We were mostly from the East Coast:
Buffalo, NY
New York, New York
Speculator, NY (a local!)
Kinnelon, NJ
Iowa
Kentucky
Virginia
Georgia
Florida
We were from very different places in life:
A Marine transitioning from enlisted to officer
I came there completely blindsided by my parent's recent decision to divorce
Many took a semester off from college to come or had just graduated
One was just out of jail.
We all had one thing in common though.......We wanted the opportunity to step outside of the every day grind and really ask the hard questions about our faith in God. What does the Bible really say about who God is? Where do we stand on these things. Some were raised going to church. Some had rebelled and recently made a dramatic turn around. Some had just begun to even consider God's existence. One day, one of them had sat down on the steps of their dorm and said, "I do believe what Jesus says about forgiving sins. Now, where do I go from here?"
We were the 7th group to begin the LIFT program. It was a three month semester that incorporated classroom time, weekly hikes, community service and just time. We had time away from TV, phones, friends, family. We had time to just hang out. We discussed things, cooked meals for each other, watched movies together, and we even had a couple 3 day hikes. Nate Winters led the group.
This particular fall, our group took a turn that would forever bond us.
I know not all groups felt this way. Many groups did bond. Ours did because on our second day, September, 11, 2001, we hiked Whiteface mountain.
At the top, we sat down to enjoy a gorgeous view of Lake Placid as Nate read a verse to us from Isaiah.
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
Isaiah 54:10
Quite a fitting verse since none of us had heard the news of the terrorist attacks yet.
As we descended the mountain, Camlon and Eric were already at the van with it warmed up and ready for us to make the two hour drive home. They had the radio on and we all listened to the President address the Nation that evening. I certainly remember him reading from Psalm 23 while I was stuck in the back row of a 15 passenger van, crammed between the other LIFTers I had just met. My cousin Dave worked at the Trade Centers at the time. My family called and let me know he had called in sick that day. Lucky for him.
As we waited in line at a McDonald's in Lake Placid that night, watching footage of people jumping from the buildings, our spiritual exploration together had truly begun. As did that of the whole Nation with church attendance through the roof!
In the first couple weeks, we took a 5 day cruise through the Northville/Lake Placid trail.
"We" moved outhouses.
The girls got to sleep in the lean-tos and the guys camped out in tents.
I'm posting a lot of pictures here instead of doing collages, so if people want to take them, they can have the whole image alone.
Camlon had prepared dinner for us.
Bushwhacking down Chimney Mtn.
Allen Mtn. ~ The hardest hike for me. Eric actually had cell service and called his grandpa from the peak.
Camlon learned to knit...
Eric failed at making a hammock....
Mtn. Snowy fire tower
This little girl stole Cam's heart....She still has a part of it, I'm convinced!
when Camlon gets bored......
Who would have thought??? During LIFT, certainly not I! Cascade Mtn was really windy!
The Pose
Marcy Dam
Ed and Faith Hart from Adirondack Bible Chapel
Our closing dinner. The whole gang minus Eric, who had already been called back to duty.
More group shots to come once I get more images scanned....But, I did notice quite a trend among Cam's pictures.....
The Flags!
Mt. Marcy: Highest Point in New York state at 5,343 feet.
Do we all remember Cam's earplugs!!!
Snowy Mtn.
Chimney Mtn.
More to Come........
