Independence Day
Senior High Canoe Trip Log
(by Meghan and Crew)
Tuesday June 24
It takes us 2 hours to pack the vans and we leave an hour behind schedule
Almost kill bicyclist and sheriff on West River Road
Feed flaggers brownies near Lord’s Prayer Rock
Todd’s right blinker doesn’t work
-Random guy complements Meg’s sailor hat
-Aliza sat on Travis (gasp) (and Travis didn’t mind)
Serenaded by car horns at New Haven Junction
Pit stop at Addison Fire Department for phone calls
-Chinese fire drill: Travis gets locked out of car
-Travis gave Meghan flowers (he kneeled when he presented them)
-Hijacked Todd’s seat belt and put a bouquet on his seat
-Built a tower out of rocks and put a grape and flower on top
-Wait for Sam
-Leave Addison @ 11:03
Van is barely able to power up the hills and the Suburbans breaks smoke when going down hills
3rd pit stop at gas station in Elizabethtown
-Have to wait for Sam (again)
Starts raining @ 12:24
4th pit stop at Stewarts (more gas)
Detour due to Todd’s stellar navigating skills
Pass Olympic facility over yonder in a rural area
Skittish horse almost runs into post/throw rider
5th pit stop in Saranac
Meghan has different colored hairs
Took 2nd detour up steep hill because Todd took a wrong turn (again)
Followed crazy motorcycle driver
-Couldn’t decide if it was male or female
Passed freaky Budget truck compound
3rd detour
-Turned around near correctional facility with barbed wire et al.
Long stop @ check-in center due to certain complications with logistics of registration
-Meghan received more flowers from Sam, Jacob and Meyer
Arrive at drop-off point, weather is overcast, mildly windy and there is a tight time constraint
Unpack vans and load up canoes
-Meg + Aliza have the best packed canoe
Pit stop at mini island (Sam had to answer the call of the wild)
Cookie missiles from Todd’s canoe wounds Aliza
Arrive at camp
-Set up base camp on the island
-Ladies set up tents on top of hill on island
-Guys set up tents on “Manland”
Todd and Jacob valiantly face the waves again and go to pick up Becky and Ben
Discover that the pond has great acoustics and that noise travel/echoes well
Ladies conquer fire and water
Dinner: sloppy joes
Aliza + Meg find the comfort of sleeping in canoes
The wanderers return J
Camp fire discussion: people who inspire
Jacob receives shining star of the day for making the journey across the lake twice and is serenaded by Todd
Curfew is midnight
Wednesday June 25
Breakfast @ 7:30
-Cereal, hot cocoa, coffee
-Frozen milk and OJ
Quiet time + discussion
-Too much honey makes you vomit
Set off on day long canoe voyage
-Water war between Ben/Jacob/Katie and Aliza/Meghan (ladies dominated)
-Picked water lilies
-Went through locks
-Watched loons
-Become dehydrated and starving
Upon arrival at destination Ahmin politely dumped Kathryn into the lake
Lunch: Dry tuna fish sandwiches without seasoning, peanut butter sandwiches with tuna hunks, fruit punch, plums and trail mix
Ben jumps (courageously) off of 25 foot cliff
Sam leaps off 40 foot cliff (Becky prayed him to safety)
Meanwhile Meyer paddles about with 1/5 of the canoe in the air
-Attempting to correct imbalance he neatly capsizes
-Katie + Aliza kindly rescues him and right canoe
Ben finally drums up enough courage and he too joins the brave though foolish few who have jumped off the 40 foot cliff (Becky prayed him to safety)
Sam jumps off 40 foot cliff again (Becky prayed him to safety) (A flipper sinks L)
Students played musical canoes which resulted in bad combos of paddlers
Wind began to pick up
-Isaac and Sean unable to make progress
-Todd, Becky and Meghan were the fastest ship in the Spanish Armanda (they created a wake!)
