We are constantly amazed at the way the Lord has provided for The Anchorage throughout its history. The Lord’s grace and provision is illustrated in the following account of the first retreat at The Anchorage over 40 years ago… Friday, February 7, 1973, was the first day of the first camp program ever offered at The Anchorage . What a beginning it was, for it was also the first day of the worst snow storm ever recorded at Lake Waccamaw–20 plus inches of snow, 4 foot snow drifts, gale force winds, and wind chills below zero. The program was a youth retreat hosted by the Bethel FWB Church of Kinston, NC. A few of the 75 teens expected to attend arrived for supper, but most were to arrive after a ball game in a nearby county. Everyone was planning to stay until lunch on Sunday. Before anyone realized the size and scope of the storm the retreat was well underway. Because the storm moved from the coast inland, snow began falling in Lake Waccamaw long before it was even thought a possibility in Kinston. The early campers arrived as the snow began, and those who were to arrive late were closer to the camp than they were to home. All did arrive safely, but the excitement was just beginning. By Saturday morning all the roads in eastern NC were closed. The electricity was out, and phone service was interrupted. What a retreat this had turned out to be! There were 75 teenagers housed in one building with no heat, no water, no lights, no phone, and no way to get home. With nowhere to go, we decided to make the best of it. Everyone went to work. Some gathered snow to be boiled and then used for cooking, drinking, and washing. Others collected water from the lake to flush commodes. Candles provided a little light, and two fireplaces provided a little heat. A steady stream of teens headed out into the storm all day to gather snow, water, and firewood. The cooks had the task of preparing meals and cleaning up with no running water, lights, or heat (Praise the Lord for the gas appliances!) Everyone had to sleep by the fires.​ On Sunday the roads were still impassable. And we encountered another problem. The staff had only purchased enough food to provide meals through Sunday lunch only. Being the first-ever retreat there was no food inventory, so special arrangements were made to open the local grocery store (a walk of over a mile one way) just long enough to purchase the necessities for two extra meals. Finally, on Monday morning, roads were cleared, and the retreat ended with memories that would last a lifetime. In some ways, that first retreat may have been the best retreat we have ever had. During that weekend there was a spirit of unity that has rarely been repeated here, and the Lord used the preaching to touch the hearts of many of the young people attending. Even more importantly, the extended time resulted in the salvation of several who were lost. Over the years I have met many who attended that retreat, and most have a testimony of the change the Lord brought to their life while they were “stranded” at camp. I shudder when I think of the hazards, health concerns, and potential catastrophes which were present that first retreat program, most of which we were probably too inexperienced to even recognize at that time. Yet, God intervened on our behalf. Experience and training now allow us to “see things before they happen,” but we realize now more than ever that “….safety is of the LORD… (Prov. 21:31) .” Please join us in thanking our heavenly Father for His protection, and commit to pray regularly for the continuing safety of the campers, staff, and for His protection over the facility and equipment.