 4, 1969, many of
the early arrivals were in line to buy something at the Snack Shop.
One of these campers was a 15 year-old boy from Columbia,
South Carolina. Because the shop was just opening for the first
time in history, the service was very slow. The delay allowed
one of our cleanup crew members, who was in line behind the
camper, to present the gospel. The boy joyously trusted Christ
as his Savior. This showed us that speed is not always most
important and that counselors are not the only ones who must
be ready to share the gospel.
What has been the key to TheWilds remaining
faithful to God for almost 50 years with 3 generations
of Directors?
A Biblical Philosophy that has been written, taught, and
practiced for all these years is the key. This has allowed our
leadership to be pro-active rather than re-active. In other words,
every staff and Board member, regardless of their position or
assignment, is going the same direction, striving to manifest a
servants heart.
What are your requirements for staff members?
Among other things, they must be FEPI: F Flexible; E
Energetic; P Persevering; I Ingenious (Editors note: At times,
Dr. Hay would insert an extra P that added the ever present
factor of Perspiration while working at camp.)
What is a funny real life story that happened at
TheWilds in the early years?
One of the activities we had the first year (1969) was The
Centipede Race. With two teams competing, the campers had
to hang onto a rope with at least with one hand through a maze
of obstacles such as sand piles and huge culverts left over from
the construction. They had to go over the creek walking on a
large fallen tree, then at the lake go around a row boat that was
in shallow water (one camper was very short and submerged for
a second, but did not take his hand off the rope), and finally run
down the hill in a 4 deep trench that was dug for a light pole
and proposed sound system. One thing we miscalculated was
the fact that we had daily rain the entire summer. The trench had
8-12 of mud at the bottom, and the mud sucked off the shoes of
nearly every camper and counselor as they traversed the ditch.
You should have seen the look on the face of the lady at the
Rosman laundromat when we took in 150 pairs of tennis shoes to
be cleaned. Some of those shoes were never claimed even after
all the effort to get them cleaned. It was no wonder why.
Steve Stodola
Assistant Director, TWNE
What is your favorite camp memory of Summer 2016?
One Thursday afternoon as I sat in my office immersed in
audio and video details for our upcoming building project, my
meditations were interrupted by a staff member who came to my
office door and asked, Do you have time to talk with a camper
who is not sure she is going to heaven? I smiled as I realized God
was re-scheduling my afternoon. After asking a few questions, I

