Wonder #10: Connecting Past, Present and Future
Written by Shelly Gallo
Spending our Family Week at Camp Arcadia has been a tradition for us since our family started. Each phase and stage of parenting has looked different at Camp. In the early years, attending our retreat with three babies was difficult, and yet it was still a time with family and friends that we treasured. Oftentimes, Jeff and I could sneak an hour or two away from the three kids during the week – just to breathe and be in the quiet… maybe even catching a page or two in a book on the Inn Front Porch.
Then, there were the elementary school years of parental attendance at all of the activities our kids wanted to participate in. From kicking soccer balls to making sure that one of us could be at the Archery Range to supervising swimming time at the beach, being pulled in different directions at Camp was still better for us than being in six places at once back home.
Our teen years at Camp have proven to have an even different feel and vibe altogether. Often, we might not see our kids til mealtimes, knowing they are safe and doing things they love to do every summer at Camp. But Family Trading Post time, evening game time and Friday evening worship take on whole new moments and meanings during these years for our family.
Our Family Week this past July took on another level – knowing that in just two short weeks we would be sending our firstborn off to college in another state. With our other two in high school sports and camps requiring their attendance at the end of our week at Camp, we really had only three full days of family week all together.
We made it a point to get up to Camp early Sunday to give us another afternoon on the beach. We didn’t even move in to our room – we got straight out of the car, grabbed the beach towels, and hit the shore. It was just the five of us until friends started arriving.
I don’t even remember if we really talked in depth or had any important discussions, but I do remember the five of us in one spot – our favorite spot – enjoying the time together. Our family does not get that very often these days, and that afternoon was the start of basically what we did the next three days. Sitting together to eat meals and a family night Trading Post… we tried our best to pack in our moments together.
With our oldest would be applying for staff this coming summer, our family weeks may never be the same again. After staff summers, our kids will need real-world jobs and then the scheduling gets harder! A full week as our family of five might look a lot different from here on out as we enter this next stage.
But the wonder of Camp is that, although the week can be very different year to year as our kids age (or let’s face it as we age – because playing that soccer game isn’t as easy anymore), the moment we arrive at Camp we are surrounded by all the memories of family weeks of the past that reconnect us back to those days on the swings, at the critter race, and dancing the Amos Moses together. The wonder of Camp connects us to our past and our future, while keeping us centered on God and His plan for each of us.
This is just one snapshot of how God uses Camp Arcadia to bless families and individuals each and every year. We are grateful for your partnership in what God is doing through Camp. (And in case you missed it, our guest author, Shelly Gallo, is Camp’s incoming Assistant Director! We look forward to her official start in January.)
We have a $150,000 Matching Gift Challenge active now through December 31, 2024! If you’d like to join us as a partner in ministry, consider making a gift to Camp Arcadia in support of our mission to provide renewal in spirit, mind and body for each and every guest.
Registration for our 2025 Retreats is open now – learn more or submit your registration form today: www.camp-arcadia.com/register. The 2025 Priority Deadline is January 7th.
