Black Hills '09

We're just one week away from our yearly pilgrimage to the Black Hills. Yes, it's time for that little slice of Americana called Rally Week in Sturgis, SD. The first week of August, the Hills are alive with the sound of Harleys! If you ever went to the carnival as a kid, then you know what the Sturgis Bike Rally is for adults. It is a collection of crazy, unique characters from all around the world ("you know, of course, most of them are doctors and lawyers".........yeah right!), vendors on every street corner selling everything you can imagine from accessories for your hog to a sweet tattoo that just says, "Thanks Mom. This is for you." You know, things you can enjoy for a lifetime. And oh, yes, don't forget the deep fried food that can clog your arteries just by walking past it.

Okay, so that's not really why we've travelled to South Dakota the first week of August for the past 30+ years. What draws us back year after year is another collection of crazy, unique characters at a place called Black Hills Bible Camp. From all over Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas... and oh yes, South Dakota, these folks have become family. And every year has become a spiritual family reunion.

It's hard to describe the spiritual impact of bible camp to someone who's never been there. It is a rare opportunity to "get away from it all." It is a relaxed environment where you can just talk about life. It is campfire devotionals. After the kids have gone to bed, the adults gather to play games and talk, sometimes until 2 in the morning. It is two friends sitting by the fire talking about important, deep things after everyone else has called it a night.

I think what makes bible camp so powerful is simply time. Time to think. Time to learn. Time to reflect. Time to bond. Time to share. Time to breathe.

We love the atmosphere of this particular camp because it's designed with families in mind. There are private cabins for husbands and wives to stay in along with their small children, while the older children stay together in larger cabins - grouped by age. Maximum benefit for everyone.

Some of our richest family memories come from this annual gathering. We wondered if we would still look forward to "Camp" once our children were grown.

Yep, we do.