quickly knew that I had a front row seat to watch God do His great
work in the heart of a teenaged girl. Having reviewed several
passages from the Bible, she eagerly wanted to ask God to save
her. Not really knowing how to pray, she prayed a very short,
simple prayer of faith in Christ. She left my office a changed girl.
I was very thankful God rescheduled my day and gave me a small
glimpse of His incredible power to save.
How many different hats do people in camping wear?
At a smaller camp like The Wilds of New England, it is not
uncommon to be given several hats to wear. For certain, we
never get bored because we never know which hat we might have
to wear at any given moment. Sometimes, we even get to wear 2
or 3 of them at the same time! We love that variety in camp life! I
recently counted up 14 different hats that I routinely wear on any
given summer camp day. Just for kicks, here is my list: Assistant
to Rand, IT problem solver, Program Assistant, Photography
and Video Supervisor, Zip Line Supervisor, Safety Manager,
Sound Tech, Video Tech, Lighting Tech, Cleanup Supervisor,
Maintenance Assistant, Dining Hall Supervisor, Lifeguard, and
Preacher. Sometimes I forget which hat I have on and give people
answers to questions they did not even askCamp lifelove it!
Matt Herbster
Director
How has your ministry at TheWilds changed since
your first wifes death?
Julie passed away in March 2013 after a 10-month battle
with colon cancer. Six months later, I was introduced as the third
Director of TheWilds. The fall of 2013 was the most overwhelming
time of my life. I was trying to get used to being a single dad, I
was homeschooling our 5 kids, and I was trying to learn how to
be the right kind of director for TheWilds. So, just from a position
standpoint, my ministry at The Wilds has changed. However, I
think the open door to help hurting campers is the biggest way
my ministry has changed since Julies death. My experiences
have allowed campers to feel comfortable
in talking with me about the hurts they are
dealing with. This summer, while speaking
to 70 CIT campers, I asked how many had
lost a parent. Seven of the campers raised
their hand. I was taken aback. Exactly 10%
of that group had experienced the pain of
having a parent die. I would never wish my
experiences on anyone, but Im extremely
thankful for the privilege to participate in
a 2 Corinthians 1 type of comforting with
the many campers who come to TheWilds. The fact that "God
is good" is true no matter who says it because the Bible teaches
this truth. However, it seems to resonate more when the campers
hear it from someone who has faced difficulty. In this way, God
has opened up a great door of ministry with those who are
hurting. I pray I can have some small part in providing a Biblical
perspective that will allow them to follow God in faith, even when
life doesnt make sense.
What is your favorite Wilds song?
Wow! I have to narrow it down to just one? Im not sure I can do
that. We have Wilds music (along with other conservative music)
playing non-stop in our home. I started listening to The Wilds
music when I was in high school. I think it would be fair to say that
the music of TheWilds has had more of an impact on my spiritual
walk than the preaching of TheWilds. (This due mainly because
I would only hear the preaching when I would attend TheWilds,
but Ive had the music with me via tapes, CDs, and iTunes year-
round since I was a teenager.) So narrowing this down to one song
will be hard. I think in high school the songs, I Will Follow, God
Makes No Mistakes, Lord, Send Me Anywhere, and Where is
a Gideon? were extremely impacting in my life. During Julies
cancer and death, God used songs like, My God is Near, He
is My Strength, Make Me a Stranger, Constrained by Christ,
and Savior, Lead Us. On a recent recording, I would have to say
the song, Christ is Enough, has been the one on my mind most
often. The music of TheWilds (whether Im singing it or listening
to it) has helped me keep a Biblical focus and perspective. I love
meditating on the Word of God through good music. Im thankful
for Mac and Beth Lynch and Matt and Christy Taylor who have
played the major role in keeping wonderfully fresh and Christ-
honoring music in front of us.
Matt Taylor
Music Director/Summer Staff Coordinator
Is it a requirement to be able to sing if you want to
work at TheWilds?
It is not a requirement to sing well, but we love to have our
staff involved in the music program. One of the most anticipated
aspects of coming to camp is the fresh, vibrant music that is
presented from the platform as well as sung by the campers.
Our staff works hard to prepare and polish the music that is
presented so that it clearly communicates the truths of the text
they are singing. We have weekly rehearsals with our volunteer
groups in order to fine tune each song that is presented. Now,
it may also be true that directional microphones are strategically
placed along with the appropriate bodies behind them! It is also
true that some know and understand well that their greatest
contribution to the group is their smiling face. So, next time you
come to a service at camp, you be the judge.
As Summer Staff Coordinator, where do you find all of
those 275 summer staff members?
We search high and low, near and
far, turning over every rock (figuratively
speaking) to find able and willing bodies
to come serve at camp! It is sometimes
a difficult task to fill these positions,
but God continually provides those
able, willing, and qualified people to
be on staff. September and October
are the busiest recruiting times for the
summer. We travel across the country
www.wilds.org 7
visiting various Christian colleges to get
the word out about our need for staff
members. We then go through the vetting
process, sending out our first contracts
at the beginning of December and
continuing until our staff is finally filled
in the late spring. We will typically have
approximately 25 colleges represented
on our summer staff! It is a joy to see so
many come together from many different
situations to serve with one purpose
at camp: "Using the unique benefits of
Christian camping, we serve people by
presenting the Truth of God with the love
of God so lives may be changed to the
glory of God.
John Bott
Program Marketing Director
As you have organized the sponsor
golf outing every week in the
summer since 1994, have you ever
witnessed a hole in one?
Yes! Actually, I have seen it happen
twice, in consecutive weeks! The first one,
probably in July of 1996, was hit by me. As
it left the club, the ball was going straight
at the hole, but I believed it was going to
go over the green. Next thing I knew, the
ball disappeared directly into the hole.
Wow, was that a cool sight! The very next
week, sponsor Gary Bill [Starr, SC] hit
one on the very same hole! His ball took
one bounce and went right into the hole.
Since then, Cummings Cove Golf Course
in Hendersonville, North Carolina, has
removed that par 3 hole and added a par
4 to the back nine. Guess it was too easy!
Through the years, youve been a
part of the lives of a lot of youth
pastors and youth sponsors. So,
what do you really think about
these people?
Is this a trick question? Well, as I write
this answer, certain people/memories
8 newsletter winter 2016/2017
are coming to mind. I am grateful for the
sponsors who come to camp. Whether
it is a full-time church staff member or
a lay person, male or female, athlete or
computer guy, etc., I realize that they
could take their teens elsewhere, and I am
grateful that they allow us to serve them.
Not only am I grateful to this group, but
secondly, Ive thoroughly enjoyed being
around these folksnot only at camp, but
in their homes, churches, a nearby Dunkin
Donuts, or golf courses. I have attended
their childrens soccer games, gone on
visitation with them, helped them paint or
clean their houses, bought groceries with
them, gone kayaking with them, and other
diverse things. The last thing I will mention
is that sponsors are an encouragement
to me. Yes, some of them encourage me
by bringing Dunkin coffee, a sleeve of
golf balls, or a nice water bottle, but the
way they encourage me the most is by
their faithful service to the Lord year in
and year out, and their desire for their
people to grow in Christ-likeness. This was
evidenced once again the very last week
of summer camp when I was praying with
a man at sponsor prayer time, and through
tears, he was thanking God that two of his
own children trusted Christ as Savior the
night before! Wow! Worth it! When it gets
down to it, I love the sponsors and I hope
they love me!
Willie Partin
Program Manager
Is that your real voice?
Yes.
What is your favorite part of
working at TheWilds?
That is a very hard question because I
love so much of what I do. I enjoy running
the 3rd Falls Zipline and doing Funtime.
I even love cleaning the Fireplace Room.
(I admit I love cleaning the FPR because
I find dropped love notes that I use as
sermon illustrations. Yes, I know thats a
little cruel.) I think my favorite part of the
job is two-fold. I love spending time with
campers and I love opening up Gods
Word in the services.
Where do you come up with your
skits?
We get our skits from all kinds of
places. We look far and near for clean
wholesome stuff. Believe it or not, it is
