Something special about that place

This week is my church's yearly family camp in North Battleford. It is one of my favourite times of the year even though I usually have to work and can only go to part of it. I've grown up my whole life going there and with only a few exceptions, almost all of my friends that I stayed in touch with are from this collection of churches across Canada and the United States that gather twice a year. I think my life would be very different if I had not grown up in this church. Every first week of July and Easter weekend since I can remember, I have gone to North Battleford. And once I was 13, there were "young peoples weekends" over New Year's, May Long and Labour Day. Not to mention the "extras" like the summer and November camps in Spokane Washington, or the summer camps in North Carolina and the Caribbean. There are others and one day I would like to be able to say I've attended them all. But this place in North Battleford is special - there is something about it that gets to you that causes you to overlook the old buildings, the uncomfortable bunk beds and the soggy toast. Even my lifelong friends whose personal beliefs have taken them away from attending a church still have something inside of them calling them back to the grounds at North Battleford every July 3rd-ish. It cannot be explained with words. Personally, I think they know in their hearts that what they can find there is Truth. A Truth that they possibly regret turning away from and haven't found since. A Truth which can be found elsewhere, but seems to be intensified in that extra-ordinary place. But that's just what I think

Anyway, I spent last Thursday and Friday in Fort McMurray for work (I may post on that later) and then flew to Calgary to meet up with a bunch of camp-goers who were planning to spend the night at a lake before heading onto North Battleford. I must say that I had a lovely time and was very relaxed. I adore the water and lots of merry-making involving splashing and horesplay occurred. Not to mention the all night camp fire and the enchanting sunrise. Oh how I love to camp.

So anyway, I will be gone to NB for the rest of week in the evenings (hooray for living only 130 km away!) and on the weekend. I shall be playing volleyball, eating popsicles and hotdogs and singing and laughing and all kinds of things.

Until later.