Dear Faithful Friends,
Fall greetings from the mountains of West Virginia! It is a time of thanksgiving, and we are rejoicing in all God did at Wildwood this past year.
As many of you know by now, the director of Wildwood, Allen Marshall, passed away October 30, 2021, following a battle with cancer. Praise the Lord, Dad is completely healed now! His funeral was a remarkable testimony of his life by the number that came to the funeral to offer their appreciation, love, and support. From all of the Marshalls, we are truly grateful and overwhelmed at the support received during this time of our loss—God has been so good. We would ask for your continued prayers as we (Janet Marshall especially) continue navigating this new journey.
As Allen Marshall’s son, I have been actively involved in the camp in some way since the first camp of army tents, bucket showers, and yes, outhouses! I met my wife at camp, and together we’ve served for the last 14 summers running the summer camp program. Also my wife has been instrumental in overseeing many of the Ladies’ Retreats. At our most recent annual board meeting, I agreed to serve this coming year as interim Camp Director, while praying for God’s clear confirmation and direction for our future roles.
At the Men’s Retreat, our speaker Chris Miller was providentially hindered from arriving Friday evening. Thankfully, our pastor, Pastor Terry Cumberland, graciously filled in Friday evening, and Chris Miller was then able to preach both services on Saturday. We had a good group of men stirred, the fellowship was great, the shooting was on-target, and of course the food was good!
We are excited to see what God has in store at the Winter Retreat this year December 27-29. I would strongly encourage everyone to make your reservations as soon as possible, as we are limited in space. It is a great time of refreshment mid-year for our Christian young people over the Christmas break. Evangelist Glenn Stevenson III is our speaker this year. I believe your young people will be challenged and changed through Spirit-filled preaching.
We plan to have several work days at the camp in the spring of 2022, and we will send out invitations as soon as we can confirm some dates. We have painting, roofing, and general maintenance work to accomplish and would welcome help. My father took care of much of this after he retired from the post office, so it will take a new group of servants to fill his shoes.
Thank you to everyone that prays for Wildwood and those that serve. Please pray that God will allow us to see even greater things accomplished in our next 35 years as we press forward in faith!
In Faith,
Joel Marshall
Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