still out there. Some of my favorite skits
are The Fly, Cooking Show, and The share how much she remembers from her
Sneeze, an original written by our staff.
Tim Meals
Maintenance Supervisor/JBC
Director
What do Juniors love the most
about camp?
EVERYTHING! That is what makes
Junior Boot Camp so fun. Juniors love the
games. Competition is a big deal and at
the end of the week, win or lose, they love
their team. Juniors love all the Freetime
activitiesfrom the Game Room to the
Land Trolley, Craft Shop, Lake, Superslide,
creek tubingyou get the idea. Juniors
love to sing, and it is a highlight of the
week to hear the campers on Friday
singing the summer theme song that will
stay with them for a long, long time. And
Juniors love their counselors. Across the
board, the counselors are the one thing
about camp most remembered by each
camper.
How do the counselors contain all
that Junior energy?
The only way is to love them, lead them,
and listen to them. Our counselors show
love to each camper by enjoying what they
enjoy, and willingly sacrificing their time
and energy to show Christ to them. The
wonderful part of leading a Junior through
a great week of camp is that these campers
love doing whatever their counselor loves
doing. And then by listening to their
campers individually, the counselor is
able to show a genuine heart of love and
concern for the future and spiritual well-
being of each one. And, a week spent in
JBC always prompts and promotes very
good sleep on the weekend!
Do you really see any long-term
influence in the lives of Juniors
from a week of camp?
Yes! It is always and only because of
God, but what a wonderful blessing to
be a part of His work. Jesus command to
His disciples was to let the little children
come unto Me. Each week we get to see
and hear of decisions being made by
young people who have trusted in Jesus
Christ as their Savior, committed to having
a daily devotion time, or purposed to
guard their heart for service to God. It is
always exciting to have a junior camper
come back the following year with a heart
for God, and remind you of how great last
year was; or a teen camper tell you he is
staying faithful to God; or a counselor
time as a Junior camper. JBC is a lot of fun,
and YES, it makes a lasting impression.
Steve Leatherwood
CFO
FAQs abound in this NewsLetter! If
you had to build a CampsAbroad FAQ,
what would be your top questions?
1. Is the middle A in
CampsAbroad supposed to be
capitalized?
Yesits a trademark thing.
2. Do TheWilds staff members
need to learn foreign languages to
run an international camp?
NoEnglish and translators work
great (most of the time).
3. Is it ever dangerous?
Generally no, although we have had
some camps moved or cancelled because
of government influence. (However, the
food can be a bit dangerous at times!)
4. How long has CampsAbroad
been around?
15 years as of 2016!
2001 marked the official start of
CampsAbroad as the missions arm of
The Wilds. The Wilds had already been
helping with some international camping
efforts, but in 2000 the Lord burdened
Matt and Kelly Collier to expand
international camping in a BIG way. After
securing some support from US believers
and local churches, they started looking
for ways to assist international groups
wanting to start their own camping
programs.
It did not take longthe first official
CampsAbroad camp was March 2001.
Kelly and Matt assisted Matthew and
Sarah Thomas in Kerela, India. Several
churches participated, and approximately
150 young people attended, including
some from Hindu families. We rented
out a run-down YMCA facility. A few
things that stuck out from that weekthe
team experienced some monsoon-type
weather. They were meeting outside in a
tent! Two times the rain was so loud they
just had to wait it out. The counselors did
a great job applying the training. Several
young people made professions of faith
during counselor group time, and two
young men in particular got saved that
week and surrendered to serve the Lord
with their lives. They went on to attend
Bible college. We recently heard from one
of them, and they are both still serving
as bi-vocational pastors in another
province15 years later! The camp is still
going as wellcontinuing on by Santhosh
and Sophie George. Theyve seen many
young people trust Christ as Savior over
the years.
40 countries and 75 locations later,
CampsAbroad is still as busy as ever. Dan
and Amy Brooks joined the CA team
in 2008. They are leading camps and
reporting back to supporting groups in
the U.S. Over the years, various Wilds staff
members have often helped with trips and
camps around the world and continue to
do so.
It is estimated that 10% of CA campers
who attend the initial camps trust Christ
in addition to the many who accept Him
during one of the ongoing camps. There is
something about camping that transcends
geography and culture and adorns the
Gospel and magnifies its message with
young people. Andrea Moreira from
Uruguay put it this way: "Because of your
love offering, I could come to Emmanuel
Camp. Even though I have been attending
church for many years, this time the Lord
showed me sin in my heart. I asked the
Lord to forgive me, and now I am sure I
belong to Him."
Although our involvement is
temporary (we arent involved in long-
term operations of any camps), the Lord
has used CampsAbroad to train a great
number of indigenous leaders. Brother
Ernest Fih of Cameroon summarized his
experience with CampsAbroad like this: "I
am a product of (Cameroon) Camp Joy. I
owe my life to Camp Joy. I will never regret
that I came to the camp property as a stone
worker. The greatest miracle of it all is that
the Lord has called me this year to serve as
a camp director. I have been praying about
it until now, but realized I only need to obey
Him and serve faithfully." By giving them
good camping philosophy and program
helps, these local camp directors get
what they need to be successful and sustain
camping in their countries and churches.
Praise the Lord for 15 years of
CampsAbroad ministry! Whats next?
would be the next FAQ. Requests for
help with international camping to extend
the Gospel message continue to grow.
If the Lord wills, our desire is to expand
CampsAbroad to other venues by adding
staff and raising additional funding. We
want to come alongside more churches
and their youth by helping build camping
ministries that reach lives for Christ. Please
pray about this initiative; we value your
prayers for Gods leading. If you would like
more information about CampsAbroad,
please go to the CampsAbroad website:
campsabroad.org/take-part.
Bob Roberts
Junior Boot Camp Speaker
What is the most ridiculous thing
youve ever done in front of a group
of juniors?
This story begins with a visit to
a magic shop long ago when I was
introduced to a double-barrel flash-paper
shooter that could be concealed in the
palm of the hand. The net effect was that it
appeared to the audience that the bearer
www.wilds.org 9
of this delightful item had the power to
shoot fireballs from their fingertips about
40-50 feet. There was also a beautiful
wooshing sound when the ball of fire
launched from the device. I was in my 20s.
I bought it on the spot. But what to do with
it? Surely there must be a divine use for
such a marvelous new prop!
And then it came to me: Elijah on Mt.
Carmel. I would use this double-barreled
beauty for dramatic effect while I speak
about the awesome power of God in
sending fire down from heaven! So I built
a scale model of the altar and sacrifices.
I used Play-Doh to construct the bulls
and wood. Then I put it all on a large
steel serving tray, the kind you see in big
cafeterias. The critical difference was that
I used little barrels filled with a liquid other
than water to douse the sacrifices on the
altar. My barrels were filled with lighter
fluid, and I poured them over the Play-
Doh bulls and wood as I told the story
to 250 juniors, staff, and counselors at the
Lakeside Center.
I had not practiced. All I had in my
head was a vision of what should happen.
I knew that lighter fluid was flammable.
And I knew that I had the flammable part
covered. I just needed that blazing wad of
flash-paper to come close to the altar!
I stood about 15 feet away as the story
reached a crescendo, and I exclaimed
And then God sent fire down from
heaven!
Launch code alpha! Woooooooosh!
Out went the first fireball. And it was a
direct hit. A perfect hit. So perfect, in
fact, I was caught up in the moment and
mesmerized by the 5-10 feet high flames
that immediately began consuming my
clay bulls (turns out the amount of lighter
fluid I used was unnecessarily abundant).
Did you know that Play-Doh produces
black smoke? I didnt. After watching it
for several seconds I realized that I had
a crowd waiting on me. I turned back to
10 newsletter winter 2016/2017
address them. I forgot where I was in the
story. I think I even forgot the story. The
only thing I could think to say was: Wow.
That was pretty cool, wasnt it? than a blessing. Because of that, I decided
Indeed. And I'll never do it again!
Meghan Leach
NC Office Manager
What keeps you busy when it isnt
summer?
Some people dont realize that
in addition to summer camp we offer
programs from AugustNovember and
MarchMay. We even offer a camp in
January and a camp in February!
I suppose that each department is
