Barnabas -- Visiting Again for the First Time

I hesitate even to write about how wonderful, gorgeous, blessed, transcendent, sublime Barnabas Family Ministries out there on Keats Island in British Columbia is.  Truly, it's hard enough getting space reserved for the Mark and Carolyn Arends Family Camp sessions without posting publicly about how, once you go, no summer without that experience will ever be complete again.  But, much like sharing the amazing music of Carolyn herself, Barnabas is just too good a thing to keep to oneself. 

Just registered today for our (could it be?) seventh session there.  And this year, I am terribly excited -- even more than usual.  The only thing missing from Barnabas has been our best friends, the Kurzejas.  Every year, I have begged, pleaded, cajoled, and hassled them, and this year was the first time I got anything even close to a "maybe" back.  OK, so they live out in the Midwest and this camp is on the far reaches of the west coast, and there are six of them, so this is a potential logistical nightmare.  But, more of a nightmare would be their having watched all their kids grow up and move on without ever once having experienced together a family camp at Barnabas -- especially one featuring the sage musings of Mr. and Mrs. Arends (and the phenomenal music of Mrs. Arends and Mr. Capier).  So, I took that "maybe" and ran with it.  Jason maintains that there is nothing more dangerous in his world than Justine with an idea and access to a credit card.  I went ahead and registered the Kurzeja Six.  Then, I called the mom up and dared her to cancel on me.

Praying, praying, praying for this one to come to be.  No one I know needs and deserves the absolutely Spirit-soaked adventure in Eden that is a week at Barnabas more than they.  If it is of the Lord, it will come; and, if not, Barnabas has a generous cancellation window. 

I, for one, am hoping beyond hope that I will have the extremely delightful occasion this summer to experience Barnabas again for the very first time through the wonder-filled eyes of my best friend and her family.