Colorful Colorado

And so here we are...at the bottom of the Royal Gorge. For those of you who have never been there, it's in Canon City, Colorado (made famous, of course, for the Gorge and the State Pen). We are very near the Arkansas River as it cuts its way through the Gorge. This was our last stop before leaving the ever beautiful Colorado.

It was our pleasure (at least in hindsight) to take 84 high school students and 14 adults to Adventure Experiences Base Camp, near Almont Colorado. Base camp is very near 10,000 feet and we spent the week rock climbing, working through the teams challenge course, and of course hiking up to Jenkins Bowl (roughly 13,103 feet). For those of you who have never been up to the mountians near this altitude...well, its amazingly beautiful...but, um...rustic (which is a nice word for livin' in the woods). Students were able to experince outhouses (double deckers at that), one shower for the week (due to the high cost of heating water), packing food in and trash out, and how deep to dig a hole if you need to "go" while out in the woods. If all that doesn't humble you out, we don't know what does.

The theme for the weekend: "The Mountian". The more you read the bible the more you come to understand that God often reveals himself on the mountain. It was our hope and our prayer that students would encounter God while on the mountain. While most of the students enjoyed the rock climbing, challenge course and hiking, many students commented on the Prayer Trek. We sent the students, and the adults, out for a solo experience on the mountain. They were given a CD with songs and leadings for prayers and were asked to go and come back when the CD was over. It took most students two hours to come back...how amazing is that...two hours of prayer, uninterrupted prayer: 100 people on the mountain spending time with the creator of the universe...you and God...if you haven't tried that in a while...you should!

Below are a number of pictures that show pieces of our trip. To see more click and go to the student ministries site at CTK. Enjoy!!