a little different, but December through
February the office does a lot of the same
things as at other times, minus the million
questions! We record details about each
camp that went well or could be improved,
plan for upcoming camps, and keep our
knowledge of camping, customer service,
and technology up to date. Since we are
pretty busy during the summer, we find time
to take our summer vacations in the winter!
Kaitlynn Tompkins
Registration Supervisor
What is the greatest blessing you
have ever had at camp?
I was attending my second year of
junior camp and Bob Roberts (also known
as Big Bob) presented the Gospel in a way
that I knew I was not saved. Growing up
in a Christian home, I made a profession
of faith as a young child, but that night I
realized I was still a sinner needing to be
saved by grace. I sat in my seat thinking
about getting up or just sitting there. I was
one of the good girls in the cabin and I
feared what the other girls would think if
I got up during the
invitation. The more I
thought about it, the
more I did not care
what they thought. I
asked Christ into my
heart that evening. I
will never forget that
moment.
Why do you
think the Lord
has you serving
in a camp
ministry?
My parents have
always served in
ministry in one capacity or another, and in
my childish way of thinking, sometimes it
seemed to me it was more of a struggle
I did not want to be a part of that, so I chose
the business route in college. Through
mission trips and counseling at camp, the
Lord changed my heart towards ministry.
At the end of the summer that I counseled,
the Lord opened up the door for me to
apply for my position here at TheWilds. I
knew this place could offer me godly co-
workers and spiritual accountability which
were the two things I needed coming
out of college. I have never doubted this
is where God wants me. I have learned
so much in my job and been spiritually
encouraged by so many godly examples.
Ellen Stoner
General Store Manager
In that beautiful building we
call the General Store, you have
a variety of thingscute and
wearable things, resources that
challenge our spiritual lives, and
souvenirs. How does the variety in
the General Store contribute to the
camp mission of serving people by
presenting the Truth of God with
the love of God?
Its true. Not everything we sell at the
General Store has Scripture on it or in it.
However, our staff at the General Store
believes every item does its part to remind
campers to do all to the glory of God. For
example, an obvious one is our God & I
Time booklets. Over 1,500 copies went
to new homes this summer. By using
them, campers will be able to continue
going forward in their personal devotions.
There were also 1,300 Wilds CDs sold this
summer! A lot of people will now have
music that gives glory to God and keeps
them strengthened in their spiritual walk.
What about those less obvious
items? We see a lot of campers
walking around in garments with
TheWilds on it. How does that fit
in? Pardon the pun.
We sell t-shirts, polo shirts,
sweatshirts, and jackets all the time.
This summer alone, campers bought
4,900 team shirts. They like and wear
the garments, so its both a reminder
to them about their week at The Wilds,
and also a motivator for friends to ask
questions about it. This means campers
can encourage friends and neighbors to
come and hear the Word of God at camp
or they can testify as to how the Lord used
camp in their lives during the year.
What is the question you and the
staff get asked most?
Thats easy. Do you have ________?
The blank is filled in a lot of ways, of course.
Do you have the book that ________
recommended? Or Do you have my size
in this shirt? Or I saw a guy in this really
cool shirt (description follows). Do you still
have it?
How do you decide what to put in
the store?
With careful consideration and prayer
for wisdom, the items are purchased for
sale in the General Store. We desire that
each item that leaves in the hands of a
camper will have the purpose to bring
each camper back to their time at camp
and what the Lord did in their lives. Of
course, each book and CD is carefully
reviewed and listened to and added to the
General Store if the philosophy is in line
with the philosophy of TheWilds.
Cal Mair
Cool Beans Manager
What was the biggest crisis you had
in your area of camping?
It happened many years ago, during
a Couples Conference. I was in charge
of the kitchen when a power outage
(which wasnt unusual back in those days)
occurred late Saturday afternoon while
preparing the evening meal. I thought,
Oh no! Now what do I do? The teamwork
of The Wilds Staff came through! The
maintenance men brought down the grills
(that were made from 55 gallon drums)
and set them up on the back patio of the
Dining Hall. The meat for the evening
meal still had to be heated and the dinner
rolls still had to be baked. Both tasks were
accomplished using those grills! The meal
was served a little later that evening, but
the folks didnt mind. Without the power
being on, we used oil lamps on the tables
for a real candlelight dinner.
What was the funniest thing one of
your co-laborers did?
One evening about 30 years ago,
we were preparing for the next days
breakfast. To save time, we cracked all
the eggs we needed for scrambled eggs
or French toast batter into large buckets,
then stored the buckets in the walk-in
cooler until we were ready to use them.
After finishing up the egg cracking task,
one of the cooks came to me with a silly
grin on his face, and asked me to go look
in the walk-in cooler. As I opened the
door, there on the floor, were 180 yellow
eyeballs staring up at me! You guessed it.
He had dropped the bucket!
Since you were never a camper at
TheWilds, how did you ever end
up working here?
I joined the Navy after graduating
from high school in 1967. During my four
years of active duty, I received Jesus
Christ as my Savior, while stationed at
Naval Air Station, Atsugi, Japan. Upon
my separation from the Navy, I went back
home to Cincinnati, where I located a
good Bible preaching local church. After
my freshman year at Bob Jones University,
I returned home to spend the summer as
an intern in my home church. At the end
of the summer, my youth pastor said to
me, Mair, you are going to hear about
this place they call TheWilds. I want you
to work there next summer. I guarantee it
will change your life. Being an obedient
young man, I signed up to serve as a
counselor the summer of 1974. My youth
pastor was right. It did indeed change my
life! I saw God work miracles in the lives
of many of my campers, as well as myself.
What I heard about TheWilds back then is
still true 42 years later: TheWildswhere
the view is eternal.
Andy Anglea
Audio/Visual Manager,
Information Technology
How many microphones do you
have on the campsite?
It takes a lot of A/V equipment to
present Truth and love to nearly 20,000
campers that visit us each year. At last
count, we have just over 100 microphones
which, combined, send sound to over 300
speakers on the campsite.
What is the most difficult thing the
A/V department at TheWilds does?
Summer Funtime is our most
technically challenging event, taking a
crew of 4 or 5 guys to handle successfully.
Even more difficult is trying to provide
amplification for a service when the power
goes out. This past summer we had 2
services on the same day during which we
suffered power outages. With only about
an hours notice for one of the services, we
were able to set up a portable, outdoor
system powered by a gas generator
sufficient to both amplify and record the
service for the over 1,000 campers, staff,
and sponsors. Thankfully, we havent had
to deal with a power outage during a
Funtime recently. That would be a stretch,
otherwise known as an impossibility!
How many services are there at
TheWilds during a year?
This last year we had 628 separate
preaching services on the campsite, with
66 different speakers. Those speakers
include both our staff and outside
speakers. The sessions were duplicated
and sent out on 1,290 CDs, further
expanding the ability of The Wilds to
reach people with the life-changing Truth
of Gods Word.
Rick Stoner
Maintenance Manager
Is the Lake natural or manmade?
The Lake is manmade, and was a part
of the initial construction of the camp in
1969. The swimming area was limited, but
there was a rope swing and a water slide.
The first water trolley was built in 1973,
and the island at the Lake was a peninsula.
(I remember as a camper having campfire
services on the peninsula. Of course, we
didnt have 800 campers a week back
then.) In 1978 we had to rebuild the dam to
meet new government regulations put into
effect after the failure of an earthen dam
in another state. (Do you remember the
radio-thon held in Greenville to raise the
$80,000 needed to rebuild the dam? The
Lord was gracious to use the gifts of many
friends to provide the needed funds!) To
get enough dirt to rebuild the dam to the
new specifications, we had to borrow
dirt from the peninsula, thus turning it into
an island. As part of this project, a bigger
and better swimming area was created
with the existing docks, water slide, and
www.wilds.org 11
Lake Trolley. The Climbing Wall, Jump-off What does it take to clean this Short answer: the Golf Tournament is
Tower, and Blob came several years later. place? indeed worth it.

