Stillwater Refuge is a non-profit organization that is working to fulfill the Great Commission by building Godly Men, Godly Marriages, and Godly Families by activating them to advance the Kingdom of God. We strive to accomplish this through our Hunting and Fishing Summer Camps, offering beautiful retreat facilities, marriage workshops, affordable whitetail and exotic hunts for families, and free retreats for missionaries on furlough.
As we reflect on 2014, we are so thankful for those of you who partner with Stillwater Refuge. There are a couple of weeks left to make a tax-deductible donation for 2014. Please make checks payable to Stillwater Refuge at PO BOX 549 Grapeland, TX 75844, give securely online via PayPal, debit/credit card, or visit our website at www.stillwaterrefuge.com and click the donate button. Because of your generosity, we were able to make a number of improvements such as:
- Constructed The Gut Shack
- Purchased three flat bottom boats
- Purchased several pieces of safety equipment (floating back stabilization board, life rings, first aid supplies)
- Remodeled The Bunkhouse
- Constructed the new, much safer Rope Swing at the lake
We are already anticipating an exciting 2015 and have several other projects that need completion. Here is a detailed list of some pressing needs for Stillwater Refuge:
- Construct new 25’x25’ building that will serve as our Summer Camp Workshop & Restrooms (This building will serve as our construction/repair/storage shop for all of the equipment and supplies that are required to conduct a fun, safe session of camp. This building will also provide a men and women’s restroom area for the Paintball Courses and the Ancient Oaks Pavilion. Estimated Cost (including septic system): $13,660.00
- Construct new 12’x16’ Meat Processing Room at The Gut Shack. We currently have to transport all the meat from the Gut Shack to a separate location for processing. This makes clean, proper, handling of the meat a very tricky process. This new facility will give us a temperature controlled, anti-microbial environment, within our existing Gut Shack to turn these harvested animals into tasty sausage, steak, and hamburger. Estimated Cost: $6,290.00
- Boat House & Bathroom near the beach at the lake. We are in desperate need of a restroom near the beach. We also keep our fishing boats and canoes near the beach, but have no way to keep them clean, organized, and dry. We plan to build a simple covered pier type building with four boat slips, racks on the wall for kayaks and canoes, and one small bathroom with an outside shower. Estimated Cost: $7,780.00
- Improvements & Repairs. The paintball field has been around since we started hosting camp eight years ago and needs to be updated. Many of our barriers and obstacles are becoming rotten and we are ready to add a new course or two. One of our favorite locations to have campfire is around the large cross in the hay field, but it’s time for this location to have its own permanent outdoor seating. We started constructing a beautiful nature trail around the lake many years ago, but lacked the funds to complete it. Only two of the four wooden foot bridges exist that are necessary to complete the trail and one of the existing bridges needs repairs because of a fallen tree. Estimated Cost: $3,825.00
Total Summer Camp Need - $31, 555.00
We are anticipating this year with great joy as we move forward with updates to provide an excellent atmosphere and facility for our missionaries, young men at summer camp, hunters and every guest who comes through the gates of Stillwater Refuge.
