Even though the ReCharge retreat on Sept. 21-23 at Muskoka Woods Camp started on generator power, the 168 participants from across the diocese – and even from Kingston! – lit up the music hall with songs, laughter and joy after long rides up to the camp. In our initial session, we learned about #drunknakedjesus – ask one of the youths what this means!
Afterwards, we moved to our cabins with help from our trusty flashlights, which only added to the excitement of our youth finding their cabins and beds for the night. We awoke to a beautiful morning, very thankful that breakfast was still able to be made and enjoyed by all, even with no power.
The power outage only rejigged our plans slightly and the sessions carried on as if nothing stood in our way. The ages were split into 11-13 year-olds and 14-18 year-olds, all talking about the same topic: “What it means to feel at home.” We all learned about how God wants us to be home in Him, home in our communities, home in our churches, home in our families and home in ourselves.
Our afternoon was filled with excitement on the low ropes and during gym time, mountain biking, team games, skateboarding and chill-out time. With the power restored, our evening sessions had us split into our groups once again with scripture being acted out, stories being told and ending in our small groups to delve deeper into the conversations of “Home.”
The evening ended with an epic game of Flame Battlers – again, ask your youth! The retreat ended with a rousing service of celebration and a sermon telling our youth that fear can drive us away from our home in God. They were tasked with asking themselves what scares them the most and then to “Go and do it!”
We so look forward to our retreat next year and ask that you consider sending your youth to join in all the learning, fun and fellowship!
My faith journey has been challenging