What is LDW?

LDW 2006 on the summit of Down's Mountain, WY

Trying saying Leadership & Discipleship in the Wilderness a few times very quickly, and you can figure out why we use the abbreviation LDW. But what is it? "LDW (Leadership & Discipleship in the Wilderness) is a summer opportunity of the CCO designed to create an environment where participants are transformed. Participants will have the opportunity to develop their character and leadership ability by delving into six discovery areas: spiritual disciplines, community, leadership, agape, knowing, and Christlikeness. Participants will then be challenged to take their learning from the wilderness context and integrate it into their lives at school, home, church, etc. in order to transform the world for Christ." (From Jamie Martin, our LDW manager.)

LDW 2007 on the waters of the Georgian Bay

This year we are excited to be offering two LDW trips that will run concurrently during the summer: six weeks of backpacking and mountaineering in Wyoming, and four weeks of coastal kayaking on the Georgian Bay in Ontario.

LDW 2007 group shot

To learn more about LDW or to refer a student who you think would benefit from this kind of transformational experience, visit the LDW website at www.ccojubilee.org/olt/ldw.

Winter Wonderland in WV

Arriving and setting up camp in the dark (and 24-degree temps).

Would you want only a couple pieces of thin nylon, some polyster stuffing, and a layer of clothing separating you from a dark, snowy 24-degree night? Well, six students from Waynesburg University did two weekends ago in West Virginia! Honestly, I wasn't so excited about it. Going into the trip I was exhausted from the fall's work, fighting sickness, and only wanted to be in my own warm bed. But I'm so glad I ran the trip because great things came out of it.

Waking up to a winter wonderland.

First, Emily Dooley who had participated in LDW this past summer, organized the trip for the Waynesburg Outdoor Experience club. She saw a need in the group to experience wilderness living and the community that comes from such an experience. She also wanted the students to encounter God in a closer and new way like she had this past summer in the wilderness. Although it was her first time planning and leading a trip, I walked her through the steps, and she did a great job! She now not only knows how much work it takes to pull off a trip, but is equipped to design and implement trips in the future for the outdoor club or other groups.

The Emilys

Ready to start hiking. Notice the orange. It was hunting season.

Secondly, Brandon, another LDW student, co-led the trip with Emily to finish his WEA Outdoor Leader Certificate. He also did a great job, and demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that enabled me to certify him. It was great seeing the skills & knowledge Emily & Brandon had gained on LDW put to work with other students.

Brandon & Emily Dooley discuss plans for the day.

Finally, the participants on the trip were wonderful. Each of them jumped into the experience, even in the midst of new, harsh conditions. While some people may think we were crazy for being out there, we discovered together that it was a privilege. A privilege to experience the beauty of a fresh snowfall, a privilege to know we have warm homes to return to, a privilege to step away from the normal routine of life, and a privilege to listen to God's voice through Scripture, prayer, silence, creation and the people around us.

The group at Table Rock overlook.

Kayak-a-thon video!

Check out this sweet video of the Kayak-a-thon! Thanks to Joy for putting it together.

From Crackle: Kayak-a-thon 07

A Successful Kayak-a-thon

A different perspective of Pittsburgh's skyline

"Right arm forward and pull. Left arm forward and pull. Right arm, left arm. Use the abs and torso rotation. Oh, the boat is veering right, better correct that." On Saturday that was what our brains and bodies thought about for one hour after another, after another, after another, after another... for 10 hours! In those ten hours the group I paddled with managed to go 28 miles. Not a bad day's work, I say.

The 28-mile Kayak-a-thon path marked in yellow

Overall, the day was a great success. A total of 23 paddlers showed up to paddle and raise money for either the CCO's Outdoor Leadership Team or their own ministry with the CCO. I had three friends from the Pittsburgh area that joined me for the paddling as well as helped raise money for the event. Below you'll see us on the Allegheny River.

