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September 2009
Dear friends,
 It’s hard to believe that as I write this, it was only two weeks ago at this time that we were beginning our last mini-camp of the summer. Since then we have launched seemingly non-stop into the retreat season with two large groups of children in need: one group dealing with the loss of a loved one and another providing a wonderful weekend for families with adopted and foster children. It brought home to me once again the power of God’s healing hand as witnessed through living in community in the midst of God’s creation with caring and ever-present adult role models.
Isn’t this exactly what Jesus did…he took a group of twelve unique men and challenged them to live in community in the outdoors with him as the teacher/role model. Every day was an adventure and brought those guys into real life situations that required them to live their faith. There you have it…summer camp in a nutshell. That is what we do everyday except that we as staff are poor, yet willing, role model substitutes for Jesus. And still he is able to use us to do his work.
This has been an exciting and fulfilling summer with many memorable trips to hike and canoe and cave and hang glide; with the joyful inauguration of Music and Drama for God (MAD for God) camp; with a wonderful staff of dedicated servants; with some exciting new renditions of the Lowland Games; with delicious cook-outs; and with many opportunities to feel God’s peaceful presence. Two instances stand out in my memory:
A group of campers on a nature hike discovered a tree whose trunk was growing horizontally, having been blown over by a storm. The roots were still embedded in the ground, however, so the tree continued to live. What caught the campers’ attention was the strange sight of the branches of that fallen tree, growing straight up, vertical. When asked why that was happening, a camper responded, “they're trying to get closer to the sun.” A wise counselor, recognizing a teachable moment asked, “What are we trying to do?” One camper said, “we're trying to get closer to the Son!” To which the leader replied, “That is why Camp Hanover is here.”
Another group was on an overnight campout when they unknowingly disturbed a ground hornet nest. All but two of the group members were stung, most of them multiple times. The campers were scared and panicked as they rushed to escape their tiny assailants. Upon their reassembling away from the hornets, their counselors, though themselves in a great deal of pain from the multiple stings they had sustained, lovingly attended to the needs of each of their frightened campers. The rest of the staff rallied around to support and comfort the campers. By night fall, all had been treated and were beginning to tell their stories to each other of “what happened to me.” As the stories unfolded, they began to heal and began to realize how many people had rushed to help care for them. Even in the midst of their fear and pain, those campers experienced God's ever-present love and tender care.
What does this ministry mean? Camp means that lives may be changed and enriched; camp means that campers may know more fully the love of Jesus Christ; camp means that staff may understand that they are God's hands and feet to the world.
Camp is a place where we blossom and grow and laugh and cry and experience the wonder of God’s creation and God’s unconditional love for each of us. It’s time to start planning for and dreaming of Camp Hanover’s 54th summer. We’ll look forward to having you with us.
Peace and joy,
Bob
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