A Week Of Volunteering At The Refuge

Two years ago we attended the chapel service at Fort Lewis, which is about 10 miles north of Lacey, WA where we have been staying. Jim, a retired Army chaplain (colonel) presented an update on The Refuge, a Christian retreat center located about 75 miles from Fort Lewis near the Hood Canal. He and his wife, Robbie, had purchased 17 acres of lovely, hilly, forest land near the water and were living their dream of creating a place of refuge for Christian families and groups that need to take a break from life's stressful routines. We were impressed with his vision and goals and his use of a Christian Board of Directors. We committed to pray for and support the mission of The Refuge. We also told Jim we would like to volunteer for at least a week of service at The Refuge in 2008. That goal finally became a reality this past week.

The Refuge has two RV sites with hookups, and we camped there for seven nights in what can best be described as a modern Garden of Eden. It is such a beautiful, tranquil place. Robbie has a real love for flowers and shrubs and maintains them with zeal. The lovely, three story, main building is rustic in design and half-way to completion. On foggy mornings the Refuge acreage reminds us of our Army days in Bavaria 50 years ago.

Our daily work assignments included weeding, staining and repairing a couple of bridges, cooking, cleaning, assembling an Adirondack chair, preparing for a chapel retreat, and relocating a lot of lumber from the main structure to an outside storage area. The latter was done in preparation for the electricians, who arrived on our final day. Concrete work in the basement was also completed.

Jim and Robbie are such gracious hosts; both have the spiritual gift of hospitality. They live humbly in their pre-fab little home so they can put all of their discretionary funds in The Refuge. Fort Lewis Chapel also contributes two offerings each year. Every night we had fellowship, food and/or ice cream, and swapped old "war" stories with our friendly hosts. Robbie also made sure that all workers had a daily mid-morning snack. On Sunday evening Jim led a Bible study for locals and members of the chapel. Both Jim and Robbie are astute students of the Word, and they are truly dedicated to the Lord's work. They work hard every day to keep the grounds looking beautiful, and to make sure that the construction work is completed satisfactorily. Jim also serves as our Sunday school teacher at the Fort Lewis Chapel. We are the ones who were blessed by being at The Refuge for a week. If you are a Christian looking for a place of service or a Christian cause for your gifts, we highly recommend The Refuge.

On Saturday, the families of the chapel arrived for a day-long retreat. After a welcome continental breakfast, Chaplain Yak led a Bible study and made a tribute to a sergeant who gave his life in Iraq. Just prior to his death, he dedicated his life to the Lord and built a podium for Chaplain Yak, who in turn has donated it to The Refuge (see photo). Most attendees (nearly 100 total) enjoyed two hikes through the woods on a couple of the long sawdust trails. We also played Chaplain's Bible Challenge, for which many gifts were awarded for correct answers, participated in a picnic, and enjoyed a final worship service.

Jim announced that two families had offered to match every dollar donated to the Refuge by the end of the day. (This offer was a complete surprise to him.) The Lord really worked in our hearts, and by the end of the day, pledges had been made for nearly $13,000. This means that over $38,000 will be given to cover additional construction expenses. The Refuge has no debt; building advances only as long as there are donations to cover the work. We all rejoiced that so much had been accomplished in just one day at The Refuge. We believe that the Lord's hand is truly on this great work. We hope to return there one day.