Big Cat Tracks at the Batcave	Lunch break after cutting and hauling firewood	Skully our Batcave Mascott

Once again the team that went before to clear the path and cut the firewood for the 5' wide by 14' fire pit you my friends are very much appreciated.  Working behind the scenes to enable others to achieve and enjoy Christian fellowship is a high calling. Thanks!  The nine on this early crew was a blessing!​

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Thanks to the leaders from these churches that take on the Hard Work, the time and travel and the expense to bring their boys to this years Big Bat Cave Event.  Please express to them thanks for investing in the lives of these boys.  ​

Stockton AOG with the Better Boy Brotherhood had the largest group followed in group size by these churches.​

Ozark AOG  ​

Morrisville​

Brighton AOG​

Strafford AOG​

Mt. Herman Baptist​

Ash Grove AOG​

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This event was scheduled in January.  I had plans on making some Walnut pendant crosses and ran out of time.  Weather event happened and 20 hours of work we were allowed to make 186 walnut crosses.  These crosses came from a Walnut tree that was blown over on AG Missions property.  Ranger Leaders cut it up and hauled some of it off and turned those logs into nice Walnut boards that have been air drying for a year or better.  These crosses were made from the CANTS. Yes salvage from the throw away parts of the log. ​

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We as always enjoyed setting up Skully a glowing one eyed foam skull with a candle on top and a bat with a walnut cross hanging around his neck this year.   Yup were not all there sometimes.  GRIN!  Along with that working on the Camp Safety Merit we Lashed and setup a Latrine with a hole that was used by many. Good work Ozark boys!  Of course we smoked jerky.  Lashed a quad pod and stung jerky all around the quad pod.  Major hit as when the call went out they ran like a herd of buffalo getting to it.​

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The council fire once again was all flashlights off folk were told to be REVERENT and thank about what God had done for them then a candle vigil march took place into the back of that cave.  It's hard walking through a cave with just a candle.  Older folks used flash lights at the end of the single file  line.  ​

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Rob Batchman led several to Christ in the Council Fire service. His story told of a father and his two sons that went caving and lost their lights and spent 4 days in the back of that cave.  Rob talked about not knowing God and feeling separated while the pitch blackness of the cave crept in on us when all the lights were  blown out.  Jesus is the Light of this World.  In HIM there is so much life.  ​

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Soon the Golden Treasure Chests were starting to be found.  When the boys found them they brought them to commander Jones who wrote their names in the tops of the chests.  ​

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Saturday morning after a long dark night.  Folks I never sleep on these events.  I just lay there in my tent  perfectly dry and warm but listening to every sound all night long.  Often praying for others with needs.  ​

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Finally the sun comes up and the 23 degrees moves slowly upward.  THROW ALL the fire wood on the fire or Commander Jones will have a fit.... I heard and chuckled as I was packing my sleeping stuff inside my tent.  Brothers in Christ are a Blessing.  So many wonderful folks doing so many helpful things.  Young and Old a like. Helping and doing their part to make this camp wonderful. ​

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Morning breakfast around the fire.  I had pre boiled hard boiled eggs.  Peppered bacon frying and home made biscuit donuts in powdered sugar for the rest of the group.  Thanks for the donut cooking crew!  ​

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Morning devotion we opened the golden chests boys picked out a prize from the BIG Golden Treasure Chest  (knife, metal match, derby car kit, other things)  then read the part of the treasure map that held scripture from the Bible of salvation scriptures.  As the 6 boys read the scrolls a treasure map appeared with the last boy reading the REAL  treasure is in your heart when you invite Jesus into your Life.​

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We gave out the 60 walnut crosses and enjoyed rappelling the face of the cave and starting Flint and Steel fires with newspaper birds nests.  ​

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Heading out to home at around 12:30.​

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Lord I hope you are pleased as that is my hope!​

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Mark Jones

Park Here	Big Cat Tracks	Big Cat Tracks we need a volunteer to check out the cave.
Wood team!		Faithful Workers
	6 Trips back and forth!
Both Rangers from 5 years old
	What a perfect cave for this.
	Great help!	Skully and the Boys!
Digging a latrine hole	Hey it doesn't fall in!	We need to move this up to the campfire it's comfortable
Fire pit with first fire!	Smoking meat!
	A version of round lashing!
Campfire cooking!
	Spliting this wet wood to get it to burn.
		The path leading towards the cave
	Wet Spring flow
Rappelling		Face of the cave rappelling 40 feet
Flint and Steel news paper birds nests
This bridge is awesome it scares me!	All night vigil results in SNOOZING!	More Big Cat Tracks
	Getting ready to hand out crosses	Home made donuts almost out of powdered sugar
	Jerky smoking	Firewood we had some left over!
Skully	Boys of 7 when I met them now leading Rangers!	A fear over come and a thrill
Fire flame colors! Thanks for giving to make it better!	Cave Devotion Room
	After the wood is cut!	Bell shaped cave great accoustics
Cobra Stick
	This is a very conflicted picture!	The story of the crosses!
	Brothers that come and help!	Since 2009 he had been making this happen! I praise God for men like these!
Me resting!

More pictures!

	Candles light up a dark cave	Fellowship!
	We love dogs to!
Chow time		Firecraft with Flint and Steel
		This latrine will even hold me!
Fun time!