Montreat, NC 2011

A team of 8 youth and 9 adults will experience Searching for the Signal, a youth leadership gathering sponsored by the Montreat Conference Center and the General Assembly Office of Ministries with Youth, Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Students gather from all over the country for a week of study, worship and recreation. Keynote speakers this year are Jerry and Meg Perry McLaughlin from Prairie Village, Kansas; Bruce Reyes-Chow from San Francisco, CA and music leader Jeffrey Harper from Nashville, TN. Please include the youth and leaders in your prayers for safe travel and a meaningful week. They left on Saturday, July 16, for the 2011 Youth Conference at the Montreat Conference Center near Ashville, North Carolina. They will return on Saturday, July 23rd. Check this website daily as the participants will post their daily experiences. To learn more about Montreat, visit their website at montreat.org.

Some Montreat 2011 Photos. Many more to be posted soon after they return. Enjoy.

Today was a difficult day. None of us wanted to leave this wonderful place that has taught everyone so so much in such a short span of time. We started the day off with our last keynote, where they made a medley of all the energizers we have done this week. In our last small group meetings, we wrote letters to each other, and said our goodbyes. It’s such a bittersweet moment on this last day. You finally grow close to these people you now call your friends. You really pour out your soul, and you really get closer to God. Although you do have to leave these friends behind, they helped us grow more than it ever has before. “Coming too Montreat has really helped me become more open with my faith,” says Jay Fett during our last back home meeting. ..that is an actual quote on how Montreat made one of our own feel, and he is just one of the many that feel this way. Anyways, we had a wonderful last service that ended with everyone from the conference gathering around the lake holding candles. Starting with the rising freshman, they would put out the light all the way up to the graduated seniors. This is our last blog. Thank you all following our journey this week!

Echo Hill youth, leaders……………………………and Eric.

This morning was very slow being lazy Thursday. We went to Keynote and we learned the word of the day was Community, which means were not alone with Christ. Also Meg and Jared (keynote speakers) spoke about our own spiritual gifts. In small groups we discussed how we are a community whereas before we were complete strangers. During worship the pastor again discussed the sense of community and how we are not alone in Christ. At the rec event tonight we saw some talented kids display their abilities. While in the back home meeting we read letters from members of the church, cried, and laughed together.

Sean & Grant, but mostly Grant…

Today we had our small groups in the morning as usual, but Wednesday is free afternoon. Starting at noon we went to have a picnic with our other Iowan correspondents then we ventured up the 3,760 foot mountain called Lookout Mountain. It was torturous for me anyways. Getting up to the top was so relieving, you could see the whole city of Montreat and look up into the heavens. After we climbed down the mountain (which was far less hard to climb down) we went to a creek. I love creeks so much and the creek we went to had intense rapids!! It was fun to just take your feet off the creek floor and float, not to mention relaxing after the mountain climb. DANGER: ROCKS ARE SHARP AND CURRENTS ARE FAST.

Grant and the Montreat gang…

We went rock hopping today it was a lot of fun. Also we watch Riley dance at the Haiti concert. We did anointing of each other saying “you are a beloved child of god” with baby oil. The pastor is awesome and we all love his sermons.

Each day in keynote we are given a “word of the day”. We discuss the word during our small groups, Pastor Bruce works it into the sermon, and we discuss the word during our back home discussion time. Monday’s word was Incarnation, and Tuesday’s was Discernment. These words help us in our search for the signal.

Malea and the gang…

Today was the first day of the Youth Conference, it went pretty well according to accounts from our youth group and adult leaders. Some of the activities that we all participated in, brought our group closer together.

The very first activity we all attended was the keynote/energizers, which included tons of dancing, laughing and enjoying the overall experience. Hope was an important message at this keynote meeting. It showed that God has hope for all of us, and his greatest show of hope, was his action of sending down his only Son Jesus Christ.

Next was our small group meetings, where everyone in our youth, split up and met up with other members of Montreat and embarked on a journey through faith, hope and love just as Jesus did.

Most of the conversation consisted of the word of the day “Incarnation”. We did skits and fun activities involving the meaning of the word.

Jay, and the Montreat Gang…

Well Eric’s amazing van left the church at around 8 leaving behind the church and Deb’s van. They had to stay behind and speak to the pastor. After 4 hours in Eric’s van, with vlogs by Jay and sleeping we stopped at our destination unknown. Featured in”Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” we stopped in Knoxville, Tennessee at the PIZZA PALACE, which had the best pizza I have ever had. Then, we left Knoxville and ventured out to Montreat. When we reached Black Mountain (where we stopped to regroup) Eric was going to get the road trip song, “Party Rock Anthem,” from Jen’s car, but FORGOT. So we were forced to listen to it on Eric’s phone, which coincidentally ended right as we drove under the Montreat sign!! And so we arrived.
Grant and the gang…

Our morning started out at about six when we all showed up to the church bright eyed and bushy tailed from a long week at Vacation Bible School. (He’s Wild! He’s Wild! God is wild about us!) Our departure occurred at seven and we began the long adventure to Lexington, Kentucky, where we would be enjoying a baseball game played by the Lexington Legends as well as staying at Hunter Presbyterian Church. After a few hour long stops as well as a few minor food breaks we had reached our destination at 7 PM (6 PM, for you Iowans). We enjoyed the baseball game despite the Legends losing, and even got our pictures taken by the local paper, which you can see. After the game we headed back to the church for a night full of snoring, courtesy of Eric, Jim, and Sue. More updates coming later!
Love, The Montreat Gang