Venezuelan student, Shocco partner

When Venezuela-native Daniel Rea began working as an interpreter for missions project teams in his homeland, he had no idea it would lead him to Alabama. Yet through a partnership between the Alabama Baptist State Convention and the National Baptist Convention of Venezuela, he is spending this summer working at Shocco Springs Conference Center in Talladega and seeking God’s plan for his life.
   
“I’m getting to know better what God wants for me, if he wants me to work with camps,” said 25-year-old Rea. “I’ve learned more about being humble.”
   
Before coming to Shocco Springs, Rea, an electrical technician college student, had been working with youth and missions teams at Camp Carabobo Baptist Camp, a 66-acre establishment that supports the ministry and programs of Venezuela Baptist churches.
   
Upon his return to Venezuela, he hoped to share what he has learned at Shocco Springs with others at Camp Carabobo to help them in their upcoming season.
   
Noting that Christians can serve others everywhere despite limited facilities and resources, Rea credits his experience at Shocco Springs with teaching him how to be more obedient to God through serving others and using his spiritual gifts.
   
“God is really working and touching many lives through the service that we can give as a camp,” he said. “Right after I go home, I am going back to school and working at the camp on weekends.”
   
The Alabama/Venezuelan partnership began in 2001 when 130 Alabama Baptist volunteers traveled to Maracaibo to do leadership training, according to Tommy Puckett, director of men’s ministries at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
   
Last year, the alliance expanded to include construction work at Camp Carabobo.
“Their camp purpose is similar to ours (and) we wanted to assist them in any way that we could,” said Wendy Westerhouse, conference relations associate for Shocco Springs. “For them a lot of it ties to construction and improving their facilities.”
   
Over the years, Alabama Baptists have also helped Venezuelans through medical missions and agricultural consulting. In return, the National Baptist Convention of Venezuelan has sent pastors and laypeople to Alabama to help churches better connect with the Spanish population throughout the state.
   
In October, two 10-member construction teams will travel to Camp Carabobo.