Hey guys! Sorry it has been so long; this semester has definitely been a busy one! Although my schedule has been very full this semester, I enjoyed a short weekend off campus at Camp Mennoscah. My church, Tabor Mennonite Church, was having our bi-annual weekend campout at Camp Mennoscah.
Smiling faces covered in taco salad and chocolate cake!
My family set out early Saturday afternoon. When we got to camp, we started moving into our cabin. We stayed in Sunrise this year. Members of our church stayed in the retreat center, in staff houses, or tents. We set off on a nature hike on Saturday afternoon. We found spiders, lizards, and many bugs. This is one of my favorite parts of camp: the opportunity to slow down and realize the beauty of nature that surrounds the camp. For supper, it is often a Camp Mennoscah tradition to eat taco salad without silverware or hands. My table decided to continue this tradition, and we ended up looking very messy! After supper, we left on a hayrack ride as the sun was setting. Our theme for the weekend was “Radical Hospitality.” We talked about ways that we can welcome all people into God’s family. Marlene Bogard was our speaker for the weekend. She spoke at both campfire and at our Sunday morning worship. After campfire, we got into a very competitive game of four-square. We ended the night with several hours of SCUM, a card game. We played late (or early!) into the night!
We woke up very early on Sunday morning to start cooking breakfast. My family and another family worked together to make sure that breakfast was ready to go for the rest of the hungry campers. After a worship service and some more four-square and wood tag, we decided to spend some time by the river. Camp Mennoscah is located along the Ninnescah River. There is a dam with a very pretty waterfall. I find this to be a very peaceful and relaxing location to just sit and take in the beauty. Soon after lunch, it was time to leave camp and head back to our busy lives, which had been so patiently waiting for us to return.
We live in a world filled with technology, and I often find myself surrounded by it. When we left for camp, I realized that I accidentally left my cell phone at home. As the weekend went on, I realized that it was a good thing for me to get away from technology to spend time with others building new relationships and strengthening others. It was so necessary to get away for a weekend and spend some quality time with my church family. This weekend away was a learning experience for me as I took some time to slow down and take note of the beauty that surrounds me.