At the risk of sounding cliche, I would like to say that 2013 is certainly starting out to be a year of new directions. Many people try to make resolutions to change their life whenever the New Year rolls around, but here at Camp Tejas we have done more than just try – we are actively heading toward completing some wonderful goals. There are building and painting projects beginning all around the camp. Phase 1 of the Dining Hall Expansion Project is making great progress. We’ve added some fresh faces to our staff, and our CEO Paul Biles has officially stepped into his new role. The entire staff is excited to see what God has in store fro Camp Tejas in 2013! As I consider the past year at Camp Tejas, the things that most stand out to me are the tremendous changes that have taken place since my first days on staff in January 2012. We have had a large amount of construction and improvements on our site, and all of these project have been necessities to the growing camp. Even now, however, there are still improvement that have yet to be completed and are on this spring’s schedule. Projects like adding roofs to the new climbing tower and the pool’s water slide tower are under way. Staff and campers alike spend hours in the Texas sun in the afternoon facilitating and enjoying the many exciting activities Camp Tejas offers, and these roofs will help keep them covered and safe. We will also be repainting and residing a few Tejas-side bunkhouses, not only to give them much needed updates, but to tie them aesthetically closer to the look and feel of our newer Meadows Retreat Center’s style. In addition, this spring should see the completion of Phase 1 of the Dining Hall Expansion Project, which was outlined in our October newsletter. In this phase, the larger cold preparation area and dish room will enhance our kitchen staff’s ability to continue to provide clean and delicious food options. In addition, the new, larger rest room facilities for our guests will help make our already charming Dining Hall even more comfortable and accessible. All of these improvements are scheduled to be completed by the time our summer season starts. And if summer 2013 is anything like summer 2012, we will certainly need the space! Our attendance was over 6,000 this summer, breaking previous records. On top of that, our numbers for this year’s Lights of Tejas event were even more record-breaking, increasing by 63% to 9,733 guests! What an amazing year it has been to be able to share the gospel and the love of Jesus with this many individuals. We continue to rely on God’s faithfulness to the ministry of Camp Tejas, and have seen Him touch the lives of so many that come through our gates. He is leading us through this time of change as we focus on His Word and His promises.