Retreat weekend

Here are just a few pictures of our weekend at a summer camp.  Gospel for Asia books this camp for all the staff and their families every other year or so.  We've been here now 3 times in the past 6 years.  This is the lodge that we stayed in. 

 There was plenty to do in the 48 hours that we were there that it all seems a little blurry to me. Let's see if I can list all that the weekend consisted of.  Swimming, soccer, basketball, volleyball, blobbing, ropes course, archery, bb gun shooting, bon-fires, and talent shows.  Oh, and let's not forget meeting at the dining hall 3 times a day for meals!

I wish I had taken better pictures of the weekend.  It was a little hard toting Micah around with a camera at the same time.  Just bare with me on these photos.

Julia and I spent a good deal of our morning watching the ropes course.  Both Olivia and AJ participated in this.  It is so entertaining to watch others try and muster up the nerve to do something difficult.  I like to watch instead of trying it myself!

Waiting in line to climb the pole.  The funny things they are sporting are harnesses that will keep them from killing themselves in case they fall.

Olivia getting all ready to "safely" climb the pole to the right of her.  I'm not sure how high it is but my guess is about 30 feet.  Once they get to the top they have to stand up on top of the pole (not holding onto anything) and then jump for a trapeze type bar just out of reach!  

Olivia made it to the top and actually balanced well enough to stand up and then jump!  She missed the bar but I was so proud that she did it!  I had video taped it and planned on posting the video of the whole thing but . . . I goofed.  I pushed the wrong button on the recorder and didn't get any of it!  I know, I'm still kicking myself!

I didn't even get any pictures of her climbing it because I couldn't do both at the same time (video and shoot snapshots) so I focused on video taping and got nothing!

Believe me, she did awesome!

This is AJ getting all ready.  You had to be 10 years old to even attempt this.  AJ is 11.

He climbed the pole to the very top but didn't want to stand up once he got up there.  He was too afraid he would fall.  Maybe next time.  I didn't get him on video either!

He climbed the rock wall next.  This was a 60 foot wall with no incline.  It was straight up.  He didn't make it to the top but we watched others do it.  What a great experience!

Oh, I forgot on my list of things to do, the pinata!  Every time we have a GFA retreat, some of the guys make a pinata for the children.  They make it extra durable so that many kids can get a chance to "wack" it without it breaking until most everyone has had a try.  They line up youngest to oldest and this year they gave them all someone else's bag to fill up.  What a great idea!  That way everyone got similar amounts of candy.

This is the penguin before he got too beat up. His feet had already fallen off.

"Julia, the slugger"

By the time AJ got his chance, the penguin was looking rather frayed!

My birthday fell on this weekend and it was so nice to have Olivia knock on my door early in the morning to wish me a happy birthday.  She had brought a gift to the retreat and was waiting to give it to me.  It was this blue top I'm wearing in this picture.  I'm sorry, I do not have a better shot of it.  She made it for me and I love it!

Fun with Micah

Friends 

It was a really nice weekend.  Reece cried when we got home because he wanted to go back.  Rich shared with the kids about how heaven will be so much fun that we will not want to go back home after we get there.  We cannot even begin to imagine what it will be like but I'm sure we will feel similar feelings of wanting to stay forever.  It won't be because of all the fun activities but instead, simply because Jesus is there we will not want to leave. 

I had some time alone while there and it was so beautiful.  There is nothing better that I can think of than peace and quiet outside with the only noise being the birds and the rustling of the trees in the wind. I'm so glad God gives us little tastes of heaven here on earth in anticipation of the real thing!  What is your taste of heaven?

Kristin