SWO History:
Snowbird started like any other ministry, with a vision. In 1997 Steve and Billie Fay Coleman began making preparations to move to the mountains to start an "Extreme Outdoor Recreation Camp." Shortly after the process began, Steve and Billie Fay's daughter and son-in-law, Brody and Little Holloway, moved to Andrews to get the project underway. Hauling creek rock, clearing trees and digging ditches were amongst most of the camp work in those days.
That first summer, Snowbird had nearly 20 students all summer long. In those days, recreation consisted of jumping off rocks into large pools of water in the upper Nantahala River, we now call Puddle Jumping, and hiking to the top of our mountain then sliding down a 50ft clearing as fast as you can (Mountain Surfing). Every mean was trucked across the creek from Granny's cabin. Groups stayed in tents and the Bible study times were held under a tarp. These primitive conditions did not scare people away. Group after group kept returning to work, build, dig and haul, making Snowbird what it is today!
These early days of recreation and small groups have exploded since 1997. Booking 300 students a week during the months of June and July, Snowbird is at its peak! God has grown, shaped, and pruned this ministry over these hard years, but the pioneering days are not over.
Busting through the seams, Snowbird now offers tons of recreation, ministry opportunities, and a year-round staff equipped to handle groups through the fall and winter. Our OLD School program and Missions Camp have given us a way to expand our ministry, while digging deeper in apologetic studies, teaching and serving our community.
