The group of girls huddled around the Appalachian Trail sign.[/caption]
Tracy Dinsmore – On the trip to Tennessee we hiked the Appalachian mountains. We experienced different weather changes going up 6,000 feet. Another thing that we did was devotions on transformation. I personally think I am transforming and that trip pushed me farther. Before this trip I didn’t know whether to follow God or not. After the trip I am following God through thick and thin.
My favorite part of the trip was learning about God and getting to know other girls that go to the Crossing. Another was staying in a nice cabin with a hot tub. What I felt I got out of this trip was new friends and being closer to God. My life definitely changed by learning how the other girls lives have transformed and doing devotions to learn more about God.
Brandy Saylor – The Tennessee trip was a great way for me to meet new people and see new places, as well as be around some great, positive influences. We had devotions and family time and learned ways we can transform our lives to be serving God and others instead of ourselves. We also learned about the struggles and triumphs of our teachers and volunteers that went on this trip. It helped me realize that these people go through some of the same things I am going through and that I can make it through it all with help from others and God. I would have to say my favorite parts of the trip were being able to see God’s beauty and being able to take some of my senior pictures!
Summer Howard – Over fall break we took a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We were gone from the 11th of October to the 14th. It was an all girls trip. During the time we were in Tennessee, we went hiking in the Smoky Mountains. It was kind of hard, but we all made it. We also did a service learning project picking up trash while hiking over a mile to get to a waterfall. The hike was tough, but we all encouraged each other to keep going without stopping or complaining. I think the waterfall encouraged us too. Even though we did some pretty tough hiking, it was a great trip. Everyone got along. We got to know each other better and even made new friends with each other. I could tell everyone had a great time and I wish we could do it again.
Alexis Henderson – This year over fall break I decided to partake in the Tennessee trip Ms. Carl and Ms. Eichorst offered to the girls at The Crossing. It was a four day trip in a cabin that Ms. Carl’s parents own and were nice enough to let us stay in. During this trip I gained new relationships and strengthened some old ones. For example, when we went on hikes the incline would just kill our legs and was kind of hard, but we encouraged and pushed each other and we got to the top. Some of the best parts of the trip were the hikes. It allowed us girls to bond more then rather than when we were having free time. During the hikes we could talk about our likes and dislikes, but during Family Time we got to know each other more on an emotional/personal level. For me, I believe having Family Time over this trip helped me the most because it gave me a better outlook on the girls there that I didn’t really know. I think because it was only us girls, we were able to be more open talking about ourselves because you didn’t feel as judged. This allowed us to learn more about each other and earn more respect for each other. I’m glad I got the chance to go on this trip and become closer with the girls and the teachers.
Katie Carl (staff) – Trips with The Crossing oftentimes prove to be transforming. This was the focus for our recent trip to Gatlinburg, TN and in many girls, I saw this take place. Whenever we are pushed to our limits we have two options: give up or press through. It’s when we choose the second that growth and transformation and start to take place in our lives.
I saw this firsthand on a hike up to Clingman’s Dome. While the hike was only 1 mile, it takes you to the highest point in elevation and the incline is steep. At 6,000 feet up, cold and windy conditions and less oxygen to breathe, one girl in particular was starting to feel the negative effects. She began to slow down significantly, breathe heavily and became nauseated. While we sat on benches along the way, she began to comment that she couldn’t go any further. We talked through what it would look like to finish and gave it time. She drank some water and we encouraged her to keep going. Slowly but surely she put one foot in front of the other and made it to the top.
Personally I love it when I get to see this transformation take place in a student. She thought she couldn’t make it and she did. She thought she was going to give up but chose a different path (literally). 🙂
The moment that came next was by far the most rewarding. On the way down the mountain she came up to me and exclaimed about how excited she was that she climbed the mountain. She remarked about how because she pushed through and did this, she could accomplish many more things in her life. These things included working out more, finishing school, and finally, getting to know God more. From there we had an amazing conversation about the gospel and the power of Jesus to change a life. All such great conversations that came out of pushing through a challenging, one mile hike.
These moments are what reminds us why we do what we do at The Crossing. God is working out transformation in each and every one of us if we will let Him. These glimpses He allows us to see are what inspire us as staff to press on.
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