Rhythm • Camp mum — Hideaway Point

Getting to the Point is the Hideaway Point blog. It is the place where we share our larger vision for this special place - what inspires us, what we value and the hopes and dreams we have for Hideaway Point.

For the past seventeen years (as mom to four kids) my life has been a lot of monotonous rhythms and routines. Food to be made, laundry to be washed, diapers to be changed, books to be read… over and over again - mothers form habits.

One of my favorite ways to “mark time” every year is by serving as the camp mum at a Scripture Union High School camp on a private sheep farming island in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf. This Scripture Union camp has been running for over 90 years and we’ve had the unique privilege of being a part of the tradition for seven of them.

I use my time on Ponui Island to notice what God has been doing (in my life and family). Every year I see new and interesting growth… in the ways that we have changed physically- in the places where our hearts are softer - in the scriptures/ prayers/ ideas and people that have shifted our understanding of the world and our place in it.

I also use the time to make adjustments for the year ahead. New habits that I want to form. New voices that I want to listen to. New scripture that I want to meditate on. New prayers that I want to pray. I think intentionally about how I can form habits that help me live and love more like Jesus - a carpenter from Nazareth.

It is a special thing to find a place where you can serve together as a family. I couldn’t have asked for a job that would have been more well suited for our outdoor, camp loving family. Serving as “camp mum” on Ponui Island has been one of the great privileges of my life.

In ninety years I hope that people will feel the same kind of sentiment about Hideaway Point. We are dreaming with longevity in mind. Praying for something sustainable - built on a solid foundation of Biblical hope. I have curated the Instagram page for the past week if you are curious to learn more about what happens on Ponui Island.

Keep and eye out for a multi part series on what I love about camp life and how it relates to our vision for Hideaway Point.

We believe in the power of retreat and would love to help you imagine what time away at Hideaway Point could look like for you and your family, community, organization or business. Let us know how we can help.