This is my story of faith and how it all started. Early in 2003 I didn't have a lot of faith, oh I believed in God but I didn't go to church but a couple times a year and I only prayed a couple days a week. And, my prayers were the same old generic prayer every time. That all began to change the day after my Mom passed away in October 2003. On that day my world around me was falling apart and the one person I would turn to was now gone. I was lost and I felt like I couldn't talk to anybody about the awful emptiness and extreme pain I had inside. At the same time I was trying to help my Dad with his grief. I would go out to the garage and sit all alone and just cry. I started talking to Mom, God, Jesus.... not really knowing if anybody could hear me but I had to get it out because it was eating me up inside. Could they hear me? How long does it take for my words to get to Heaven? I had so many questions because I had never done this before, I was no longer saying a short little generic prayer, I was having long heart-felt conversations. I was just hoping somebody was listening and could help me deal with what I was going through. I went a couple months not really knowing if anyone could hear me but I never stopped because little by little it was helping me deal with all that I was going through. Then I started noticing when I talked to God I was getting this internal feeling, like my body was buzzing and it started at my head and traveled down to the tips of my toes. I like to call them internal hugs. It only happens when I'm talking to God or Jesus, or if I'm praying with someone else. Even now I still get the hugs everyday. At first I didn't understand any of this because I've always been the type of person that I had to see it to believe it. How can you believe in something you can't see? How can you feel something if you can't touch it? Then I started asking questions and I asked God to show me something.... anything.... so I knew He could hear me. Then the dreams started happening. They were not just any weird dream, these were like out-of-body dreams that were so real and each provided me with guidance or showed me something that would happen a few days later. If I couldn't find something around the house, because only my Mom knew, I would ask and within days I would find it.

There are so many stories I could share but the most important thing is that I have never stopped having conversations with God and Jesus Christ. I still get the hugs, I still have the occasional dream, animals understand me when I talked to them, and most importantly my faith is rock solid and I have a personal relationship with God & Jesus Christ now. It was the believing in something I can't see that was the hardest to overcome but God has shown me in ways He knew I would figure out. It was all these hidden lessons that drew me closer and made me want to learn more. And, just think, it all started in my garage sitting all alone. No church, no Bible, no preacher... just me talking to God and Jesus.

One thing I have had on my mind for several years now was to build a camp based on faith to bring people closer to God and Jesus and to share what I have learned. Well right now I can't possibly afford to build such a camp. May 7th, 2008, I woke up from yet another dream and I had an overwhelming feeling that I should buy a domain name and start a website. May 8th I setup this web server, exactly one month to the day after my Dad went to Heaven to be with my Mom. I had no idea what I was going to do with this website or why God thought I should be the one to design this website. I really had my doubts because there are so many Christian based websites. But I asked God for the ideas and they just keep flowing. So, here you have it, I can't afford the actual Camp Faith campground but since I am a web designer I can do this website and we can share our stories at this virtual campground. One thing God has taught me is to work with the tools I've been given and trust that He will provide the answers and ideas. It is my hope that we can help just one person and then all this work will be worth it.

With your help, my goal is to learn more about God & Jesus Christ. And, to read and share your stories of how your faith helped in your lives.

Your friend,
Bill Holden
Caretaker of Camp Faith