WELCOME! This blog chronicles the ministry events of Emily's work with the Outdoor Leadership Team (OLT) of the CCO. OLT staff invest in the lives of college students often by "suspending the normal rhythms of campus life" through adventure activities that allow students to check their bearings in life. We engage in recreation for the sake of re-creation, learning, and growth that can transform lives into those of leadership and service.

Please note: the views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCO or OLT.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Why Hawaii?


In January I will be headed to Hawaii for a month. As I tell people, I get all sorts of reactions, which usually express some sentiment like "Oh, what a rough job." (I'm waiting for the time I'll need to dodge rotten tomatoes.) I suddenly also get many offers of help - even carrying my pack! - and I have been assured that my friends will easily fit into my luggage. Yes, Hawaii is a wonderful destination, but what is the purpose?
The purpose is for students from Messiah College to encounter God, others, self, and creation. It's about knowing God and therefore rooting our identity in what he says about us. It's about traveling together and seeing others as image bearers of God, even when your tentmate's socks fill your sleeping space with a terrible stench. It's about discovering firsthand the intricacies and majesty of God's creation and understanding our roles as caretakers.

So please pray for the instructors and students (and families back home) as we enter a time focused specifically on encountering God and his work in the world and in our lives. Hawaii is incredibly beautiful, but beauty does not remove the challenges of everyday life in the wilderness or the deserts of our inner lives that we must traverse. Thank you so much for your support!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The "Slow" Months

Whatever happened to the slow winter months? I would like be in a place where hibernating by the fireside during the dark, cold months is a reality. That is simply not the case now with my work and life. Although I have not been outside very much, I have kept plenty busy indoors. So what do I during the fall and winter months?

Well, if you look below, you'll see one thing I do - organize & maintain gear in our very chilly equipment room! Sara, Emily, and i met to inventory our winter camping gear. Since our equipment room is part of an old barn and has no heat, we decided to try out the parkas and mukluks. They work very well!

Occasionally a brave group (like the Chippewa Venture Crew) will want to go outside in the cold. I facilitated a climbing day for them on November 8th.

Otherwise I've mostly been at my desk doing various odds and ends which include updating this blog, planning for future events, support raising, supporter communication, data entry for the Outdoor Leadership Team, etc. I good portion of my fall has been spent working with newer OLT staff to help them connect with the OLT and create professional development plans for obtaining certification to lead outdoor activities. I also collected information about the 16 wilderness spring break trips to make sure location and equipment needs were not overlapping, and to find the best fit for apprentices to gain hands-on experience under a senior instructor.

If all those little details were not enough, I'm a organizing a Christmas coffeehouse event at the Cafe 'n' Creamery to give high school and college-aged folks an opportunity display their talents through music or spoken word. This will also provide the neighborhood with a family-friendly event while exposing the Cafe 'n' Creamery to a new audience.

That's some of what of what I've been doing recently. See, no slow months here!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Building Relationships for Hawaii

Sam belaying one of her classmates.

In October I had the opportunity to get to know 9 of the 16 participants who will be traveling with me to Hawaii in January for Messiah College's three-week Wilderness Encounter course. These students are mostly Adventure Education students who were on Fall Break with their Rock Climbing class.

Seneca Rocks in the distance on the left. 300 feet of vertical rock.

I was able to join them for two days at Seneca Rocks, WV. While facilitating the climbing sites, cooking and hiking we built rapport and friendships without the baggage that the title "instructor" can carry with it. I am very much looking forward to continuing and deepening these relationships in January.

I got to continue conversations with Matt that we had begun on LDW this past summer.

We witnessed a beautiful sunset.

Monday, October 6, 2008

The Amazing Windy Ridge Challenge

Two Crossroads students find their next destination by using a compass.

'Travel at 132 degrees for 38 paces...Find at least 10 commonalities within your team...Navigate to Point A on your map...Solve this riddle...Build a sculpture from natural materials that represents your team." These are just a few of the challenges that Duquesne University students encountered during the Amazing Windy Ridge Challenge at their Fall Retreat.

Why the Windy Ridge Challenge? My co-worker and I created it as a way to get students to ponder the way that they navigate life's challenges and pursuit of God in the company of others. This design was inspired by Ryan, the student organizer of the weekend. Read Ryan's comments on what students learned from the weekend. Praise God that He works through the medium of adventure activities!


Crossroads students working together to complete a puzzle.

