Church Camp

 We joined our new church for their annual church camp this weekend. The emphasis was on unplugging and taking good rest while enjoying one another. It certainly was an unplugged weekend, with only officially designated photographers, and we certainly enjoyed being together, but restful? Maybe only in the sense that we rested from our usual works and did different things.

There were no sleeping in mornings with 50 or so of the attendees being kids under 13 (most under 8!) and breakfasts at 8:30 after morning shared devotions. But neither were there any super late nights for the same reasons as we all stayed in the same lodge building.

Saturday morning was a hilarious blast of adults and kids alike playing games like octopus and blob tag, along with a slightly more serious game of soccer baseball. The afternoon was swimming (for the brave few in cold water!) and boating before settling into a rhythm of volleyball and basketball that, without scorekeeping, went on for hours!

We hardly saw Aiden except for meals as he roamed the grounds with the kids, dabbling in whatever games spontaneously began. Grace, Jasmin, and Mom fit in a good outdoor singsong time with Jasmin playing her violin, as well as crashing the worship team practices - that landed Grace a place on the team for the Sunday service!

Saturday evening we had the mandatory camp experience of campfire and s'mores, of course. We mostly enjoyed the heat, having never warmed up properly from our cold swim, and being still full from so many great meals. And then, the stars! It was a wonderfully clear night so we were able to see the Milky Way and identify a good handful of constellations.

Sunday's service included a wonderfully celebrated baptism as well, which felt like a very fitting capstone to our weekend.

We came home Sunday afternoon, (without injuries, mosquito bites, or sun burn somehow) all thoroughly tired, quite sore from the unusual amount and forms of exercise, fully content with the time spent away with our new church family.