Cabin fervor
by John Handley
Sun on his back and gratitude in his heart – that’s a 9 year old John (though not at Caroline Furnace).
I can clearly remember my first trip to Caroline Furnace at the age of nine (actually on my ninth birthday). It was just a short overnight trip. After that, I couldn’t wait to go back for a whole week!
Staying in a cabin was the first big deal, then on to the canoe, hike and bike camps as I grew older. Even after I was too old to be a camper, Caroline Furnace still held a very special place in my heart and my memory. But those memories became an adult understanding of the mission of outdoor ministry as time went on.*
I was able to re-capture the youthful enthusiasm I had when I brought my children to Caroline Furnace for their own first experience. Now three of my children are old enough to be campers, and I am enthusiastic about making sure that they make their own camping memories.
When I see the happiness and wonder in their eyes and in the stories that they tell about their adventures, I get some perspective on why my parents took the time and money to give me the Caroline Furnace experiences that I had as a youth.
Have your own camping memory? SHARE IT during “I Love Camp Month” here or at FB/metrodcelca or on Twitter @dcsynodelca.
* Handley now serves on the Board of Directors of Caroline Furnace. Nice circle!