The first Christian Homeschoolers Family Summer Getaway has happened!

We had 15 families attend and  had a wonderful time of fellowship together.  The sun was shining.  The water was great.  Food and fellowship was enjoyed.

The camp was held at Motutere Bay Camp which is a conventional camping ground.  Motutere Bay Camp is situated right on the edge of Lake Taupo and is a spacious tidy camping ground that has bush surrounding its edges.  It’s facilities are clean and well appointed, with the bonus of a hall on site which is not something many camping grounds have.  Families either brought their own tents and camping gear, motorhomes, or stayed in one of the cabins available.

With 28 parent/adults, 19 adult/teens, and 36 children, there was quite a crowd!

On Friday night, we all met in the hall and each family introduced themselves and then supper was had together.  Saturday morning broke on us cold but sunny and the children eager to join in the games planned for the morning.  Murray Drinnan and his two adult daughters, Sarah and Victoria, organised and ran games that soon had everyone running and laughing.  With games like Butt Off, Dead Ants, Peg Chase, and Mattress Surfing, to name a few, everyone was soon getting to know each other.

The day was very hot, so after games it was off to the lake for a cooling swim.  We were quite a sight as we all crowded out the wharf area for diving and jumping into the crystal clear water.  Saturday afternoon was left free for fellowship and relaxing.  It didn’t take long for most of the older children to congregate in the hall and soon table and chairs were set up and board games were being played.  The younger children spent most their time running and playing games outside!

Parents could be found in groups chatting and having coffee, and even the odd nap!  Different groups headed off for swims throughout the afternoon as well, and later, it was time for a shared BBQ dinner.  This brought everyone back together into one big group and a very pleasant time of fellowship was enjoyed well into the night.

Sunday morning was another cool but sunny morning and everyone was up getting their campsites partially packed up and breakfast eaten.  We met in the hall at 10am for a devotional discussion on Biblical Worldview and its importance, and to pray for any needs each family had.  Then it was back to packing up the tents and off to the Lake for that final swim before heading home.

A comment from the camping ground staff that other campers had mentioned how well behaved the children were, was a wonderful testimony to the Lord.   Everyone who attended was keen for it to be an annual event, so we are set to do it all again next year.

Write ‘Christian Homeschoolers Family Summer Getaway on your February 2014 calendar and join us next year.

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