mission 2009

Mission '09 - the recap

2009-06-24T12:56:00.001-05:00

How do you sum up an extravaganza like our little trip down to the land of West Virginia?Well I usually don’t even try but here goes…We laughed, we cried, we worked, we got bug bites, and we got poison ivy. We got lost, we got wet, we got over to Wal-Mart...trice. We slept little, ate some, and lost some weight sweating.

We painted, power-washed, cleaned walls, halls, and bathroom stalls. We filed music, sang out of tune, cranked the radio, and spent too much time in the creeper-ish church vans. We got sun burned, we got some Chic-filet for the Man-chez, ChrissyMoma and me, we got some fireworks for the Mitchel, we got some abdominal issues from Taco Bell. We had some get car sick, some get sugar sick, and others get a bit sea sick but no one got home-sick. We listened to the teaching of the Word, we played some games, we didn’t get enough sleep, we traveled early, we got separated, we grew closer, we marveled at creation, we saw beautiful mountains, ugly houses, and some nasty mullets.

We watched a movie meant for children and then talked like "Doug" for days. We were obnoxious in the theater, we made a scene everywhere, and we had to apologize for the mess/noise/chaos we brought with us anywhere we went. We got sick of seeing, smelling, hearing each other and then we rejoiced (hip hip huzzah) to see each other again.

We learned the joy that simple service can bring, we learned to appreciate the power of God all over again, we learned that pure fellowship is a delight, and we learned that life is fleeting. We learned that Amber is a Frisbee catching machine, that Mike isn’t afraid to elbow-and-kneecap-it out of a room to keep paint off a floor, that we need a leash for Jenna and Megan in the woods, that Michelle doesn’t pick fights she can win, that Micah wants his Starbucks made with love, and that Corbin needs to avoid that freaky bug that bit a hunk out of his face.

and all for about 220 bucks.
God is good.
peace,

Rafting Perspective - BEGilley

2009-06-24T12:51:00.000-05:00

Water is a simple thing. It is a common thing. It is so common that we fail to ponder its importance as we daily use it. It is essential to life itself. It is said that if the freezing point or the boiling point of water were different by even a few degrees life as we know it could not exist. Our very bodies are made up of mostly water. By nature, water moves along the path of least resistance. It goes where it wishes. It is thoughtless, careless, emotionless.And yet it can teach us.In a recent trip down the New River our group has learned this lesson in true living color. They have posted their stories on Facebook, which has resulted in many crying parents and other such aliments. Their experiences resonate with all who have fallen into deep, scary waters.I do not really know how close to death any of them actually came, God knows the answer to that riddle. But it was a closer proximity than any of them had felt before and their fear in the rapids of the New River was very real and very serious. Pressure like that can make us such earnest folks. I like that. Because while looking down the barrel of a gun is no joy, it does bring the issues of life into perspective.Unfortunately, experiences fade. The zeal that was once there wanes and for the life of us we cannot seem to recover it, as much as we might try. Some resort to “adrenaline monkey” lifestyles, always seeking to maintain the high or seeking an even greater one. I am of the opinion that the proper way to debrief from such an experience is to see what was revealed by the ordeal. In the upheaval of your world what did you find present within you? What did you find in your heart in those moments?When God shows us the inside of our hearts it is a scary thing. But it is also a gift. It is even a rare gift, for in these moments of clarity, we can truly see. Because while many a good Christian speaks of wanting to be home with the LORD, when that moment comes we can see how dearly we hold to this life, we see how much we really do love this world. I would even go on to say that moments like these test the fabric of our faith. These things test the strength and durability of what we claim to believe.-Is it a present reality we cling to as we are whirled about or is it void from our conscience as though it were mere philosophical musings?-Does your belief system effect the state of mind of the victim or is it all thrown out the window in mass panic?-Does the fact that you believe in a living God make a difference in the midst of the turmoil?I have fallen out of the raft many times in my years going down the river. And while I am no longer as scared as I once was, and no longer think that I am going to die as soon as I hit the water, I am reminded every time of just how little I am.To make sure you understand the nature of this scenario, please allow me to paint a picture for you. The water in a serious river is a living definition of “overwhelming.” If you are in the place where swimming as hard as you can is nothing more than utter exercise in futility or when holding your position is a bragging point, then you are beginning to grasp the nature of what I am talking about. In serious rapids the strapping-young-man is reduced to an insignificant status, barely better off than the bug being flush down the commode. In dangerous rivers you realize just how fleeting life is and just how much you really love dry land. In the midst of a dominant river you are struck by the powerful realization that it is not even within your ability to reach the surface of the water – you are at the whim of the current, either to an evil destination or to the surface for a breath of precious air.For the victim it is a surreal moment.And it is surreal because we all, in varying degrees, live with the belief that we are really in control of our lives. We all think of ourselves in god-like status. We all want to rule as God. This has been the battle since the Garden. Eve found the idea of being a rival to God too alluring to pass up. The pull was too strong. Instead of residing underneath the sovereign reign of the Almighty we all want to squirt out from under that pressure, thinking that we ourselves will rule in a more benevolent manner. We all think we know better than God – then we hit that water and one of God’s servants grips us in its emotionless hands, and then the walls of pride come crashing down. It is in this moment we see, with vivid clarity, that we are not like God.Now, one could take the waters in a metaphorical sense here and the point applies as well. Consider the tumults and tempests of life that most all will encounter if they linger long on this rock. Ponder the thought of burying your mother. Think for a moment the emergency room visits with your wife and they take her away and you are left behind in the waiting room with nothing but your imagination. Think about a mom watching as they put needles and tubes into her little baby and the horror that this will induce. Put yourself in the place of the one who must watch from the sidelines as the one you love most in this world wastes away from an invisible disease. Are these not also tempests? Are these not also raging storms in which you have no power? Are these not also times when all the world seems to be pulled out from under you? In moments like these do you not feel small and insignificant?This is the nature of the human condition. Limited, finite, small. We are certainly the biggest fish in a small pond (called earth) but nothing more.“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”- Psalm 8:3-5And because of that honor and glory that He crowned us with we have become, each of us, proud. And we refuse to acknowledge Him as God and honor Him as Sovereign.We forget that “by the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and their starry host by the breath of his mouth” and that “heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Him.” What is more, the LORD Himself has declared that we don’t just forget, we even suppress the truth given to us in nature. God has said that the world that He created points to Him. This world is faithful to remind us, as we observe it, that we are indeed not God.If you are attentive you will notice an interesting thing in Scripture. God will most often use one servant to bring about judgment on another. This is all over the pages of the Old Testament and littered throughout the history of Israel. This is even the specific dilemma of the Prophet Habakkuk. God will use His servants to bring about the result He desires. In our lives most specifically, He directs such servants toward us to conform us more rightly into the image of His Son. The waters of the New River were used to teach our group many things; maybe most pointedly to bring to attention the pride that we have been content to live with before Him. Now we can testify that indeed “all things are His servants” as Psalm 119:91 proclaims.The nature of water is to remind us of our place in this world. A servant, not a king.“Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”- Isaiah 55:6-9

