ridgehaven.

We spent the past ten days at Ridgehaven, our denomination’s camp near Brevard, NC.  It was a looong time to live crammed together in a little hotel-style room, but we are very thankful we went.  Here are five things I enjoyed about our time there:

1. The mountains.  Need I say more?  No phone reception, no internet.  All that rocky, sloping green and cricket-quiet just seeps into your very soul.  I loved all the rain and the chilly mornings and long, peaceful evenings.

2. Daily worship with our very favorite worship leaders/good friends, Greg and Kristi, and daily preaching of the Word from two grace-filled preachers.  Oh, we needed it.

3. Our children were happy as clams.  They loved the mountains.  They loved their teachers and their new friends.  They loved the lake and the “big slide.”  They loved all the mission agency folks and Ridgehaven staff who made them feel special.  Amelie turned three years old on Tuesday, which coincided with barbecue/line dancing night.  She got called up on stage and everyone sang to her and presented her with a birthday cake.  She loved, loved, loved her “dance party” birthday.

4.  So many stories to hear, so many people who’ve been where we are, who understand.  Evenings on the porch in rocking chairs with a miscellaneous group . . . talking, laughing, sharing the good and hard things.  New friends.

5. Space to begin to cry out to God my grief and shame and confusion.  Learning to lament.

Here are the few pictures we took, from our lazy Sunday in Brevard: