I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” He said “Put your hand into the hand of God; it shall be to you better than a light, and safer than the known way.”
I remember those lines from public school and this summer I saw it happen. On the site of Glen Mhor Camp at Baysville, Ont., now known as Cairn, camp directors, staff, campers and families took a huge step of faith and trust in a wonderful beginning.
Three years ago it was determined that the PCC could not continue to fund church camping as it existed and, after much deliberation and anguish, it was decided to sell the Iona camp site at Bala and move the facility to the existing property at Baysville. The site would be renamed Cairn, and both Glen Mhor and Iona would operate from it. This meant that a whole campsite had to be carved out of the bush in time for summer sessions, and there were many, including some who worked on it, who felt that it might not be possible. But with days and nights of work, little sleep and huge amounts of determination, it happened.
There was a lot of thought and heart given to creating some continuity for Iona: A bucket of water from Hart Lake and ash from a campfire, as well as the camp's wooden cross and other treasures, were brought from Bala and incorporated into the new site. The Glen Mhor staff made it a priority to make “the Iona folk” feel at home, and it was wonderful to watch. The two camps shared some of the facilities, worked sessions at each site, and celebrated by singing their songs to each other.
I feel, as a brand-new senior citizen, incredibly lucky that I still have the opportunity to go to camp. And this summer I witnessed with astonishment, the beginning of a huge act of faith. I was privileged to watch it happen, and proud to be part of the church that claims it. It reminded me, too, that if we can't find the courage to embrace a new beginning, we multiply our own losses. For all the people of Iona, the loss of the Bala site was painful and difficult. They all felt it. But I believe that the participants at the new site found some relief in witnessing this great new venture, and my prayer for them is that they'll be able to tell their grandchildren that they were there at the very beginning.