Rafting Perspective - MCut

2009-06-24T12:50:00.000-05:00

The love of my God.

by Michael James Cutler (notes) Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 11:11pm
So. Where do I even start?Well, I went to West Virginia with my youth group. It was am amazing trip. Just awesome. I feel like we are all just so much tighter.That's not the point of this note though. On Friday we went white water rafting. My boat was Emilie, Jek, Courtney, Frog, Sarah, and Dan was our guide. It was funny on the first rapid we hit a small hole, and tilt to the side a bit, and I look up and see Courtney like screaming and falling to the side. She knocks Jek, and her completely out of the boat. It was so funny.Aside that, we come to a rapid, I guess it was Double Z (correct me if I'm wrong Dan) and in that there is this huge hole, call Berry's Hole. We were just talking too long and we weren't paddling. We all start paddling, and Dan keeps calling out to paddle harder, and of course we were. But we weren't going anywhere. We go straight into it. We go down, and I hear Dan yell "Oh no this is not good! SWIM LEFT!" and he fell on top of me, and I guess Sarah. Then the boat went vertical and I flipped out the back into the hole. It was funny the first thing I did was grab my glasses. But I honestly though, "I'm gonna die." I was stuck in the hole for a while, then got out. and the whole time going through the rapids screaming my lungs out gasping for air. The sound of the crushing water and their power was amazing. I finally get out into calmer waters, and turn around to see Jek smiling.... I was like you freak! in my head of course. And then I see Courtney freaking out, looking scared to death. I saw one boat in front of me, one behind me. One boat throws the throw-bag out to Jek, and she grabs it and gets pulled in, and I see Dan and Emilie floating, but me and Courtney were way out of range. Courtney was trying to swim to that boat. Somehow I gained my composure, and was like Courtney we gotta turn around, and she did. and I still had my paddle all through this, and another I picked up, so I grabbed her paddle, and then I grabbed her and and I swam as fast as I could until another boat threw out a rope. I immediatley grabbed it and made sure Courtney did too. We got back to the boat, and the first thing on my mind was to get Courtney out of the water. So Alyssa grabbed Courtney, and Micah had ahold of me. I was trying to get them to get Courtney in the boat, but they were trying to get both of us in at the same time. So they got her in, and Micah was still hanging on to me. and we started going through a rapid and he got me in. and I grabbed a paddle and starting paddling like a madman. I was so scared. We got to calm waters, and pulled over to the side. I turned and looked to see Topher, Micah, Alyssa, Courtney, Carla, Michelle, Karissa, Frog and Sarah. I was never so happy to see them all. I was just so glad we got Sarah and Michael out. We waited for about half an hour for our bout. I was still worried about my sister and Dan because I didn't see them get in. So we got our boat and there was four of us, and a guide, and we went and got the rest of our boat. Emilie got on and she just wrapped her arms around me, and we sat there. I love all of them so much, and to see their faces was just such a relief to know my dear friends were alive. We got to the spot on the river where we would normally do a devotion, and Dan prayed for us. I immediatley just started crying. I'm pretty sure our whole boat was. We broke the silince but the statement "God is bigger than that!" AMEN! Seriously. That rapid that seems to big to us is tiny to Him. By God's sovereignty we are all alive, and so many things we have to take out of this. God is GOOD.Of course this is all my story, wait for others.So this really makes you think. So much in your life. None of us expected to go through that. But i have no regret in going though that. I learned so much.experiencing the power of God's creation like that brings so much more reality to his power. It was so amazing. That just proves so much that God is good. He brough all seven of us out of that. This is honestly a life changing experience for me. It is something I will never forget.I love all of the seven in my boat so much. I can't even express how much I am thankful for you guys.My youthgroup. Wow, you guys are amazing! Nothing will ever change that. Thank you all for being Godly examples in my life.Brian, I just want to say thank you. When you gave me a hug after we got off the river, I was just speechless. You are such an example in my life. I am so thankful you are in my life.

God is good.

