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Merri-Mac is a Christian summer camp for girls located in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

IMAGE - Photograph of campers singing in the dining hall.

Good Morning All You Merri-Mac Girls!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

IMAGE CAPTION - We love those smiling Merri-Mac faces!

This morning camp woke to its first snow of the season. It was a light dusting but still a beautiful promise of things to come. By way of other promises, we're making good progress hiring back staff for next summer. We'll give a full list next week but one thing we can't wait to share is that after taking last year off Norrie Gingrich is coming back to teach guitar!

From the Mailbag:

Griffin C. and her family went to Pigeon Forge for Fall Break and spent an evening at the Dixie Stampede where Griffin recognized Merri-Mac friend, Whitney Coles as one of the star riders in the show! They shared a great big Merri-Mac hug and chatted about life for a few minutes after the show! Cool Merri-Mac moment for both! Actually, Whitney is their head trick rider after many years as a Merri-Mac rider and diver. Cameron L. wrote saying, "Helloooo Merri-Mac! Grrr I miss camp so much it's ridiculous! This year my camp dreams have started several months early which is just really annoying because we still have around 7.5 months until first session! But oh no worries, I'm still excited. I'm already doodling the Sunnyside lyrics in my notebooks. Can't wait to see all of your beautiful faces soon(ish), but for now you're all in my dreams!" Bailey W. gets this week's camp commitment award for saying, "I got invited to go to Europe over the summer, but it was during the same time as camp so..... I turned it down! I wouldn't miss camp for anything!" Finally, from across the Atlantic Samantha P. wrote, "Everything is going great with me, school has gone so quickly, I'm already on half term. I'm missing everyone so much! Everyone over here is already in love with camp. I have people asking if they can come next year! I'm playing hockey at school and it is really fun. Unfortunately I am in the 5ths which means I don't get matches against other schools, but training is still fun."

Drop us a line and tell us what you are up to.

From this Haven...

Adam and Ann

Merri-Mac, ever after...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

IMAGE CAPTION - We'll remember you!

Good Morning All You Merri-Mac Girls!

We've gotten to see a lot of Merri-Mac girls lately. Adam just returned from a fantastic trip to Florida, where he got to see lots of campers, and Mary Page and Ann just returned from Atlanta where they got to spend a couple of days with Amelia, Patti, Allen and Connor K. MP's bagpipe band was competing in the Stone Mountain games and Amelia and Patti came out to join the fun. Amelia is playing basketball and especially enjoying Spanish in school. We included a picture - doesn't she look great? It was great to see them. We've also started talking to the staff and even hired a few back for next summer. Now is the time for that sort of thing, so if you have any favorite counselors that you really want back, you should email them to tell them to give us a call.

From the Mail Bag:

Sarah S. wrote to say, "Hi everyone! I got to see Amelia W. a few weeks ago at one of her field hockey games. High school is way boring, and I'm so camp sick!" Also, Rachel L. emailed saying, "Well I've been really busy with my junior year and volleyball! My team is 2nd in our district which means we get to play in tournament. I just wanted to say that I'll try and visit and come to the Princess Party because after all I love Merri-Mac and all you guys too much to stay away!" Katie R. also shared, "Last night I went to one of the home shows at Kaitlyn's house from first session. It was really fun to see the second session girls (Savannah S. and Sofia B.), and I met a lot of first session girls too! It was great to see how many camp people live in Florida so we can hang out and get excited for camp year round." Finally, from Emily M. we have word, "I have made the school talent show! Out of 95 people, there were only 15 slots, and I made it. I will be singing "Listen" by Beyonce Knowles. I'm so excited!" Congratulations Emily.

Beyond that we are busy meeting new staff and campers. Some of our sessions are already full, and others are filling quickly, so if you have not enrolled ask your parents to call right away.

From This Haven...

Great Camping!

Adam and Ann

Good Morning All You Merri-Mac Girls!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

IMAGE CAPTION - We miss you here at Merri-Mac!

Adam is still in Florida and things around camp have been very busy. We're making plans big plans for our Spring Break staff trip to France (CIT's included!). Part of the reason we are going is to scout the area for a trip we will take this summer with campers. We'll give more details soon.

