(Read part 1 of this post series
here.)
Day Two
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| View from my sleeping bag as I awoke |
Sleeping on the hard-packed sand is not as soft as one might think. I found myself waking frequently through my first night sleeping in the canyon. The morning came early as I watch the stars and the dark sky slowly fade into the dawning light, the few clouds brightly reflecting the rising sun. The others slowly started stirring, preparing their breakfast and re-packing their packs. Then we all gathered for a short morning devotional and to check in before setting off on our day's hike.
The hike along the river was gorgeous with steep canyon walls rising on either side. Once the sun got high and hot we stopped to give the boys a team building task. One facilitator placed a gas stove on the other side of the river. The boys, many of whom could not swim, were to cross the river with matches, a mug, and a tea bag and bring back a hot cup of tea for another facilitator. At first, the two who could swim awkwardly swam the materials across holding them above the water. They started boiling the water as the others attempted to find a way across. Slowly, the bravest ones first, they discovered a path of underwater rocks that were spaced close enough to "leap" from one to the next. Together the more confident ones helped the others find their way to the next rock. Some were literally scared for their lives holding empty two-liter soda bottles under their arms to help stay afloat, but eventually all eight made it across.
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| Returning the hot tea across the river |
With a hot cup of tea in hand, they attempted the same route back. They made a chain from rock to rock where they could pass the tea along. But they got to a point where the chain was too far apart and the boys couldn't reach. As the one lunged out with the hot tea in hand, the mug slipped underwater emptying the tea into the river.
Unsuccessful in their task, the majority determined to evacuate the freezing cold water. Six of them made it back to warm themselves on the sun-heated rocks on the other side leaving two non-swimmers stuck in the middle of the river fearing for their lives. The two begged for help as the others just laughed and called back, "Help yourselves!" They were more concerned about being warm than they were with the safety of the whole team. Eventually they were all forced to return to the river to help their stranded teammates until every last one was across. Needless to say, the evident selfishness provided a fruitful debriefing discussion.
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| Two team members stranded in the middle of the river |
Day Three
The third day was not a long hike, but it was strenuous climbing through large boulders that had avalanched off the canyon walls. I managed to twist my knee which remained swollen for the next few days. But thanks to the short walk, we stopped for another learning session regarding a tree. The boys were asked to spend a moment of silence observing a particular tree growing out of the rock. They noted that it was persistent in growing despite the dry, rocky environment. It now provided shade for animals and a home for birds. We also observed that it didn't choose where it was planted, but simply grew where the seed fell. Similarly, these boys didn't choose the circumstances in which they were born or grew up. It was now up to them to decide whether to call it quits, or to be persistent and grow into someone who thrives and contributes to their ecosystem.
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| Beautiful scenery as we hiked through the canyon |
That evening during our sharing session we asked them to draw their lives as a tree. What kind of tree would they be? How big are their roots, branches, trunk? Do they provide shade or homes for animals? Then they shared how their trees represented their lives. It was a good exercise to get them thinking about their own lives.
Day Four
On day four we awoke and spent the first half of our morning in silence. We ate breakfast in silence and hiked along without speaking. Mid-morning we stopped to debrief the experience. At home, most of the boys never experience silence. Their daily lives are filled with noisy people, loud music, and distractions. We asked what they could hear when they stopped to listen. The wind. The birds. Their breathing and heartbeat. By stopping speaking it allowed them to listen. To listen to the sounds of nature and their own deeper thoughts. Many of them expressed the desire to spend time in silence in the future.
Later that day we found a nice pool to stop and swim. One of the boys, probably thanks to our previous water activity, asked me to teach him how to swim to which I gladly obliged. With his newfound courage, he even jumped off one of the high rocks with the other two swimmers!
That evening at our sleeping place was another nice pool with lots of fish. The boys found a tricky way to catch them, luring them into a shallow inlet with chips they would then close off the entrance with their wash bucket. Fresh fish for dinner tonight!
That night in our sharing session we asked them to draw pictures of the monsters in their lives. By now they were open enough to share honestly about the things they wanted to change in their lives. While these sessions could raise deep issues to the surface, it will be up to them when they get home to actually make that change.
(Read part 3 of this post series
here.)