Rafting Perspective - Jek

2009-06-24T12:49:00.002-05:00

Missons '09

by Jaclyn Elise Kestner (notes) Sun at 12:05am, june 2009

I debated putting this on Facebook. I wrote this Friday night while the memories of the trip were fresh in my mind and I could accurately describe what happened. I'm sure most of you have heard a bit of what I will soon share with you but I want to flesh it out to you from my point of view. Just so you know, when I told my mom this story she started to cry as I'm sure all the parents involved did. I'm sure you will see six other notes that are very similar but this is my story and I can only pray that strikes some chord within you.Missions '09. It was a trip that mixed the elements of the Intro, Extro, and White water rafting trips. It was a trip where we served, learned, and then had a fun trip at the end of the week. I learned stuff, that's for sure, and I feel that I grew spiritually as well. The funny thing is that most of this happened on the day that was seemingly dedicated to fun. Don't get me wrong, I could write lengthy notes dedicated to what God showed me each day that I was out there, but this day impacted me the most as you'll soon see. Let me tell you what I learned on the Missions '09 trip.I've been whitewater rafting before and I plan to major in like thing, so this run down the river seemed routine enough. Our raft was a good one too. It was me, Courtney, both Cutlers, both Radars, and Dan. We were going to have a good time and we did. We blazed through everything that we came up against and Dan told us that we were pretty strong paddlers. I don’t know about the others, but I thought I was pretty cool at that moment.We go into another rapid and we think that we are good to go. Suddenly, Dan is telling us that we need to be paddling hard and we tried to comply. It’s not working. Dan kept egging us on, telling us to really dig and to paddle as hard as we possibly can. I’m in the front and even I can hear the growing desperation in his voice. Then I heard Dan say something that I never ever wanted to hear.“Oh no, this is not good.”I look in front of me and what used to be a rapid is now a giant, churning hole. We plow straight into the thing and all of a sudden we’re up in the air. Christy said that from the side she just saw a boat shoot out of the water like a rocket and then flip on itself. She said that the boat was completely perpendicular to the water for a moment. This is a flip that the guides will remember for years to come. This was the “one time” in those, “This is nothing. This one time…” stories. All I knew was that I was clinging to the front of the boat as it shot straight into the air and I thought that we just maybe could ride it out. Then the raft bucked towards me and I was literally catapulted out of the boat.I remember flying thought the air and bracing myself but I didn’t hit right away. I just kept flying and I remember thinking, “I have to hit the ground sometime”. And I finally did hit, hard. Where once I saw rapids and mountains, I now saw only murky water. My world was turned black as I was pushed under the water. I was spinning and going up and down and the water kept pushing me down and down. I didn’t know what was going on, all I knew was that I was in the midst of chaos.A flash of light, a glimpse of the world, a brief gasp of air and I was under again. More spinning, more pushing as the waves tried to smother me. Mere seconds stretched on for eternity as my eyes begged to see something other than swirling water and my lungs screamed for mercy. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t do anything but tell myself that I was going to die.Suddenly I was spit up to the surface. I flailed my arms as I desperately tried to keep my head above water. I hungrily drank in oxygen as I simultaneously spit water out of my body. As I struggled to breathe, I turned and Courtney and Michael Cutler doing much of the same. I couldn’t see the other four. Then I heard a guide yell, “Rope!” and saw him throw the wonderful bag towards me. I grabbed that rope and hung on for dear life. I remember yelling for Courtney and Michael to do the same but they couldn’t reach it. The guide pulled me into the raft right before another rapid. I huddled in the bottom of the raft like the child I had been reduced to as my rescue boat tried to pick up others. We didn’t get anyone and I was left with my imagination and no facts. I thought everyone else was dead.We managed to get around a curve and pull to the side. Dan and Emilie were there in Brian’s boat but there was no sign of the other four. I sat in a boat of complete strangers and kept looking at the other raft. Emilie was as white as a sheet and crying and Dan looked like he was in shock. I made eye contact with Brian and we couldn’t even muster a smile for each other. My rescuer said that it was okay for me to walk over there on the shore line and that’s what I did. I hadn’t really felt the gravity of the situation until Brian gave me a hug. I began to cry and it only got worse as I held Katie. We had been told that