Summertime and Camp Meeting. The two really do go together.

I have so many fond memories of waking up on cool (sometimes a bit warm) summer mornings at NAC, whether on the campground or in a dorm, and looking outside to see the familiar summer characteristics. Seeing the rays of sun coming through the giant trees on the Anderson University campus signaled to me that it was almost time for breakfast.

My family and I went to breakfast with my cousins on the campground occasionally. Other times, we went to breakfast at the Olt Student Center, where we were sure to get our fill of the all-you-can-eat hot buffet.

Depending on my age at that point, my sister and our cousins prepared to go to Kid's Place. Kid's Place was a blast. Especially the "world's fair" or "market" area (pictured above, 1992). It was fun to walk around what was similar to a trade show or a carnival, but for kids. And we didn't have to walk around with the parents. To top it all off, we were on VACATION! We were far away from home and we all had a good time every day. Part of that excitment was rooted in the unfamiliarity of everything--the sights, the smells, the people, the restaurants, the thunderstorms!

When I was too old for Kid's Place, I discovered the giant red-and-white tent. I'd frequently heard music in that tent and thought it sounded good but hadn't really paid attention to it until later. Then one year, I stumbled by and heard southern gospel music. I love southern gospel music, and this was a quartet (Vision of Hope) singing! Then I heard everybody in the tent sing (with joy!) "A Child of God." Wow! I can't believe I missed it all those years. For many years in a row, I made sure to get a spot close to the front in the LIVE tent. I even got to help out on the piano a few years. And, oh, the preaching. We heard pillars of the faith in that tent that I thought could only be heard in the evening services: Gerald Marvel, Lori Salierno, Jeanette Flynn, Richard Mansfield, Mitchell Burch, and so on. Wow!

Sometimes, we kids would walk around the Dome (Warner Auditorium) after Kid's Place and listen to the conclusion of the adult morning service. We kids could really be kids at Camp Meeting. There was nothing like it. Running around the campground, running around campus, running around the Dome...great fun!

And then it was lunchtime. Ahhhh, summer mornings at Camp Meeting. Incomparable.