How do you get the Lake to be that
beautiful green color?
Green Dye. Lots of it! Actually it is
due to the specific make-up of suspended
organic and non-organic particles that
absorb and reflect light in the ultraviolet
region of the electromagnetic spectrum
through the water. It is further dependent
on the excitations of electromagnetic
energy states, the O-H bonds and
harmonics andyou might want to check
Wikipedia and see if you can understand
it better than I did. I think Ill stick with my
answer: Green Dye. Lots of it!
During the year we have camps most
weeks and weekends from March through
What has been your most
embarrassing moment at a
November. Besides the ongoing daily spot
cleaning, we clean the campsite every fundraising banquet?
Monday and Friday. Usually, about half
Many years ago at a banquet in
of our staff is involved in cleanup those
the Raleigh area there was a severe
days. During the summer, we have about
thunderstorm when the banquet started,
14 staff who are hired as cleanup and
and the hotel lost power (except for a few
housekeeping staff plus another 5 staff
small generators). The food was already
to handle all the laundry. We
cooked so we ate by candlelight and then
also have about 15-20 other
tried to start the music program. Mac
staff who clean certain areas
Lynch and Scott Ashmore were scheduled
each morning. On Saturdays
to sing a duet, and Mac asked me (a total
when the campers leave, our
non-musician) to simply hold a lit candle
entire staff gets involved in
for the pianist to see the music. As I leaned
the cleaning. We have about
forward to position the candle toward
300 toilets on the campsite,
the music, halfway through the song and
so many gloved hands make
unbeknownst to me, my necktie, which
much lighter work. We also
was hanging down into the candle, caught
try to keep up with 5,700
on fire! Obviously, the piano light quickly
light bulbs. We go through
went out and Mac never again invited me
hundreds of gallons of
to participate in any Wilds music!
chemicals, soap, and laundry
detergent each year to try to If I wanted to make a gift to
keep this place disinfected,
clean, and looking good. We TheWilds, where is the greatest
use the winter season, when need?
there are fewer camps, to
do a lot of deep cleaning.
That is when we get out the toothbrushes
to clean in all the little corners and scrub
A
Junior Boot Camp Expansion
everything. It definitely takes a lot of
Estimated Phase One cost: $750,200
teamwork from a great staff to keep this
Pledges and gifts received: $325,000
place clean.

