By Anne Gates

Joyful Service and Heart Work

Last May, Camp Mount Luther had its first Alumni Work Weekend, a time for giving of yourself to joyful service and fellowship. A group of alumni and current staff came together to help camp prepare for the busy summer months. It was an idea born out of a desire to spend more time with alumni and to help fill a need for more hands working at camp in the spring months. It opened with a campfire at the BOF (Bottom of the Field), and ended with a sending worship service and a round of frisbee golf. We planned “electives” with a variety of service projects like cleaning cabins, weeding and mulching the Evergreen Center, and washing windows. Many hands made for light work, as church members from our synod joined us for the service projects on Saturday morning. We accomplished even more than expected and experienced a lot of joy in our small camp community in the process.

To me, working at Camp Mount Luther is the most exhausting, yet fulfilling and rejuvenating work I have had the opportunity to partake in. I think that is because it is heart work. When your heart and soul are in the work, it takes on a new meaning. As the body of Christ, we are God’s hands in this world and Alumni Work Weekend is one way to use your gifts to serve our camp, campers, and God’s creation.

We are planning to host this weekend getaway again this spring for summer staff and alumni on Friday May 16th, through Sunday the 18th. Please prayerfully consider joining us this May for the whole weekend if you are a current or former summer staff member, or for Saturday during the day, to prepare Camp Mount Luther for its best summer ever! This year we will be preparing the pine cabins for a fresh coat of paint as our big project.