During our camp season on Good SOIL, to highlight our seasonal staff, we’re taking a trip around camp to all the favorite places they hold dear. For many, Camp Mount Luther is a haven, a place of peace, good memories, and fun times. Usually there’s one (or maybe a few!) place where a person feels particularly drawn: their favorite place to go. In those special spots, camp becomes embodied, and we grow deep roots into the very landscape of Camp Mount Luther. It’s not just a building. Or a campsite. Or a worship space. It’s a memory, a feeling, a place of community.
Let’s begin our tour of staff members’ favorite places…
Evergreen can be a bustling place. That’s where, after all, we gather to eat, sing silly songs, and play raucous games. For staff member and introvert, CarolAnn, sometimes a quiet break is in order after all the fun. CarolAnn doesn’t have to go far from Evergreen, however, to find a peaceful place. All she has to do is walk out the back and towards the trail to Maple Village. There, nestled amongst trees at the edge of the forest, lies the gazebo.
The Gazebo’s History
The gazebo was given to Camp Mount Luther in loving memory of Elizabeth Goss, a young woman who tragically died in a car accident in 2001 only weeks after attending camp. For the past twenty years, the gazebo has welcomed numerous visitors to its benches, simultaneously reminding us of the fleetingness of this life and the everlasting peace found in the embrace of Christ.
What Makes the Gazebo Special
CarolAnn likes to sit in the shady, quiet gazebo and read, think, or converse with a small group of people. When she’s there, she feels relaxed and at peace. “It’s just a nice little getaway whenever I’ve needed to get space,” she says.
And we agree! As you walk up to the gazebo and the surrounding garden of flowers and shrubs, there’s a sort of fairy magic waiting to welcome you. The unpainted wood isn’t flashy, just solid and unassuming. The mossy roof layers the top like a blanket, adding to the coziness inside. It’s just big enough for a small group to gather for intimate conversation but not so big that one person would feel lost among the benches.
Come By & Rest a While
CarolAnn likes that she doesn’t have to walk very far to find a peaceful place, making the gazebo a convenient spot for all who are too weary to walk to one of the many other peaceful spots around camp that are further away. For CarolAnn’s favorite place, these verses from the 11th chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew fit well:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The gazebo is a place where your soul can rest. Whether you need to pray, think, read, or chat with friends, the humble gazebo is waiting at the edge of the woods behind bustling Evergreen, waiting to gently welcome you to quiet tranquility. Stop on by. Maybe you’ll see CarolAnn there!