What a day! We boarded the buses around 8:30 and made our way towards Catalina Island. The rides were full of laughter, fun, music playing, dancing and chatting. After pulling up, we made the trek down to the docks and all made it onto one large boat for a 40 minute cruise towards the island. As we approached the island, students had the opportunity to jump into the clear, blue waters and do some snorkeling and cliff diving. Then we headed to the beach for an authentic Caribbean meal of rice, vegetables, chicken, ham, fresh fruit and noodles. People then lounged around, swam, played football, Spike ball, hunted for shells, took naps and enjoyed each other’s company! After a long day in the sun and some extra crispy faces, we got back on the boat for the cruise home. This was a memorable experience because the boat crew lead us in some enthusiastic, fun dances where most of the students joined in and had the time of their lives. Walls are coming down and we are all seeing sides of each other that are refreshing and new. After dinner, we had a super powerful message from Mr. Walton about trusting God in the hardships and not putting off committing to the abundant life in Jesus! Worship after a truly moving experience for many, hard to articulate in words, but drawing the entire group closer in a deeper way. Tears were shed, many prayers prayed, and many friendships strengthened. Looking forward to what God is going to do continue to do!
-Lauryl Burns & Brooke Stone-