"I have had many Crossroaders find me since this weekend and tell me how motivational the challenge was for them in their own lives. They said that they were looking for a spark to get them going and that having to use direction and faith throughout this challenge was just that spark. I had a similar experience myself... I had been feeling a lack of motivation leading up to this past weekend, and being out there on the course with my team competing, struck a chord in my mind. I have so much more drive this week with my schoolwork and job. Thank you for that."

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

LDW Students Speak!

Listen to what students are taking away from their journey this summer on LDW!
Peter and Jamie on our summit attempt day.
Peter:
The most valuable thing from this summer was probably gaining confidence and competence in many of the skills that I learned on the trip. It was also extremely valuable for me to get away from the distractions of normal, everyday life. I wish I could replicate that more often. I find myself being pulled in many different directions all the time and I am often kept from focusing on what is really important. LDW really was good
in helping me to not be distracted.

Casey
Casey:
Well, it's been a few weeks since my Wyoming backpacking trip and I'm still adapting back to the real world. Although my trip was full of physical and mental struggles it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Every day was filled with work but every day I learned something new about myself. Shortly after I set out on this trip the ten participants and I formed a very strong bond with each other (because we had to depend on each other for a lot of things constantly!). We pushed ourselves through tough times by encouraging each other and "carrying each other's weight". We also had lot of time for personal reflection. During this time I thought back back on times in my life where I've made poor decisions and why I made them. I also thought a lot about where my life is headed and I realized that God has a big plan for me. This trip was made possible by the gifts and support from my friends and family. Thank you for helping me grow up a little bit and learn important lessons.

Josh instructs Casey on map and compass techniques.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Thank You from LDW 2008!

Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness 2008 was a grand success! Thirteen people journeyed together for six weeks in the Wyoming wilderness for the purpose of developing character, competence, and confidence that will allow students to be Christ-centered, transformational leaders throughout the world. (Click here for more information on LDW.)


All this could not have happened without you! Your prayers, financial support, and encouragement provided staff to instruct the course, finances for students to participate, safety during the course, perseverance to prepare well and finish strong, and a transformational experience for many students. Words cannot not say how much we appreciate you, but here they are anyway: Thank you!

Please stay tuned over the next few weeks as I collect and post stories from LDW 2008 participants. They learned so much and I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing about it!

Below is a slideshow highlighting our journey this summer. You can simply watch, flip through at your own pace (click pause, then use the arrows), or click the lower right-hand corner to see the pictures all at once. Enjoy!



And here are a couple video clips for your viewing pleasure.

Panorama of the Couloir & Bomber Basin
(Not the best quality, but it will give you an idea of the location, and you can hear why it's called the Wind River Range!)



Snow School
Students are learning how to glissade (a controlled slide) and self-arrest with their ice axes.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

On-Ramps and the Gap Theory

What do "on ramps" and the "Gap Theory" have in common? Both are references that have stuck with me from speakers during this week's CCO Spring Institute. Mike Metzger, describes himself as an "on ramp" when asked about his job. When his listener gives the typical "huh?" he says he gives people a way to get from where they are to where they want to be. Although he typically works in a secular corporate context, he came to enable CCO staff to engage people's imaginations through metaphors that translate God's truth into language that is coherent to all people.

Outdoor Leadership Team staff at our "Area Lunch". R to L: Emily, Joy, Francois, Jamie, and Paul (the Paul mentioned below).

Paul Harbison told us the 30-year story of how the Outdoor Leadership Team came into existence. Throughout those years many gaps existed between Paul's resources and the what the situation demanded. It was precisely when this gap existed that God was freed to work in only ways that He can. In fact, the bigger the gap, the more space God had to work! This is the simple, yet profound Gap Theory.

Staff conversations at a Spring Institute breakfast

These are only two of many speakers during these 6 days of our annual Spring Institute that have come to train and equip CCO staff to do increasingly better work with college students. Besides seminars, the week is filled with committee meetings (for me this means meeting with LDW instructors), support raising, shared meals, time to relax and connect with other staff, and much more!

Monday, April 21, 2008

The LDW Countdown Is ON!!!

LDW manager (Jamie) and instructors (Ryan, Emily, Jessica, and Josh)

Panera Bread patrons must have been a bit curious last Monday when they saw several tables pulled together and covered with papers, books, and laptops while five individuals engaged in some apparently intense conversation. In reality, it was only the LDW instructors and manager meeting to continue planning for the upcoming trip. With less than 6 weeks until students show up, meetings like this are increasing in frequency. Time together discussing curriculum design, text selection, and wrestling with the ever changing itinerary is just one aspect of preparation for LDW. (Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness. Please reference the "What Is LDW?" post for more info.)