Andrew Stoner
Facilities Manager, Maintenance

What is it like growing up as a

Dick Reid
Director of Development

TheWilds has had 24 Annual Golf

camp kid?
Growing up at TheWilds is awesome!
Who has a better back yard than a camp
Tournaments in Greenville. They
must be a lot of work. Are they
N
Activity Center construction (barn raising)
Estimated Cost: $1,800,000
Pledges and gifts received: $1,641,000

kid? However, contrary to popular belief,
we dont just play and do camp activities
all day long. There are normal kid things
like going to school, chores, work, sports,
music, etc. Growing up at camp means
having lots of friends. Presently, we have
about 55 camp kids living on the campsite.
Thats a lot of friends to play with! Growing
up at camp means lots of accountability as
well. It seemed to me that I couldnt do
anything without my parents finding out
about it! I had a lot of parent eyes looking
on. That was probably really good for
me! Growing up at camp means lots of
excitementthere is always something fun
going on at camp. Growing up at camp
means a lot of unique opportunities
including opportunities to regularly hear
Gods truth and have opportunities to
serve.
worth it?
The Golf Tournaments have helped
the ministry by providing:
Over $1 million in summer camp
scholarships to over 3,000 at risk
campers.
Over $1 million in funding for major
capital improvements at our North
Carolina campsite.
A relaxed venue for fellowship with a
wide variety of Christian friends and
their guests.
An opportunity to develop a stronger and
more mutually beneficial relationship
with many individuals and businesses
that know of TheWilds camp but really
dont know about TheWilds mission.
C
Funding for personnel to meet more
worldwide camping needs
Estimated cost: $150,000
Gifts received: $80,000
When are you going to retire?
As I am able and needed, I will
serve at this ministry, which I dearly love,
until a successor is found. I would like to
go to a 3 day/week position on June 1,
2017 (the date on which I will have been
with The Wilds for 30 years), if there is
a need and if I am still able to make a
contribution. This has been a humbling,
God-enabled journey of great joy and
blessings for me.

12 newsletter winter 2016/2017

 A
The Items received:
Commercial Torque Wrench

Needs Corner
Commercial Water Hoses (5)
Heavy Duty Tow Strap
L.E.D. Worklight
Soil Knife
Submersible Utility Pump
Needs:
Defibrilator - $1,300
Random Orbital Sander - $125
Hand Seamer 6 Jaw - $120
Hand Seamer 3 Jaw - $85
Oily rag disposal can for Auto Shop - $65
Large live animal trap - $220
Soil Probe (2) - $25 each
Rubber Boots (4) - $30 each
Fire Hose Cabinets (3) - $150 each
Fire Hose nozzles (3) - $65 each
Amish Poly Furniture tables (8) - $300 each
Amish Poly Furniture stools (20) - $150 each

N
Items received:
Video Camera
Needs:
Camera Lens - $500
Join us for one of these delightful programs when all Audio Cables (5) - $30 each
of Gods nature is springing to life! Enjoy hiking to a Zipline Carabiners (8) - $35 each
majestic waterfall framed by the vibrant showers of Kitchen Tools - $100
Lobby Video Monitor - $225
spring. Enjoy the kinship and fellowship of believers. Upright String Bass - $1,400
Enjoy the delicious meals, side-splitting Funtimes, and Summer Funtime Set Items - $250
the dozens of casual Freetime activities on our clean, Gift Bibles for Campers (2 cases 20 per-
case) - $75 each
well-tended campsite. Enjoy singing that glorifies God New TWNE Display - $215
and listen as the Word of God is practically preached
and applied to every persons life. Gods Truth is
where the real hope springs! There is a spring camp,
conference, or retreat just for you! I want to help
A or N
Enclosed is a gift toward the cost of the indicated need.
Rev./Dr.
Mr./Mrs./Miss_________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________
City____________________ State _________ Zip
Mail to: TheWilds PO Box 509 Taylors, SC 29687-0009

