In August, about twenty high schoolers and volunteers camped at Roger’s Rock in Lake George, NY. Paddle boarding, hiking, swimming, tie-dyeing, and cooking were some of the activities we enjoyed at DAKS (short for Adirondacks). Tie-dyeing and fried Oreos were highlights for most kids.
In the evenings, we gathered for teaching on Jonah by Cameron Darkes-Burkey. It was heartwarming to hear students become vulnerable with each other as they identified with the story of Jonah.
Stories, as author and photographer Peter Forbes says, “create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.” This is exactly what the high school DAKS and middle school camping trips helped create—stories. Through programmed and unstructured activities, the youth were able to explore each other’s stories and make memories. Josiah, a BG high school student, said, “I love the DAKS trip because it keeps me from distractions on my phone and I get to be with people.”
About 18 middle schoolers led by Derek and Sophie Wei camped at Fillmore Glen State Park the last weekend in August. Hiking, swimming and playing games brought about camaraderie. The middle school leaders chose to study the topic of “Trusting God” from Psalm 40 and Proverbs 3.
Perhaps Jonah should have been listening to our MS team’s teaching! I am grateful to God for Alan Pauling, Cameron, Derek and Sophie, and Patrick and Ashley King for serving our youth sacrificially.
Events like these provide time and space to foster both our relationships with each other and our relationship with God.
We have an upcoming event for everyone at BG. On Sunday October 1, BG Youth will help package meals with Feed My Starving Children from 2-4 PM at the NYS Armory. If you would like to serve with the youth, please reach out to me at teddy@bg.org. This will be a fantastic opportunity to work together with the local community towards an international impact. It will also provide you the chance to create new stories alongside BG’s teens.
I hope you will join us.