Played musical canoes again
-Found massive slug which, after several trips through the air and landings in different canoes, drowned
-Found giant spider which likewise drowned
Had gondola rides up the river
-Todd/crew rack up 340 points (20 pts per buoy)
Go through locks again
-Kerry and Sam’s canoe got stuck in the lock door and Todd risked his life and set them free
-5 canoes try to leave lock at the same time (major failure)
The fun ended when the mouth of the river was reached and saw that white caps on the open lake
-Played musical canoes again
-A determined but grim group faded their canoes into the wind and set off
2 brave sailors were thrown into the freezing and choppy water
-Motor boaters stop fishing excursion to pull capsized boat to shore
-Dehydration and exhaustion set in as musical canoes is played once more as the last leg of the journey began
-Arrive at base camp 3-4 hours later sunburned and “lake sick”
An incredible beef stew revived all and sunburn lotion soothed blisters/red skin
Learned how to play “Mau”
Ben spends a long time cleaning stew pot (lots of food stuck to the sides/bottom)
Played flashlight tag after dark
Camp fire discussion: spiritual inspiration/important intersections in life
There is unanimous vote to remain on island next day and not go on any adventures
Kerry receives shining star of the day for not complaining at all during the long trip (She was the only female student who paddled the entire time)
Boys light torches and return to “Manland” to the accompaniment of war whoops and canoe banging
Thursday June 26
Todd arrives at base camp @ 5:50 and wakes up the ladies by tearing apart a door with a tomahawk
Ladies have shaving party
Breakfast: 36 scrambled eggs, 5 lbs. of sausage and lots of English muffins (quite a production)
Rain results in a new addition to the shelter on base camp
Quiet time is held under the tarps
-Ben and Jacob sleep under the canoes
-Have long discussion on fools and the motive of the heart
Rain stops to allow a group building game
-Emily was hoisted over the rock like a sack of potatoes
-Meyer got his sunburned front scraped on the rock as teammates drop him
Emily, Kerry and Aliza make a daring trip to “Manland” only to discover piles of clothing strewn haphazardly on the shore and Ben and Jacob ¾ of the way undressed trying to show off their almost non-existent abs
Dugout canoe begins to take shape
Play card games: B.S. and spoons
Lunch: PBJs, chips/popcorn and cookies
Long rook game begins
-Meghan can sit inside a milk crate
Canoe chipmunks are found “chillin by the lake”
SPUD and canoe sleeping
-Jacob throws rocks at ladies in the canoe
Camp receives a visit from the P.O.
Dave and Karl arrive bearing gifts J (Donna’s chocolate chip cookies)
Went rock jumping/swimming at site 87
-Kerry swam back to base camp with Sam whining behind her
Dinner: hot dogs and baked beans
-Had dangerous after affects resulting in the evacuation of “Man Cave”
Camp fire discussion: Dave’s testimony and baptism
Dave and Karl left and was serenaded with “God will lead you through the wilderness”
Rook game continued and the knife group chatted
-Sam provided a running commentary on the game
-There was a lot of “discreet” table talk
Sent “Blown Away” on its maiden (and only) voyage
-Uplifting supplications before launch for great fire
-Many war chants and banging crates
-2 out of 3 chipmunks perish in the blaze
-The 3rd is traumatized for life
S’mores and the camp fire discussion continued
Meghan received shining star of the day for being fire lady when it wasn’t her day
Went to “bed” at 12am
-Scheming, frogs, spiders and giggling/laughing at top of hill of island
Friday June 27
Ladies made 4:30 am visit to “Manland”
-Rearranged paddles
-Left after Ben appeared and Todd belched
Ladies return victorious and happy and made fire and breakfast
-Ladies waited loyally until 7 before eating breakfast alone
Boys arrive late looking tired and grumpy
Quiet time: group reading on beach, met Jesus and Peter
Sent Ben, Becky and Meyer on their way with “God will lead you through the wilderness”
Ladies efficiently broke down base camp
-“Manland” took longer
Loons accompanied group as they left the island
40 minutes later (after monologue “The Wedding Day” by Meghan) group arrives at dock
-Canoes are unpacked and vans loaded
-Man with long blond hair and foreign accent takes group picture
Group said goodbye to Saranac Lake @ 11:10 am
Crazy lady and crazy man pass us almost causing 2 accidents
Dunkin Donuts and Subway for lunch
-Grungy group gets interesting looks from passerbies
-People @ Dunkins definitely new
-No sugar in the iced coffee L, no bagels, no breakfast sandwiches
Another crazy driver almost kills the Suburban when it pulls out in front of it
Saw shirtless Olympic trainee
-The trainee was male
Travis attempted to take pictures of the Olympic ski jumps
Nearly got killed while avoiding bikers by entering left lane with oncoming traffic, going downhill on a corner with cars parked on the right
-Due to amazing mad driving skills Kathryn kept us safe
Lost Emily, Travis and Isaac to sleep deprivation by 12:30
Sleeping beauties awaken (rudely) to cross the bridge back into VT (home!)
