As we have shared our vision for helping the foster care community, we often get asked how we came upon the name, Three Rivers Respite.
No, it is not because we are Pittsburgh sports fans (quite the opposite actually)!
In thinking of the vision for a camp—focused on outdoor adventures and disconnecting from technology—we were struggling with a name. We went through multiple variations of "wilderness" this or "adventure" that.
After lots of prayer and discussion, Matt thought about our location in Charleston, S.C. Charleston is known for its abundant waterways around the tri-county area and the Charleston Peninsula, specifically, where the three rivers (Ashley, Wando, and Cooper) intersect and feed the Atlantic Ocean. This would signify the location of camp since we knew we would be located in the Charleston area.
As we continued to pray for a name for camp, Heather came across the following passage in Psalm 1:3: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (New King James Version). With that, we came up with Three Rivers Respite. This verse symbolizes our vision for Three Rivers Respite, a place where foster children, who have often experienced more trauma than most of us can imagine, can be nourished as a plant by the water, and can bear fruit and prosper.
We see Three Rivers Respite as a piece of the puzzle to help these precious children heal and grow despite their circumstances. In partnering with foster families and the foster care system, we can be a source of healing for these children, and a place where they can learn to succeed and prosper.