Base Camp Retreat

I don't think that my posts will normally be this frequent, but I'm just so excited and so much is happening that I cannot contain myself!  

So on Friday, the whole group of 76 students and all the faculty and staff of FFI went up to Horn Creek Ranch (a conference and retreat center) in the Rockies.  It was so beautiful!  On the way there, we had a blast on the bus.  Callie (my lovely roomie and friend) taught us this fun word association game.  Basically, it starts with one person saying a word, and then the next person has to say that word and the next word that comes to their mind.  It was HILARIOUS and it passed the time. Here was our final outcome:

cat; mouse; fur; whiskers; white; snow; ball; fight; club; organization; tidy; Rubbermaid; Ziploc; air; plane; crash; Hudson river; New York City; mets; museum; boring; school work; procrastinate; tomorrow; day; night; light; bright; sun; day; lunch; church; potluck; old lady desserts; yummy; apple; pie; ice cream; cold; mountains; Rockies; road; kill; axe; murder; bunnies; cotton tail; Kleenex; sneeze; bless you; Jesus; nature; squirrel; Alvin; chipmunk; trouble!

Whew!  I just thought the "old lady desserts" was hilarious.  What a fun group of people :)

When we got to the retreat center we engaged in an all-out snow ball fight in which I realized I have no throwing talent.  It was really funny because there was absolutely no sides or strategy going on, we were just kind of throwing at whoever we could.  I would like run at someone and then throw it, which is really lame, but it's the only way that I could hit someone!  

After that, we ate lunch in the lodge (which was so beautiful!).  I automatically loved the place because there was a fire place on the top and the bottom level.  

I guess it would be exhausting to go into all the details of the whole retreat, but here's the gist.  The first day we did these really cool team building games and they really helped us get to know each other and see who emerged as the sort of "leaders" and "followers".  It was really neat, because they kept reminding us that we are really not in competition while we are here.  They told us that by virtue (since most of us our leaders of some sort), we are used to fighting for a spot.  They encouraged us to leave that mentality behind and to work as a team for our goals.  

Yesterday, we also were in groups again and did a cool activity called "winter survival" where we as a group had to rank 12 items in a list of most important to least important if we were stranded in the wilderness in -25 degree weather.  It got pretty interesting! You'll  be happy to know that I am alive!  Here's a little tid-bit that I think is funny/interesting: if you are stuck outside in the cold, don't drink whiskey - it won't warm you up, it will basically freeze your heart.  Scary!

After that we gave testimonies on how we got to Focus.  That was the most amazing time.  To hear everyone's individual story of how God orchestrated events in their lives to get them here is nothing short of awesome.  We worship a Sovereign God that works all events for good in the lives of those who love Him.

We also went on a hike yesterday, which I can't decided yet if I had fun.  :D  We were at 10,000 feet altitude, so I was breathing really heavy and getting hot, and dropping stuff, and it was a mess!  But I want to like hiking so bad!  So I am bound and determined to hike as much as I can while I am here, because I just think that hiking is one of the coolest things ever, if your not dying of wet feet, no oxygen, and trying to keep up.  

I think the biggest thing I learned this weekend is how God is glorified in our weaknesses.  There was one day that I was just so frustrated with myself and how easily distracted I am from the Lord.  I just was praying that God would give me tunnel vision for Him and that he would just change my heart.  That same day, God brought so many people into my life who either encouraged me or told me they were having the same problem.  It's so neat how this group has been together for only 5 days, and yet, people are so willing to be authentic with each other.  I've never seen anything like it before.

Here are some snaps from the weekend!

Jake and Ben with their "cool kid" faces.  These are also the two gentlemen that are helping me and my roomies understand The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis.  Heady stuff!

I guess the hike was totally worth it for this snap.  

These were my two hiking buddies: Kristen and Callie.  What sweet girls!

Two cool kats, Curtis and Jim.  They were also part of our "word association game" :)

Oh, and I told them to look goofy for this pic.  

I just loved Callie's shirt!  She has such cool style!