God's Word and Military Training in Alabama Wilderness Turn Boys into Men
A training camp in Alabama is offering the "best of all three worlds" to young men in America—letting boys enjoy outdoor adventure, turning them into men, and infusing them with the Word of God.
The camp is called "The Challenge," and it has been molding thousands of boys into upright, decent, and God-fearing men since the year 2000, CBN News reported.
The camp is managed by The Timothy Group with Bruce Stansbury, Major (ret.) US Air Force, as head of the program.
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Stansbury said their main objective is "to build a legion of young men in America, that when they go off to college, when they go into the workplace, when they go to school they can impact their environment instead of this world impacting them."
He said the camp accepts students mostly those between the ages of 14 and 17 and teaches them land navigation, firearms and medical training, hand-to-hand combat techniques, and Bible study.
On its website, The Timothy Group describes itself as "a faith-based non-profit organization combining specific armed forces training with Biblical teaching to forge an elite warrior for Christ."
Students who enrol in The Challenge are first told of the camp's motto, which is "I will either find a way or make one."
During Challenge week, participants are required to complete a mission with limited resources. They are taught "not to be content with the status quo but to be prepared to give their whole heart to their mission."
Stansbury said bringing the boys to the Alabama wilderness allows camp trainers to pull the boys away from their comfort zone and "push them hard," motivating them to achieve what they want to achieve in their lives and at the same time "allowing God to take over and move you places."
Some of the students who have graduated from the course have enlisted in the military and other service professions, according to CBN News. A batch of graduates recently headed to Iraq to provide medical care and support to military personnel engaged in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
Joseph McGowan joined the military after completing the program and now serves as a police officer in Garland, Texas. He's back in the camp as an instructor.
"As young men we tend to think we are invincible, tend to think a lot higher of ourselves than we really are. And when you face challenges, and you realize you can't do it and you need others ... that's an opportunity for God to come in and say, Okay, but you could be so much more as long as you partner with me and partner with other men," he said.
