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Joy Fellowship
Fall 2005 Newsletter |
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A Letter to Joy: Things I Learned
While Camping With Joy Fellowship
by Priscilla Yong
I returned from camping at Sechelt surprisingly refreshed! I
thought of you and thought I’d capture a glimpse of my first
camping experience with Joy Fellowship for you, in a list:
Things I learnt at tent-camping with Joy Fellowship, at Porpoise
Bay, Sechelt
I learnt that:
 | Merrill is the person you want to sit
with when there are mosquitoes. She must have the sweetest blood
around! They found a really sweet spot on her neck one evening
and they descended upon her! |
| Dragonflies in the air are a sign that
it is a really warm day. We had really beautiful weather for our
Sports event. I learnt later that there were people praying for
the event and for the weather. |
| Dave Devitt is quite a scout when it
comes to games and hikes! |
| Getting a prize makes everyone’s day,
and not just the folks, as it made me smile too to get a prize!
It was lovely how Sue and Dave prepared prizes for every camper
and to see the thrill on everybody’s face at receiving a
prize. |
| John’s mum is never far from John’s
heart, that she is really John’s “sweetheart”—John spent one
entire afternoon working on colouring a huge “Wild Safari” art
piece for his mum. His perseverance at working on that piece was
remarkable. |
| Janice and Jackie have one of the most
gentle and sweet spirits around. Never complaining, always
taking delight in those around them, always ready to put an arm
over their friend’s shoulder and treasuring friendships. It was
quite moving when Janice wept the first evening when she heard
that Tracey, who was feeling under the weather, would spend the
night at Sue and Dave’s. Janice was starting to miss Tracy. |
| Jackie loves nature. It was serene
watching her drink in the beauty of the sea and sunset, and she
makes you join in the wonderment of it all as she looks closely
at the different trees and bushes and touches their leaves. |
| Doug is a real ambassador for the
Sechelt Camp—eager to show me around the campsite knowing it
was my first time, and taking orders for morning coffee in a
notebook that Edmund had given him! Coffee in your tent! How’s
that for a morning pick-me-up! |
| Lillian and Edmund have almost
permanent smiles on their faces and I suspect more than two
pairs of eyes between them. They are always noticing if someone
is down, if someone needs a hug, if someone needs to be lightened
with a joke, if something needs to be done, and very graciously
serving and always so positive. |
| Lori-Ann has a bit of Chinese in
her…have you seen her eat her taco dinner with chopsticks? It is
delightful! |
| If you need a hand, Cinzia is one you
can depend on to help! |
| Ryan from Sechelt is a great
marshmallow toaster! |
| The song “Amazing Grace” can bring
tears to the eyes of many of our folks who think of their mums,
like Jackie, Ruth, and Amanda. |
| Hot-chocolate drunk too late in the
evening can keep some awake till 2am! Sue and Lillian discovered
“Sleepy-time” tea is a good replacement! |
| A fleece liner for the sleeping bag
makes for a wonderfully sound sleep. David Stocks so graciously
offered me his fleece liner and I think that helped me sleep
through all the night’s activities! ZZzzzz |
| Rick has a wicked sense of humour and
equally wicked laugh, and has a great, big heart! Always looking
to welcome and include people. He is also a gadget-guy, I
believe he has a flashlight for every occasion! |
| Dave Jr. has an amazing bottomless
capacity to give his all to the folks and his love for the folks
is simply infectious. |
| Growth takes time. I saw the fruits of
30 years of Joy Fellowship Vancouver evident in the lives and
spirituality of the folks. It was beautiful. It was also
wonderful hearing how Joy Fellowship at Sunshine Coast started
and to see the work Sue and Dave are doing, and what God is
doing through the lives of the folks of the fellowship at
Sechelt. |
| Tracey’s testimony at communion was
beautiful…simply “Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins, I
am sorry, I won’t do it again.” |
| Edmund is quite the target when a
water-fight ensues. He made a poor attempt to hide behind
Lori-Ann but they got him anyway! Splash! |
| Pam from Sechelt is one tenacious
crazy-8 card player! |
| Wayne is a potential tent-camper!
Katherine put him in Rick’s bed/tent and Wayne was one
happy-camper! It was lovely to see the Richmond Bethesda staff
and folks…like Michael, Wayne, and Lucy, who came up just for the
day to be with us. |
| It’s true that food tastes really good
outdoors...chow mein, spaghetti, tacos, bbq burgers! |
| Ruth has a spirit of self-control
knowing how much to eat and when to say “no,” even at the sight
of such yummy food. |
| A nature walk is so much fun when you
take time to slow down and look for the clues that Sue and Dave
had put along the way. I learnt to identify the larch, the
huckleberry, skunk cabbage, crab apple, salal, and deer hoof
prints! |
| Jane is a great one to have as a
scavenger-hunt partner, and she is always reminding me that what
we were doing was really a good idea! And she was right! |
You, Joy, were never far from our hearts
and minds. Every time we broke into prayer (which was very often
and very often spontaneous!) the folks would be praying for you.
Sarah’s prayer has been that the Lord would hold you in his arms.
Hope you had as much fun reading this as I had in
recalling and putting in writing the memories of the past few
days!
May each new day bring afresh the beauty and truth that his
steadfast love endures forever and that his mercies never end. May
you experience each day afresh the wonder and joy of being a child
in the Father’s loving arms. |
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Edmund, Sue and Lillian at Camp Alexandra.
Edmund
and Lillian have been amazing in their
support of
Joy Fellowship, especially during Joy's
absence during her
cancer treatments. Lillian has
also been coordinating
friends to keep Joy company
and to help with
cooking, driving to appointments,
and the necessities of life.
We are so grateful for them.
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Tom and Jack McIver at Camp Alexandra. This
was Tom's first camp and he was quickly accepted
and loved by all at camp. Jack loves to
play and sing old Gospel songs with a Country flavor.
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