Christian happenings

Ann Trail chats with Tom Osborne, an early supporter of the Todd Becker Foundation. (Courtesy photo)

Camp Comeca. Sitting high on the hills overlooking the Platte River valley a few miles south of Cozad, Nebraska.

It is a camp for kids, both young and old, families too. Situated on a hill top surrounded by cedar trees and a few elms and hackberries, one has a view to the south of rolling Nebraska prairie and a winsome lake formed by the Tri-County irrigation canal. Complete with a modern gym and large indoor swimming pool, a great dining hall, a business meeting complex complete with myriad hotel rooms, plus a dozen or so individual rustic cabins and the center of grace a small chapel, all glass on north, with a splendid view. It truly is a place of inspiration.

Sadly the whole place has seen a bit of benign neglect over the years with cabins in need of upkeep repair and the food in the dining hall a bit so-so. Boy has that changed! The change has come about by new caretakers, Christian people with a story!

They are a fortyish couple originally from Alabama. The men have beards and the women don the long dresses and braided hair that I see in Mennonite communities. The son, probably 16 and an 18 year old daughter are home schooled by a dynamic mom of Norwegian heritage, think Viking!

Last spring they rented a car one-way and drove to the Atlantic Ocean shore of Delaware and began a quest to walk, yes WALK, across America to set their feet into the Pacific Ocean. No motels, no accompanying support team, just pushing a one wheel cart loaded with essential possessions and individual backpacks. They slept under the stars in roadside parks when not invited in by strangers along the way. The average daily trek was 20 plus miles although several days they proudly ticked off 31 miles. Dad said that three days of that made their feet hurt.

At the end of one evening late last fall they trudged up the long hill to rest at Camp Comeca. Evidently the people in charge of the Camp recognized an opportunity and offered the dynamic family the position of running the place. They accepted, but not before they walked on to Denver where they rented a car and returned to take charge.

This weekend there were some 50 of us men gathered at Camp Comeca to celebrate our Christian faith at a Walk to Emmaus event. Right off, we noticed that the whole place had been cleaned up -- the floors sparkled, the windows were clean and everything just looked better. Then we hit the food line in the dining hall. Homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Long slow-cooked smoked brisket the evening course. Then homemade cinnamon rolls for another breakfast along with scrambled eggs the menu list went on.

All five star! Plus that daily big plates of warm chocolate chip cookies, like mom used to make, magically appeared. I know not what Jennifer cooks for ladies but she definitely knows men's tastes. Grannie Annie will be there this coming weekend for a three day "Women's Walk" so truth will be told.

Not only was the three-day weekend a reawakening and reaffirmation of faith, we did it in gourmet splendor. Somehow, it is easier to learn to love your fellow, hairy legged, man just as Jesus the Christ taught, when one has a full and satisfied belly.

Grannie and I were privileged to attend another event in the line of Christianity in action. It being the Todd Becker Foundation's "Ten Year Celebration". Yes, it was a fundraiser but for a cause very much in the image of Christ's admonition to love your fellow man.

Todd Becker was a young man raised in Kearney, Nebraska. During his school years "friends" introduced him to the delights of alcohol and probably the recreational drug culture. High School senior, age 18, Todd was killed in an alcohol-related car accident. Shortly after the funeral, his brother Keith, age 20, realized the undeniable reality of death and his need for a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. From that realization, Keith was transformed by the Gospel, and from that, the Todd Becker Foundation was born.

Today the Todd Becker Foundation and its team of young people travel the Midwest sharing the tragic, yet powerful life and death of story of Todd Becker in assemblies at public high schools. At our banquet, held in the Younes Center, some 1800 of us including Governor Pete Rickets and special guest Tom Osborne were treated to a wonderful meal and great entertainment. Keith Becker was on stage with his "pep band" and NTV's Seth Denny, McCook High standout, master of ceremonies.

When Tom Osborne was a U.S. Congressman (Yes he did that, too, in addition to being a legendary football coach) he impacted the early years of the Todd Becker Foundation and helped shape the vision of taking their message to public schools.

From Texas to Minnesota, their literature testifies to thousands of high school students that have been reached with the powerful and life-changing Word of God.

Public schools, politicians speaking the message of Jesus Christ in today's liberal secular leaning school atmosphere? Yes it is happening and they have been to McCook!

Gov. Rickets boldly stated that Faith in Jesus transforms lives. Doug Peterson Nebraska's current Attorney General told us that "Jesus Christ is the answer!"

Kids come to realize that their past indiscretions, yes sins, are forgiven just by asking. At the assemblies young people on the team who testify of their own life changing experiences are right there before them. All they have to do is to ask and they too can live the better life and get rid of the hurts that are plaguing them at that moment on their journey to adult hood.

There is follow-up after the assembly for any who ask. It is a formula that works and Congressman Tom Osborne, their parent's hero, helped make that message allowable in the public schools.

Grannie and I are happy to donate to that kind of just cause. Love those young people.

That is how I saw it.

Dick Trail