Hello, everyone! It feels like it’s been a while since we last posted, so we are excited to be writing and giving you an update now. We continue to discover that life at Camp des Cimes looks very different throughout the different seasons, and the past three months have been no exception.

January consisted of much of the same work we had been doing throughout the fall with Trenton doing a lot of maintenance of the camp buildings and property and me processing camp registrations and invoices and planning for our February camps. We had a couple different Christian groups host retreats at our camp. One of these groups was a Torchbearers school located about an hour and a half away from our camp. They held this retreat to welcome new students and do some team building. We were able to help put on some activities for their program and also help cook and serve meals, as well as clean dishes. We love when we get to interact with and actively serve our guests, so this weekend was a lot of fun!

winter camps

February then brought our winter family camps! Each February, we have two winter camp sessions, each one week long, that coincide with a two week break in the French school system. These camps are a little different than our summer camps because many of the families choose to go skiing during the day, as our camp is just a 20-30 minute drive from a few different ski stations. A typical day of winter camp looks like breakfast together and packing our lunch picnics in the morning, free/ski time for families during the day, then a worship and message time in the evening followed by dinner and nightly games/activities for the whole family.

We were fortunate to be able to go on several outings, including rock climbing and hiking, with other volunteers and families who decided not to ski. These outings were great adventures and a good way to have fun, be in nature, and dive deeper with the people around us. For the night events, we did things such as worship, family feud, viking-themed bunco, a scavenger hunt, and a talent show. These activities are always a joy to put on because we get to watch families and new and old friends come together. Maybe the most meaningful part of these two family camps were the message times. For the first camp, Trenton joined the adults in listening to a guest pastor while I co-led a small group of three preteen girls with another volunteer who came to serve for the week. With the girls, we discussed each of the fruits of the Spirit and how to live them out as daughters of God. It was really special to be able to share and discuss with girls this age in such a small group because I was able to really get to know each girl and (I hope) serve as a role model to them. For the second week, Trenton and I led a group of six to nine year olds along with another volunteer. This group had much more energy than my group of girls the first week, but we were able to have fun and learn some good lessons nonetheless. We taught about the character of God and got into some really good (and surprisingly deep) conversations about who God is and how we should follow the example he has given us through Jesus and his word.

At the end of each camp, we offer a time of feedback to our campers for them to give suggestions of how we could improve or to just share a bit about how the camp impacted them. I think one of the most touching comments we got came from a single woman who had signed up for the family camp not knowing anyone. She emotionally told everyone that before she came she had been nervous and scared about finding her place as a single woman in a camp of families but that she had found nothing but acceptance, inclusion, and love during her stay. As staff here, one of our main goals is to provide community to other believers in a country where being Christian is not the norm, so comments like this are so encouraging. Watching God move and use this place for the glory of his kingdom is amazing, and Trenton and I are grateful to be a part of it!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Camp des Cimes (@campdescimes)

US visit

A few days after the winter camps, Trenton and I flew to the US for an almost three week trip. This time was refreshing, and it was so good to catch up with family and friends after not seeing some of them for eight months or more. We spent one week in Arizona with Trenton’s family, one week in Arkansas with my family, and several days in Tennessee with one of my best friends and her family. We even got to meet two new little ones: Trenton’s sister and brother-in-law’s foster child and my best friend’s five-month-old baby. The hardest part for us of living in France is being away far away from family and friends and missing big life moments, so meeting those two really meant a lot to us. To those of you whom we were able to see, we are so thankful for the time we spent together! We are now back at camp with renewed energy and excitement for the work we have here.