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!

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!

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.

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."

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.