Crazy Good Family Adventures!

Two of the past three weeks I have been on Family Adventures.  It's been crazy good to be with our own core family and with many of our church families!

Our family (9 adults & 10 grandchildren) spent a week at Baker Reserve in Minneapolis.  Five days and nights at the beach, around the campfire, playing bag toss, visiting the zoo and having great times of talking around the campfire.  This is a true family camp and my wife, Linda, and I love every minute of it in spite of the heat and mosquitoes.  God is good.  We have been blessed to be a blessing for sure.

Here's some pictures--

 Sand and water is all that is needed for an afternoon of fun for our four granddaughters!

Erin gives instruction at the beginning of a craft time!

Yesterday, Linda and I returned from 6 days with our Orchard Hill West Family Camping trip.  It also was amazingly good.  Approximately 75 adults and 75 kids spent the week at Mahoney State Park near Lincoln, Nebraska.  It's a beautiful park and the families just loved their time together.  It's basically a family vacation with some church community and spiritual input.  Each morning I led the group in small groups so that people could get to know each other at a deeper level.  I believe that people loved this opportunity to share with each other.

Each evening we would gather for a report from the day and some spiritual focus.  It always has an amazing impact upon families and this year was no exception.  Each evening, we heard stories about how past trips had touched and changed lives.

One verse I brought to the group was I Thessalonians 2:8 where the apostle Paul writes to the church in this city and says, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives as well."  These trips are about sharing the gospel of God but also our very lives as well!

These pictures may give you a feel for the event--

 Kids starting to gather for the Children's activities led by some of the parents!

A look at the center of our camp where we had sessions and ate meals!

Again, what a privilege to be a part of a very active and alive congregation!