everyone had been pulled out of the water by the guides but that was a weak reassurance to me. I wanted to see my friends, I wanted to hold them and reassure myself that they were alive. When the other boats finally pulled around and I saw the four of them I almost yelled in utter joy.My story is nothing. Ask Emilie how scary it was to swim through three rapids while bobbing in and out of the water like a buoy with a fish on the line. Ask her how it felt to see a rope three inches out of her reach and then watch it drift away. Ask her how it felt to wait in apprehension while she tortured herself with thoughts of Michael’s fate. Ask Sarah what was going through her mind as she tried to comfort her brother in the waves. Ask Courtney and Michael how it was to cling to the side of a raft during a rapid and not being able to get in. Ask anyone in a boat what it felt like to watch their friends appear and disappear in a raging river. Ask Brian what it was like to realize that it was his kids in the water. Ask anyone their point of view in this story and you’ll see that my story is nothing.So what? Now I have a fun story to tell? Now I can one up anyone while we’re telling crazy stories around the campfire? What did I learn from this or am I just happy that it’s over? How about how weak we truly are? What it is that you put stock in? What do you trust to keep you safe or what do you think will bring you through the fight? You think you’re smart, okay you could be. You think you’re gorgeous, whatever that’s an entirely different subject. You think you’re strong and tough, okay props. Since you put so much stock into those things, you and I will go on a road trip and jump into the New River without a lifejacket. You trust those things surely they will be able to save you! But what you’ll quickly realize is that no matter how bad you think you are, you are reduced to nothing more than a piece of debris that has to obey the whim of the river.But forget about what you put stock in, what about me? Am I immune to these faults? Whatever inclination I had in that direction was knocked out of me when I landed in Barry’s Hole. I have always prided myself in being able to stay in control of a situation even if just a little bit. Bring it, I can handle it could be called my unsung motto. I have never been so completely helpless in my life. I couldn’t even raise my arms high enough to pump them to swim. They were pinioned to my sides. I thought I was so cool and yet I couldn’t even swim out of a rapid. I wouldn’t be here right now if I hadn’t had a life jacket on because I didn’t even have the strength to get my head above water. And yet that measly river that I thought I was going to die in has nothing on the power of God. Saying that God is powerful sounds nice and churchy when you say it from the safety of your house, but when you have been reduced to nothing by God’s mere creation it takes on a totally different perspective. And yet how often do I shake my stupid little fist in God’s face and tell Him that I know better? How many times to I push against Him and scream, “No, God you are not good! I know what is best for me”? Every time that I sin I am defying my Creator who could destroy this world with naught but a word. How is it that I claim to have faith and trust in the invisible God, but I can’t even trust the word of my guide when he tells me that my friends are okay? Am I so dependent on my sight and my faulty senses? Must I see and touch before I believe like a doubting Thomas?God is good! Jehovah Jireh stayed faithful to his name and provided for us all. I was the only one who didn’t end up pairing up with someone in the water but I was also the first one pulled out. Emilie swam three rapids and yet she ended up with Dan who was the only person who knew what was best to do. The guides stayed level headed as they rounded everyone up and the rowers had strength to keep paddling. Some boats didn’t have anyone paddling as they tried to pull people in and they hit rapids unprepared and yet no other boat flipped. Chalk it up to random chance or good luck? How about praising the sovereign God of the universe!?! Truth be told I’m happy I fell in. If I now had a choice to do the trip again and I could avoid the tip or do it exactly the same, I would hit that hole again in a heartbeat. What I have walked away with is well worth the few scary moments that I had there.You are small. You are weak. You are nothing when compared when compared to a little poe-dunk river! Humble yourself. Crush you’re absolutely absurd and nonsensical pride when you approach your Creator and Savior you disrespectful human wretch! Forsake your pet sins that put your Savior on a cross and strive to conform yourself into the image of Christ who makes you strong. Pursue holiness with all your might. Fall on your knees before Him in praise and supplication. No more excuses, just do it.This is what I have learned. This is what God has broken me with. This is what I pray my heart will remember. My God use my words to stir your heart and encourage you in your walk.

2009-06-24T12:49:00.001-05:00

Mission 09- God is Good!

by Emilie Cutler (notes) Sun at 3:31pm, june 2009

Let me start with a verse...By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,And by the breath of His mouth all their host.He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;He lays up the deeps in storehouses.Let all the earth fear the LORD;Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Psalm 33:6-8Never before has an illustration like this made so much sense to me. And never again will I look at God's power in the same way. This past Friday, I was almost dead, and only by God's grace and goodness and sovereign plan did I come out alive. I don't want to sound over dramatic, but in all honesty, I learned what it is like to feel like you are going to die and then come out with a whole new perspective of God. I have been struggling with whether or not to tell the story to my friends and familiy, but really, how could I not tell people of how God brought me and six other people out of a swirling and raging and powerful river? I give God the glory and honor for this and I feel that by telling people, I can show them a little taste of how good our God is.So here is what happened from my perspective:I was so excited to go white water rafting on Friday. I had been twice before and had a blast both times. It's such a thrilling experience to fly down a rapid. The adreniline rush is insane as you dig your paddling into swirling water with the guide at the back of the raft yelling instructions at you while you look down the river and see water crashing against rocks and swirling and rushing in front of you. There really is nothing like it. And this time, we were in for a real treat because the water was about 10 feet higher than it had been in the past years that anyone in my youth group had been. We should have braced ourselves when we went through the first rapid and both Courtney and Jaclyn fell out. At the time, and still looking back on it, it's absolutely hilarious. We crash into the first rapid that really wasn't even all that large, and the boat tipped a little to the left. I stuck my foot tighter under the thing in front of me and balanced myself so that I wouldn't fall out. But Courtney apparently wasn't ready for it and went flying across the boat and into the water and took Jaclyn with her. I still remember Courtney screaming and flailing her arms and then both of them hitting the water. It was very amusing because it was the easiest rapid on the trip. Then we continued down the river and had no problems at all. No one fell out again, we were having a great time. We were paddling like champs according to Dan, and that felt good. I don't know about anyone else, but I really look up to Dan for this kind of stuff and hearing that praise from him felt awesome, especially after hearing him talk about how annoying it is to have paddlers who slack and can't really get the speed and energy right. I felt completely confident that we would be fine and nothing could possibly go wrong. We had a solid crew on the boat, and we had Dan as our guide and I felt like we had it all under control. And oh how wrong I was. Have you heard the phrase, "Pride comes before the fall"? Well, we were prideful, and it came right before the biggest fall I've ever experience. (and that's saying a lot. I fall all the time. haha) All joking aside though, this was by far the most terrifying experience in my 18 years on this earth. We had made it through the three Keenys, which were three pretty intense rapids all in a row. Dan seemed pretty suprised at how well we got through them all. No problems whatsoever. So we get to a place called "Barry's Hole" and we just talked a bit too long before we started hard core paddling. We're talking and paddling a bit and not really worried about what was about to happen when all of a sudden we hear the tone in Dan's voice change. For those of you reading this who don't know Dan, he's a pretty chill guy. So when we heard him get serious and tell us to dig into the water, boy did we dig in. With everything we had we were paddling. And Dan just kept yelling at us to "dig in" and "paddle hard" and we tried so hard. But it was to no avail because not long after we started digging in with everything we have we hear Dan shout, "Oh no...this is not good." Those were definately not words that we wanted to hear. The next thing I know, I look down and see a swirling pit of death below me and a big wave above me. We plummeted down into the biggest hole that they had ever seen on that river and then almost immediately shot up to where we were perpendicular to the wave. I don't remember this part well, because I think I pretty much fell out of the boat right away. So all I remember is hearing Dan shout, falling into the hole, and then all of a sudden, I was being sucked under water and being pulled this way and that and I lost all sense of direction. I was in the middle of the hole. I didn't know which way was up, down, left, or right. All I knew was that I was going to die. I opened my eyes because for some reason my brain that was starving for oxygen thought that might help. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was black all around me. I had no idea what to do because i was flailing my arms as much as i couldn't under the crushing weight of the water and I wasn't moving anymore. I was just stuck. But then, by God's grace, someone above me in the water kicked me and for some reason I snapped out of it and knew that if I went to where that leg was, I would be able to get out of the water. So I began swimming up and up as hard as I could. I finally broke the surface of the water but I was in between two wave crests and I couldn't see a thing. I didn't know where anyone else was at and I couldn't see a boat to swim to. I was alone in the river. Then I realized, as I was gasping for air above the water, that there wasn't any air flowing into my lungs relieving me from being under the water. I realized that I had the wind knocked out of me and started to mildly panic because no matter what I did, I couldn't get the oxygen that I needed to be able to swim through the rest of the rapids. I started gasping and choking on the water because I deperately needed to be able to breath. I finally got my breath back after i was tossed and thrown between waves and I looked over and saw Dan swimming toward me. He held out his hand and told me to forget about the paddle that I was clinging desperately to. We then swam hand in hand through the next rapid. I clung to Dan like I've never clung to anyone before. He kept me calm and he guided me through the rapids. It was very difficult because we couldn't get to a boat and we had to swim through this class 3 (at least that's what i'm told it was) rapid. I was kicking and flailing my arms with everything that I had to stay above the water. I got pulled under another couple times when I was trying to swim through the waves. I was informed after I got out of the water that Dan and I were heading toward a big rock that could have potentially killed us but Dan was able to get us around the rock. Or should I say, God gave him the strength. So we got out of the second rapid and we were at a calm spot and a boat was coming toward us but for some reason or another, they paddled away and we were left to try to swim the third rapid. (while i was in the rapids, I had no idea that we were going to the third. I just knew i was in the water) So we enter the thrid rapid and someone threw a rope at me. The rope was 70 feet long and it was about a foot away from me. I couldn't reach the roap and I was absolutely terrified. I thought for sure then that I was going to die becaues I was swimming as hard as I could and I was utterly powerless against the raging waters and even as hard as I was swimming, I still couldn't get to the rope that was literally 3 inches from my fingertips. And then I looked over with desperation in my eyes at Dan who shouted "BEHIND YOU!" For a moment I forgot my sense of direction again and didn't realize what he was saying but I finally realized that he meant that someone else had thrown a rope behind me. So I flipped myself over and reached for the rope and grabbed it and held on for dear life. (I found out after I was safely on land, that if I hadn't have gotten that rope, I would have ended up going into a rapid called the "Bus Stop" and I probably would not have come out alive.I was so close to not coming out alive. Me and Dan both. We would have been powerless to that rapid.) I then realized that no one had thrown a rope to Dan, so I stuck my foot out as far as it would go. By God's sovereign plan, my shoes stayed on the whole time (even though a few others lost their shoes) and Dan had something to grip on to. I will never forget the feeling of being pulled at an amazing speed toward the boat that saved my life. And I will never forget being launched into the boat as Brian pulled me into the boat was one hand. As my adreniline faded I started to hyperventilate and I could feel my heart vibrating dangerously in my chest. All I could feel were Brian's arms around me holding me and comforting me. I had made it out alive and I just sat there hyperventilating and praising God for getting me out safely. I will also never forget the feeling of thinking that my younger brother was dead. I hadn't seen him when I came up out of the hole and I had no idea where he was at. I had heard that everyone else was safe but nothing about anyone seeing Michael and I began to panic and pray with everything that was in me. When all the boats were eventually reunited, I jumped into my own boat that two guides had just pulled out of the rapid and clung to my brother and just cried. I was so happy to see him alive. I will never ever forget that. So what did I learn from this traumatizing experience? What will I take away from this? Will I just use it as a funny story to tell when I talk to my friends? Will this just be something that happened and I will get over it in a few weeks when it isn't so fresh in my mind? I certainly hope not. What I learned from this was life changing, truely. And I don't want to be cheesy or dramatic about that phrase. I wouldn't use it if I didn't truely feel it fit this situation. So often in life we think we have control over things. We think we have so much power. As a teenager I often feel that I am invincible because i have no major health problems and have never really been in too much danger. But swimming through those rapids made me realize how small I am and how huge God is. I mean really. I think I know what's right for me. I think I know what is going to happen. I think I know that everything is under my control and I don't really need to lean on God all the time because I'm strong and I can handle it. Nope. Not a chance, Emilie. It is so easy to "depend" on God when I'm going something that seems to big at the moment. But when life gets easy and nothing is going wrong, what do I do? I forget. I forget what my God has done for me by dying on the cross to save me. It's like being in those rapids. Even when I was in the calm parts of the water, I still was completely powerless to control what was going to happen to me. It's crazy to think about and ultimately, very very humbling. When i was in the middle of Berry's Hole, I couldn't move anything. I was stuck and powerless and directionless. That power. That water crushing in around me and holding me under...wow. It's still hard to think about two days later. But you know what? God is so much bigger than that. Refer to the Psalm I gave in the beginning of the note. "He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap" I"m thinking, "uhm...what?!?!" God gathers all the waters of the earth together like its nothing. He made them, created them, and is in control of them. Wow. Still think you're big enough and strong enough? Think again.We are like grasshoppers to God. That's how small we are. Another thing I learned was the feeling of separation. When I couldn't find my brother, I broke down completely. I was separated from him and it was heartbreaking and awful and I can't even describe the despair that I almost fell victim to. Now imagine my feeble attempt to describe what i was feeling and apply that to our relationship with God. When we sin, that's what it should feel like. Sin is despicable to God, and because we are sinners, we have to be separated from God. If were are a child of His and we are in an unrepented sin, that's what we should feel. We should feel heartbroken and despaired that we are separated from our God because of that sin. If you don't feel the seriousness that sin really is, just think about that for a minute. I could go on and on and on about the power of God. It is truely amaizng and I've never felt it in such a way before. But I will leave you with this: When I was in those rapids afraid that I was going to die, I knew for sure that if I did die, that I would be going to Heaven. I know that my life is hid with Christ on high. He died for me and rose again and now my sins can be forgiven and when I die I will go to Heaven and be with Him forever. I have never been so thankful for my eternal security. And I have never been so thankful for the goodness of God because even if I had died, as I almost did, His plan would still have been perfect and good. God is good, guys. God is sovereign. God loves us. And He wants everyone to know Him as their personal savior. Do you know Him? If you died in a rapid or in a car accident or whatever, would you know for sure that you will go to Heaven and spend eternity with Him? I challenge you to think of that. "Let all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of Him"

