This year Special Friends Camp embarked on an exciting new adventure. Over Valentine’s Day Weekend, February 13^th through the 15^th, twenty campers and counselors were able to gather for a relaxing weekend get-away. Our theme, “Jesus is My Valentine”, taught us that because Jesus loves us we should spread God’s love, and secure in His love we can relax and have fun. The staff at Camp Copneconic helped us to relax and have fun in God’s love by: teaching us to make dream catchers, taking us bird watching, helping us to design our own snow art, taking us sledding, building inside bonfires, and providing material to play capture the flag. We also made picture frames for our pictures of nature, Valentines for Jesus, and had a special Sunday service led by Pastor Galan Walther, for campers, parents, and guardians. All that we did on Valentine’s Day Weekend allowed us to build our relationship with God in a fun, relaxing environment.

The weekend also created treasured new memories. One such memory is of the hilarious event when campers pelted the counselors with “snowballs” (paper napkins full of flour) during capture the flag. For some of the campers, sledding for the first time was an exciting new adventure. Mixing water and food coloring helped brighten our snow sculptures helped us discover that covering the tops of boots with red snow looks like a heart. One of the most relaxing memories of the weekend was sitting around the bonfires in our pajamas sipping hot coco.

During our special Sunday service, Pastor Walther ended the weekend with a sermon on relaxing in the security of God’s love. Pastor Walther reminded us that all the fun and relaxation we had at camp was made possible through God’s love for us, and by carrying His love within us we can be relaxed throughout the year. The memories of our time at the Winter Weekend Special Friends Camp will serve as a reminder of the relaxation that we can feel in the security of God’s love.