Anglican Youth Retreat

Finally got the Youth Retreat video done.  Check it out!!!  (My video programming software is a moody little PITA!  But it spit out a result at last.)  I am getting used to using my video camera again after the first one broke - I forgot how much time it takes to sort and edit footage!

So, on to ANGLICAN YOUTH RETREAT 2012!

The camp this year was great.  Instead of Sacramento area we were up in Washington, at Warm Beach, which is a false, slanderous name, not only because it was indeed not warm but because it poured rain on us Monday.  Bah!  The green of everything was great though, and I was ecstatic to have an actual grassy long sports field, as well as an amazing view of the ocean and the distant islands that are so quintessential to Washington.

The students contemplated some ancient and modern arguments for the existence of God, heard a bit of ways in which Christ is revealed in the Old Testament, and discussed their personal struggles with having their faith questioned and attacked in their lives.  It was interesting to hear that for the most part many of them struggle more with learning how to appreciate and accept (not "tolerate") the other faiths and beliefs of their friends, family, classmates, etc.  The group bonded very quickly, and though I spent a pathetic amount of time recovering from paddling by taking cat naps, I was very happy I was there.  A huge ropes course was a new element we have never seen, which was by far one of my own highlights since I looooove playing up in the trees.

The students were incredible diverse for such a small group, full of unstoppable energy and smiles.  As usual, summer retreat more than anything makes me wish everyone lived closer.  Praise the Lord for email and social networking. :)

Summer Fun!

Oh summer, how I love thee!  It is so jam packed with adventures and good times … I realized suddenly that I had quite a bit of things to document.

Outrigger Iron Championships

First, a few weeks ago Ka Nai’a was in San Diego for the Iron Championship race, in which the Co-Ed crew took 1^st place!  This was the second “big” race of the season where the heavy hitters were able to paddle together, and it was a blast.  The sun was out baking us while we waiting impatiently on the line, our nerves on edge but our confidence and expectations were high.  We had a great start, but were followed the entire race by another team that was just on our tail.  We never really shook them, either … they were a local San Diego team and when we hit the harbor mouth on the way to the finish, we could hear them rally.  “THEY WANT YOU!” our coach was telling us from the back, and we knew it was true.  A chorus of “This is OUR water!” could be heard echoing off the shoreline, and a dire sense of urgency surged through our muscles.  It was a true race to the line, their canoe finishing only 10 seconds behind us.  (We were about 8 minutes ahead of the 3^rd place finishers.)  

Such an amazing feeling to come out on top, to know we had earned it, and I’ve never seen Coach Mike so happy to see us!  Folks are often turned off by his generally zealous attitude, but you can't deny that our coaches care about us with their very souls.  After making the team "smoothies from heaven" my dad was able to video and witness our victorious finish, which made it all the sweeter.

Anglican Youth Retreat

The day after the race, I flew out of LAX to Sacramento for the Anglican Summer Youth Retreat, which was a success once again.  For a while we thought we were going to have to cancel this year due to crazy schedules, but in the end it all came together.  We had about 20 students, all of them absolute gems.  It was great to reconnect with old friends, and it was great to see the way the students welcomed new faces into the fold within hours of arrival.  I felt very spoiled this year because we changed facilities last minute and the new location was fancy.  There were not only big comfy beds, there was a pool table, ping pong, nice grassy fields, and amazing food.  (After that long hard race, I ate way more than my share at the buffet line every night that week!)  

We discussed the story of Martha and Mary, and the challenges we must face in balancing schedules, friends, and life in general with “activities” and spiritual disciplines.  I love every single one of those young ladies and gentlemen more than I can describe.  I was able to make a quick video of the fun, and there are other videos from students popping up as well for your entertainment.  (I was just told to add that you should especially keep an eye out for 3:18 of that second link ... sigh.)

Santa Cruz Island

After driving home with Eric, I was up the very next morning bright and early for our very first change practice of the outrigger season.  (Change racing involves a support where paddlers jump into the open ocean and get picked up by the canoe to give other paddlers a chance to rest and rehydrate.)  It was a wonky day, but we had to get it done because the very next weekend was our annual training trip to Santa Cruz Island.  

For those of you who read my post from last year, you are familiar with the crazy ordeal this is: 60 miles of ocean covered in 3 days of paddling!  

