Big Bat Cave 2021.  What a day that will be when my Jesus I will see!   This year we have been faced with many challenges.  YET we had 83 a record  attendance!  Rob Batchman did our Council Fire at the back ofthe cave and Mark Jones did the morning devotion and the candle light vigil.  We had a great time. Weather for February was perfect sunny and warm of 47 degrees.  Low at  night was a warm 29 degrees! 

Special thanks to the early setup crew.  Jim, James, Rod, Mark, Rob, Ernie, Garrett, Jimmy, Logan, Logan, Taylor, Collin, Seryozha and Michael!   Cut a lot of wood and hauled it up to the cave! 

Special thanks to Ozark AOG for hosting this event.

Special thanks to Mark Jones and Rob Batchman for sharing their pictures with us.

Wow what a wonderful weather event.  Big Bat Cave was blessed this year with a sunny 47 degree Friday and 42 degree Saturday and a low of 29 degrees in the middle of the night. It was pretty nice!.

February 5th and 6th, 2021.  75 folk on the schedule to go.  We had about 86 in attendance.  There was a warm glow in the back of that cave.

 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 14 on this early crew was a blessing! 

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.  

 Ozark AOG Rangers and friends of Rangers had the largest group followed in group size by these churches.

Niangua Church of God ministries.

Stockton  AOG  Better Boy Brother Hood.

The Hill Church Bolivar Campus based out of Stockton.

Mt. Herman Baptist

Oak Grove AOG

 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!   

At 9:00 pm 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.  

 Rob Batchman.  Led our council fire service.   Jesus is the Light of this World.  In HIM there is so much life.   

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.  

 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.  

 Finally the sun comes up and the 29 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.  

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!   

9:00 a.m. Morning devotion we opened the golden chests boys picked out a prize from the BIG Golden Treasure Chest  (knife, metal match, Jute roll, carabinieri, 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.

 We gave out the walnut crosses to all the new folk to the cave and also some shinny gold looking rocks called pyrite often called fools gold and enjoyed rappelling the face of the cave and starting Flint and Steel fires with newspaper birds nests.  

 James Evans led the Rappelling with 2 ropes running.  It was a wonderful challenging events.    Heading out to home at around 12:30.  Lord I hope you are pleased as that is my hope!

 Mark Jones

Videos of the Big Bat Cave 2021 from Rob Batchman  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIb-tVbbwEY&feature=youtu.be     and   https://youtu.be/uVlJGmkhNNs

Click on a picture for a larger view.   Zip file of all these pictures.