Kaitlin, Travis, Emily, Matt

Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes. We were all safe and had beautiful weather. Chilly in the morning, but a clear, autumn sky and perfect temperatures in the afternoon. If you participated in another way by coming to encourage us at lunch or sponsoring a paddler, thank you! My group of four raised over $1500, so every little bit added up!

Enjoy the slideshow! Click on the Picasa logo in the corner of the slideshow if you want to look at the images more closely.

7th Annual Kayak-a-thon Is Saturday!

Emily during last year's Kayak-a-thon

Only two days from now I, along with other CCO staff, students, and friends, will be attempting to paddle 30 miles in one day on the three rivers that flow by Pittsburgh! (And, no, those 30 miles are not all down river.) You're probably saying yourself, "I figured Emily was crazy, but this proves it! Why is she doing this?" Well, I can't disagree the crazy part, but I'm doing it for a good reason! I am paddling to raise money for the Outdoor Leadership Team of CCO so that ministry to college students in wilderness contexts can continue.

Paddlers starting out during sunrise (Kayak-a-thon 06)

I am getting very excited about the Kayak-a-thon on Saturday! It looks like we'll have beautiful fall weather, and this year three friends from Pittsburgh are joining me in this quest. Please pray for minimal to no winds, safety while we paddle, and last minute sponsors for the paddlers. There will be a total of 19 of us! And stay posted next week for photos from the event!

Thanks for Visiting My Blog!

Please take a look around and explore. Watch the video and slideshow, visit the links, read the articles, subscribe to the blog, vote on the title for my blog, and check out photos from past trips! (I even marked the location where I took the photos on a map!) Please let me know if you have suggestions for making this site more useful or interesting to you. Is there information you would like that isn't here? Have fun and check back often!

Women Experiencing the Wild

There's something particularly rewarding about taking a group of women who are not accustomed to the woods out into the wilderness. I think it has to do with the confidence I watch them develop. They come in uncertain and leave with a great sense of accomplishment for trying something new and succeeding at it! The young adult women from Bellefield Presbyterian Church were no different. I was privileged to lead a group of them this past weekend in Clear Creek State Forest. Really, it was Joy & Kristin who did an excellent job of designing and leading the trip. I was simply there as an experienced presence.

I was also struck by how we managed to talk non-stop all day Saturday while hiking (except for the very steep hills). The connection between the women was so great. Besides talking about our lives, we discussed the topics of finding our value solely in what God says about us, being real and vulnerable with others, and giving honest feedback to others while not placing our worth there. It was incredible to listen to these women, most of whom are graduate students, and realize what a critical message this is in a competitive world where personal worth equals academic and occupational success.

Listen to what Amy & Billie have to say about their first backpacking experience!

Point Park Students Create Space

I am often tempted to avoid leading one-day events because I wonder what impact one day can actually have in the lives of college students. September 22 proved that every day counts. One day can make a difference! 7 Point Park University students and 2 CCO staff joined me at McConnell's Mill State Park for a day retreat designed to build relationships and create a space to step away from the urban rush and be still to listen to God and others. The day was a wonderful success!!! We played and worked on team building problems together in the morning, then gave each student a couple hours to be by themselves for reflection and prayer in the afternoon.

Students and staff work together to solve a "Traffic Jam" problem

My highlight came at the end when our debrief of the day took an unexpected turn. During a photo scavenger hunt assignment, both groups identified the natural surroundings as a pleasingly arranged space, and man-made structures and a parking lot as cluttered spaces. And this from students who live in downtown Pittsburgh! This led to a great conversation about how we can live "uncluttered" lives even in the midst of hectic, urban lives. We didn't answer the question, but I believe that students were challenged to think in new ways.

I enjoyed the day immensely. The design worked well, and the students were so thoughtful. At the end of the day, two small groups were each to create a human sculpture representing one aspect of what they learned or experienced during the day. Look below for what they came up with.

A human sculpture representing these women's experiences during the day.

A human sculpture resprenting how each of us have unique lives and respective problems to deal with, but how we can support each other in the midst of those.