Caleb, the camel, is spreading Christmas cheer all around Wahpeton, North Dakota thanks to Evergreen United Methodist Church. Caleb is traveling around the town November 25 – December 21. When people notice that he has moved, they are invited to call the church and win a gift card to a local business.

The congregation hopes that Caleb the camel will help get Evergreen UMC’s name out in the community. So, Caleb the Camel is making his way around. Every couple of days he moves to a new location in Wahpeton, and the first person to call and report they’ve seen him in his new spot, wins a gift card to an area business.

Caleb will be busy visiting many places throughout the community. A church member did most of the work of setting up sites for Caleb to visit. The host will get a call or message the day he’s coming. Caleb stays at a host—in front a business or in the front yard of a local residence —until there is a phone call to the church that he has been spotted.

"It’s been fun to hear people’s reactions,” Pastor Jen Tyler, who serves Wahpeton Evergreen UMC says. “It’s fun for them to see how long he stays and to look for where he goes next!"

Deb Schouweiler, a member at Evergreen UMC, came up with the idea, based on something experienced, many years ago, at the Fairmount UMC.

“We even got the original camel from Fairmont UMC,” says Pastor Jen.  “A lot of different church members have stepped up to make this project possible. After repainting Caleb, putting a new phone number on his sign, and rebuilding the stand to hold him, he was ready to go! It’s been fun to get this out there. At first, church members were confused and uncertain about it. The longer Caleb is on the move, the more fun people seem to be having with it!”