Meet and Greet
I had a wonderful weekend that started Friday. Friday was a retreat held in Ramey, Pennsylvania. It was at the Servant’s Heart Camp. The camp is a Christian camp that is on the shore of a large lake nestled in the woods. Since its inception, it has been a place where the love of God is celebrated and has opened its doors to different groups of various age groups. There are weeks during the summer where the camp hosts people of different ages. Last Friday it was for the “Young at Heart” and the camp invited those over sixty to spend the day listening to the preaching of God’s Word and enjoying the fellowship of other senior Christians.
I’ve spent time at the camp before as a camper and as a volunteer helping with various chores to ready the cabins for the next batch of campers. The cabins that house the campers are constructed of logs and very much remind me of the KOA cabins at many areas of the United States. So the camp has a special place in my heart.
When our group arrived Friday morning and as we drove across the spillway of the dam, I was able to see the foundation of the much anticipated main lodge under construction. It was such a blessed sight to finally see. I felt a lump form in my throat. I could hardly take my eyes from it to see the beauty surrounding me. Pray that the camp will continue to grow and that the finances will come in to finish the construction of the main lidge.
We exited our van and thus began the mingling of other older Christian men and women with the remarkable younger, sprier staff members. The staff was always thoughtful and courteous helping in many ways to make our stay enjoyable. It seems strange that at seventy-five I found myself in the middle age group. While talking with others, I found some at the low end of sixty and others in their late eighties.
The camp spreads over two hundred acres with multiple areas set for games, zip line, and canoeing. Some of the men and women had limited walking ability and were chauffered to the different areas by staff in four-wheel-drive vehicles. As usual, the brunch and evening meals weres great as were the two messages given. I have forgotten the minister’s name but he spoke elegantly. The camp staff presented a humorous skit.
The rain stayed away all day until we were climbing back into our van to head for home. For more information, check out the camp at www.shcm.org or info@shcm.org.