Country Roads take me home...

....to the place I belong, Camp Ojibway!
Thus begins the theme song for a place that has become a haven of rest and time together for Chara and I every summer for the past three years. A little cozy place on Rice Lake in Eden Valley, MN called Camp Ojibway. There Hope Presbyterian, of Richfield, runs the camp and provides a Single Mom's Family Camp.
We love it when we go there. The staff is amazing, doing things we ask them to help with us and meeting our needs without us even asking. It's such a blessing for me to see the guys step up to the plate and for the kids to have relationships with good quality guys that are focused on them. One counselor in particular this weekend went swimming with kids every day and they were all jumping and climbing on him. The blessing he gave those kids of just being there and enjoying their presence was so good for their hearts.
There also is age group time where the kids break up into age groups and head off with the counselors and the moms get to hang out. We get to just talk, sometimes it's a focused discussion and other times it's just a getting to know each other chat, but it's kidless so we tend to be more open.
The highlight of my weekend is always when we break off into families at the end of camp and a counselor prays over each family. These college students may not quite understand the specifics and heartaches of being single moms or parents for that matter, but they understand the importance of supporting us through prayer and their time.
I almost forgot! This year all the moms were given a pair of earrings made by the staff. We got to pick out a pair that were on a card with Zephaniah 3:17 printed on it. I chose a pair that had turquoise rocks and little crystals that matched them. I found out that one of the male counselors made them! He's a big football player for Bethel...it makes me giggle to think of him bending over the table putting earrings together. I don't think he realizes what a big deal it is to us that he made them.
I cannot forget Penguins either! This is a camp ritual where every day of the week/weekend you attend you take a morning dip in the lake to get your name on the penguin board. Chara and I did it last year, but this year we didn't. We went the first day, and Chara even got the Penguin of the Day for her enthusiasm and not even complaining that she cold. The next 2 days we didn't go...we were tired, I'd ask Chara if she wanted to get up and go and she'd pretty much roll over and go back to sleep. She was a little disappointed to realize that her name would not go on the board for this year, but I have a feeling next year we will be doing it every morning. Not something I'm too excited about. It's freezing and I'm not a great morning person...I don't get crabby, but an ice cold dip in the lake is not my idea of a great way to wake up in the morning.
Despite my peeling skin from forgetting to reapply the sunscreen and being exhausted Chara and I left the weekend refreshed and ready for the rest of the summer.