Facilities and Maintenance

	Josh Abeln Maintenance and Facilities Director

I'm Josh Abeln. I accepted the position of Maintenance and Facilities Director and moved to Big Sandy Camp in May, along with my wife, Kerra, and our two little ones.

Maintenance may not be the first job that is thought of at camp. But I see it as a vital role, and a very integral part of the ministry. 

Why is maintenance so important at Big Sandy Camp?

If you've been on an airplane, you have probably thought, I hope we have a good pilot who can get us there safely. Usually we put our trust in the pilot because that’s the person we can visually see driving the plane. We should also be thinking “I hope I can trust that the maintenance team did their job.” If they did their job and did it well, they make the pilot more successful in getting you from point A to point B.

I love being able to see a need and fill a need. As we think of the people that camp serves and how it serves them, they shouldn’t have to even think about if the toilet is working, if the lights are on, if the buildings are warm, if the road is maintained, or if the grounds will be beautiful. When these things are accomplished, I’m able to sit back and enjoy seeing others being ministered to at the facility that I have helped maintain. Seeing this through is so rewarding for me. In other words, I like knowing that the people I am serving are able to enjoy our facilities and focus on why they are there, and not why things are broken. Being able to work in the maintenance field and envisioning people using the facilities is a true blessing to me. This is my heart for maintenance here at camp!