As an intern, not only do I have some unusual tasks to complete, but I have the opportunity to do some pretty awesome things. This past weekend, I had the privilege of traveling to the Ocoee River for some fellowship and fun with our high school students. Our team of twenty-one was (in my opinion) the perfect size for having fun like a family.
This trip also marked a first for me--the first time I ever got to drive on a trip. I know what you're thinking...isn't this the girl that got eleven parking tickets this school year? To answer that question, yes it is (oops), but do not be worried. The only thing I transported was all of the luggage in the back of my handy dandy Jeep. Oh, and a more than willing Alexis Pham :).
She was one of the biggest blessings of the trip for me. Not that I expected our car ride to be pained (let's be real here...either one of us could talk to a lamp and be entertained), but it's always a nice surprise when a six and a half hour drive can feel like twenty minutes. We passed the time talking about life, singing at the top of our lungs to everything from Taylor Swift to N*Sync, and waving at the other two vehicles in our caravan as they went up the exit ramp that Kris didn't give me enough notice to also take. No worries, we found our way back. It made for a funny story and a few punches once we finally made it to our destination.
When we arrived at the camp, we were instantly swept away to the ropes course. I had only done something like this once before, so I was really excited. And, it is always fun to watch and participate in team building activities. The first obstacle was the log, which required us to re-order ourselves without falling off. This resulted in critical thinking, a few stepped-on fingers (sorry Reed), and LOTS of laughter. The next thing we came to was a group of square platforms that decreased in size. Our goal was to get the whole team suspended off of the ground for at least three seconds. I'm not sure if we completely accomplished this, but the girls definitely beat the guys :). Then came the most challenging task yet...the wall. I'm not sure how tall it was, but essentially we had to get the entire team over it with a limited number of lifts and pulls from each team member. But, we did it! Well, Reed and Ryan pretty much got everyone over. The only thing I did was help pull myself and tiny Rebecca Botter up...but I have a pretty good bruise to show for it! Hahaha. The last team building thing we did was the Spider Web. The task was to get every team member through to the other side, without touching the web, and most holes could only be used once. Once again, the guys were our MVP's, and us girls channeled our inner cheerleaders as we made our way through the openings.
Once the lower ropes were completed, we moved on to the high ones, harnesses and all. It would be difficult to describe them, but I can say that they are MUCH harder than they look. Only a few were allowed on the activities at a time, so that left most of us down on the ground for a while. However, the coolest part of it all was hearing our students cheer for their friends in the air. Constant encouragement and clapping were heard. Not a single person, leader or student, went up on the course without hearing their name called accompanied with a "You can do it!" or "You're almost there!". It was so inspiring.
After we completed the course, we headed back to the main part of the camp for dinner and to get settled into our homey, cute, country, spider-infested (ok maybe just a few, but it felt like a million), cabin number eight. Then, it was time for one of the most heart-warming times of the trip. Our whole crew of twenty-one trecked out in the field to play an intense round of Ultimate Frisbee. Many of us, including me, were surprised by our skills, and my team came away with the victory. Right after we finished, Jen and I left to prepare for the devotion. Behind us we heard "Good game!" being said, high fives being given, and "What do y'all wanna play now? How about Wiffle Ball!" being happily yelled. We love having students that not only love to learn together, but play together as well.
That night we participated in an FSM trip tradition...late night game night. We began with Catch Phrase and ended with a few hilarious rounds of Mafia. I do have to say, even though Maggie McGrath tried her best to convince everyone I was guilty, and I am known to be an awful liar, I came away the victor. It was the first time I had EVER won mafia, and I was quite happy :)
The next morning came bright and early and way too soon. Especially after fitting two people in a smaller-than-twin-bed bunk that Lindsay graciously shared with me so that I wouldn't have to sleep on the spider-infested floor. A little extreme I know, but nobody likes spiders right? Anyway, we ate breakfast, us girls didn't put on makeup, and we headed out to get our gear for rafting. At this point all of our adrenaline was pumping. I had been rafting once before, but most of our crew had not, so anticipation was high. Long story short, we survived the rapids, and the phrase "Forward Two!" only rang in our ears for about three hours. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of screaming, and a LOT of water. I have to say that I was proud of our raft of the "Fellowship Four". Alexis, Hunter, Ryan, and I held our own against the Ocoee, and our guide Stan the Man only yelled at us a few times...success in my mind!
However, the best part of the trip wasn't the ropes or the river, or even the Cheesecake Factory stop that we made for dinner on the way home. The best part was getting to experience and share "Drift Prevention" tips with our students. The first night, Kris started us off with some encouragement to not drift from our faith, especially for our students about to go off to college. Then, Jen and I set up four stations for the students to experience God more deeply. "Be Forgiving" had them writing names of people they need to forgive, and tossing those rocks into the woods. "Be Prayerful" had them writing prayer requests on pieces of paper that they put in a bag for us leaders to pray for. "Be Still" had them out in the field, just being still and enjoying God's creation. Finally, "Be Thankful" had them writing on a canvas things in creation that they are thankful for. The next afternoon, before we left the camp and headed home, Jen and I gave our friends some helpful hints on how to not drift. We related each of the pieces of equipment used when we whitewater raft to "equipment" that we need to stay strong in our walk with the Lord. It was a very cool thing to experience, and it made me appreciate Jen's wisdom that much more.
Sorry about the length of this post, the trip was just THAT GOOD. I still can't believe that I get opportunities like this. I enjoy every second I get to spend experiencing life and ministry with these people. Tomorrow is July first, meaning I have one month left as the summer intern. While that is so weird to think about, it makes me super excited to make every day of this month count doing what I love. Oh and Kris? Sign me up as a leader for the third annual Whitewater Express Trip...please and thank you. :)
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