 |
| Two of my friends warming by the bonfire. |
When we got a brochure from The WILDS Christian Camp in New England last year, I saw that there would be a ladies retreat with guest speaker Mardi Collier. (
Mardi has written a wonderful easy-to-read book that has truly changed the way I read the Scriptures.If you haven't read her book yet, you NEED to. It is entitled What Do I Know About My God?) I knew at this point that I would be doing a ladies' Sunday School class around this book and so I looked forward to taking our ladies to this retreat to hear her speak.
 |
| After our hike |
We all booked early. In fact, the demand was so high for this particular weekend that I had the ladies reserve their spot as soon as possible. A dear friend of mine reserved my spot while we were in Austria. Wasn't that sweet? I vividly remember getting her email at 1:00am at the Hudsons.
Taigen laughed when he saw the weather report for that weekend. It was to be cold. Very cold. Normally, this isn't an issue as I love cold weather, snow, blizzards, ice, etc. But I have to tell you about the condition of the cabins we were staying in. The camp is in it's infant stages and the renovations are still a work in progress. It's um...rustic. Very rustic. As in no-insulation-just-plywood-walls rustic. They don't call it "camp" for nothin'! It would be cold. I packed a sleeping bag, fuzzy socks, flannel pants and longsleeved shirt and sweatshirt. I would surely be warm during the night.
I hitched a ride with some of our other ladies and we made the two plus hour trek up there. It was a gorgeous drive. The camp is nestled up in the hills of Deering, NH. It's in a perfect location and the history behind the property, and how The WILDS acquired it is amazing to hear.
 |
| Before dinner. The food was amazing! |
We got checked in, moved into our cabin, and laid claim to which bunk we would sleep on. Many were thankful because the bathhouse was right next to our cabin. The mid-night trek to the bathroom, should we dare venture out of our warm sleeping bags, would not be a far one.
The food, the games, the skits, and the teaching from Mardi were amazing. She told us about her recent study of finding things about our 100% God. Things like "I will
never leave you nor forsake you" or "My God
shall supply all your need." Those are promises you can count on. I love those all inclusive words in the Scripture.
 |
| Self Portrait of Two Exhausted & Sleep-Deprived Friends |
Nighttime came and we hurried to the cabin, quickly got ready for bed and dove under the covers. The
long night began. I wasn't cold at all and the beds, weren't bad. After all it's CAMP! However, we didn't count on one person in our cabin snoring. Loudly. I heard rustling from the other bunks and the midnight excursion to the bathhouse woke me up too. Our screen door creaked and our plywood thin walls allowed me to hear the crunch, crunch, crunch of their steps all the way there and back. I buried myself in my sleeping bag, enjoyed the warmth and eventually slept.
I didn't need to bring my alarm clock because I didn't need it. I was awake when 6:00 came. I jumped out of bed (brrrr!) and went to take a nice HOT shower and get ready for the day.
Were it not for the hot breakfast, multiple cups of coffee, and invigorating hike during the day, I might not have made it without a nap. All in all, it was a wonderful, wonderful time, full of hilarious memories, laughs, and a new perspective on how I study God's Word.