We also need to make sure we've got the right gear. Last Tuesday Jamie, Kelly, and I took an inventory and created a "to fix" and "to order" list.

(We discovered the original Outdoor Leadership Team hats! I would have loved those when I was 10.)


There is much other preparation to complete before this trip will be ready. Our minds and hands will be preparing lessons, collecting resources, praying for students and the trip, completing paperwork, corresponding with students, collaborating with fellow instructors, and much more. Our bodies will be running stairs, hiking hills, and lifting weights to prepare for heavy loads, altitude and rough terrain. Students will be finishing college classes, raising money, reading pre-trip assignments, and also preparing physically. Please keep us all in prayer!


On the Rock with Duquesne U.


On a chilly, overcast (but dry!) Saturday in early April I joined fifteen students from Duquesne University's Crossroads Fellowship for a day of rock climbing. CCO colleagues, Joy and Kelly, and I facilitated an introduction to rock climbing as part of a weekend camping retreat planned by the student leaders of the group. While teaching, I was invigorated by the students' enthusiasm and tenacity to tackle the new challenge placed before them. Here are a couple pics from the day!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Pittsburgh Passion Schedule


This is a non-work post, but a very interesting one at that! Here is the Pittsburgh Passion (women's full contact football) game schedule. If you didn't know, I'm playing on the team! So check out the schedule, learn more on the website - www.pittsburghpassion.com - and come watch us play! (P.S. If you want tickets to home games, let me know. I have them for $2 cheaper than at the gate, plus there is free stuff on the back of the ticket, plus I get cool stuff for selling them. :-) )



yes, that's me! at our first game in central pa

Thursday, March 13, 2008

In the Wild with Emerging Leaders

FAQs of my month in North Carolina

Q: How was your trip?
A: Good. Really, what am I supposed to say to that? :-) Overall, it was a very positive experience. I would definitely do it again! (Maybe not in February. See third question.)

The whole group about to begin the Art Loeb section

Q: Where were you?
A: In the mountains of western North Carolina
. Pisgah National Forest, partially on the Art Loeb Trail and in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area.

Pisgah National Forest

Q: It was warm, wasn't it?
A: Mmmm...think again.
Because elevation ranged from 3,000-6,000 ft., it was cold. Sunny many days (50's some days), and occasionally I hiked in a t-shirt, but most evenings I wore every piece of clothing I took (8 layers on top, 5 on the bottom)! My water bottle in my tent was frozen many mornings.


I couldn't afford to let any skin exposed this day.

Q: What were you teaching and doing?
A: I was teaching the WEA (Wilderness Education Association) curriculum to Montreat College Outdoor Education majors.
The foundation of this curriculum is developing well-rounded leaders with solid judgment and decision-making skills. Because Montreat is a Christian school, I had the privilege to openly connect outdoor leadership with Scripture and talk about the connection between faith, vocation, and the rest of life. Our method of travel was backpacking with one day of multi-pitch rock climbing. We traveled little, and spent a lot of time teaching lessons.

Hiking, rappelling with Julie, Aaryn journaling (there was lots of that).

Q: How were the students?
A: Great and crazy.
They are a truly fun group that I will miss. Read below for more details.


The students ready at the end for their final expedition
Q: What about the instructor team?
A: Ditto above answer.
Here are a few roles we often assumed in the instructor team. Andrew: course director, always the encourager, quiet & steady presence, willing participant in our goofy schemes (e.g. the black knight); Woody: life of the party, great relational connector with students, sidetrack provider, technical skill coach; Katie: idea generator, learner and sponge, insightful commenter, my tent mate and confidant :-); and me: outside perspective voice, supporter for course director, instructor team task master, female instructor role model, and co-instigator of crazy activity designs.

Andrew, Woody, Emily, Katie

Q: How does teaching college courses fit into your work with CCO?
A: My work is to "transform college students to transform the world."
Obviously, it is Christ who does the transformation, but I see my job as creating space where transformation can occur, whether extracurricularly or as an official college course. I saw these students developing leadership and interpersonal skills that will serve them wherever they end up. I think seeds planted in North Carolina will end up all over the world, since many in this group are talking about international mission work.

Q: Do you have any stories of transformation?
A: Absolutely! The biggest theme I saw throughout the trip was transformation.
As a group, the students totally changed from beginning to end. When I arrived the group did not have ownership of their learning. They seemed to have forgotten why they applied for this outdoor leadership semester program. Many were pulling all-nighters, showing up to class totally exhausted and falling asleep. They thought too much was being asked of them. But throughout the course I watched them start to take initiative in completing the necessary lessons. Steve (who can easily be class clown) stepped up to facilitate group discussions that weren't officially his responsibility. Wayne came in very confident in his skills and became very teachable. Brady was very soft-spoken, but increasingly raised his voice, demonstrated playfulness in his leadership, and offered valuable insights to the group. These are just a few, and I could talk a while about each one!

