Special Touch Day Camps – Living Waters Ranch hosts a day camp monthly for special needs adults and their caregivers. February was wrought with questionable weather, so the group was small for the Valentine themed day camp, but those attending had a great time. Campers and their caregivers were treated to special music by Jen Moosmiller, a Valentine exchange, crafts and lunch.

The March, Easter theme day camp, was held on March 15, with approximately 60 people in attendance. After having a time of crafts, music by Bob Cook and Gene Holtgrewe, and a very windy, but sunny, Easter egg hunt, lunch was enjoyed by everyone. Campers regularly come from Bolivar, Clinton, Nevada, Osceola, Lowry City and the camps are open to anyone willing to make the drive.

The next day camp is scheduled for April 12 in the Osceola Assembly of God Church gymnasium. The spring theme will consist of BINGO for many fun prizes, followed by a delicious lunch of pizza. This day camp is free to attend and is funded by generous donations from area businesses, churches, individuals and civic organizations. If you would like to donate or volunteer, contact Joyce Brown, Living Waters Foundation, 4520 SE 450 Road, Osceola, Missouri 64776 or email: livingwatersranch@gmail.com.

PROM-A-PALOOZA is set for March 24 also at the Osceola Assembly of God Church. This event has been modified this year to include any high school girl, not just Jr. or Sr., as in the past, that needs help acquiring a prom dress, shoes and jewelry for her special night.

The day will start off with a continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m. followed by dress selection, haircuts and a luncheon. The high school girls are encouraged to bring their mom, grandma, aunt or other female friend, to help when trying on dresses.

Pre-registration is requested, to plan for food purposes for the luncheon. You can pre-register by calling Joyce Brown, 660.924.6890 or email: livingwatersranch@gmail.com.

Dresses and shoes are also being accepted at this time. You can contact Joyce Brown for directions to drop off locations in your area. Financial donations are also needed to help offset the cost of breakfast, lunch, jewelry and the tiaras given as gifts to each student and mom attending.

Jeremiah Camp – In August, the camp will be bustling with children attending Jeremiah Camp. This is a multi-night campout that is designed for children in grades 2-6. Many fun activities are planned, and Bible lessons are incorporated into the camp. There is a nominal fee for this camp to cover the expenses, but scholarships are available, so no child is left out because of finances.

Field Trips and Outings – Many schools bring their students to the ranch for field trips, churches bring children, youth, and families for day trips and overnight campouts, scouting packs have planned outings at the ranch for weekend events, and families use the ranch for family reunions and birthday parties. Activities like the Leadership Course, zipline, fishing, giant slide, hiking, games, and many other activities, keep everyone having a great time! A nominal fee is charged, and that money is used to help pay the expenses for the camp and the free outreach ministries described above. You can contact Joyce Brown for available dates for 2018.

Handicap Accessible Restroom/Shower House – Last year was an exciting time at Living Waters Ranch, with the beginning of the long awaited, handicap accessible restrooms and shower house. The building is not finished yet, as donations are still needed to complete it. The 20×30 concrete block building has a men’s and women’s side, with a handicap accessible restroom and shower stall, and a regular restroom and shower stall, on each side. The middle of the building has a storage area.

In the past when groups would go out to the ranch for field trips, overnight or weekend campouts, or the special needs adults’ day camps were held there, portapotties were the only option. Hand washing stations had to be set up also. Sadly, the camp was not able to accommodate people with walkers or wheelchairs with a real restroom. However, that didn’t stop the campers in wheelchairs from coming out for the day camps, as it’s one of their favorite monthly outings. It just meant their caregivers had to be dedicated to helping them in the portapotties, which was not an ideal situation.

The needs for the restroom that remain, are the electrical supplies (an electrician from Clinton has volunteered to do the installation), stools, showers, lavatories and interior doors. At some point there will also need to be a concrete porch and sidewalk poured connecting the shelter house to the building.

LWR welcomes donations, both financial and in-kind donations. and because they are a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3 organization, donations are tax deductible.  If you would like to be a part of making this building a reality in time for summer day camps with our special needs adults, please don’t hesitate. The board and supporters of LWR are trusting that God will supply the needs through generous supporters.

Living Waters Foundation (Ranch) was started in 2007 to reach out to the children and families in Missouri who needed a place to spend time outdoors enjoying healthy, safe activities. It is a faith-based organization with an emphasis on outdoor education.

Over the years various outreach ministries like the Special Touch Day Camps, Prom-a-Palooza, Jeremiah Camp, Christmas from the Heart, and the annual Fall Festival, have been developed to reach people of all ages and abilities with the beauty of the outdoors and the love of God.

If you belong to a church or civic organization and would like to have a program presented by the director, Joyce Brown, you can contact her at 660.924.6890 or email: livingwatersranch@gmail.com Joyce is a retired teacher who has found her passion in reaching out to others with God’s love and encouragement through this ministry.