"Ah yes! The Lord!" Wilderness Day 5

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 3:8

I Won't Forget:

1. The tarp smacking our heads in the morning because the pole had blown over in the night

2. Waking up super early and putting on our hiking boots but leaving our packs behind to hike up to the peak

3. Hannah and Alaina read the gospel from James to us as we walked, stopping to reflect as we went. They invited the girls into life with a Christ, a life of purpose and meaning, if they'd never made that decision before. 

4. PEAK CELEBRATION! Everyone gave a toast with Swedish Fish and Capri-Suns and then let out their best woman scream out over the mountain. A toast to living the Wilderness adventure and having it be better than expected. A toast to feeling strong and beautiful for the first time in a very long time. A toast to experiencing God. A toast to being the happiest I can remember in years.

5. Genna's birthday!!!! Hannah and Alaina had already planned a birthday themed day so it was ironic we actually had one in our group. Birthday hats and birthday candles on the coffee cake. 

6. Hannah Wallen and Allison's life stories in our sleeping bags

7. "When I go home, life will be different because..." conversation

8. Easy trails down the mountain to a huge clearing where we got to eat pepperoni pizza bagels for lunch

9. Hannah Dillon's life story

10. Hannah Novelli, Allison and Cassidy jumped in the lake even though it was freezing

11. Conflict + Resolution = Intimacy

12. Hiking with Cassidy and Alaina-- such good conversations, so much positivity and joy. I don't want to ever forget how genuine Alaina is when she's excited and says, "Ah! The Lord!"

13. Chicken friend tacos top the list of meals on the trail

14. Making up awards for everyone in our trip: 

     Alaina- Most Dopest

     Hannah Novelli- Most Likely to be on SNL

     Sar- Best Trail Buddy

     Julia- The Most Proud of Everyone

     Cassidy- Best and Most Consistent Farter

     Kaelyn- Highlight of the Video Diaries

     Abby- The Most Willing To Help 

     Genna- The Most Best Days Ever

     Kaylee- Most Likely To Become A Guide

     Erin- Mighty Spirit

     Hannah Wallen- Purest Heart

     Hannah Dillon- Most Likely To Get Back Up Again With A Smile

     Rachel- The Warrior

     Sydni- Most Surprising

     Alli Sams- Best Trail Hair

15. This group is always laugh-- the best kind of from your gut laugh. We signed a letter to Izzy requesting Hannah and Alaina to be on program together.

16. Kaelyn and Julia's life stories with spicy hot chocolate

17. Rain allllllll night long and puddles in tents

Honorable Mention Blog Title:
"Our band Stoop Kids is all about inclusivity and helping people's dreams come true. You're in!"
"I thought I was an optimist until I came on this trip."
"I like lavender so much I thought it would be a good idea to put some in my mouth. Bad idea."

5 miles