If there is one thing (of many) that I have sweet memories of growing up its youth group retreats. During my middle and high school career, I always looked forward to MEA break because that meant fall retreat time! It was exciting to get away from home, and spend a few days with your friends: playing night games, pranking each other and being challenged in your faith.
Josh and I had the amazing opportunity to join in on a winter retreat this past weekend. We packed up the car and headed to Mt. Hood in Oregon early Saturday morning. A few months back a friend, Moody Radio co-host and classmate of Josh's from MBI contacted him asking if he would speak at his youth groups winter retreat.
The retreat was at a local retreat center on the mountain. This means we were surrounded by snow- something we have not experienced this entire winter. We even had to walk on ice- another thing that we have not done for awhile, and I must say I was struggling!
There were a total of 25 attendees including adult leaders and college interns. The group was great and full of laughs, which usually happens when you hang out with a group of teenagers! When we weren't eating (not healthy, but super delicious food I might add- hamburgers, pizza, fries, egg rolls, waffles….) playing board games or digging into the word with Josh, we were tubing down the hill right outside the buildings front door.
These kids were fearless. Not only did they go flying down the hill that afternoon but also at night when everything had frozen over leaving a faster ride and harder crash. I went down once during the day and that was enough for me!
Josh spoke a total of three times and all were centered around his title, "I'm So Hood and Other Common Identity Issues." I must say I am very proud of Josh. He did an excellent job and spoke with great sincerity. Its always encouraging when you can feel that what a speaker is talking about really believes it and desires for all that are listening to believe it as well.
Overall we felt very honored to have been invited to hang out and speak into these teens lives. The whole experience reminded me of our youth group days, but now from a different perspective. We are no longer the students but the leaders. I don't feel that much older than these students, but in reality I have 10 years on them- 10 years! When did that happen? All I know is that Josh and I both have a desire for these students to get it, to understand their identity is in Christ and nothing else. We've been there, we know what high school is like and we also know what its like "on the other side". Our prayer is that the things of this world would not blind them from the identity they have received, not achieved.
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| A street I spotted on the way to Mt. Hood- its even spelled right! |
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| Mt. Hood |
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| the sledding hill |
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| the building we all stayed in |
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| Josh and Pastor John |
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| the building we all stayed in |
