Fall Spiritual Retreat!

Hello! 

This past Monday through Wednesday was IA's fourth annual retreat and it was a really excellent experience. The high school is much smaller this year and so the theme was "Close Encounters" focusing on the idea of coming closer to God and closer to each other. The students were also really wonderful and this was the smoothest and most organized retreat yet for Matt and I so it was a lot of fun for us as well. :-)

This year we had most of a building to ourselves. We were back at the Finnish Lutheran seminary and we were able to have this nice big room to ourselves instead of sharing classrooms with the seminary students. It was really nice because the evening sessions had the sun setting on the room and gave it that really nice glow. :-)

Our speaker this year works through English camps for youth in the city. He approached relationships with God and others through the topics of giving, sacrifice, and forgiveness. It was a really thoughtful approach and I think it resonated with the students. 

Matt and I teamed up with one of the students for games. This particular game involved students fishing out their partner's shoes and putting them on their partner's feet. 

Later in the afternoon we had team building games (which was new this year and I think it was a lot of fun!). This one involved leading a blindfolded partner outside to the playground where the rest of the games took place. 

One of Matt and I's funniest students decided to just pull his hat over his head and then say he couldn't breathe. He also spent the weekend telling me when I asked him if he was warm enough in shorts that it was "for fashion." 

Matt and some guys on a cool swing sort of thing.

The climbing rope wall thing was used to the full for the group games. First the students just had to get through the holes. Then without touching the ground and then without touching any of the rope. The reason this particular photo is up is because this student actually got stuck to much hilarity and Matt and I swear that the face he's making in this picture is exactly what you would find in a baby album of his. :-) I laugh very hard every time I look at it. 

lifting students through to keep them from touching the rope.

A nice scenic picture with the changing leaves!

We then played Steal the Bacon, which actually got a bit violent after they got the hang of how to play! You line up and numbers are called and you try to get the object in the center over your line in your hands before you are tagged, so there is a lot of kicking and throwing and such. 

Matt and Coach J jumped in toward the end. :-)

Worship!

We ended with our traditional bonfire. This was a really good time as well because students had a chance to share anything that was on their minds or that they had felt from the past days and quiet times. A lot of students shared about how they had worried since the HS was so small this year but how they felt that the school was family. It was a really encouraging time for everyone. 

And then we headed off into the sunset and back to school for today and Friday! This was easily the best retreat Matt and I have been to and we were very blessed to be there!
Thank you for all of your prayers and continue to pray that the changes and decisions that were made will continue in the students' lives.