ALP Intern
Hey guys!
This last weekend we had the adventure race out over in Burnett, Texas and it was so much fun! It was my first race and i was so nervous but we had so much fun. There was a pretty large group of us which was awesome and I can tell that the ALP program is really expanding. We had quite a few people out racing for the first time and it was such a good way for me to just chill and hang out. It kind of reminded me of a mini wilderness trip lol! We cooked some spaghetti with a little bit of lizard and it as so yummy! (: Carson was my partner and we did really well, i thought. Jake cheated though and completely skipped the entire four mile run. He is so lame. So is Scott. But hopefully we can get more and more people out to these races and experience some fellowship. We will be updating you all on when the next race is and some times when we can get together some training for them.
Annnd
This weekend Sugarland is doing a fundraiser for the wilderness trip and they are raffling off an iPad 2. They could use all the support than can get. All the kids have to raise their own money and reach a goal of $2,000 by the first week of June. They are going to be selling tickets tomorrow for the raffle and doing some door to door action.
Its gonna be a busy next couple of weeks for us interns in order to get ready and prepared for the trip but i have no doubt that we will get it all taken care of. But it is going to be a team effort in order to convince Scott of that. :D
Big Race Coming Up!
Hey everybody. We have the adventure race coming up pretty soon! Personally i am excited for it because i am just going to have alot of fun with it. Its on May 12 and you could still sign up if you want to, just get in contact with Scott. The biggest reason i'm doing it is because i just wanna have fun doing it with somebody and i'm going to be doing it with victoria and i know neither of us care about doing that great. I have never done this before so I will be interested to see how it is all going to play out. I plan on laughing at victoria alot because i know she is going to fall. Alot. Me and the other interns are doing it and everyone has a team mate they do it with. I'm not sure who savannah and cotton are doing it with or maybe they are going to puss out and be "sick", who knows... But an update on things with the wilderness trip is that time is starting to wind down and its creeping up pretty fast. The woodlands had their update for everyone fundraising and showing everyone where they're at with their money. We also have a fundraiser this weekend. But with the trip coming closer and closer the more scott is freaking out about everything that us interns need to get done with taking inventory and just making sure we will have all the equipment we need this year. So its getting a little hectic but nothing we can't handle. But thats pretty much what all is going on right now. Savannah and cotton are too afraid to blog because they thing its "gay". But thats ok. I know everyone thinks i'm more interesting.
love you guys
The Woodlands group is moving!
Who: Parents AND Kids
What: Cornerstone weekly meetings for The Woodlands Area
When: 7:30 PM Thursday, August 4, 2011 (Note the day of week change)
Where: StoneBridge Church
One Stonebridge Church Drive
The Woodlands, TX
Parents meet in The Lodge (main building)
Kids meet in The Bridge (youth building)
cheesy grits
It's already Friday again... just a few more days of basecamp being calm with just me and Scott. Wednesday was the first night this whole trip that we had to sleep in a tent after being woken up in the middle of the night by the rain and waking up to heavy rain all night. But the storm only lasted like 12 hours and Idaho is back to it's beautiful weather. I'm sure everyone in the field is enjoying their 24 hour solos, having some time alone after spending a week and a half with the same group of people is always refreshing. Not to mention how powerful it is to be completely alone with God with pretty much no distractions, not many teens get the chance to be free of all the noise in the world and surrounded by the beautiful outdoors. Keep the prayers comin! much love- gabe
Healthy, Happy, and Halfway Home
Resupply has come and gone...which means the halfway point and another week left before the kids will be walking out of the woods for the last time. The logistics crew (only Gabe and I now) brought in fresh food and other essentials to all the patrols. What we thought would go quickly turned into an all day affair. Mostly because we were so glad to see and be seen. We saw laughter and tears from more than one person. People crying with joy to see us!!!! That felt great and made the day all the better!
Ahead of them lies more peaks to climb, rivers to cross, and a 24-hour solo experience. The solo can be one of the most powerful components of the trip for the kids. It gives them time to rest, rejuvenate, and reflect on their lives and their wilderness experience. Some are fearful of it and some really look forward to the solitude after spending the last 10 days with the same people. I always get excited around the time for solo.
Weather here in Stanley, Idaho is 71 degrees, overcast, and a little rainy. Nice!
