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Barakel - God's Miracle
195 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 27, 2019
Five stars all around for this one.
It is Holman Johnson’s story about how he was called to serve God by opening up a year round camp. It was told in antidotal style that reminds you of all the cool things that your grandparents as well as great aunts and uncles would tell you.
He crammed plenty into 195 pages and I would have liked to have read even more.
A future holiday might be spent there.
It is Holman Johnson’s story about how he was called to serve God by opening up a year round camp. It was told in antidotal style that reminds you of all the cool things that your grandparents as well as great aunts and uncles would tell you.
He crammed plenty into 195 pages and I would have liked to have read even more.
A future holiday might be spent there.
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January 20, 2018It’s been a while - fun to revisit this.
September 6, 2020
Barakel-God’s Miracle, written by Holman Johnson, is an amazing story of God’s miraculous provision! Johnnie, the author, was a pastor with a desire to start a camp program for kids to be able to learn about God in way that kids could understand. Started in 1942, the camp was more of a name than any fixed location. Eventually by 1947, the camp was held in two locations- one at Muskegon State Park and the other in Ocqueoc State Park (both in Michigan). Even despite the war years, camp continued, gaining around 650 campers. Many people had different ideas for the name of the camp, but Barakel was chosen, meaning “God hath blessed.”
Johnnie and his wife Hester started looking for a permanent location for Camp Barakel. Johnnie would come back from the free turkey dinners that real estate agents would offer him and tell his wife, “Oh, they only wanted $100,000 or $150,000.” (Remember that was back when any amount of money was worth ten times as much as it is now.) He and his wife would laugh, knowing that there was no way that they could come up with that kind of money.
A friend of theirs in Fairview was always trying to help them with finding a site. Through him they heard of a place called Shear Lake. This is what the author wrote about his first visit to the place.
“After a half-hour’s walk on the old logging railroad bed, we were standing on the north end of Shear Lake down by the old tarpaper shack!
What we saw was a real thrill! A beautiful little lake nestled down between the pine-covered hills presented a beauty we hadn’t seen at any other potential site. Just to stand there and not even know who owned it- just to dream in your head…
As we (he and his wife) stood there that day, we prayed, ‘Dear Lord, unless you have a better place for us, we pray you will give us Shear Lake as a permanent home for Camp Barakel.’
I must confess now that I didn’t see how it could be done. We didn’t know the owner- if he even wanted to sell- or what price he might ask. But we did want the very best for a Christ-centered camping program.”
After finding out who the owner was and speaking with him, they were offered half price on the land. When they were asked what they had to start with, Johnnie answered with the truth, they had nothing. They were given from September until Christmas to raise some money and then they would meet again. He had no idea how he was going to raise so much money, but he knew that if God wanted Camp Barakel to be on the Shear Lake property that He would provide the way somehow. And He did; on Feb. 4, Uncle Jonnie had the deed to the land- all 200 acres.
I'll leave the rest of the story untold, but I hope you’ll read it. Today Camp Barakel is celebrating its 75th yr. anniversary and is a full time camp ministry. I’ve camped four summers up at camp and my mom was a counselor up at camp and got to meet Uncle Johnnie. Camp Barakel is a very special camp that was founded out of a trust that God would provide if it was His will and that He will bless. He has done both and that is why Camp Barakel has flourished and grown.
If you what to learn more about Camp Barakel or even to attend camp or one of the many retreats, you can visit their website. http://www.campbarakel.org/
Johnnie and his wife Hester started looking for a permanent location for Camp Barakel. Johnnie would come back from the free turkey dinners that real estate agents would offer him and tell his wife, “Oh, they only wanted $100,000 or $150,000.” (Remember that was back when any amount of money was worth ten times as much as it is now.) He and his wife would laugh, knowing that there was no way that they could come up with that kind of money.
A friend of theirs in Fairview was always trying to help them with finding a site. Through him they heard of a place called Shear Lake. This is what the author wrote about his first visit to the place.
“After a half-hour’s walk on the old logging railroad bed, we were standing on the north end of Shear Lake down by the old tarpaper shack!
What we saw was a real thrill! A beautiful little lake nestled down between the pine-covered hills presented a beauty we hadn’t seen at any other potential site. Just to stand there and not even know who owned it- just to dream in your head…
As we (he and his wife) stood there that day, we prayed, ‘Dear Lord, unless you have a better place for us, we pray you will give us Shear Lake as a permanent home for Camp Barakel.’
I must confess now that I didn’t see how it could be done. We didn’t know the owner- if he even wanted to sell- or what price he might ask. But we did want the very best for a Christ-centered camping program.”
After finding out who the owner was and speaking with him, they were offered half price on the land. When they were asked what they had to start with, Johnnie answered with the truth, they had nothing. They were given from September until Christmas to raise some money and then they would meet again. He had no idea how he was going to raise so much money, but he knew that if God wanted Camp Barakel to be on the Shear Lake property that He would provide the way somehow. And He did; on Feb. 4, Uncle Jonnie had the deed to the land- all 200 acres.
I'll leave the rest of the story untold, but I hope you’ll read it. Today Camp Barakel is celebrating its 75th yr. anniversary and is a full time camp ministry. I’ve camped four summers up at camp and my mom was a counselor up at camp and got to meet Uncle Johnnie. Camp Barakel is a very special camp that was founded out of a trust that God would provide if it was His will and that He will bless. He has done both and that is why Camp Barakel has flourished and grown.
If you what to learn more about Camp Barakel or even to attend camp or one of the many retreats, you can visit their website. http://www.campbarakel.org/
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews