La Vida donates beds to Ohio Partnership church

Bunk beds used by campers at Camp La Vida since 1942 are now helping give rest to volunteer mission teams at a church in Cleveland, Ohio. The donation, transportation and set up of the beds represented a picture of partnership among state ministries and a variety of mission teams.

In 2014, the South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union camp in Winnsboro remodeled cabins and planned to donate 24 bunk beds and 48 mattresses that were being replaced. WMU camp program director Cindy Skelton contacted Tim Rice, staff missions mobilization director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, for help in finding a group that could use them. Rice reached out to Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Cleveland, a host church for mission teams that serve in partnership ministries there.

“The South Carolina Baptist Convention has partnered with churches in Ohio for the past three years,” said Rice. “Until now, mission teams serving in Cleveland have slept on air mattresses on the floor in the Liberty Hill Church building. I reached out to pastor Mark Johnson about the bunk beds, and his church was willing to accept them.”

The timing of the donation was perfect. A large group of Baptist Collegiate Ministry students was scheduled to serve in Cleveland in early December, so Rice worked fast to find volunteers who could transport the bed frames and mattresses ahead of the group’s arrival. Three volunteers from the South Carolina chapter of Campers on Mission met Rice at Camp La Vida to load the beds on a truck and trailer. They then transported the beds to Cleveland.

“When we originally agreed to help, we had no concept of what would be needed,” said John McManus, current president of South Carolina Campers on Mission and volunteer coordinator for the trip. “But we were elated to help, the trip was great and we experienced good fellowship. I was overwhelmed with the ministry that is happening in Cleveland.” McManus and his wife are full-time Campers on Mission volunteers and members of Bruton’s Fork Baptist Church in Bennettsville.

Rice said, “This was a great picture of partnership and cooperation for Campers on Mission to help with this trip. We have so many folks in South Carolina who are willing to serve if given the opportunity. The donation of the beds will help future volunteers who will serve in Ohio to have a more comfortable place to stay.” About 1,000 volunteers from across the country are expected to serve in the Cleveland area this summer alone.

The donated beds were delivered just in time for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry team members to help assemble and then use for the first time in Cleveland. The team served with local pastors and ministries over the course of their weeklong trip in the city.

According to Skelton, WMU’s desire for the bunk beds to continue to be used in ministry is coming to fruition. “It is exciting to think that these bunk beds have been used in missions for more than 70 years, and the legacy will continue in Cleveland. If bunk beds could talk, they would also tell of all of the children who have sat on them to pray, read their Bibles, and write letters to missionaries while at Camp La Vida. Now, they will make volunteers a little more comfortable at night as mission teams serve in the Cleveland area.

“Perhaps a former camper will sleep in the bunk beds again while responding to God’s call in Cleveland.”