Labor Day Weekend at Camp Deerpark

Immanuel Community Church has enjoyed its annual retreat on Labor Day weekend through all its phases of existence (Redeemer Church, Elim-Redeemer and Immanuel Community Church) for 25 years.

For a few years it was a two-night, two-day retreat till we realized that we had no labor to go to on Monday. Camp was available and so were we. There was no going back after that. Labor Day weekend was our coveted time and we made sure we paid our dues and submitted our deposit on time so we would not lose our claim to that weekend. At one point, quietly, as if hiding a secret, we asked Ken, “Has any other group requested this time?” When he said no, we were stunned. No?! For us, the more time we could spend together the better. If we had a week, we would take it! And it wasn’t just the time. It was the place: Camp Deerpark.

The year camp had the flood we were unable to have our retreat at camp. We booked another very nice campground with great amenities: private rooms with bathrooms, classy dining room, carpeted meeting room with cushioned seats, heated swimming pool, paint ball . . . yup, it was nice! All we heard that weekend from the youngest to the oldest was, “It’s nice, but it’s not camp.” “I miss the view of the grass field of camp.” “I don’t mind the cold pool at camp.” “It’s just not the same this year.” Whaaat?! They missed the closeness of rooming together, the bumping of elbows as we eat in the dining room, the lining up and waiting for the bathroom, the freedom of the kids running about freely, all of us lazily sitting and swinging on the front porch; they missed home. I don’t think anyone missed Locust Haven though.

Immanuel Community Church Women’s Retreat

by Annabelle Perri

We all have events in our lives that, when recalled, make our hearts glad. We seem to remember details and things we said or did with the same laughter as the day it happened.

The Immanuel Community Church Women’s Bible Study retreat at Camp Deerpark is one of those events. What made this occasion one that will have enduring memories is the special banquet Rick Weaver, our Food Service Director, prepared for us on Friday night May 29,2009.

A small group of about 15 women had been studying the book of Esther and gleaning much understanding and revelation from it. In a book so filled with banquets as Esther is, I was inspired to ask Rick if he would be able to prepare a Persian-style dinner for us on Friday night. I also requested the privacy of the “Waterfall” room. To my great delight it was yes to both!

Several of us arrived early to prepare the room with a Persian décor. When I saw the menu posted on the door of the room, my eyes teared. Rick had truly outdone himself. We felt special, honored and cared for. Bob Martin was there to serve us and treated us like royalty. Here are some of the items on the menu:

Shirazi Salad: Diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley and mint dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice

Lavash with Hummus

Kabaabe Joojeh

Chicken shish kabob: Yogurt/herb marinated chicken, bell pepper, red onion, tomato, Skewered and flame-grilled

Basmati Rice

Bastani: Persian ice cream made from fresh cream, rosewater, saffron and green cardamom Kissed with fresh pistachios

In the privacy of our room we enjoyed delicious food, first-rate attention, laughter, great friendship, and the making of precious memories. This great beginning sparked a momentum that flowed through the rest of our time at camp. At every moment we were at home and accommodated at Camp Deerpark. I am truly thankful to camp staff for helping to make this short retreat one of our lasting memories.

Sure, Camp Deerpark had its unpolished, uncomfortable, rustic, easy-to-complain-about facilities, but it was ours. It was the place where some children played mischievously before they got caught, where one or two got lost in the woods, where young and old got saved or transformed and baptized, where we experienced depth of worship and prayer, where the closeness of space brought out the best and the worst in us, where opportunity to forgive was constant, where we played crazy games like ICC Fear Factor, our versions of Jeopardy, ICC Olympics, and Don’t Forget the Lyrics, and talent shows that turned into The Gong Show (if you are old enough to remember that.)

The memories carried from young to old are made by people AND place. The consistency of the time and place brought out unforgettable experiences in people, between people, and in a people that are forever etched in our hearts. To this day even those who have long moved on remember Labor Day Weekend at Camp Deerpark.

Annabelle Perri and her husband Mark pastor Immanuel Community Church in Flushing.

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