Very Memorable Experience

We spent the past five days at a place known as Courage North.  We have been very busy working in the kitchen and interacting with staff and campers this week, hence, no blog entries.

Muggy's sisters, Mimi and Cathy, her husband Dale and Muggy

           

This camp is part of a larger organization known as Courage Center.  This organization and this camp cater to individuals with physical disabilities. 

                This particular camp is located just south of Bemidji MN. 

 The property was formerly owned by the Duebeners, retail entrepreneurs who amassed a fortune by virtue of the invention and patenting of the shopping bag with handles.  Mr. Deubener is reported to have observed his customers carrying packages under their arms and he figured they would be able to carry more (after buying more) with a bag with handles on it.  Later in his life, Mr. Deubener donated this land (90 acres and over a mile of lakeshore) explicitly for the purpose of allowing those with disabilities to come here to enjoy the beauty, serenity and solitude.  This place is referred to as being “Deep in the Pines”.

                Muggy’s sister and her husband have been co-directors of this camp for the past 26 years. We are here as Alumni volunteers to help with this one week session for adults with disabilities.  It is proving to be a very powerful experience.  We have had some very special opportunities to interact with very special individuals both as the “campers” and the staff working with us.

                The other night, Muggy and I did a presentation for the campers about astronomy.  We were talking about how early explorers used the stars for navigation.  I posed the question that if explorers didn’t have maps or gps devices, how did they find their way.  One young lady, who is wheel chair bound due to cerebral palsy and communicates by pointing to words, letters and numbers on a board in front of her (think of Steven Hawking) indicated she knew the answer.  The group all waited patiently for her to spell her answer which was “he went to 7/11!” Absolutely an amazing experience in my life to see this young lady, who has such challenges in her life, yet she has this sense of humor that will not quit.

                A few minutes later while I was showing pictures of the solar eclipse, I showed the picture of the ring of fire.  Another of the campers, wheelchair bound and a CP patient, immediately sings out the line from the Johnny Cash song, “I fell into a burning ring of fire”.  Everyone laughed.

                Muggy is working in the kitchen preparing meals for all the campers and staff.  I am working in the dish room cleaning up after meals.  We are both blessed to work with some wonderful volunteer staff members doing the dishes, but even more special for me is when the campers want to help us clean up.  They aren’t allowed in the dish room, but they help in other ways, clearing tables, stacking dishes, or just general clean-up.  They simply want to be accepted for who they are and to be included in the activities.  I have been particularly blessed and touched by one young lady who is so sweet and determined to help….it’s powerful!
      And it was not all work as shown by this picture:

Me at the helm!!