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Reflections on values with Camp & Retreat Ministries

Volunteers Set Out On an Expedition at Camp Latgawa and Experience Wonder

 Value 1: Wonder

By Sam Grainger, Director at Camp Latgawa

I believe that many of us desire to experience a sense of wonder in our daily lives. We hope to experience something new and beautiful; something that takes our breath away. It can often be difficult to have these experiences when surrounded by the busyness of our day to day work, even when some, like me, are fortunate enough to work in the most awe inspiring natural landscapes on this planet.
 
This search for wonder is often a part of what drives guests to our sites. Our goal is to quench that thirst for wonder by providing new and different experiences to guests. I have witnessed many people experience a bit of wonder in a variety of ways, here at Camp Latgawa. One of the easiest ways to identify such an occurrence is through the look of pure excitement on an individual's face, perhaps when they find a crawfish in the creek for the first time. New and thrilling experiences like this may stick with guests for a lifetime.

Summer of '63, "The Pinnacle" Even I desire to experience that feeling of wonder more often in my life; and I had the opportunity to capture it last summer in the midst of all the work we were doing. For many, many years, Latgawa Senior High Campers have climbed “The Pinnacle,” a large rock outcropping above camp. Unfortunately this tradition was discontinued for a few years, but last summer we made a point to revive this tradition and include a new group of campers in the expedition. After a few seasons without use, the trail was over run and hard to follow, so with the help of dedicated volunteers, we set out to clear the trail. Upon reaching The Pinnacle, we saw the most amazing views, and they took my breath away.   My sense of wonder was only encouraged knowing that others would soon experience the same feelings of awe, accomplishment, and excitement that I was feeling, and that it was possible due to the dedication and hard work of amazing volunteers!