Camp in the Community

Two weekends ago I went to Mayne Island with a group of young people from St. Philips, Oak Bay. The weekend began with dropping a 4L jug of milk at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. The youth group has been known to break something on every retreat, so I guess the milk was it! Thankfully, I had relatives on Mayne who opened the store so we could buy milk.

Have you ever stood at the bottom of a really, really tall tree and looked up in awe at how impressive it is? Or looked out at the ocean and thought about that same water touching countries that are really, really far away? The environment is pretty awe-inspiring; it’s all around us and within us.  But sometimes we forget the wonder of it, and just see it as ordinary.

What an incredible week of positive culture shock.  In preparation for the camp happening this summer in late August, we went to experience Alert Bay for ourselves and to connect with the people.  Such a rich and deep culture began to emerge as we took in the details of the community.  We established many connections that will make this camp a true example of community and started relationships that will journey beyond the summer.  The importance of community became even clearer to me while exploring the ‘Namgis culture, not only for this camp, but for every single camp this summer.  By bri

            I’ve never had a desk job before and, even though I am now programming this summer’s Camp in the Community, it still doesn’t feel like I have a desk job. In some ways this was not what I expected, and I’m thrilled about that. So far I’ve been able to play games, make posters, and meet new people. Doesn’t sound like a typical office job at all, does it?  Sure, there have been days where I’m sitting at my laptop for hours on end, but I’m usually researching something awesome like different crafts for the summer.