Diocese of the Resurrection Family Camp 2004
by Ruth Schaaf
The DOR Family Camp was held from August 13th through the 17th at Robin Hill Camping Resort in Lenhartsville, PA. As always it was a wonderful success, and our numbers have again increased. A total of 34 attended this year's camp, and we're hoping for 50 next year.
Our days began with Morning Prayer and Mass, and our evenings with Evening Prayer. It was a true spiritual renewal. For those of us with very small parishes, several dozen people praying together is a welcome blessing.
Our theme this year was Noah's ark. The children learned through Bible study the story of Noah's ark, the importance of obedience to God, the truth of the account as evidenced by Christ's references to it, and of the parallels between the story of Noah's ark and the Second Coming of Christ. Fr. Read was our "guest lecturer," teaching about the covenant and the rainbow. The campers memorized a scripture verse and were able to answer all of the questions asked of them.
Ruth Schaaf was again in charge of crafts. On Monday we made cinnamon clay (approximately one part ground cinnamon to two parts applesauce) and used cookie cutters to make pairs of animals and Noah's family. The clay was baked in a slow oven until hard, and the aroma filled the lodge. On Tuesday we built small arks in which to house our newly made animals and family. The wood pieces were pre-cut and just required being hammered together. On Wednesday we built birdhouses, which the crafters painted a variety of colors and designs. While we made good use of the hammers purchased last year at the dollar store, I don't plan on doing two days of hammering projects in one year again. The noise is deafening. We do, however have some budding carpenters who can be very proud of their accomplishments.
Our song at camp this year was "Jesus Loves Me" using the hand signs for the deaf. It is the favorite song of several of the children, especially Caleb Pfleiger. We continue singing our blessing before meals which is to the tune of the Tallis Canon and sung as a round. And we took our usual hike around the property and had lots of fun in the pool. There was some successful fishing done in the pond behind the lodge, and of course, feeding the ducks was a highlight. On Wednesday night we had our traditional bonfire, at which prizes were given out to the children for learning their scripture verse and for all of their accomplishments at camp.
Bp. Kleppinger was again our camp chef. The food was delicious, and plentiful enough to fill all of us (I can vouch for that since I put on several pounds). Mary Anna Parish and Helen Potter sent baked goods so there would be some sweet treats for all.
Next year's camp will be from August 12th through the 16th. We hope to have people from all over the Diocese attend. Mark your calendars now and plan your vacations with DOR Family Camp in mind.
Fr. Tim Lent - Camp Director: E-Mail
More Pictures Summer Camp (Click here)
More information on our Camp Site (Camp Robinhill) (Click here)