What does it mean to share our stories? What parts of ourselves and our stories do we bring
everywhere we go?
This weekend at Slush Camp (Snow Camp but in March), Lauren Harms, Community Care Pastor at Calgary Inter-Mennonite Church, encouraged us to reflect and share our stories, deepening our relationships with one another and ourselves. It only feels right to now share about our weekend through the lens of those themes.
On Friday night, we thought about the story of our names. Two brave YLT (Youth LeadershipTeam) shared with the group their names, where they come from, and how they shape us. We had folks join us from many different MCA churches, including Trinity Mennonite, First Edmonton, First Calgary, Foothills, and Holyrood, as well as many friends and campers from the summer! Many of our sessions took place in one big circle, joining our voices as one for the weekend (MCA Priority Statement 2). We had a wonderful mix of first-time Slush Campers and seasoned pros, bringing lots of joy and energy.
After a night of sharing and laughter, Saturday morning slowly rolled in, challenging us to think about the story of our place. Lauren led us through a wonderful art exercise of drawing places that felt close to our hearts. Many of us feel incredibly lucky to be able to call Valaqua our place. As Saturday continued, we jumped back into some fun and games. We played Lorax Monopoly (Liesel Retzlaff as the Lorax!),
where thankfully, we collected enough eco points to start planting Truffula Trees again! We also played some games of giant Dutch Blitz, mennonite squish, and Broom Ball - a Slush Camp classic!
- “One of my favorite activities from slush camp was playing broom ball because it was
very fun to slip around the parking lot and get to do a fun activity with lots of very fun
people” - Shared by a YLT
As the fun continued on Saturday, so did the community building. A highlight was seeing youth and young adults from different parts of Alberta make new friends and learn more about one another. The theme for this campfire session reflected just that: the story of our people. And of course, Saturday would not be complete without an epic dance party during Diamond Smugglers and a game of Mission Impossible.
- “I enjoyed getting to know new people, hearing everyone’s stories, and forming new
relationships!!” - Shared by a YLT
Wrapping up the weekend, we thought about the story of being alive and Palm Sunday! This was highlighted by a charades activity that allowed the group to share what makes them feel alive and invited everyone else to join! Laughter, nervousness, joy, confusion, and smiles were all shared as we came alive together in God’s circle!
- “I was thrilled to see the YLT take on so much leadership and plan an amazing weekend
that theyouth were engaged and excited about!” - Slush Camp Sponsor
It was such a blessing to have more than 50 youth and young adults out at Camp Valaqua for our yearly Slush Camp! It was awesome to see youth and YLT step out of their comfort zone to lead activities, help with song leading, lead grace before meals, and chat with new people (MCA Priority Statement 3)! Thank you to our wonderful cooks and kitchen volunteers for keeping us so well fed. Our hearts are full with many memories made around God’s circle and under the tall, tall trees of Valaqua!
-Char Lauzier and participants (Group photo credits - Char Lauzier, other photos - Linda Dickinson)