Discovered that the rock pile was still standing at the Addison fire department
Make Bristol by 1:36
Wave off other van as they go to drop off their canoes
Van taxes the 3 ton weight limit on York Hill bridge but manage to cross safely
Van valiantly struggled up to the top of its last hill
Found that we brought the wrong canoe to the Benzs
-Girl napping chain forms while Kathryn reties canoe
-Meghan has upset stomach that gives Emily a strange head massage J
-Isaac ventures into the hot underbelly of the van to carefully retie ropes
Returned to Bristol @ 2:03
Visited the Luke’s
-Dropped off the correct canoe…Ta-da-da!
Returned to Lincoln
Arrived at the church krispy, glassy eyed, jacked and joyfully happy
Embraces, unpacking and scrubbing the charcoal covered pots
Departure L
Random memorable “phrases” from the trip
Ta-da-da!
Rookery
Can’t read
P.O.O (both ways)
Be bold…fold
Crumple free VT!
“They’re chillin by the lake”
Feed Me!
Every little thing’s gonna be alright
Burping at the start of every round of Rook
Burping to express any variety of emotion/thought
"Jesus and Me"
Senior High Script
Aliza: We have pretty much made ourselves at home there.
Ellen: We have couches, a coffee maker, and a pool table.
(Enter couch and chairs. Everyone sits down, with cup and snack in hand.)
Ahmin: Todd and Jen, we’re ready.
Isaac: (to Todd) Sit here.
Ben: That’s pretty much how the year has gone.
Adam: We all get pick on pretty equally….right guys?
Ally: The fun we have comes from how close we are.
Ahmin: Some are closer than others (tilt head toward Isaac and Aliza who are sitting next to each other on couch. They promptly separate.
Ben: We have been working our way through a series of books. Each book has a DVD. Each class we watch goofy middle age guys, like Todd, discuss a part of the Bible.
Aliza: Then we use the books. We have to answer several questions about the subject and that usually leads to a good discussion.
Ally: Our discussions almost never get side tracked.
Adam: Did you know most meetings take 13 minutes longer because people get side tracked?
Ahmin: Isaac weren’t you going to run Track this spring?
Isaac: I ended up playing lacrosse.
Everyone: (all start talking about spring sports or school)
Ally: Seriously. Todd, what is today’s lesson?
Todd: I thought maybe you guys could share some the things you’ve learned.
(Everyone touch your nose and say “not it”. Aliza is the last one.)
Aliza: When we pray, it should not be to impress people. We should pray from our heart.
Ben: Prayer is lining ourselves up with God.
Ahmin: Our group is strengthened when we are honest, with God and each other.
Adam: God has design us to be connected to Him and with other people.
Ally: Jesus knew that at the core of who you are; you would crave significance and purpose.
Isaac: Jesus reveals that one of the secrets of spiritual growth is being connected to God through prayer and the Word.
Aliza: We were challenged to share our faith with our friends.
Ben: Guys should never cross there legs like women while sitting.
Isaac: Friendship is like wetting your pants, everyone can see it but only you get the warm feeling it brings.
Ellen: Trials can be good because they produce perseverance and patience.
Ally: If you plan to take your faith seriously for the rest of your life, establishing the habit of daily devotions will be a struggle.
Ahmin: Well, what’d you think?
Todd: I thought….
Ahmin: I was actually asking Jen.
Todd: Oh.
Jen: You all make us proud. We’re thankful to be able to work with you. Right honey?
Todd: Yeah, sure. We should probably move on.
Children's Day
BINGO
This month
As a thank you for their ministry, the Canoe Trip is offered to Senior High students who helped during VBS. This 4 day/3 night trip comes at no cost to the students. Church members who would like to underwrite some of our expenses can do so through the church office.
"Glory Day" at Six Flags is a great time for churches to visit the park. In addition to all the rides being open, there are also Christian artist featured in their shows. Not to mention, the "Faster Pastor" race at the Go-Cart Track. If you can be a chaperon/driver...you're ticket cost is only $15.00. See me.
We are planning on having small group studies throughout the summer. I hope you can make it every Sunday night. Also, if any of you are interested in going to the "Rock" this year...I'll be at camp speaking this year July 19-27th. A week of camp is about $300. See me with questions.