Steve, Wayne, Brady

Q: What was the best part?
A: I think it was getting to work with a great program, students, and instructor team.
It was a positive growth experience for me professionally to work outside my norm. I was so encouraged and excited to see a program doing excellent work to train well-rounded, competent, and spiritually deep outdoor leaders. The transformation I saw in just three weeks was incredible, and I know that it will continue. I feel privileged to have been a part of that for a short time; it was sad to have to leave!

Andrew introduces a route decision the group must make.

Q: What was the scariest part?
A: One cold, dark, windy night...
four scouts went out to look for a campsite. They were supposed to return in 10 minutes. Time ticked by: 20 minutes- they're just getting caught up in the search; 30 minutes - they found something and needed more time to look; 40 minutes: we can't send more people off into the night to look for them; 45 minutes - God bring them all back safely; 50 minutes - that's a whistle blast!!! We responded with one of our whistles, and soon the group was reunited with hugs and many sighs of relief. They had simply gotten turned around in the dark in the middle of a nondescript landscape. It could have been bad. We were thankful it wasn't.

The night of the scouting group near mishap

Q: What was a significant moment?
A: One of the most significant moments was talking with a student who didn't get certified during final evaluations.
She demonstrated many strengths, but needed to work more on relational leadership and communication. While she listened and then talked through tears, I heard her saying that she knows it's an area that's needed work for a long time, but just didn't know how to fix it. During that conversation we were able to assure her that we too have those rough areas, remind her that her value is not found in a certification, and extend an opportunity to work toward certification through the rest of the semester. She accepted the offer, and since that evening she told the rest of the group that she needs help, has begun taking practical small steps to change, and has asked for suggestions from the instructors on how to improve. I was struck with how her story confirms that our "failures" are often the impetus for opening our eyes and producing valuable changes in our lives. I believe that this student will learn far more this semester than many we certified.

Cloud lesson taught from the peak of Pilot Mt.

Q: Any favorite moments?
A: I have many of those.
Hiking above the Blue Ridge Parkway in the dark and seeing lights from South Carolina, the sunrise at the same location and feeling so alive, real conversations with Katie about instructorship before bed or while cooking, the loopiness and playfuness of the instructors during long days of assessment and paperwork, spending a day high on Cedar Rock facilitating the climbing experience, a Valentines Day note that all of the male participants had written for each woman on the trip, being perfectly warm and cocooned in my sleeping bag, the strange robot voice and Canadian accent that emerged frequently throughout the trip, singing with the group under a clear night sky, that first meal out of the field with fresh veggies and fruit!

Sunrise at Silvermine Knob; on Cedar Rock with Looking Glass Rock in the background

If you are still reading, thanks!!! I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to view the slideshow below or click on it to get a quick overview of all the photos.


Monday, February 4, 2008

On Course in NC with Montreat

I feel high tech because I'm writing this post while I am on a course! Ok, so I'm not in the woods yet, but here's a peak into the course so far. (A reminder of what I'm doing: I am instructing a three-week Wilderness Education Association Course for Montreat College's Outdoor Education majors. Montreat College is Christian school in western North Carolina. The course will take place in the western mountains of the state in Pisgah National Forest.)

I arrived down here this past Friday. I had forgotten how beautiful this place is! There are mountains everywhere...


a quaint little town of Black Mountain...


a resort-like town and campus of Montreat College...



and an incredible old house where I'm staying.


I'll soon be leaving this all behind, but for now it's great.

We have been having class with students (in this photo learning about clothing use and selection)...


packing food and making other preparations...


When I'm not with the students I'm meeting with the instructors (Andrew, Katie, and Woody)...


and when I haven't been meeting with instructors I've been preparing lessons, updating my blog, making last phone calls and emails, and packing my pack! A lot of this has happened in my bedroom (the sweetest place I've ever stayed in course preparation)....


I'm getting to know the students because they live next to "my" house and I eat meals with them. Tonight one of the guys baked a cake, which spontaneously morphed into a decorated bunny/cat cake...

...and a frosting and Nutella battle! (This entailed trying to smear each other's faces with frosting and Nutella). With help from other participants, Julie got the raw end of the deal.)


Check out the slideshow for additional photos. I have to get some sleep tonight! A long day of preparation and meetings await me for tomorrow, then it's off to the field on Wednesday!