By Laura Stalder, Youth Programs Specialist
The Family Campout was a great opportunity to spend quality time with family, try new activities, and unwind.
The weekend kicked off with a Nebraska football watch party, and the kids quickly made new friends playing games together.
Saturday was packed with activities and new experiences for the whole family.
The morning started with some light rain, but it didn’t dampen our spirits as we had a great time boating and playing camp games.
In the afternoon, we challenged ourselves to grow and conquer some fear as we climbed the Summit Course.
I heard a lot of “I can’t do this!” or “I don’t know how anyone does this!”
Then there would be encouragement from those of us on the ground, a pause, and then the camper would continue trying.
By the time they made it to the top and were being lowered down, I heard a lot of “I can’t believe I did it!”
After the Summit Course, we took on the challenge of the Forest Zipline. Again, many times I heard “I can’t do this!” or “This is too scary!”, the camper would pause, and then go.
They would come running back up the hill screaming “That was awesome! I’m going 50 more times!”
There is something powerful about being in a place that is challenging, but completely safe to help us grow.
In the evening, all families gathered for a potluck, which provided an opportunity for kids to bond and parents to share parenting experiences.
The retreat concluded on Sunday morning with an impactful worship, bittersweet goodbyes, and many promises to do it again next year.
