Storm Steals Memories from Retreaters and Campers

Friday morning was merely rainy in St. Louis, with a little thunder. But 100 miles to the south of us, the weather turned destructive and even deadly. Word came on Saturday that winds up to 100 mph had struck Fredricktown and surroundings in Madison County, and that the church camp called Orchard Crest had sustained major structural damage. The initial reports said a volunteer work crew had been readying the 10 cabins for summer use when the storm struck. All of them escaped injury but were forced to stay overnight because the road out was impassable with fallen trees blocking it. We have heard that only 4 buildings were standing: the dining hall, the director's house, and two of the hilltop cabins. Perhaps we will learn more soon, but our area church's plans for summer camps, as well as weekday retreats, are now on hold.

I have written before about my own good experiences at Orchard Crest on my other blog, Thursday's Child. The most recent entries, with pictures of the grounds, can be found here and here. In 2007 I shared some of my reflections from an annual fall retreat there and those can be found here. Many people will miss Orchard Crest and we can only hope, as our area church struggles with declining income, that our leaders will find a new vision and a new mission for this place in the country that has been inspiring to so many.