Give Thanks with Us

This week, as our staff prepares to get on the road, dust up the kitchen, and spend time with loved ones, we take a little bit of time to look back on our year and give thanks for so many of the blessings that found their way to our gates. Here's just a few of the things we're thankful for this year:

-The Rain
-The Sunshine
-The fantastic performance of the Choir Camp, after just a few days of practice.
-The newts that slowly parade around camp after a fresh rain
-The smell of the spruces on a warm, sunny day
-The sound of laughter and the shock of the cold when campers first touch the ocean water during wave jumping
-The taste of the camp ginger snaps
-The view from the big dune, looking out over the ocean
-The sound of people singing in unison around a warm campfire as the night takes hold
-The feeling you get telling someone goodbye after a weekend retreat, watching them drive away, feeling you've made a new friend
-The blow-up carnival held in our central field by Camp to Belong for siblings separated in the foster care system.
-Climbing the giant Sitka Spruce on the east side of the big dune, nearly 60 feet high, using harnesses and ropes with a group of senior highs
-The sound of the Camp Magruder chow bell
-The beautiful summer sunsets that blend purples, pinks, reds, oranges, and blue
-The train ride with family campers to Garibaldi and back
-A summer staff of young adults who could do so many things in a summer, but chose to pour time, sweat, and love into creating life changing experiences for our campers and guests.
-Edible mushroom hunts
-Hearing the Portland Gay Men's Chorus perform hits from ABBA and Queen
-A housekeeping staff who make this place look like new over and over and over again
-The quiet and holiness of lighting a fire in one of the firepits just before the group arrives
-The sound of sacred songs reverberating beautifully from the walls of Sherlock or Carrier lodges.
-Prayer time at the outdoor chapel
-Exploring the paths on the west side of camp, under moss-covered Shore Pines
-A maintenance staff who literally keep the place running and continue to beautify our buildings
-Watching the super blood moon rise over the mountain with the women of the Needlepoint Camp
-The moment on a kayak, in the middle of the lake, when you look up to the mountain, it's reflection on the water, and all the green trees, and you must just pause and enjoy the beauty
-The silhouettes of campers standing near the ocean surf, arms draped over each others shoulders, standing in awe-The all-camp campfires where elementary, middle school, and senior highs share songs, stories, and skits around the fire
-The excitement in someone's face when they shoot a bow and arrow for the first time and manage to hit the target
-The ever-present sound of the ocean waves meeting the sands of the shore
-The way that God manifests a presence in all these things

Happy Thankgiving to you and yours. May your life be filled with blessings like they have been for us.

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