High School Retreat (or: Friends, God, and Big Bear, Oh My!)

It was interesting being a 19 year old high schooler at the Retreat. I mean, there were two 16 year old girls that were put in charge of the girls dormitory, so that was, humbling? I suppose.

It all worked out as my friend Alexandra and I got a separate room with a cool girl named Aishah.

The car ride up was fine, we stopped at a shopping center for lunch and I ate at McDonalds with a few friends and had a good time before we went on our journey up the mountain.

After helping unpack we got to just chill before our team helped make lasagna for dinner, and afterward we did worship and my friend Tyler spoke about what we were expecting to get out of the retreat. Then we had ministry and fellowship until the wee hours of the morning (Something that would happen every night of the retreat).

During the retreat we went to Big Bear Lake which was a first for me. I had never been to a lake before. It was beautiful, and felt pretty good. But basically it was a slimier, calmer, rockier, uninhabited version of the ocean.

Not that I got that wet. Up to my knees. (not really a swimmer) But I did ride in the back of a canoe and eventually learned how to paddle. Pro status. I was all up in that lake.

Okay, maybe I totally failed at it (So much so that my brother Jonathan at one point was yelling at me for not knowing what I was doing as were were trapped in the middle of the lake with a junior higher loudly voicing her complaints of being on his lap and with people who don't know what they are doing all the way back to shore. True story.)

We went hiking, another thing I totally "rocked" at. (Get it? rocked? Hiking? anyone? .... fine I sucked at that too.)

One of the most fun nights was after hiking when half of our group had got lost (true story) but made it back to the truck and we went out for pizza and then evangelized at a street corner in a little town up in Big Bear. The drive back was full of music and bubbling joy as we all shouted worship songs and stared at the stars with the wind whipping in our hair.

We had a boat day as well which was alright, the more water-sportsy people enjoyed it more. It was still a fun day at the end though.

Lots of games were played, lots of songs were sung, inside jokes were told, crushes were had, and closeness with eachother and God was obtained.

The car-ride back went smoothly, we stopped again and ate at McDonalds and had some more fellowship before going back down the mountain.

The Retreat was great. A lot of things did and didn't go wrong. Not everyone got along with eachother perfectly but there were no major fights or arguments and in the mostpart there were no disputes or harmful pranks. Not everything was perfectly planned but everyone obviously had a good time. To summarize: it was a really really fun camp. I love the mountains. I loved having two roommates and just chilling out.

I miss it already.

A lot.


Next stop? Redding/Northern California on Friday. 6th-16th. Just me and my family. Should be interesting...

It's been so long!

A family friend, David, is over right now and is watching stupid videos with my brothers in the living room so I decided to take the opportunity to come and write some more.


I've been going to both the high school and college groups at my church as I'm in that "in between stage" and so I'm going to High School "Retreat" in Big Bear tomorrow! I am super psyched. Like 25 kids and young adults are going to be squishing into one cabin so it should be interesting! Ahem.

I've been hanging out with friends, going to church a lot, crushing on a certain someone like mad, and just having a lazy but good summer.

The same day we go off to Big Bear my mom is being flown out to NYC to visit her sisters and celebrate her birthday. I am very happy for her but also insanely jealous. Although I'm sure camp will be just as fun... right?


We get back from Big Bear on the first of August and my mom gets back the next day and then my family and I go up to Northern CA for a sort of family vacation on the 6th to the 16th. (Also to celebrate my mom's bday which is the 15th) We'll be going to Redding but stopping in San Fransisco (woot-woot) and once in Redding we'll be see some of the Redwoods and my parents are going to be going to this school of ministry up at this major church called Bethel. My brothers and I will be able to see the campus and all but as we're not going to the conference/school we can just chill at the hotel or go sight seeing on our own. Apparently there's a water park near by. That should be fun... I've never been to a water park.

Okay... now they are watching weird as heck Japanese game shows. I am blasting music so I don't have to hear it. So freaking weird.

Well I guess that's all I really have to say for now. David's going with me to check out my college group tonight which should be interesting. I love college group. A lot. *cough*