Mackenzie Standing

Things I absolutely love about Kootenay Covenant Bible Camp: The location. I'm not always much for the outdoors, but even I never want to go inside when I'm here. Seriously- I don't think it's possible to get much prettier than this. Canada has all these tiny cultural differences that make my heart warm and jealous. Here's to runners, felts, and washrooms; the weird pronunciation of "sorry," "tomorrow," and "out;" grade four vs. fourth grade; and excessive and copious uses of the letter "u." Canadian candy. If America sold Caramilks, Aero bars, or Coffee Crisps I would never have any spending money. The kids. Holy cow, these were some great kids. I hope I loved them well. I honestly started tearing up at chapel on Saturday, because I think they are so special and I hope they know how much God loves them. I love that they get into flour fights and refuse to take showers after: Who says you can't hav...

There are places in our lives that are inherently special. The places where lives change and memories are made. The spots where the magic happens. Kootenay Covenant Bible Camp is one of those places for me. Jesus became real to me in a moment on the beach when I was thirteen. I've been back every year since--sometimes as a camper, others as staff. Even when it's a challenging week, it has always been a great experience for me. I love the times of laughter, of making new friends, of connecting deeply with the Lord. I love the chance to sit on that spot on the beach (or at least near to it, since it was underwater last year) and reflect on where God's taken me since that day six years ago. I'm not the same little girl, and I'm thankful for that. I'm so excited to be heading back this Friday for a week of ministry. Sarah Floyd, my dear friend Hannah (who I'm so excited to have join us!) and I will be meeting up with our fellow (Canadian) staff on Sa...

My little brother left today. He got in a white van with a nice recruiter and drove away. And that was all. Okay, well, maybe that wasn't all. Maybe there were hugs. Maybe there were "I love you"s and "I'll miss you"s. Maybe there were tears. Maybe there were lots of tears. That's okay--because I do  love him, and I will miss him. Most of all, though, I'm extremely proud of him, and I'm proud to call him my brother. So here's to you, Jarred. Here's to the brother so close in age it often felt more like we were experiencing the same milestones together, instead of me first. Here's to the brother I completed so many firsts with--my worship team band mate, my driver's ed partner, my Costa Rica buddy, my camp comrade. Here's to the brother who took belly dancing lessons at the Farmer's Market, who wore a dress to Katie Neff's "Fancy Nancy" birthday, who played army with stuffed animals in our backyard as a ...