Happy January UBC Family!
We just wrapped up a wonderful holiday season at camp and we are so grateful that so many friends were a part of it! This year we celebrated in big ways. It was such a joy to see so many familiar faces (as well as a few new ones!!) at the Christmas party. Also SANTA CAME!!! After the party we extended the celebration with two retreat guests that helped us to get deeper in the holiday spirit--thank you John and Eric! After all of the festivities our team spread out, heading home to family and friends across the state and the country.
I (Noodle) got the chance to spend Christmas with my family in Washington DC where my sister lives. We visited museums, wore matching pajamas, ate a LOT of food, made some ugly cakes, and visited the national cathedral on Christmas Eve! It was such a joy to be together and be reminded of what it is to be known and loved by family. As I spent time with them I was pleasantly surprised to realize how much everyone at UBC has become my family, and how much I missed being away from camp even for just a week! On Christmas we get to remember how abundantly God loves us. That he would give his son to us, step away from heaven and take on a human body—a baby's body nonetheless—so that he could be with us, know us, see us, and love us fully. I have seen his abundance in so many ways in the past year and I hope that has been true for you and your family. God is love—and he chooses to love you every day—and he loves me too!
Noodle and her family in Washington D.C.
After the new year (hello 2025!) we gathered all of the UBC staff together for our annual holiday party. As always, we enjoyed the goofy hospitality of our lovely executive director as we wore leggings on our arms, limbo-ed under Christmas lights, told made up stories in theatrical ways, and laughed a lot. This team is a gift!
Some lessons I learned this Christmas:
You probably shouldn't wrap gifts in packing tape
God LOVES me. Just because he does.
Pickles actually make really pretty ornaments
Cotton balls can be a lot of fun!
Emily “Noodle” Lovell
Upward Bound Camp
Program Director