we’re all safe and home, now! what a week! i’ll add my final reflections and links to pictures later.
-jay
Emma Badorrek
Rising Freshmen
WOO! Since I’m a rising freshmen, this is my first year coming to Montreat. So far, the Montreat experience has been really great. I’ve been having a really good time meeting new people, getting to know the GOOTH better and getting a better understanding about what gets our world “fired up”. Hahahaha, the theme is “World on Fire”. Anyway, at Montreat, I have been just chilling waiting for an opportunity to pop up for something I have never done before. Like, rock-hopping (which I did), sharing a house with so many people, acting like I’ve known the strangers in my small group since before I was born, and last but definitely not least following Ian on a mountain-hike (yes I was hesitant). I really can’t believe it’s already Friday and in roughly 24 hours, I’ll be home. Even though, we are leaving soon, the memories won’t. 
PS: Reva and I haven’t been paddleboating 
Reva Manikas
Graduated senior
I WENT PADDLE BOATING! been waiting all week! ( no emma … I couldn’t find her ) Kate and I were in a paddle boat and Kelli and Sarah were in a canoe. We raced each other. Each team won once. We were AWESOME!
Sarah Hoyle
Rising sophomore
Reva and Kate totally cheated. Anyhooo, I’m having a totally rockin time at Montreat. Its probably the coolest place in the world. This year, my small group was AMAZING we had so much fun. CRAZY STORY- Summer before my 4th grade year I went to summer camp with Meredith and Rachael. I don’t remember much except I shared a cabin with this girl named Molly. We were pen palls for about a year but we eventually lost touch. Here is the crazy part- this year in my small group there was this really cool girl named Molly that I became friends with. GUESS WHAT! They are the same person! Crazy huh?
Brittany McGowan
College
This year has been a different experience for me. Being a college student I was on work crew. Work crew helps to run rec. events but we are also our own small group. We played some of the same games as the other small groups, but mostly we had discussions about keynote and then spent most of our time trying to figure out where we needed to be for the events we needed to help with. Work crew is also the group of people who open the doors for everyone to run in. Being a part of this group I got to see more of the behind the scenes work than I had previous years. I got to see the organized chaos that went into each event, especially the rec. events. The events I helped with included handing out popcorn on movie night, helping with the God’s eye table one day and helping with the “Water Rights” game during the small group rec. “Water Rights” was a game where the small group had to use duct tape and popsicle sticks to move water from one bucket to another in ten minutes or less. Jacob’s group really impressed me. There was a water fountain nearby so they decided to line it with duct tape, remove the duct tape and then use the bowl that had been formed to carry the water. I also helped to count one of the offerings collected throughout the week. I helped with the “loose change” offering that each small group was collecting. Everyone’s loose change added up to over $400.
For the concert this year there was a poet, Glenis Redmond. Someone else has probably already mentioned her by now, but I just wanted to mention her in case for some reason no one else had. She was phenomenal.
My favorite part of the week, however, is still the candle light service. It’s always so pretty both to see everyone around the lake with candles and to hear everyone sing the songs we have been learning throughout the week. It’s hard to explain the peace Montreat brings. It is just as difficult to explain why it is the candle light service means so much to me, even now when I’m not saying goodbye for the first time. Like I said it is very difficult for me to explain.
It’s getting late and I’m getting tired, but I want to end by letting those of you that will understand (such as Chelsey) that just before going to bed right now Jacob carried in a handful of “random kitchen utensils.” Goodnight.
