July 23, 2006
Saturday night Jenn, Olivia, and myself went to church camp in Pennsylvania
with Al Brock and his two daughters Mary and Maddie. I had not been there for a
few years and it felt good to be back. Being at camp is like being at
home. The familiar faces as we pull in the camp are so warm. There
are just some folks you can always count on to be there. The smells and sights
bring floods of memories, and I can't help but feel a little choked up for the
times gone by. It still amazes me how just ten days out of a year can have
such a profound effect on a lifetime. Its not just the friendships made,
but the lifelong decisions that many of us have made at camp that make it so
memorable. From the outside it looks like a few acres of old buildings,
some barely standing, but I'm not the only one who would say it is a special
place.
Jeff loved camp. He is seven years older than me, and I would love to hear
his and Al's stories about camp when I was a kid. I couldn't wait to be
old enough to stay in the dorm. When I think back on my childhood, much of
it revolved around wanting to be like Jeff. Quite honestly, I don't know
of a better role model. Lately Jeff has been talking a lot about camp, and
he very much wanted to be there. But due to his current condition, he was
unable to make it. So Al had a great idea that we could take camp to Jeff.
He brought his video camera and thought it would be nice to make a little
documentary of video messages to Jeff. During the Sunday morning service
the entire congregation stood up and said "We love you Jeff" and
cheered and clapped for him. Then we all sang for him "In my heart
there rings a melody". It was a great idea, and it was so nice to see
the warmth and happiness, even among the tears, that continue to surround Jeff.
He is such a happy and honorable man, it is only fitting that we cheer for him.
The life he has lived so far, and everyday to come was and will be days that
deserve cheering and happiness. I want to thank everyone who helped us
create that video for Jeff. I know he will love it. From the
sincerity to the silliness, it was all outstanding. I also want to thank
everyone who has been praying for my family. I know some of you feel like
you need to do more, but the prayers mean more than you know.