Washington

...is beautiful. I miss the ocean. This particular beach, on Kamano Island, isn't particularly sandy, but the day was perfect; there was little humidity, a good strong breeze, and a steady tide. And loads of excellent skipping stones lying about. The sand was loose enough that your foot would plunge a good 4 inches every time you took a step.

You can't really see it in the picture, but you could see the snowcapped head of Mt. Rainier off in the distance, almost in the exact middle of the photo, which I think was the only place in the entire camp that you could peek at the mountains. It scares me just a little bit that Mt. Rainier is an active volcano, because I'm pretty sure that I'm not ready to tangle with something like that and win. Anyway, I won't be moving there any time soon, so it looks like the only natural disaster I need to worry about is static electric shocks during Chicago winters.

We set up tea lights along the edge of the L-shaped dock, and trooped the kids out there one night for Adoration. Then we had Fr. Robert rowed out from the side, and calling out to the kids, just like Christ called out to the apostles, as we were sitting out in the perfect stillness of the water. It also invoked the imagery of the liturgy for that day, when Jesus calms the waters of the storm. It was a very cool moment, sitting there with Jesus in the Eucharist right on the dock, in a prayerful moment of solidarity with nature and each other. Just slightly cooler than sitting on the dock and radioing in that "the kids were in position." The cloak and dagger of youth ministry, of creating context. Teaching literature could be a heck of a lot easier with a dock and a lake close by.

Two years ago at this retreat, Fr. Pat gave a talk using the imagery of Moses taking his shoes off at the burning bush, because of the sanctity of holy ground, and also as a sign of reverence. Little did Fr. Pat know that he was establishing a camp tradition where the kids always take their shoes off before entering the chapel, even to this day. Visitors show up with puzzled looks. Some of our staff have found shoes or flipflops outside of the sanctuaries of various local parishes, and inevitably, one of our kids is in there, praying. I'd like to think that it says a lot about these kids, the level of their reflection, and their receptivity to the faith.

One down, two to go. Next retreat in less than two weeks, which should be just enough time to get back on a regular sleep schedule. Honestly, I can't wait.