Rafting Perspective - Sarah

2009-06-24T12:48:00.001-05:00

Our Adventure-Learning of God's Awesome Power

by Sarah Michelle Rader (notes) Sun at 3:46pm, june 2009

Ok, first of all, I feel like an old crusty sailor telling a tale of grand adventure. But I thought it would be good to share my perspective of what happened and what I learned as a result. People keep asking for the story so I thought I’d get the whole thing out on here. Most of you have probably read Jaclyn, Michael, and Emilie’s account too. I think it’s cool to hear everyone’s perspective, since we each had a slightly different experience. I’ll warn you this is long, I like details, so if you don’t make it through the whole story, please at least read the part at the end about what I learned.So, context first: we went with the youth group to WV and went white water rafting while we were there. This was my 3rd time rafting on this river. I love white water rafting, it’s the only semi dangerous thing that doesn’t scare me and I can enjoy. I had never fallen out of a raft at all before. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every time I’ve gone and this was the best time I’ve ever had rafting and I would go again if I had the chance. So now for the story:“Oh no, this is not good!” That was the last thing I remember. Before then we had been talking, laughing, and having a great day rafting. We’d made it through some pretty tough rapids and had been doing good paddling hard. Dan was our guide and it was me, my brother, Emilie and Michael Cutler, Jaclyn, and Courtney. As we went into the next rapid, Dan told us about this huge hole, Barry’s hole, which was very dangerous and that we needed to just avoid that hole and everything would be fine. So we started in as we had the other rapids, paddling along, thinking we could take on anything. As we continue through, Dan’s voice gradually becomes louder and more concerned as he shouts for us to paddle harder and harder. I was in the back of the boat, and suddenly I see in front of us a huge wave. No big deal, we’ve been through lots before. But then suddenly this was different. I couldn’t see it as well as some but I could tell that the water was suddenly just dropping off into a huge hole. Dan’s voice changed to pure fear as he shouted, “oh no, this is not good!” In that split second I realized we were in trouble. But then I didn’t really think about anything else. Water rushed over my head. I don’t remember seeing anyone. I don’t know what happened to my paddle. I just saw black. I was being pulled under water so fast with a force stronger than anything I’d ever felt. I started swimming as hard as I could, wanting only to get to the top and breathe again. I don’t even know if I was getting any closer at all. It didn’t feel like it. No matter how hard I pushed, the surface wasn’t coming. For a moment I started giving up, praying in desperation that God would let me get some air and preparing myself for what would happen if I never did make it to the top. I’ve never really had a fear of drowning before this, probably because I never had any concept of what it was like. Now I was terrified. I actually remember thinking to myself “Lord, I never pictured myself dying of drowning before, but if that’s what you want help me to be ok with it.” But then it started to look like I actually was going up, like I actually was going to make it. When I had that confidence that I might actually live, I started to think about the others and what would happen if I was the only one that made it, trying to prepare myself for the worst and resting in whatever God’s will might be. Finally I hit the surface. I don’t know how long I was under. Probably all these thoughts took place in a matter of a few seconds. All I know is it felt like forever. When I surfaced, I tried desperately to take a breath, knowing that I needed to breathe now in case I got sucked under again. But I had swallowed so much water that I had to cough all of it out first before I could get a breath in. and even then the water was so cold it was hard to expand my lungs enough. At this time I was still in a rapid, so there were still huge wave tossing me all over. It was hard to tell if I was under or above water as wave after wave washed over me, while I gasped for breaths in between. I don’t really remember seeing anything but water then. I might have seen other boats, the other people in the water, I don’t know, it was all a blur. Then I was shoved out into a calmer spot. I could see now. My mind was still confused, but the one thing I saw clearly was my little brother a few yards away from me in the water. That was the first wave of relief as I saw the one I was most worried about losing. I tried to get closer to him, tried to talk to him. He looked as confused as me, and I tried to tell him it would be ok and help him figure out what to do. I don’t know if heard me. I frantically looked around for help, I saw a blur of people and boats, all too far away to reach. I knew we needed to get out of there before the next rapid came. And then I saw a boat not too far away behind my brother. I pointed at it and yelled at him to swim as hard as he could towards it. I started swimming, although I didn’t know if I would ever make it to the boat, all I wanted at that point was for my brother to get to the boat. Finally I was a few feet away. I saw my brother get pulled into the boat. I saw people moving on the other side of the boat, and figured they were probably pulling someone else in. I was glad to be so close to the boat, but still worried because I was so close but I still couldn’t quite grab the boat because of the current. I think I almost gave up again at that point, when suddenly Michelle turned around, saw me and stuck out her paddle. With a sigh of relief I grabbed it and held on just as we started into the next rapid. Then there was another problem, Michelle wasn’t strong enough to pull me in. She shouted for help, but no one could hear her, they were focused on getting everyone else in and paddling as hard as they could to keep their boat from flipping too. And so I hung on to Michelle’s paddle for dear life partway through the rapid. Finally, their guide saw me, and shouted in a fearful voice, “She needs to get in now!” Then he pulled me in and had me lay in the bottom of the boat while they finished out the rapid. Another huge wave of relief came of me when I was safely in the boat and saw that my brother, Michael Cutler and Courtney were all safely in as well. When we got through that, we pulled off to the side and our guide ran back to help get our boat out. As I sat their enjoying the feeling of breathing, someone said they had seen Dan and Jaclyn get in a boat. No one said anything about Emilie, so as far as I knew she was still in there. It seemed like eternity that we sat there waiting. Waiting to see the rest of our people, waiting to hear all was well. Finally our guide came back and told us everyone was accounted for, although there was still a lingering doubt in my mind. We started back into the river and got through the next part to where the other boat was waiting downstream for us. I saw Emilie, Jaclyn, and Dan, and I finally felt like I knew everything was going to be alright for sure. We all got back together in our boat, all of us very shaken by it all. After that the last 2 rapids didn’t scare me at all. Probably I was too overwhelmed to even care. We stopped at one point while Dan prayed for us all, then we all just cried together for a minute. When it was all over, I was so happy to be back on the land and see the rest of our group. Afterwards, I gradually learned how much danger we were in. People told me our boat had not just flipped, but had been launched into the air and flipped backwards with Jaclyn and Courtney still holding on. I learned how dangerous this hole was, one of the worst spots you could ever fall out in, the only spot anyone had ever died in. I learned all the dangerous spots after the hole that we could have hit too. I learned everyone else’s different experiences and their different fears. That night I had a hard time sleeping. I was afraid to close my eyes, because every time I did I would have a dream of a huge wave crashing over me and I would feel like I was going to stop breathing again and would jerk awake. In the end, I don’t regret going, and I would go again if I had the chance. I almost didn’t want to go on this trip at all, but now I see why God had me go. I learned so much throughout the whole thing and especially during rafting. I learned of God’s awesome creation as I saw the beautiful WV mountains and when we went to the creation museum. I learned of humility and service through Brian’s lessons and helping out the church there. I grew in love and unity by just being with the group, especially on our super fun and confusing hike, which is another story. I learned of God’s awesome power on a whole new level as the waves crashed over me and sucked me under. Even though that was quite possibly the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to me, I know it’s nothing compared to God, who is the only thing worthy of true fear. I learned of His sovereignty as I resigned myself to the fact that whether we lived or died, it was His plan. I learned even more fully the lesson I’ve been learning all year, that even if God wills death, He is still perfectly good and sovereign and there’s nothing you can do to change His will, so you must be content and joyful, and glorify Him as best as you can it whatever circumstances He gives you. I learned of His mercy when He spared me, which isn’t what I deserved. I learned of my own insignificance as I was completely helpless in the raging river. I learned how wonderful it feels to breathe and how fleeting life is. Now I pray I won’t forget this experience and all that I’ve learned (part of the reason I wrote all this) and that I’ll apply it and grow because of it. To God alone the glory,Sarah Michelle Rader

