News and Views

by Lauren Jones, Vitality Specialist

If you’re looking for time away from the noise and busyness of the city and an opportunity to reconnect with God through nature, I highly recommend the Baltimore-Washington Conference’s camping and retreat center, Manidokan in Knoxville, Maryland.

I first visited Manidokan for the district superintendent, John Wunderlich’s, gathering for the lay leaders and clergy of the Canal District. He requested that the vitality specialists come and present. Immediately, the property's beauty captivated me. There are acres of beautiful green grass and towering trees. When entering the property, you can see an outdoor lounging area of hammocks, a campfire sight, and a pavilion near a large UMC burning flame and cross. As you drive deeper into the property, you see two retreat centers and Manidokan’s small cabins and fellowship hall. I knew instantly that I wanted to come back with my children. After our meeting, I asked Manidokan’s director, Theresa Eggleston, if I could schedule time for a family trip. She sent me the appropriate paperwork via email, and I chose a weekend when my children had off from school on a Monday.

I invited my mother, nephew, and two children along for the trip. When we arrived at Manidokan, everyone was excited to get settled into our cabin and explore the property. After the program director, Jarrett Snider, and the others finished with another group who rented space for a retreat there that weekend (they were ziplining), he led us to our cabin and gave us a tour of the property, including the bathhouse. I showed my son the basketball area because we brought his ball from home. He and my nephew quickly made their way to the court to play. Since Manidokan is so close to Harper’s Ferry, after we unpacked our things, we made our way there. We spent the day exploring the shops, eating, and getting ice cream. We also went on a nature walk by the Potomac River and walked across the trestle bridge. That night, we made a campfire in one of the designated areas. We were pleasantly surprised to see firewood and water to put out the fire already in place. We cooked burgers, sausages, and hot dogs on the open flames. We also made s’mores and ate around the fire.

The next day we spent time lounging in the hammocks while watching our church’s worship service through livestream. Many deer ran past us as we lay in the hammocks. We explored the woods behind the cabins and sat on the benches to watch the river. My son and nephew played more basketball. All of the children ran around and played freely on the property. They were also excited to see other youth at Manidokan who were there for a weekend program. My son, an aspiring astronaut, marveled at all of the stars we could see at night. We wished we had brought a telescope for stargazing.

Overall, I’m glad that Manidokan enabled me to give my children a wonderful camping experience. I was able to spend quiet time in prayer, reflecting on Scripture, and hearing from God. We all marveled at the beauty of the landscape around the center. I would definitely recommend Manidokan if you need a weekend or weeklong sabbatical for you or your team. Encourage your youth to participate in the summer programs so they can experience God’s beauty and wonder through nature.

Learn more about Retreat and Camping Ministries.