Check back soon for more updates and pictures...I think the logistics crew has a reservation at a natural hot spring in a few minutes. :-) Gotta go!
Love,
Scott
clouds?
Re-supply was a success! We met all 3 patrols on Monday throughout the day to re-supply them with food, fuel, and love from the outside world. I was on interview duty and was video-taping various kids about how their first week in the back country had been treating them and how they were feeling half way through. The responses I got were touching... everyone was so happy, filled with life, and dirty! Hearing about everyone's relationship with their Higher Power even just after a week reminded me of my first trip and how powerful it was to feel so close to a Higher Power. Everyone was very grateful we brought them fresh peaches as well. G.I. Joe left the logistics team and joined one of the patrols for this last week and I'm very interested to know how he is doing, keep him in your prayers he needs it for real!! Sadly we spent yesterday taking a few kids back to the airport to go home for different reasons... I know how much these trips have helped me the past few years and it really sucks to see people have to go home.
We've been bragging about the perfect weather here but today we were actually surprised with thick clouds and even some rain drops! NO WAY! Still way better than Houston's weather plus it's already clearing up :) much love- Gabe
Adios G.I. Joe
Life out here is what life should be like all the time... relaxing and beautiful!! I try to stay away from the thoughts that one day I will again be surrounded by tons of cars and tall buildings instead of the beautiful landscape out here with the closest town's population of 100.
We set out Friday night for a little over night adventure to get Joe some actual camping experience before releasing him to the wild tomorrow without his baby wipes, lil wayne, and ghetto attitude :) After climbing a couple thousand feet from basecamp attempting to peak Williams Peak we had to turn around because... actually I dont know why we turned around. None the less is was absolutely beautiful up there, I am constantly filled with gratitude since I've been out here and views of the back country from 9,000 ft are amazing. We almost lost Joe on the way down with him being deaf and all and not hearing our hoots but luckily we found him stumbling down the hill.
We are here in Ketchum today getting some fresh fruits and veggies for the patrols we will be seeing tomorrow for resupply! I know I was sure glad after a week in the woods to get some fresh fruit and even some M&M's. Joe is leaving the logistics crew tomorrow to head out with a patrol after getting re-supply, I know I am going to miss him and all his jokes a lot but cant wait to see the growth in just a week completely out of his comfort zone.
Still not missing Houston... but missing all our friends back home. Much love- Gabe
Look Out Below!
Gooooooooooooooooooood Mooooorrrrrrnnnnnniiiiinnnnnnngggggggg CSALP fans,
Gi Joe here, reporting from beautiful sunny Kethcum, Idaho. The Logisitics team ELE is here today acquiring all the supplies that are needed for the resupply tomorrow. News from the field is business as usual; a few scrapes here, sore muscles there, but for most part everyone is good to go.
As for ELE, that last couple of days have been very exciting. Friday Scott, Gabe, and I set out to conquer Williams Peak, which is the 6th highest peak in the Sawtooth Mountains! We made to about 1,000 ft from the peak and the only thing that stood in our way was according to Scott “a 4th class ridge” so it was determined that due to unsafe and unpredictable climbing conditions we should turn around and start the trek back down the mountain. It was an equally exciting and terrifying experience for me considering I had never done anything like that in my life. Climbing up the last peak before we turned around; my chest felt like it was going to explode, my senses were heightened, my concentration was at an all time high, and I was throwing up some pretty intense prayers to God. Which seemed fitting because geographically speaking I had never been closer to Him, I could have sworn I was eye to eye with the clouds! It was definitely an experience that I will NEVER forget and one I never want to repeat again! I am so grateful to Scott and Gabe for showing me one of the most incredible sights that my eyes will ever see. The beauty that I witnessed at the top of that mountain can not be accurately described with words.
Most likely this will be my last blog because tomorrow at resupply I am hooking up with one of the patrols and joining them in the field for the rest of the trip! The time I have spent working logistics has been an amazing learning and growing experience for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Scott and Gabe and will indubitably never forget this part of the trip!
So for the last time God bless, take care, and ELE!
Love,
Gi Joe, out…
Idaho...more than just potatoes!
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The Sawtooth Wilderness
Photo update!
Read all of Idaho...more than just potatoes!
