I Have Been Gooped!

I survived the Fall Retreat with a bunch of teenagers. Everyone had a great time and it was uneventful as far as injuries and accidents go. The theme of the retreat was Red Letter Rebels. There were four main sessions in which different staff talked about rebels that they admired. The four people chosen- Martin Luther King, Oscar Schindler, Jesus Christ, and Zana Briski (a NY photographer who taught children who had been born into brothels in India how to take photos, for more you can watch the documentary "Born into Brothels"). The teens were challenged to rebel against our culture that tells them it is okay to engage in premarital sex, drink, use tobacco products, and use drugs.

Of course this event was not without strange and interesting games. Which is why I gave this post the title of "I Have Been Gooped!" On Friday night we played a game called "Counselor Hunt". It was basically a game of Hide-n-Go Seek. If you got caught...well...you got gooped. I thought I had found the perfect spot. It was dark, and I was dressed in black and covered with a dark sheet. I heard the footsteps first. Then I heard, "I think it is a garbage can." They walked by and I thought I was safe. Then I felt a poke. Then a double poke. That was when I realized that I had been found and busted. I decided to the most grown up thing I could do. I popped out of that sheet and scared the four kids half to death. They got me back though when I ended up with chocolate syrup and baked beans in my hair. I know...gross! But at least I didn't get the honey and flour! (See, there are always things to be grateful for!)

There was also this giant swing in the ropes course. It pulled you up forty feet and then someone pulled the chord and you fell thirty feet before you began to swing. It was a pretty intense yet fun experience. Notice how my group has a death grip on that black bar. At least I look like I am having fun.

I also had some quiet time on Saturday morning before things got crazy. There were four rocking chairs on the porch of the staff cabin. I really enjoyed time in the far rocker with my cup of coffee and my Bible.

The view from there wasn't that bad either.

This morning I got up earlier for the optional devotion time. However, when the alarm went off I really considered opting out. We sat down at the camp fire, right off the lake. Surrounded by God's creation. Ducks were flying over the lake. The sun was began to peek over the tree line. (That's right Meems, I saw a sunrise!) I really wished I had my camera, but I did capture a pretty good picture once I got back to the cabin. (Sorry mlm- still haven't read that manual. Maybe by next week!)