Well, what a turn around from week one. The kids really grew up after this last week and it was such a blessing to see and be a part of. They all left releived to finally get some rest, but very sad to say goodbye to New Frontiers, to us, and to each other. There is such strong bond between those of us who face trials and tough times with one another. And these kids had truly been through a lot with each other, especially this last week.
Saturday night there was a pretty intense talk with the kids that they needed to grow up and stop being such poor influences on each other, two of the kids left and honestly that made a big difference. The rest of the group started to realize how easly they had been influenced...and not for the good, and since we have been talking about leadership being influence, it started to ring a bell in their minds. Sunday morning we split the kids up to have 3 hours of alone time and one on one's with Brittanie and I, which ended up pretty well. We then hurriedly threw the kids into the cars and took them and their dirty clothes to the laundromat...which was an experience in itself.
Monday, after a couple of schedule changes, Larry and I took the group to the Caney Fork River east of the dam to do a more serious canoeing trip. We started on the river at 10 am and made our way downstream. It was a beautiful day and there were several fly fisherman out catching a good amount of trout in the river. After a few hours we beached at a rocky island in the middle of the river for lunch, but soon realized that the dam had been opened up and the water was rising quickly. We made our way to a bigger island, ate lunch rather fast, and then departed. The latter part of the trip was more exciting and easier on the muscles due to a much swifter current. Yet, that also made things a little more difficult for some of the canoes, trying to steer with obstacles in the way can be tough. If you get stuck on a rock or tree the current from behind could flip your boat and a rescue in that situation would be very difficult to perform well. All in all it was a good trip that took six hours, a lot of sunburn, and plenty of patience, but a good experience nonetheless, and a great stepping stone for the rest of the week for the group.
Tuesday morning began with paintball and then prepping to leave for the Appalachian Trail in Northeast Tennessee. The section we hiked at was in the Roan Moutain area, east of Elizabethton, right on the border of North Carolina. There is much I could write about this trip. The utter beauty...such a gorgeous portion of the AT, awesome! I can't fully describe how excited I was to be there each step of the way. Also, this trip was such a huge building block for each indivdual that was there, that had never realized the point in hiking. I kept a journal of our days on the trail and will share some of the entries in a later post. All in all, the hike was more than I expected and it began to mold and shape these kids to desire the challenges simply because they had realized that the reward was great.
Saturday night there was a pretty intense talk with the kids that they needed to grow up and stop being such poor influences on each other, two of the kids left and honestly that made a big difference. The rest of the group started to realize how easly they had been influenced...and not for the good, and since we have been talking about leadership being influence, it started to ring a bell in their minds. Sunday morning we split the kids up to have 3 hours of alone time and one on one's with Brittanie and I, which ended up pretty well. We then hurriedly threw the kids into the cars and took them and their dirty clothes to the laundromat...which was an experience in itself.
Monday, after a couple of schedule changes, Larry and I took the group to the Caney Fork River east of the dam to do a more serious canoeing trip. We started on the river at 10 am and made our way downstream. It was a beautiful day and there were several fly fisherman out catching a good amount of trout in the river. After a few hours we beached at a rocky island in the middle of the river for lunch, but soon realized that the dam had been opened up and the water was rising quickly. We made our way to a bigger island, ate lunch rather fast, and then departed. The latter part of the trip was more exciting and easier on the muscles due to a much swifter current. Yet, that also made things a little more difficult for some of the canoes, trying to steer with obstacles in the way can be tough. If you get stuck on a rock or tree the current from behind could flip your boat and a rescue in that situation would be very difficult to perform well. All in all it was a good trip that took six hours, a lot of sunburn, and plenty of patience, but a good experience nonetheless, and a great stepping stone for the rest of the week for the group.
Tuesday morning began with paintball and then prepping to leave for the Appalachian Trail in Northeast Tennessee. The section we hiked at was in the Roan Moutain area, east of Elizabethton, right on the border of North Carolina. There is much I could write about this trip. The utter beauty...such a gorgeous portion of the AT, awesome! I can't fully describe how excited I was to be there each step of the way. Also, this trip was such a huge building block for each indivdual that was there, that had never realized the point in hiking. I kept a journal of our days on the trail and will share some of the entries in a later post. All in all, the hike was more than I expected and it began to mold and shape these kids to desire the challenges simply because they had realized that the reward was great.
When we arrived back at camp late Thursday night, the last thing the kids expected was to be driven straight up the hill to the Mt. Sallie shelter to spend yet another night outdoors, without a much envied shower or bed. Yet, that is what Leadership Pursuit is all about, pushing beyond expectations and norms. We were grinding the best out of these kids, because you cannot teach leadership, only cause it to flow from an individual. That night the group performed a fire watch, where each individual watched the fire for an hour of the nigh/morning, until everyone had done so. If the fire goes out the group fails. Each shift is responsible for waking the next shift up to keep the fire burning. When I woke up at 8 in the morning the fire was still crackling and the job was well done. We soon packed up to head down the hill and eat breakfast, shower, and clean up before the final "challenge".
The last event for Leadership was a Marathon run. The kids would each run, four at a time, in between to vehicles, until 26 miles had been run corporately by the group. I drove the Suburban in the back carrying those resting and the water, and when someone running would tire, I would stop and one of the kids would switch out with them. To see their desire was so special and so touching. A real transformation of attitude. One girl would get to where she would almost throw up, stop to take a breath, and then keep going despite her pain and our shouts to have her switch up with someone else in the car. Each camper pushed to the max until they finally were finished back at the top of the hill at Victory Hall, with a host of younger campers cheering them on. A very intense and touching moment that involved quite a few tears in my eyes. I could just see the joy of triumph in their eyes and the pain in their bodies after their combined 30 mile performance in the heat of the day. I came in screaming my face of for these kids, little kids who had grown into young men and women of God overnight. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
Tomorrow High Adventure camp starts...I can't wait.
So long for now,Ben Loho
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