La Buena Fe Campgrounds is a special gathering place for many denominations and organizations but owned and operated by Community of Christ Central American Mission Center and Campground Board. With the recent construction of an 800 person chapel/auditorium, the campgrounds now have groups utilizing the facility almost every weekend. The grounds are self-supporting including the caretaker salary. Professional Nurse Saira Giron attends all Community of Christ events at the campgrounds to provide medical care and consultations to the attendees. Saira has provided an additional ministry as she has assisted with the camps and weekend retreats. The church gatherings seek to minister to the spiritual and emotional needs of attendees. Now the physical and health needs of persons at the campground can also be enriched. The spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical needs are part of the concept of wellness and “wholeness” which is a basic belief of Community of Christ. However, there is no location or building where the ill can be isolated and treated. A nurses’ cabin needs to be constructed for this purpose. Once built, a nurse could be contracted (thru the Campground Board) by the additional groups to be available for health needs of these large gatherings of 100+ persons. The cabin would be large enough for rooms to house men and women as well as the nurse. Currently there are dormitories where 50 people are housed in one large room with bunkbeds. There is also no private place for medical consultations.

Deborah Ulloa Castellon