A Letter from Palais

Hello Cairn Friends and Families!

I could not be more excited about writing to you as the new Co-Director of Cairn; I am thrilled about the opportunities, experiences and fun that await us in 2010!

Do you know that feeling you get in your stomach when you reach the camp road? After a year of school and events, sports practices and play rehearsals, the time finally arrives to head back to camp. You pack up your bags and jump in the car and you travel for what seems like forever. And just as you think you’ll explode with anticipation, there it is in front of you: the camp road. And your stomach fills with that feeling of excitement and joy, mingled with just a little bit of nervousness. THAT’s the feeling I’m talking about. Know that feeling? I love that feeling. It’s a feeling that embodies all the amazing possibilities to come.

That’s how I feel right now.

To be a Co-Director at Cairn is a dream come true. I grew up spending a week each summer at Glen Mhor and every year my love for camp grew. I am blessed to have had so many amazing experiences at camp as a camper, counsellor, arts and crafts director, programme director, alumnus and now, co-director. My journey to this new place in my life has been long, but rewarding.

As Christians, we are constantly moving within our own faith journeys. Sometimes we soar, knowing just what God wants for us, and sometimes we drag our feet, questioning our decisions, our faith and our places in this world. But no matter where we sit in our journeys of faith, God calls to us in unexpected ways. God called me to Cairn. His call made me realize that, despite the new challenges and hard work that go into directing a camp, at the heart of it is my belief in the camping ministry and its ability to effect positive change in the world. And, wow, am I excited to be a part of that change!

I pray for your health and happiness in 2010, and I hope that amongst all the journeys you take this year, one of them will be a journey to camp; we can’t wait for you to arrive!

Yours in Camping,

Rebecca “Palais” Jess