We are going against the traffic right now, heading home – leaving cottage country behind. It feels a bit like salmon swimming upstream, going against the current. We should be home by the time the next DVD ends.

We had a really good time away, what started out as a “weekend” away – turned into a 4 night getaway. We were at Muskaka Baptist Conference (MBC) where we have gone every year since our first-borns were just little. Liam, our 3rd child, learned to walk in the chapel there. We have lots of great memories. This year they celebrate their 80th year as a camp and conference centre. They went through major renovations over the last couple of years. It’s come along way and looks incredible! They even changed their name to appeal to a wider religious group, it’s sign now says, “Welcome to Muskoka Bible Centre”.

Even though we are not Baptist, we never let that stop us from going. But I guess it does hinder some… It is really a fabulous facility. We have had family reunions, church family camp, men’s ministry and women’s ministry weekends up there. We have gone in both the winter and the summer. The accommodations have improved big time from a typical camp to more of a resort and the food… Wow! The food is still the most amazing, 5 Star, comparable to the best restaurants back home, place I’ve ever eaten at!

We also really enjoy the different ministries they bring in each week. This past week it was a focus on leadership, both in the marketplace and in the church. I really enjoyed listening to Dr. Richard Blackaby and Dr. John Hull who was a Pastor at People’s Church in Toronto and for the past 10 years has been the President of John Maxwell’s ministry group, “Equip”. Their Canadian office just launched their website a couple of days ago, Equip Leadership : Canada.

Each morning we got up for an incredible breakfast of magnificent proportions! Them we were off to our programs; we were in chapel from 10am-noon, the kids were in their own groups. Q got to learn water sports and Em played a lot of team sports with her class. Li and Jake played a lot of cool games and sang cool songs in the gym. Like a giant VBS!! Today, Q participated in a relay race on the water, Mary Lake, where he won! 🙂 it was a great way to end our time there.

We ate lunch either in their hub, a place for hotdogs, burgers type food. Filling ourselves enough to want to flop down on the beach… soaking up the sun and digging in the sand. Yesterday they threw a beach party with cotton candy, a jumpy house and sand castle making contests. They finished up the party with a giant water balloon toss! That was cool!

By the time our tummies were emptied from all the activities, like canoeing or kayaking down the river to the rope swing… It was time to eat again! 🙂 I should have brought my stretchy pants!!

Dinner was an amazing array of deliciousness in a way you’d only dream about while on vacation! Ribs, wings, roast, salmon, prawns, steak, and I could go on and on ad on! We usually rolled out of there just in enough time to visit the bookstore before going to our evening sessions. The kids headed to their groups and we settled in to hear another great speaker.

I am sure I gained 10 pounds and a whack of new sermon examples and some great books to read.

So now… we take the journey home, back to reality. Back to chores, cooking and cleaning, back to responsibilities – both at work and church. Back to loosing those 10 pounds that don’t want to stay gone…

We had a great time away and highly recommend MBC for a weekend or week getaway, for personal or church gatherings.

It’s like going home every year!

So much for that 2nd DVD…. it’s time for some time traveling….