Mountains are huge and difficult. They stand in the way of a straight path to the other side.. we can’t even see the other side from where we stand. And in this life on earth, we always have mountains in our hearts that block the straight path to the other side. Mountains that, without a savior, we are helpless to overcome.
Teenagers who scale mountains, wake up at 5 a.m. on their own accord, cook and clean their own meals, research the mysterious of God, can it really be real? Well our superstar Seekers showed that given the tools and the opportunities, they truly can excel. Come read how in our 2016 Awakening Trip Recap.
Awakenings accomplished: Without getting too wordy, per my usual, and trying to let the seekers speak for us all, I shall briefly tell you of our successful Awakening trip. From food to fun, pain to elation, questioning to more questioning answers, anxiety to deep contentment, I believe all who experienced this 2014 Awakening trip would agree that we could not have asked for more or better. All of the challenges this trip provided were faced and dealt with expertly, from our oldest veterans to our newest greenhorn; and we as staff and volunteers could not be more proud or overjoyed at the progress, and growth, by all (even ourselves!). This being said, I will leave the majority of the trips explanations up to our Seekers (who led most of the trip anyway); so, if you would like a more enriching engrossment of the Veritas experience, here are a few one liners to whet your appetite, followed by links to our Seekers' perspectives:
All healthy, gluten free, dairy free food: Check.
Explore new areas of town and Carson National forest: Check.
Brave gusty gales of freezing wind: Check.
Discover that the soul is vast, yearning, connected, and full of life long questions: Check.
Hear how Christ brings it all together for our full joy in life: Check.
Conner's perspective: 'Familiar yet New'
Ariel's perspective: 'Always more around the next corner'
Tessa's perspective: wrote a piece on her's and Ariel's website, 'New Mexico, New Me'.
Forgings foreshadowing:
This trip will be a completely new experience for our Seekers. We have the knowledge, we have the skill, and we have planned and ironed out the logistics as best we can; however, brand new state, brand new environments, and brand new trails...well... this is going to be interesting, exponentially more challenging, and way more exhilarating to accomplish. The massive peaks of Shasta National Forest, high altitude alpine lakes, and towering trees of the redwood forests await over a grueling six day journey that culminates in the various views and novel attractions of San Fransisco. Actually, need I say more? Here is to August 5th, and let the forging begin!
Forge: defs. by dictionary.com
to form or make, especially by concentrated effort; to move ahead slowly; progress steadily; to move ahead with increased speed and effectiveness.
