Monday, February 18, 2008

Our First Event!





Our first group came this past weekend! It was an awesome time with Greater Atlanta Christian School men's lacrosse team! Before they arrived we checked the ropes and had some extra fun ourselves. Above is Liz swinging 80 ft. off the ground, and screaming ahhhh! O my wonder! And to the right is me checking the wires. Just another day in the office!
This is the 6 wheel drive Swiss Army Pensgower! We use it to haul the kids all over camp, it rides like a Rolls Royce and has wilderness air conditioning!
The group experienced the drop zone in the
dark, a 100 ft. arch swing. At the highest point they were 80 ft off the ground. Here's a shot of a player being pulled up to the top of the drop zone by his team mates. Many prayers were yelled in terror as the drop was made.

Next day, breakfast, bible study session and low ropes. We heard from our founder Bill Chapman on Unity, from Colossians 3:1-17. Later I spoke on what life circumstances mean to us a Christians
(Ezekiel 24) and God's love for us.

Here is the wall element. Their first try took them 7 minutes to get everyone over, the second try with some extra coached encouragement only took 2:45 min.
They enjoyed 3 other low ropes elements from which you could tell a real difference in their ability to work together and encourage one another. Getting 20, 13-17 yr. old boys to communicate and focus is quite a challenge, but most men rise to a challenge, and they did just that.

Then we had lunch, high ropes and a game of air soft war with the Pensgower. Here is one player doing a split 60 ft. off the ground and to the right the leap off faith off the Pamper Pole.
Serving this group meant so much to us! The head coach is a good friend and mentor of Liz and myself. He actually baptized Liz in high school and walked with us through many trials. Thanks coach!
While serving these players we fell right into our element, and even though it was physically exhausting, it filled us up spiritually. Getting to spend that much time serving others, talking about Christ, hanging from wires 80 ft. off the ground, relaxing under the stars of Ellijay, and all the other joys that camp has is such a huge blessing to us!
We have found a real joy in serving others in this way. Setting up adventures for the single purpose of making Christ look good. Many of the players that came on this trip grow up in Christian homes, go to a Christian school and know all about the Bible and what Jesus did. But this experience offered them a chance to really step out of their comfort zone and fall in love with God for the first time or all over again!
They said they would definitely be coming back next year!

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