Cookout at "Boone"
by Pat Mace

One of the major events and high-lights of our 1985 summer conference was an evening spent at a cookout.You may wonder why I would call grilling hotdogs and roasting marshmallows a major event. Let me digress a bit and explain.

Three years ago, while at a similar conference in Hixton, Wisconsin, we learned that the Hixton retreat center was being sold. Surfacing during that week was a desire among those there for something to replace Hixton. But we wanted it to be more centrally located and accessible year-round. We wrote a statement to that effect, with everyone signing it, including the children.That was a general word of faith. But it was Tom Prewitt who saw the vision of it becoming a specific commission and that it was by him that God was going to bring it into manifestation. So he and his wife, Page, along with Jerry and Pat Fuller, have taken this as their personal commission, first of all to find the land and then to proceed step by step with all the necessary details of building a re-treat center.

This beautiful piece of property is located near Boone, North Carolina–right off the Blue Ridge Parkway–about a half-hour’s drive from the center where we were holding our conference in Blowing Rock. At the onset of our time together, plans for the week were announced, including an evening to be spent at our property having a cookout. I was thrilled with this idea because it would also include the children and give them a chance to step their feet onto some-thing that will touch them and be a part of their lives.You see, the place that we lovingly refer to as "Boone" is far more in my mind than a physical piece of property. The beauty of the mountain view is breathtaking; the woods and the meadows with flowing mountain streams are exquisite. But that is not the heartbeat, the throb, the intent of Tom’s vision. Once we know the only total truth there is–Christ living His Life as us, the intercessory thrust of our lives is to reproduce that in others. It is the answer that soothes every cry of every aching heart, and the set purpose that I envision for "Boone" is to be that center from which Life can proceed to all who desire it. We are out for the world to know the glorious freedom for which they were created. I do not know the various aspects that will entail, but God has already enlarged our believing to encompass many other facets.

As our week progressed, many obstacles arose about taking every-one to the property, and it was decided to take only the adults and to completely drop the idea of a cookout.The parking would be a problem since we had 77 people to take; the grass was overgrown; there was nowhere to sit, etc. But Page and I decided that we would go and inspect things for ourselves and decide how we could overcome the obstacles. Our first concern was how to drive Norman Grubb to the top of the property. Since Norman was a few weeks short of his 90th birthday, and since a part of the road was washed out, we had a problem. Norman could not walk up there and we could not get a car up. Page and I carried rocks to fill in the road so her son’s four-wheel-drive car could make it.All other conditions were less than ideal, but we could live with them.Then, as we were leaving, we drove up a drive near our property to an RV camp-ground just being opened.There was everything that we could possibly need: tables, fire rings, wood, water and plenty of parking space.The people there were very gracious to us, offering us the use of all their facilities. Isn’t that the way God is? He gives us more than we could ask or think. So the cookout turned out to be a huge success.

After eating our dinner, we walked up to the top of our mountain where the main building will be. Some words were spoken, we joined hands and sang together. Back at the campfire, as Norman sat and pulled sticky marsh-mallows apart so that we could all enjoy "S’Mores," Fred and Jan Pruitt led us all in a wonderful songfest.