Rafting Perspective - Frog

2009-06-24T12:45:00.001-05:00

My First Whitewater Rafting Trip

by Michael Joseph Rader, june 2009

I had heard that whitewater rafting was fun and eventful, but on Friday, I got to experience it for the first time. My boat had Jaclyn, Michael C., Sarah, Emilie, Courtney (who was also rafting for the first time), and Dan. The water was 10 feet higher than normal, so we had a faster ride than we would have otherwise. In the first half of the river, there was a section called the "Keeneys." Jaclyn and Emilie were saying that it would be an intense ride through that part, but we got through it without much event. after that, we thought we were really good. So when we get to a section called "Double Z," and Dan told us to paddle left, we were a little over-confident, and ended up not being able to get over fast enough to avoid something called "Barry's Hole." Barry's Hole was basically a spot where the water dipped down, and then met a wave coming down. Due to our inability to paddle hard enough, we went straight into this hole. Our boat took a small dip, and then shot straight up. What was I doing during this? At first, I was trying to hold onto the boat, but then, I realized that the boat was going to flip, and I quickly let go. After that, I hit the water, shot under, and just kept going deeper and deeper. At this point, I thought I was done for. Suddenly, my descent stopped, and my life jacket began to pull me up. Suddenly, I realized I had a chance to live, and just started kicking and flailing until I finally reached the surface. Once I got there, I realized I was still in the middle of a rapid. Somewhere during this part, my shoes fell off. After swimming through a wave, I spotted someone in the water, I was pretty sure it was Sarah, but I didn't have time to make sure, as another wave was coming. I got through that, and finally got to calmer water. I hadn't been able to breathe properly since before falling out of the boat, and even now, I was struggling to get air in my lungs. At this point, however, I was able to confirm that I had seen Sarah, as she was maybe 10-15 feet away from me. I saw a boat, and started swimming towards it. Sarah saw another boat that was behind me, and in my blindspot. The boat I saw was upstream and pretty far away. finally, I saw the other boat (which was much closer and downstream) and started to swim towards it, this was much easier. When I got to the boat I grabbed a little ring thingy on the side of the boat (I don't know what the purpose of those rings was, but they sure came in handy here). I don't know how long I held onto that ring, but finally, the guide of that boat saw me hanging there and pulled me into the boat. After I got in, I saw that Michael C. and Courtney had also gotten in, and then I saw Sarah get pulled in as well. 4 of us were in that boat, and I had seen someone get pulled into another boat (I didn't know if it was Emilie or Jaclyn, but I later found out that it was Jaclyn). Shortly after I was pulled in, the boat pulled over a calm pocket on the side, where we waited about 15 minutes for our boat (the one I was originally in) to get pulled out of the hole, where it was trapped. When the 7 of us were finally together again, it was one of the happiest moments of my life, just to know they were all safe. After rafting through another rapid, we got to a place where we do devotions on the river, and Dan just prayed for us. After that there was some silence that was finally broken by Emilie saying "God is bigger than that." It is so true. I don't think I would have made it out alive if it weren't for God's grace. I don't think any of us would have. This was the first time I thought I might actually die.

The next day, Saturday, we drove home, with a stop at the Creation Museum, and then that night, I read Psalm 40, and verse 2 stuck out to me:

"He drew me up from the pit of destruction,out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock,making my step secure."

This verse holds new meaning for me, after I swam under one rapid, through another, and then clung to a boat through a third. Barry's hole was nearly the pit of my destruction, but God drew me up out of it alive. "For the Lord is good" Psalm 100:5a

Mission 2009

2008-09-06T13:19:00.002-05:00

After our Introspective and Extrospective trips (summer 08) we decided to combine the best of both into one big event. It should be outstanding. The goal is to unify, edify, and otherwise follow Christ thru personal reflection and practical service.

An experience is only as profitable as the obedience it produces.

talking with the Naff

2008-08-28T14:39:00.002-05:00

so there has been some mild musing with pastor Jason Naff. the ball is rolling.
he will be in contact with thoughts, ideaz, and needs of their church - as well as thinking thru the logistics in general.

way-ta-go-Naffo

past --2007 White Water Trip Itinerary

2008-08-15T17:15:00.001-05:00

Contacts:
Alpine Adventures
Bradley, West Virginia
304-877-6427 or 800-806-2180
www.alpineministries.com

Brian Gilley Jonathan Tucker
Cell phone Chris Burbridge
Linda Kestner
Mara Kasper

Overview:
To West Virginia, Alpine Adventures
· Leave SVC Sunday @ 8:30 am
· 10 hour drive ~ lunch & dinner on the road

Return Home
· Leave Alpine Adventures Wednesday 1:00 pm
· 10 hour drive ~ lunch and dinner on the road
· Arrive home approximately 11:00 pm

Food recap
· Sunday – 2 meals on the road
· Monday & Tuesday – all meals at Alpine
· Wednesday – 2 meals on the road

Sunday – Arrive and get comfy
Monday – Rafting, all day event
Tuesday – High ropes, team building activities? rappelling? Caving?, all day event
Wednesday – Summersville Lake, swimming, climbing, relaxing
· Morning only event
· Clean up and head home

Cost: $200 per person + 4 meals on the road
Needed: Parent Permission Form, Alpine Adventures Form, Bible

What has a trip similar to this cost in the past?

2008-08-15T17:10:00.002-05:00

what did we charge for this trip in the past?

how can we cut cost?

costs breakdown:

2008-08-15T16:59:00.004-05:00

Creation Museum:
$21.95/person

Rafting:
$70/person

Hotel/lodge/dorm/church per night: ???

Food for all 6 days:
$90/person
3 meals a day with an average cost of $5 for six days = $90

Gas: $600 +
1200 mile round trip
15 miles/gal
3.75/gal
______
$300.00 for one van

estimated cost per person: $215

this is without the youth budget absorbing any of the cost as it always does and certainly will. but this should be considered the high mark

in process:

2008-07-29T13:46:00.002-05:00

talk to Alpine - have put in calls. reserved friday the 19th for rafting. 1-800-806-2180. June 15-19
talk to Naff - have put in an intial call. working toward goals currently.
line out schedule. suggested so far:

Monday, day one -> drive
Tuesday, day two -> introspective
Wednesday, day three -> extro --> lit. distribution, evangelism
Thursday, day four -> physical project (work with a church not for)
Friday, day five -> H2O
Saturday, day six -> drive, Creation Museum, drive