Saints of Valor and Kingdom Daughters United

New Christian co-ed youth weekend held at Hammond Mill Camp near Dora this fall gave pre-teens and teens a unique experience with faith-based learning and fun camp activities

Two local faith-based youth groups came together this fall to put on the first annual Saints of Valor and Kingdom Daughters UNITED church camp for students in 5th through 12th grades. 

Two groups organizing with one goal in mind

Both youth groups organized this year, separately, but with similar goals in mind. 

“Kingdom Daughters was birthed on a Sunday afternoon by three mommas sitting outside during a playdate as most momma-conversations start,” Darian (Amyx) Clayton told the Times recently, describing a conversation between herself and her friends Jennifer Kahl and Laura Burrow “We each felt God calling us all to do more for ‘His daughters,’ something more specifically for youth - and that fire went county-wide real quick!”

The Kingdom Daughters group held their first event on May 13-14 at Mammoth Assembly in Gainesville and it was a huge success.

“…And we knew that was just the beginning. Thirty one girls attended, and 14 of them were baptized. The main feedback we got from our girls was, ‘We want to do this more, and we want to stay longer!’ God knew we needed more room, larger facilities with a dining hall, showers, room for recreation and, of course, a place for worship,” Darian said. 

With that goal in mind, Darian shadowed Kris Ledbetter in the kitchen during her time planning and cooking meals at DOW Camp, a free summer camp open to children in Douglas, Ozark and Wright Counties. DOW Camp is traditionally  held each year at Hammond Mill Camp on CC Highway near Dora. 

“I knew in that moment that God not only wanted His girls there, but he wanted all His kids there,” she said. 

Similar to how the idea for the Kingdom Daughters group was born, the Saints of Valor group was established after a conversation by three area men: Ron Kahl, Dave Bushner and Kalen Hoffman, who serves as the youth pastor at Mammoth Assembly. 

“We were having a house Bible study, and there was a moment when a young man named Brady Myers talked about the need for Christ in the lives of students and kids his age - and younger - and older,” Kalen said. “From there, it became a vision that was moved on with prayer and, of course, the handy work of other Brothers in the church. The idea for camp fell into place as God started to move throughout our congregation and community.”

Darian’s husband Kyle Clayton also joined in with the effort, along with support from Mammoth Assembly, Pastor Ron Felker and wife Tracy and several other local churches. 

An unforgettable experience

The two groups joined forces for the Nov. 4-6 co-ed Christian event at Hammond Mill Camp. The schedule was a mixture of age-focused faith-based teaching and group study along with a variety of fun activities. Hammond Mill Camp offers a large dining hall and gathering area, along with several bunkhouse cabins where campers can stay the night. 

“Our plans first and foremost were to teach Jesus Christ to the boys and girls,” Kalen said, explaining that the event featured dedicated time for devotions, teachings and guest speakers throughout the weekend. “For activities, we’d planned to square dance, play laser tag and have a bonfire with s’mores.”

The organizers had to improvise a bit when Ozark County was hit with storms, rain and a tornado warning during the first day of the camp. 

“We’d planned to square dance on Friday night, but due to the storms we had to skip that,” Kalen said. “We all prayed together and went back to our cabins to see if the storm would pass, and thankfully the tornado warning expired and we were just left with rain.”

First Baptist Church of Gainesville Pastor Mason Eslinger and wife Misti had come to the camp to lead the square dance lessons. Kalen said he went to each camper’s cabin to tell them to gather in the mess hall to thank the Eslingers for coming out, even though they weren’t able to dance. 

“As everyone started heading that way, I ran back to my cabin, to get the guys, and one of the boys asked if he could bring his guitar. I said, ‘For sure!’ So, we all gathered in the dining area and everyone thanked Mason and Misti. Then I asked if everyone would like to have some worship. Our plan that night was to have worship around the bonfire, but water and fire don’t mix. But it didn’t matter, God brought the fire! The way the Holy Spirit moved that night was amazing!”

Kalen and camper Brady Myers began singing, and one by one, began asking the group to join in with different worship songs that the group knew. 

“We all worshipped God through the storm and had a wonderful evening. So, in spite of our plans, God worked everything out, and the evening was a blessing for everyone,” he said. 

The group held square dancing and laser tag Saturday night, and campers were given a choice of which activity to participate in. They also lit a bonfire and had s’mores. 

“Truthfully, the bonding time was priceless and honestly, it’s what made the hearts of all the boys and girls focus on the lessons and teachings,” Kalen said. 

“Every second of the event was memorable, and I can’t wait to see what blossoms from all the seeds God planted over the weekend. We had girls of all ages opening up about their stories and situations, talking it out, laying it at the cross, and I know we all left changed and empowered,” Darian said. 

Fundraising for the future

The two groups will continue their fundraising efforts with future events in mind, Kalen and Darian said. 

“We’re going to continue to further the ministry we started, and as the Lord wills, have more events in the future,” Kalen said. 

The group fundraised for several weeks in different ways in order to offer the camp free of charge to anyone who would like to attend. 

“We would like to continue to fundraise for future events to not only bless the children again but give them something that far outweighs the physical gifts they received. They will know Jesus Christ, and the truth will make them free,” he said. 

Mammoth Assembly and two other local churches worked with the two groups to put the camp on. Lilly Ridge General Baptist Church and pastor Davin Friend worked to raise funds, and Gainesville First Baptist Church used its church van to pick up children for the camp.

“This is something that members of Mammoth Assembly established as their ministry, but we realize the body of Christ is working with other believers for the glory of God and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross,” Kalen said. “We are open to donations or tithes to this ministry if that is something people feel led to do. Jesus said, “Freely have I given so Freely give”, and with that being said, we’re going to continue to fundraise and love these children like Christ loves each of us!”

For more information

To find out more, follow the “Kingdom Daughters” and “Saints of Valor” Facebook pages. The 2023 camp date is set for Nov. 2-6 at Hammond Mill Camp. 

“We also want to invite all Kingdom Daughters and Saints of Valor to Mammoth Assembly on the first Wednesday of every month to recap, encourage and continue this venture together,” Darian said. “Dinner is provided at 6:30 p.m., and a class will follow. The first meeting will be held Dec. 7.” 

For more information on Saints of Valor or Mammoth Assembly’s youth services, contact Kalen at 417-989-9104. For more information on Kingdom Daughters, contact Darian at 417-712-1474.