www.wilds.org 13
 Staff News:
Brent and Emily Allamon are
happy to announce the arrival of their
son, Jackson Wayde. He was born on
September 2, 2016, weighed 7 pounds
6 ounces, and was 19 inches long.
C.A.M.P. Staff
BACK ROW (left to right): Kristoff Hankerson, Jeremy Anderson, Ray Holden,
James Lindsey, Joshua Woodfin, Matt McCoy, Joseph Woodfin
MIDDLE ROW: Cherry Lockwood, Jenn Allen, Hannah Wallace, Amber Siegfried,
Callie Summer, Stephanie Nutt, Daniel Riggs
FRONT ROW: Rebekah Shutt, Melissa Creel, Brooke Dyer, Alicia Healey,
Joanna Aulgur, Tamara McFadden
CAREERS:
Stephen Ashmore (01) became Senior
Pastor at Victory Baptist Church in
Jacksonville, Florida, in the summer of
2016.
Greg Berkey (88,89,90) serves as
pastor of Community Baptist Church
in Hickory, North Carolina, and as a
chaplain with NASCAR.
Eric (96) and Rebecca [Hamilton]
Peterman (96) live in Tampa, Florida,
where Eric is the Family Pastor at
Hillsdale Baptist Church and the school
administrator at Hillsdale Christian
Academy. Rebecca teaches 4th, 5th,
and 6th grade classes. They have two
children: Abigail and Caleb.
14 newsletter winter 2016/2017
Andy and Carrie Anglea are
happy to announce the arrival of their
son, Ezra Miles. He was born on May2,
2016, weighed 9 pounds 10 ounces,
and was 21 inches long. He is welcomed
home by his big brother, Mark.
Abigail Gorsline, daughter of
Doug and Sonja Gorsline, married
Daniel Sprankle on August 20, 2016.
Contracted Staff
BACK ROW (left to right): Holly Brodwater, Jason Clark, Collin Rife, Ben Kashuba,
Joel Whited, Matt Fafard
FRONT ROW: Jeremy Bjur, Kris Wilder, Katelyn Hucks, Leslie Haynes,
Charlene Brooks
WEDDINGS:
Bethany Horton (13,14) and Theron
(TJ) Bowman (12,14), 6/11/16.
Candace Montgomery (12,13-16) and
Jordan Corriveau (14-16), 8/29/16.
Kim Kowalski (08,09,10,11,12,13,14,
15) and Deven Davies (15), 7/23/16.
Katelyn Bumgardner and Alex Eubank
(13,14), 4/23/16.
Mackenzie Stratton (08,09,10,11,
12,13,14,15) and Daniel Gibble (15),
10/8/16.
BIRTHS:
Jeff (07,08,10) and Kimberly
[Thompson] Carlson
(06,07,08,09,10), Janie Marie, 5/25/16.
Chris and Stephanie [Moss] Dale
(03,04,05,06-08), Madelyn Rose,
9/21/15.
Ben (06) and Ashley [Stoner] Fairchild
(00,01,02,03,04,05), Debra Grace,
8/24/16.
Abigail grew up at the North Carolina
campsite and served on our summer
staff for seven summers. Daniel served
on our summer staff for two summers.
They live in Greenville, South Carolina,
where Daniel is finishing up his business
degree and Abigail currently works at
Starbucks.
Kevin (07,08-10) and Sarah
[Thompson] Gillenwater
(05,06,07,08,09), Christopher Miles,
7/25/16.
Brandon (08,11-14) and
Jessica [Brooks] Hamilton
(06,07,08,09,10,11,12), Makayla
Brooke, 10/5/16.
Chris (06) and Megan [Jaqua]
Pennington (06), Ella Mae, 1/18/16.
John and Anna [Brooks] Robinson
(02), Josiah Silas, 1/13/16.
James (99) and Amy [Bishop] Tilson
(99,00), Caroline Hope, 4/8/16.
Former Staff,
help keep us updated on your career
moves, marriage, and children!
Send announcements to:
TheWilds
Where Are They Now?
PO Box 509
Taylors, SC 29687-0009
or e-mail formerstaff@wilds.org.
RON BROOKS Mrs. Myra Gorsline Mr. & Mrs. Ron Gorsline
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sprout Mr. & Mrs. Frank Hall Mr. & Mrs. Ray Hansel
Judy & Laney Hastings Dr. & Mrs. Ken Hay
ALBERTA CANADY
Danette Stovall Hensel Dr. & Mrs. Bob Jones III
Given by: Hope Baptist Church, Savannah, GA
Mr. & Mrs. Billy Lanier Mr. & Mrs. Tim Larkins
DR. LARRY CARRIER Dr. & Mrs. Homer Larson Dr. Rachel Larson
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ed Gamble Mr. Robert Laws Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Lpez
MARILYN CHESHIRE Mr. & Mrs. John Leatherwood Mr. & Mrs. Cal Mair
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ron Cheshire Dr. & Dr. Kris Martin Mrs. Guye Ellen Matthews Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sprout
Ms. Jane Maxfield Dr. & Mrs. Bruce McAllister
DARRYL CLEMONS
Mr. & Mrs. Russ McCall Mr. & Mrs. Willis Meadows
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. James R. Clark
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Meyer Mr. & Mrs. Bob Miller
JOE COBB Mr. & Mrs. Stan Miller Mission for Haiti, Greer, SC
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Larry Tolbert Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Morgan
TIM COREY Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Greenville, SC
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sprout Mrs. Muriel Murr Mr. & Mrs. Nelson Neal
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Overly Dr. & Mrs. Ed Panosian
MR. & MRS. WILLIAM GAIL CRAVEN
Dr. & Mrs. Ross Penix
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier Mr. & Mrs. T. J. Langford
Besty Potter & Brian Martin, Catherine, Jenna Claire
MARY CRAVEN Mr. & Mrs. Hal Raw Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Reeder
Given by: Cmdr. & Mrs. Patrick DalPorto Mr. & Mrs. Bill Ertel Ms. Carol Reid Mr. & Mrs. Dick Reid
Mr. & Mrs. Doug Gorsline Mr. & Mrs. T. J. Langford Mr. & Mrs. Jon Sparkman Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sprout
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Stoner State Line Motorcycle Ministry, Greenville, SC
JANET DAIL Mr. & Mrs. Rick Stoner Mr. & Mrs. Roger Syrja
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Doug Gorsline Mr. & Mrs. Corban Tabler Mr. & Mrs. George Thornton
Mrs. Katharine Tojdowski Mr. & Mrs. John Valdario
MARTHA GARRETT
Mr. & Mrs. Wesley Voth Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wickensimer
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Matthews
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Williams Mr. & Mrs. Tim Winstead
DOROTHY GENOVESI Mr. & Mrs. Bill Wood Dr. & Mrs. Dave Yearick
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Peter Fistere Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wickensimer
WILLIAM LIVERMAN
DONALD GORSLINE Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Cliff Gilley
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier Mrs. Myra Gorsline
Dr. & Mrs. Steve Hamblen Dr. Rachel Larson GEORGE MALCOM
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ron Cheshire
Mrs. Guye Ellen Matthews Mrs. Colleen Moser
Mr. & Mrs. David Palmer Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sprout NORMA MAROT
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wickensimer Given by: Mr. & Mrs. George Thornton
HELEN K. HAYES JIM MARSHALL
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Perry Given by: Mr. & Mrs. George Thornton
REV. RICHARD HORN SYLVIA MATTHEWS
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. T. J. Langford Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Matthews
J. DAVID HUGHES PAUL MONTGOMERY
Given by: Mr. Ismael Gullon Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Bryson
JAMES H. HUGHES ROBERT M. NEWMAN
Given by: Mr. Ismael Gullon Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Matthews
Ropak Manufacturing Co., Inc. Decatur, AL
GIL JOHNSON
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Gary Williams LUCAS NICHOLS
Given by: Elaine T. Byers Mr. & Mrs. John Byers
DARELL KOONS
Given by: Mr. Allan E. Brown Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Godrey DOT PRICE
Dr. Rachel Larson Angela McElroy Phyllis Perrine Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sprout
DIXIE LASSETER HOWARD PYLE
Given by: Community & Southern Foundation, Inc.,
DEWEY RICKLES
Given by: Mrs. Marjorie Rickels
JUSTIN JOHN RIDLEY
Given by: Mr. Carl Boone
ELMER RUMMINGER
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier
LEAH SEELYE
BEVERLY STEUERWALD
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier
BOB STONER
Given by: Mrs. Bette Andersen
Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Bryson
Mr. & Mrs. Dave Cleary Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier
Ms. Rita Covalt Cmdr. & Mrs. Patrick DalPorto
Dr. & Mrs. Ron DeGarmo Dr. & Mrs. David Dersch
Mr. & Mrs. Capers Dixon Mr. & Mrs. David Floyd
Mrs. Trudy Fremont Mrs. Myra Gorsline
Gospel Fellowship Association, Greenville, SC
Mr. & Mrs. John Hall Ms. Delores Hogsed
Dr. & Mrs. George Jensen Mrs. Jean Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. T. J. Langford Mr. & Mrs. David Lasseter
Mrs. Ardith Linn Mr. & Mrs. Steve Lpez
Mr. & Mrs. Cal Mair Mrs. Guye Ellen Matthews
Mr. & Mrs. Jim McAdams Mr. & Mrs. Russ McCall
Mr. & Mrs. John McCoy Mr. & Mrs. Larry McKay
Mrs. Muriel Murr Mr. & Mrs. Nelson Neal
Palmetto Digital Trade Source, Greenville, SC
Mr. & Mrs. Hal Raw Mr. & Mrs. Dan Sall
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Steuerwald
The Robert & Grace Ulsh Children & Families
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wickensimer
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Williams Dr. & Mrs. David Yearick
JASON TOMME
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Steven Schweinshaupt
MARY ALEXANDER WATSON
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. T. J. Langford
LYLE & EVELYN WELDY
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Billy Baugham
GRADY WIDNER
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Matthews
GIFTS GIVEN IN HONOR OF:
ELIZABETH CARRICK
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Gene Carrick
NELSON & DEBI NEAL
Given by: Mr. Ryan Neal

