June 20th part 1

June 20.

We took our first hikes today as a group. It was a milestone in this adventure. We all took our packs, half packed, and loaded them into Clifford the big red van, and headed out to the YWAM camp up in the mountains. we drove 45 minutes upward and arrived an hour or so before lunch, so to waste some time we thought "hey, lets go back out into the windy, cold mountain air and climb the steepest mountain I've ever seen, that sounds like fun!" so off we went. We came across a steep ditch with a small creek flowing down it. Conveniently there was a fallen tree that we could use to cross over it, it was slippery from the rainfall the night before, but with my super ninja skills I concord it without a fall.

 Of course I wasn't nervous at all, unlike Hamster, he wouldn't even peak out of my pocket.

We went through a lot of elevation change in a short period of time. We climbed for about 30 minuted and then it turned more into boldering on top of a mountain. I did not feel safe at all, I was so high up and the only thing keeping me from falling down this steep, rocky, slippery slope was whatever grip my hands had on the ground around me. After scrambling and crawling up over the rocks I made it to the cross! 

The Cross on top of the mountain was my goal. 

It really was a symbolic afternoon, as Christians we try and go to the cross daily, but it usually takes us climbing and scrambling up our mountains we build ourselves, all of our sin piled up separating us from God. We have to use Christs strength to make it to the top of these kinds of mountains. 

We made it to the cross as a team. 

It was a beautiful view! From the top you can see all of the dead trees surrounding the camp buildings from a wildfire that cut through this forest 7 years ago, but right in the center of the forest the fire jumped right over the top of the campus, as if God put his hand there to protect the land for YWAM.

I guess all the bumping around in my pocket made Hamster sleepy, he was kinda tired when we got to the top. 

To be continued.