Hume.

Hii :) I’m currently sitting in Victory Circle. Yes, I am up at Hume Lake. It truly is my most favorite place in all of the world! With that being said, I have seen many beautiful places in my time (be it on the road trip with Grandpa Eddie last summer or my recent trip to Southern Africa) but I believe that the reason Hume trumps all is because I have accumulated many memories here. Year after year, my family has traveled up here and year after year, God’s made Himself known to me. Be it through solo time on the side of a mountain or through group worship around the fire; God’s presence has been tangible in my life and I so highly associate this place with Him.


(Hume = Magical)

I must admit that this year is different. I am no longer attending camp as a camper, but staying in the cabin with my family and enjoying leisure time together. This morning, Kevin and I hiked from our cabin (Hoover #47) up to the top of the mountain road, which landed us at Joshua Wilderness Lodge – home to Joshua Wilderness Institute 9 out of 12 months of the year. Anyhow, after walking to the top, we decided to take a different way home, to explore a road we had yet to travel on. On our way back, we happened to stumble upon a trailhead  “Oh joy” was my first reaction! I’m pretty sure Kevin’s resembled this: “Oh, please no!” haha



Needless to say, I was insistent that we follow this newly found trailhead to it’s proclaimed final destination: The Little Brown Chapel. Kevin and I hiked UP for half a mile (it gets kind of spooky the more you go up), dodged the gnarly spider webs, beat off the bears (just kidding) and had a grand time adventuring together! When we finally made it to the top, it was not what I was anticipating. It literally was a “Little Brown Chapel.” Likely the size of a small cat carrier, The Little Brown Chapel was a hand carved wonder -- that could have been mistaken for Mountain Barbie’s Baptist Church, complete with pews and a podium. So cute!
I, of course, opened up the tiny little chapel doors only to discover something greater than I could have imagined! Inside were dozens of hand written notes, most resembling journal entries, that told stories of the people who had also discovered this quaint little structure. We read a fair amount of them, laughed at quite a few and left our own signatures behind. It was a grand time I tell you. Even now as I’m reminiscing, I am smiling.



We ran all the way home. I love it here. It feels like some things never change. I love the familiar faces, the wonderful smell of the pines, the fine dirt that gets all over everything (including my computer screen…), the freezing cold water that you swim in anyway because it’s part of the tradition, the morning walks around the lake, the afternoon conversations and the inescapable presence of God that is found in the stillness. How great is our God?


(Inside The Little Brown Chapel)