FAMILY CAMP BETTER THAN DISNEYLAND?

Over the last many years, our family camps have grown a ton so we have added them as necessary.  We used to do 2 family camps.  One over Memorial Day weekend and one over July 4th.  About 10 years ago, it got a bit hard for many people to take their family on a big trip, or to afford something like Disney, so "Staycations" became a vacation adaptation.  Meanwhile our family camps started growing.  There are many factors that go into that...

Our goal is to create programming where families meet our Savior in His creation, giving experiences you just can't do at home and also just get away from the busyness of life.  On our evals, 2 things continually come up as the best and most favorite.  It's chapel times and great staff.  So that's pretty cool and that is who we are!  Another factor is just word of mouth.  So many just share about their experience here after having a great time and gather other friends or family from year to year.  Another thing people are doing is bringing extended family, some enough to fill a whole retreat center.  If you think about it, it's a pretty easy way to do a family reunion.  You don't even have to cook!  There are a few other things but that's most of it.  

So as the economy got better, we found that many people just kept coming because it was so valuable to them.  That's always fun and encouraging to hear, and to know that the Lord is moving in lives.  So is family camp better than Disney?  Well you would have to be the judge of that, but we hear often that it is!  Right now we have 6 family camps including Latino Family camp at the end of August.  As of right now, 1700 family campers have or will be here this summer.  That's the most in Shamineau history, and counting.  That's a huge blessing and a lot of people that are hearing the Gospel and growing in their walk!