LIVING
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier
Atlanta, GA
PHILLIP LEADY
Mr. & Mrs. Grayson Dawkins Carolyn Henderson
Given by: Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier
The Ken Manry Family

BARBARA HAY LEATHERWOOD
Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Robert Annand
Mr. & Mrs. Bert Arrowood Ms. Lynette Baker
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Barber Mr. & Mrs. Joel Barber
Dr. & Mrs. Roy Barton The Douglas Beckers
The Kenneth Beckers The Robert Beckers
Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Benge Mr. & Mrs. Tom Bennett
Ms. Lois Boone Mr. & Mrs. Sam Brenneman
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Jim Brooks
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Bryson Mr. & Mrs. Roger Bush
The Michael Cantarella Family
Ms. Anna Marie Carmean Mr. & Mrs. Dave Cleary
Dr. & Mrs. Ken Collier Ms. Beth Coppoc
Mr. Rooney Crawford Ms. Jean Darlington
Dr. & Mrs. Ron DeGarmo Dr. & Mrs. David Dersch
Dr. & Mrs. Tim Dersch Mr. & Mrs. Chet Earwood
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Eaves
Endeavor Greenville, Greenville, SC
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Ertel
Faith Baptist Church, Encouragers Class, Taylors, SC
Mr. & Mrs. Durwood Farmer Mr. & Mrs. David Floyd
Fowler Interiors, Greenville, SC
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Franks Mrs. Trudy Fremont
Mr. & Mrs. Don Gahman
Gibbs International, Inc., Spartanburg, SC
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Godbey Mr. & Mrs. Doug Gorsline
MEMORIALS
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, Carrollton, GA
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Nuttall Dr. & Mrs. Norman Pyle
The Kevin Riggs Family Mr. & Mrs. Ray Riggs
The David Wilson Family Memorial gifts received as of October 15, 2016
Honor a loved one or friend with a Living Memorial gift to TheWilds.
In Memory Of:
Rev./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss_________________________________________________________
Please send card to:
Rev./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________
City_____________________________________________State________Zip_______________
Given by:
Rev./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss_________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________________________
City_____________________________________________State_______ Zip_______________
Phone________________________________________________________________________
TheWilds Living Memorials PO Box 509 Taylors, SC 29687-0009
 W in t e r 2016 / 2017 NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
GREENVILLE, SC
PERMIT NO. 687
PO Box 509
Taylors, SC 29687-0009
Address Service Requested

RunTheWilds2016 was a success so we are planning

another run on May 13, 2017.Runners can expect a
hybrid road/trail run as the course winds its way through
the various terrains of the campsite. All proceeds
from the race will go towards the camper scholarship
fund which
allows unsaved,
unchurched, at-risk
children to attend
summer camp.

Kids ages 3-12 will have a

Donut Dash. They can take part
in a short dash to the finish line
where a donut awaits them as a
prize.
For more information, visit www.wilds.org or call (828) 884-7811.