7.22.12

White water rescue training...cold water!

 I was privileged to take a white water rescue technician course a couple weeks ago. Rafting week was definitely a highlight of training for me and this class helped me understand the river even more. The weekend was spent in and out of the water, learning how to swim rapids, catch eddies, and set up systems with ropes for rescue situations.

The beautiful bride!

After the weekend spent in the water, I headed out to Pittsburgh for my bestie girl’s wedding! Christina was a beautiful bride and it was wonderful to see her and Ethan get hitched:)

Summit on Mount Poe with students &
Kevin

Students challenging themselves to a climb

My first trip with students was definitely an experience I’ll never forget! The trip was through a non-profit organization called Acts 6 which awards scholarships to students who show leadership qualities and the passion to make a difference in the world. Around 60 students were involved with this whole trip and I was able to co-lead a group of 9. My group, or “cadre” as they call them, was from Heritage University based in Toppenish. They showed up on Monday and left Thursday afternoon. Within that short time period, we were able to take them rock climbing, hiking, and rafting. Every day gave us the opportunity to face fears and overcome them through encouragement and leadership. These cadres will be walking through 4 years of college together, and for 6 months now, they have been doing homework and meeting regularly to get to know one another. This wilderness trip was an opportunity for them to get outside their comfort zones and put the leadership skills they’ve been practicing to work.

Throughout the week, I saw students struggle with their tasks and push on toward the goal as they came alongside one another. On the rock day, half of the students told me they were afraid of heights and were not too enthusiastic about climbing up a rock. But by the end of the day, every single person in our cadre made it to the top! This task couldn’t have been done without the encouragement and backup that the team provided. We were able to debrief about the rock day later and we talked about trust; who do you lean on for support? What tough situations are you in right now and who are you going to lean on for support? We had great conversations and opportunity to share the trustworthiness of Jesus, the only Solid Rock. This trip definitely encouraged me as well. At the end of the trip, students would come up to me and say things like “I can definitely see why God has called you to be here,” and “Thank you for challenging me, you have made a difference in my life.” My prayer for this group is that they will not only lean on each other through the next 4 years of college, but also lean on Jesus through this season and the rest of their lives.

Slept in a hammock during the Acts 6 trip...this was my
morning view:)