dear martinsburg

 

Dear Martinsburg,

I feel like I didn’t really get to know you as well as I wanted to. I spent so much of my time at camp that you got badly neglected by myself and my camera. But I want you to know that what I did experience of your quiet single-stoplight streets and rolling wooded hills was beautiful. I like the way you let cars pile up behind tractors and Amish buggies. Your peanut butter fudge ice cream in decorated waffle cones is pretty much the best thing I’ve ever tasted, and you’re satisfactorily close to a Sheetz, a Walmart, and a Sweetfrog without being too “city-ish.”

But all those things count for little compared to your people. If I could base my perspective of the world solely on the people who live in you and in your neighbor Roaring Spring, it would be completely unrealistic. The generosity, the care and the love, the acceptance that I’ve gotten from nearly everyone I’ve come in contact with has been phenomenal. In the short weeks that I spent here, I made friends of an unbelievable quality, and the best thing about them is how much they adore my Jesus.

One last thing. You, dear Martinsburg, played a vital role in raising up one of the best, most beautiful people I have ever had the privilege of knowing: my beloved roommate, Hannah. Thank you for the part you played in shaping her to become the woman of God and incredible friend that she is. And thanks for sharing her with me.

I’ll miss you, Martinsburg and rural central Pennsylvania… but not as much as I’ll miss my Pennsylvania family. I love you all.

Sincerely,

Hallie