The journey this year was rife with adversity, since the ocean was FAR from flat and the wind didn't want to stay calm.  However, our novice members have TRUE GRIT and I love them for their great enthusiasm and spunk.  We left at 5:35 AM on Friday morning and landed 4.5 hours later at Scorpion Harbor, where we unloaded the support boat and set up camp.  We went hiking, and I finally got the hang of stand up paddle boarding.  (I wish they weren't so dang expensive!)  The sun came out on Saturday and it was much warmer than it was last year.  We had great food and great company, and a pile of island foxes skittering around stealthily looking for food.

The return trip was long, but the crews all felt great.  We have a few new members who are scared of sharks, some who are bad swimmers, many who are apt to sea sickness and others who have a number of logical fears.  All of these things were overcome throughout the day, and it was indeed a feast of bliss to crack raid the leftover peanut butter and jelly jars on the boat dock afterwards.  I had my annual two sips of beer, and could not have been prouder of my teammates.

One crazy bunch of burly bitches! :)

St. David's Youth Retreat 2010

On Friday evening I arrived in Long Beach Airport from an incredible week at St. David's Anglican Summer Youth Retreat.  The word "incredible" is used very intentionally, because that's exactly what it was.  I have been working with the program there for five years, and after this most recent week I can honestly say I've never been so thrilled by how everything came together.

A few of the students have been attending the retreat as long as I have, and the relationships I have had the opportunity to form form have deepened greatly over the years.  Yet all of the "returner" students are so loving that the noobies find themselves immediately welcome and included.  The joy is contagious; infecting.

Between games of capture the flag, ultimate frisbee, charades, Bible skits and some serious belly laughs, the students also learned quite a bit. The lessons developed by the good Deacon Faith (Chico), Father Davis (Washington) and Father Mautner (Napa) were easy to access, insightful, and relevant.

Instead of only celebrating Mass in the morning, we also had Mass in the evening a couple times.  The area where we set up the altar is literally in the middle of the woods, surrounded on all sides by pine trees and accompanied by a symphony of woodland life.  It was beautiful to be out there at dusk taking part in the Eucharist, and on the final morning it even sprinkled a bit.  The serenity of it made all the mosquito bites well worth it.

In some ways putting the experience of the Retreat into words potentially cheapens it, but I can't help trying.  Quite simply, the Lord answered our prayers by blowing our expectations out of the water.  Not only did everyone arrive safely (whew!) but the group gelled together immediately.  By the end of the second night, everyone felt comfortable with one another, and I was impressed by the level of attentiveness throughout the lessons as well as the abundant energy and sportsmanship during the games.  Even the youngest of attendees had thoughtful questions of all sorts that came up at breakfast and in the cabins.

The lesson theme was "Back to Basics" as we explored the way Christ's sacrifice makes sense when we look back at the traditions of the Hebrew sacrifices to cover sin, as well as the ways in which the Mass brings us to the table of Christ.  We also had a chance to explore how the Christian life looks today, as well as how we can make good decisions in the midst of the intense  pressure we feel on a daily basis from multiple (usually conflicting) sources.

By the last night, it was clear no one wanted to go home.  The Retreat is indeed a special place; free of the worries and stress of daily life, and this year the group experienced what it is like to live in a loving community the way God intends for his people.

I could tell dozens of specific stories, but for the sake of this blog length I have chosen only two.

The first is about a girl who came to the Retreat last year for the first time, sponsored entirely by her local parish.  She told me that upon her arrival last year, she didn't know what to make out of all the silly, weird, fun loving folks she had met.  This year, however, she learned to embrace her own goofiness and shared that the Retreat was the one place where she honestly felt she could be herself; it was a place free of the influence she receives from her friends to be a certain way.  Her spirits lifted by the promise of Christ and the fellowship of friends who love her the way she is, I was able to watch as her tender heart and quick laughter became a blessing and joy to all around her.

The next story is from a young man who was at the Retreat for the first time.  He attends a private Christian school and explained that his teachers are constantly telling him about God and referring to God, but the past week was the first time he felt like he really understood who God is and how salvation through Christ works.  (Yeah, since I had a similar experience to this when I was younger I totally cried when he started talking about that.)

As we parted ways, the students left encouraged and empowered, as did the staff.  Weeks like that are truly the memories on which our lives become shaped and our hearts grow, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

Once again, I'll be counting down until next summer.  In the meantime and if you are interested, Brenton and I have set up a youtube account where you can catch some of the highlights!  (The skits are especially fun, once they all get uploaded...)