Where the "Fire" at?

We just got back from our annual trip to Montreat, North Carolina! E-love and I take this trip each year as the coordinators/chaperones for our church’s youth group. This year we had four youth and four adults attend. I was part-time house mom and part-time runner this year. E-love was a full-time runner.

The trip is a week long excursion. We left early Saturday morning, June 13th in the trusty church van. It was a long, but good trip up. It took about 11-hours to get there considering the 15-passenger van did not exceed 70-mph. We pulled off in Atlanta to get a quick bite at the Varsity. If you have not been before, you should go. The Varsity has some of the best fast food. Very Tasty! We arrived in Montreat late Saturday afternoon. Our rental home this year was new to our group. We rented a beautiful home, Bit O’Heaven, from the Dimmocks family.

Our home away from home...

This year’s theme was “World on Fire”. Approximately 1300 Youth and Youth Leaders attended the conference, and the energy from all of those people was definitely evident throughout the week. Each day we would start the day off with energizers, music, keynote, and small group. By the afternoon the youth went back to small group, followed by recreation activities, and evening worship.

The group on the way to Lake Susan

Lake Susan - watch out for those swans! They are tough birds!

Anderson Auditorium - location for keynote and worship

Inside Anderson

We learned a lot, but we did have a lot of fun too…each night the youth had recreational event including a glow in the dark disco dance party, movie night, a talent show, etc. Also, we took the kids white-water rafting. E-love had a special trip down the rapids all by himself this year that had our rafting guide yelling and blowing whistles!! We also went rock-hopping one day before it started to rain! When the rain came, we ran and danced in the rain all the way back to Bit O’Heaven.

The glow in the dark disco dance party!

Last night in Montreat, lighting candles around Lake Susan

Overall we had a wonderful trip. The kids were so great this year. No arguing or complaining, no drama like you may expect teenagers to could have…they were really just angels. Another great thing, E-love and I were able to make time to go down the mountain and check out our favorite local wine shop. That is always a plus! The least favorite part of the trip for me was the weather. It was so perfectly cool and comfortable in Montreat that I was deceived into forgetting how hot and humid it is in Alabama! Other than that, it was wonderful. I look forward to next year’s trip.