From The Mail Bag

Melissa B. is staring in school production of Julius Caesar. Melissa plays Mark Anthon?s lieutenant (and a plebian in two other scenes). In the photo she has just entered and found Brutus and his cohorts have murdered Caesar. Lucy D. wrote to say, "My sophomore year has been really fun but busy with volleyball! We've only lost one game and we will hopefully be at least district champions. I can't wait for camp this summer and I miss everyone so much! I can't believe I'm going to be in Sunnyside!! I love and miss you all!" Finally Kelly J. has some fun news. "I've got some super exciting news! It was Lee B.'s Sweet Sixteen on October 4th and a few of us flew up to see her! Donovan L., Claire P., Olivia H., and me! I flew up on Friday and the rest of the girls arrived on Saturday. It was a 60's themed party of 105 people in a ballroom with a great DJ. It reminded the 5 of us of Rockmont, partly because Don, Olivia, Claire and I didn't know anyone there! As the night went on though we met all of her friends and yes, we Merri-Mac girls were the life of the party! Sad Sunday morning was when everyone (except me) was scheduled to leave--they were all gone before 10am. My flight was supposed to leave at 5:30pm but my flight was delayed and that meant I would miss my connecting flight in D.C so I got to stay another night at Lee's! I left Monday morning. This is going to be among my top 3 biggest highlights of the 08-09 school year. It was truly heart warming to be reunited with my sisters again and I'm so grateful to God that He has given me such wonderful friends and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I love you Merri-Mac!

Keep us posted on your news.

From this Haven?

Adam and Ann

Keeping pavement HOT in Florida!

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

IMAGE CAPTION - We/ve missed seeing all our Merri-Mac girls!

Good Morning All You Merri-Mac Girls!

Adam has hit the road to begin visiting Merri-Mac girls in Florida. He began the trip in Valdosta with Elizabeth W., before heading to Orlando to see Mackenzie M., Clearwater to see Shea H. and Tampa to see Natalie S. Last night he stayed in Orlando where he saw Kate S., and tonight he is in St. Petersburg to see Ava and Madison F. Tomorrow Adam will head down to Sarasota to see Casey and Katy Dean and then it is back to Tampa for an evening at Anna S's house. On Friday, October 10, Adam will head down to Naples to meet Kristie G's friends, and then Saturday he heads east to see Kaley B. in Naples. Sunday, October 12, Adam will be with Sydney and Skylar B. in Weston, Monday the 13th it will be Grace and Rachel W. in Boca Raton, Oct 15th will find him with Sydney and Kaitlin G. in Delray. Thursday the 16th will be Boynton Beach with Lauren V, and finally he will visit with Chapel D. in Orlando before heading home. All the meetings are open for any Merri-Mac girls, so come to any you would like!

From the Mailbag:

Anna S. wrote to say, "Hey everyone! My family is all safe from hurricane Ike. We had very little damage, but we don't plan on staying for the next hurricane. Things are starting to get back to normal. I have been working on choir music a lot so it's kept me pretty busy. I already can't wait for camp next year." Rachel E. also wrote saying, "Hey Ya'll! I'm finally in high school! I made the freshmen volleyball team at my school which is super exciting even though the season is over:( Katie W. and Madison H. are doing well. I either see or talk to them every day! I can't believe that summer went by so fast and that fall is already here, and it's finally going to be cold. haha:)

It's getting cold here too, but that just means that before we know it, it will be summer at camp again!

Great Camping!

Adam and Ann

Black Mountain Expeditions (French Alps and Beyond)

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

IMAGE CAPTION - French Alps and beyond!

Adventure with Purpose

Mt. Blanc, Paris, Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, Notre Dame, The Louvre...Camp Merri-Mac & Camp Timberlake is launching Black Mountain Expeditions (BME) in the summer of 2009. Black Mountain Expeditions does wilderness and cultural expeditions throughout the globe. BME is offering a unique experience for previous Camp Merri-Mac & Camp Timberlake staff and college aged participants.

Join BME on your spring break 2009 for an adventure of a lifetime. Over the course of 9 days we will be traveling to France. We will explore and ski the French Alps in and around Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. We will ride the Gondola up to Aiguille du Midi on Mt. Blanc, the highest Peak in Europe, ski at world class ski areas and immerse ourselves in the mountain culture of the Alps. Back in Paris, we will have opportunity to explore the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and more. We will also take a day trip to Mont Saint-Michel. The Mont-Saint-Michel is an international place of pilgrimage and tourist center noted as "The wonder of the western world." Throughout this experience we will be focusing on how to make travel meaningful, adventure with purpose.

You will be part of BME's first expedition and will be part of Camp Merri-Mac & Camp Timberlake history. This is an opportunity for you to have a role in shaping and forming the course of this program. You know best that time at an outstanding summer camp can be one of the most important experiences in an adolescent's life. Help us launch a program committed to making this one of the most important experiences of the participant's life.

We are offering this program at cost (charging what it will cost to run the program). This price includes your flight from Atlanta to Paris, transportation once we arrive in France, food, lodging, ski passes and rentals, and any miscellaneous admission fees.

Please contact ryan@blackmountainexpeditions.com if you are interested or have any questions.