The Best Weekend EVER!

We left mid Friday afternoon, in various cars, not really caravaning, though. I was riding with Amanda #3, Ann and Kelcy. Kelcy and I were in the back, signing, singing, whatever. Ann and Amanda were in the front, Amanda driving, Ann giving directions. One thing they realized very quickly, though, is that I go to the bathroom a lot. A LOT. Anyone who has ever ridden in a car with me for any length of time can attest to this, and Ann, Amanda and Kelcy certainly can after this weekend.
We stopped at Burger King with Mary, Emily and Holly for dinner. Quick, but good. (I realized I haven't eaten Burger King in a LONG time...)
We finally arrived in Garden City, SC around 9pm. It was dark and a lot of the IV kids had already arrived and claimed beds. Kelcy, Amanda #2 and I claimed beds quickly after arriving. Amanda and I slept on neighboring bottom bunks, and Kelcy got the bed above mine.
Worship and our first talk started at 10pm. We sung and then Bobbi gave a quick talk. We broke into small groups...mine was John (C-H Alum), Slav (GCC), Rachel (UNCG), Lee (UNCG), and Brittney (UNCG).
After small group time, we broke off and headed out to play. Kelcy, Liz, Summer, Brandon, Amanda #2 and I played Encore for thirty minutes or so and then headed to our respective bunks to get ready for bed. At 1am sharp, Karen Gupton, IV Staff Leader at UNCG, came to each room and personally turned off the lights, but not before saying goodnight!

The next morning, breakfast was at 9am, followed by worship, another talk, devotional/quiet time, and then small group time. Then we ate lunch. After lunch we had free-time until 6pm. I slept and played Settlers of Catan (THE BEST GAME EVER!!!!) with Bobbi, Karen, Katie, David, and Kenny. I lost terribly, but it was really fun.

Dinner was at 6pm...this was an experience. We were told to eat with our small groups...and what Karen meant by that is...We're going to give y'all yarn and you have to tie your wrists together, so that you are basically in a circle...each person tied to two other people, one on each wrist. And then you had to try to eat. It wasn't too hard until people in my group, myself included, needed more drink or more food, which meant that our circle had to move through the dining hall, to the counter and serve the food or pour drinks...try doing that, while holding the cup or plate, with your wrists tied together.

Then we had worship and another talk, this one given by Karen. She talked about Christian community. And then I experienced on of the most amazing examples of Christian community ever...we broke off into groups of all girls or all boys, groups of maybe 15-20 (there were probably 90 students on this retreat). Then people talked about what they struggled with-- be it a relationship that they couldn't get out of, a friend who was going wild in college, or something like that-- and after one person said something, we would pray as a group for that person. What amazed me more than that was the fact that everyone was crying for everyone else. Everyone's heart was breaking for someone else. People who had just met were moved to tears at the pain of their new friends. People who had known each other a week or two were weeping with each other, because the pain was shared...not that everyone understod what each person had been through, but pain is universal and the fact that we can share with each other, cry with each other, shoulder the burden with each other, opened my eyes to a real kind of Christian community. It wasn't about forming a deep, long relationship and then opening up. It was about being willing to be vulnerable and allow others to love on you and care about you and cry with you. It was truly amazing. The experience is something that I can try to describe but that must truly be lived through to fully grasp how powerful, amazing and moving it is.

Then we played more games and ate ice cream. More Settlers of Catan!!! We had breakfast, one last talk, worship and small groups the next morning before cleaning, taking a group photo, and partaking in a tradition before we left...I cannot accurately describe the tradition, but it was more/less a participatory song that you run around and dance crazily during.

Then we drove back. And life resumed, but I am changed...so maybe life is only continuing, and there is no resuming, just a continuation with a newness inside of me that I can share with others now.

Photos to come, I promise!