Spreading my wings

This current season is ending quickly, and as fall fades to winter, I feel that spring is rising up in my life.  As my senior year of college is coming quickly to a close, a new season is on the horizon.  I have been asking the Lord, "What's next?"  Up until this point in my life, there has been a direct path—be a child, go to school, and go to college. As I finish up this last year, I am looking at a future that is yet to be determined.  There are endless possibilities ahead, great adventures to be had, and lots of learning yet to be grasped.  As I press on towards the unknown, I cling onto a few things. 

First of all, the Lord has huge plans for my life, and he already knows what I will be doing. 

Second, the things that I value in this life will direct my paths.  I value most: The LORD and his Kingdom on earth. Seeing Heaven invade earth—relationships restored, brokenness healed, eyes opened, chains broken, and hearts set free.  Walking WITH God daily.  Family.  Close friendships.  A simple life.  Seeing youth experience God as a friend.  Counseling others with wisdom God gives.  Devotion.  Passion.  Friendship with God. 

And third, God has given me passions that I have freedom to pursue.  I love the outdoors because I see God in the things he has made.  I am passionate about giving youth the opportunity to experience God in his creation.  I also have a passion to be a part of adventurous Kingdom work.  I would love to be involved in missions work—live a simple life, take leaps of faith, and see God work miracles around the world. 

As I take all of things into consideration, I have set out on a journey to explore what will happen upon graduation. In my search, I have found YWAM, Youth with a Mission.  YWAM seeks “to know God and make Him known.”  They have many strategies and creative ideas to accomplish this goal, and one such program is “Sea and Summit Expeditions.”  Sea and Summit uses outdoor adventure to disciple and evangelize locally, nationally, and internationally.  They also train and disciple Christians in outdoor adventure ministry leadership in order to propel them into local and foreign ministries.  The goal of Sea and Summit resonates with a lot of my values…building the Kingdom of God, helping people experience God (discipleship), living a simple life, and counseling others.  Sea and Summit also manages to combine my passions…outdoor adventure ministry and missions.  How incredible! 

I’ve decided to explore opportunities to be involved with Sea and Summit.  One of the first things I discovered is that they are based out of Bishop, California here in the United States.  In an attempt to understand their program, I decided to explore the Bishop area. 

Bishop is a small city of about 3,500 people.  It’s located in central California amidst the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  The town is known for its recreation and tourism as it attracts many outdoor enthusiasts.  From rock climbing and mountain biking to hiking and fishing and even cross country skiing and snowshoeing, there is something for everybody.  The local area presents recreation hot spots such as the Owens River Gorge, Chalk Bluff, Volcanic Tableland, and Rock Creek Canyon.  Recreation highlights near Bishop include Yosemite National Park, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Mammoth Mountain, and Death Valley National Park! 

Temperatures are mild throughout the year.  The average number of sunny days is 288!  Snow is minimal in the city, but readily available in the mountains.  The desert is also easily accessible!  This location seems to be ideal as it presents a variety of climate conditions and astounding beauty to admire! 

I wouldn’t mind living in a place like this!

Chart of Team Attendance Per Region

Yes, God, we'll see You in the things You have made.

We drove 8 hours up to Ely, Minnesota and stopped at the Ranger Station to pick up our Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permits.  From there we drove to the Moose Lake boat ramp where we loaded our canoes and said goodbye to our logistics staff.   Then we paddled off into the sun in a land of lakes.  Small, primitive campsites scatters the shores of the Boundary Waters, so each evening, we would paddle to a new site, set up camp, and enjoy the wilderness.  Daily we'd wake up, spend time with God, and then eat breakfast and hit the water for another day of paddling.  Most lakes were less than five miles long, so once we paddled to the other side, we'd get out of our canoes and carry them and the rest of our gear over to the next lake.  Small trails connected the lakes and genrally lasted about 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile in length.  Carrying our canoes was both a physical and mental challenge.  Rocks and steep slopes were frequent in the trails, causing us to step up in our "portage" skills. (Portage refers to the process of transporting gear and boats from one lake to another.

Weather in the Boundary Waters was unpredictable.  One morning we'd wake up to bright sunny skies, and within the hour, the clouds would roll in and a stead rain would make itself present.  Most days were calm, yet others were characterized by constant strong winds making paddling a challenge.  Generally we paddled about three miles per hour, yet on days when the wind was strong, we probably only managed less than 1/4 mile per hour. 

We saw many loons on the lakes....loons are frequent in the northwoods.  They resemble ducks and are known to be excellent underwater swimmers.  Their red eyes are stunning in contrast with their black necks.  Check out the picture:

Many sweet moments were had in the Boundary Waters...sunrises and sunsets, worship on the sandy beaches, campfires with hot cocoa, card games in tents, rain storms and blue skies, island camping, swimming, exploring the new camp sites, laughing, sharing inside jokes....the list goes on. 

The depth of the experience lies in the ways we encountered God.  We saw Him through the things He made.  There was a day when I was praying....I read a verse about being renewed and "soaring on wings like eagles"....I prayed to see an eagle, and 30 seconds later, one flew right overtop of me!  It was the closest I have ever been to an eagle!  God was present...and not only to send an eagle, but to simple just dwell with me.  He walked with us on this trip, guiding us in our route, but also in our journey of faith in Him. 

By the end of the experience, not only had we improved our paddle strokes and mosquito slaying skills, but we had also improved in our ability to recognize God in the natural world around us.  He was ever-present in the things He has made.



First Session: 4 Girls, 3 Canoes, 2 Leaders, 1 all-powerful God.

"Ang, You'll be leading the three week canoe trip."    .....and then it began.


My co-leader and I soon began dreaming about our trip and planning our route.  We would be navigating through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.  The Boundary waters are a series of lakes and ponds along the Minnesota/Candian border.  Over 1,000 lakes waiting to be seen and experienced.    

  Learn more about the Boundary Waters here!

So, our girls came to camp ready for an adventure!  These four girls were full of life and energy.  Three of them were from inner-city Chicago, one was from a local town.  They all brought their individual personalities to contribute to our group.  I must admit, I huge part of this trip experience relies on the fact that three of these girls didn't know they would be canoeing through wilderness until they got to our base camp!  They were suprised and shocked the first day, then agreed to give it a try.  So, our adventure began. 

Summer experiences...to share

Summer experiences are always incredible times for growth.  This past summer I journeyed up to Wisconsin to a place called Honey Rock where I was met by a land of lakes, bogs, and trees!  My mission was to lead wilderness trips for high school campers during the summer while creating opportunites for them to encounter God.  As guide staff, we started off with five weeks of canoeing, sea kayaking, and backpacking training and then shortly after began trip leading.   Throughout the summer, I led three differerent trips:

First session began a three week canoe trip in the Boundary Waters, Minnesota.  
Second session was a two week backpacking and sea kayaking trip near Pictured Rocks, Lake Superior. 
Third session was a two week sea kayaking expedition around Grand Island, Lake Superior. 

Look for posts to follow...I'm excited to tesitfy about how God has been moving and working in the lives of the kids I met this summer and my life as well!

For now, check out the Honey Rock Camp website to read about the wilderness program:
Click here for link to Honey Rock Camp!

something new...

Hello computer class.  Teach me about blogs....sure, I'll give it a try.