Be Strong and Very Courageous

It's right in the middle of summer and you guessed it, we're crazy busy. My days normally look like waking up early in the morning to try and squeeze some PT into the day before devotions at 7:00. After devos it's straight into the day where I might be running around taking pictures, helping to guide an event or working in the office helping a newsletter to get out! Be assured though, God is changing lives here. Young adults are being constantly exposed to God's character and the Word and are starting to ask the "right" questions. Please pray for them for energy and safekeeping- several of them are on a five day backpacking trip and I know it will be a challenging time. Pray that they would hear God speaking into their lives. 

Until we talk again, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite verses, one that we happened to review in devos today ;)

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Wherever God is calling you- know that He is with you and that as long as you keep striving after Him, He will give you strength to do it. 

"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."

1 Thessalonians 5:24

Via, Veritas, Vita

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life"

Many of us are familiar with this statement - Jesus says it in response to Thomas stating that the disciples don't know where Jesus is going so how can they follow him? Jesus' response is breathtaking and directly applicable to our lives, especially in times of feeling lost, stale or tired.

Now keep in mind, I have only a layman's knowledge but, equipped with the education given us as believers I'd like to see if we can deconstruct this statement a little. In other words, what is Jesus really saying here?
Jesus says three things here, not just useless repetition but surely something much more meaningful. 

First He says "I am the way". To me, the "way" connotates a physical path. I'm reminded of the psalm that says "guide me in the path of your commands for I delight in it" (psalm 119) and "He guides me along the right path" (Psalm 23) and "Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:6). In this context, to walk along a path or way means to follow the commands of the Lord. To me this means that we should follow Gods direction when He gives it. Move here, serve there. Be nice to this person, extend my love to that person. I think many of us could agree that this is a fundamental to being a disciple of Jesus. First, we learn to follow his commands, whether that's getting baptised or further down the road following his commands to give generously.
Secondly Jesus states that He is "the truth". I think one of the most beautiful blessings we get from becoming believers is a knowledge of what really is 'truth '. As non believers we saw this concept as a child in comparison. We said, "it is truth that something hot will burn me ". Those more learned among us may even describe truth in more eloquent truths pertaining to the laws of science or nature. But it is all elementary compared to the education we receive in Christ. When we become believers we get insight to the secrets of the universe. Things like the true definition of love or of grace. We start to understand as truth a statement like 'we are all broken '. And these are simply the things that popped into my head right now, I'm sure more mature disciples could elaborate much further in their understanding of truth.

Thirdly Jesus explains that He is "the life". I believe this means several things. Most plainly this refers to the eternal life we have in heaven once we agree to make Jesus lord of our lives. Deeper, I believe it refers to two facets of the dame point. One that Jesus shows us the life he wants us to have. To follow Christ and be a true disciple of him is much more than just an internal decision. Truly following Jesus is a decision that eventually should permeate our entire lives, driven by a love for him. How can a person claim to be a "Christian " if they don't desire the extreme closeness that results from not just tithing but giving generously those finances that he so generously gave to us? How can a person claim to be a mature believer and not wish their every action to be full of love? It should be noted here that none of us, least of all me, will ever obtain this. But a life filled with love for Jesus will have clearly evident marks about it. Those who truly love God yearn to be close to him, and will do anything to be close to him. Just as a man lost in the desert yearns for simply a drop of water, so we should yearn for just a glimpse more of Him who gives us living water.
Also I believe Jesus finishes this off by explaining that this is the only way to really live.

So, the question left to us is:

"Is Jesus all of these things to you?"

Are you truly letting God take hold of every aspect of your life?

Morning (Mourning?) Views

"We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us."

 - John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra

This is a fun view I was blessed with on a morning after spending the night on this little mountaintop. I woke up intrigued by the thick, milky fog I was engulfed in. I then watched as the clouds closest to heaven started to fade away, letting through the brilliant gold of the rising sun brushing the surrounding hills. It felt like my own little blessing from God, totally unneeded, but just Him reminding me that He delights in me.

Praise In The Storm

I'm inspired here by Jonahs heart! He was in the stomach of a whale, after just being tossed overboard into a violent storm, surely not a very pleasant place. But in the middle of the bile and food digesting around him, he praises God! This reminds me of Job saying “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10)  

Praise to God is always an amazing beautiful thing, but how much more so when its in the midst of the storm! Its like an old sailor caught in a tempest, rising up and steering the boat regardless. But instead of glorifying ourselves like the sailor, when we praise God in the midst of the storm we glorify Him alone. We are saying "yes, this is a storm too great for anyone to get through, but with the strength of the almighty God I will continue". What a show of his strength but also of His goodness! 

What will an outsider think when they see someone going through hell on earth, but in the midst of that never stop praising God? They'll either tthink that we are crazy, or they will be amazed and intrigued at the source of this dedication. What can make a person willingly do this? And what a mystery of love and goodness that a person will praise this source in the midst of terrible calamity. 

So I commit to going forth praising God in the midst of the storm. Whatever storms may come, let's be pointing to Him, doing the most ridiculous thing and praising Him in the midst of the storms of our lives.

"So in times that are good, in times that are bad, For any times that I've had it all I will be glad. And I will boast in the cross. I boast in my pains. I will boast in the sunshine, boast in his reign." - Lecrae, "Boasting "

Click On Me 

Check out this great song about the shadows of life

Take Heart! Jesus Is In Control!

Take Heart, Jesus Is In Control In Every Situation!

*note: These are some sermon notes from a message that my pastor Richie Shaw (who I have a ton of respect for) gave about when Judas and the crowd came to capture Jesus in Gethsemane. They're a little disjointed, but will work best if you open your bible to John 18 and follow along. I know I found the story relatable in a whole new way and I hope you will too.

When the crowd enters the garden, Jesus doesn't step backwards behind his disciples. Instead he steps forward and boldly proclaims who he is. 

Through this he demonstrates his power and his authority. 

Jesus loves and sacrifices himself for his followers. 

THIS is the God who loves us. He WILL take care of us. No one else has ever led like this. 

Jesus has a greater picture in mind. 

Jesus knew everything he was going to go through, and knows everything you will go through. 

In these times it makes the most sense to start hacking with a sword, to go animalistic and rely on instinct. But Jesus calls us to something more. He says to peter, "sheath your sword. Shall I not drink the cup the father had given me?"

Judas represents any pride in your heart, or any person in your life that is diminishing the power and authority of Jesus in your life. 

The more we focus on the judas in our lives, the greater the anxiety becomes. In our hearts. 

We don't need more information about the circumstance we're in. True we need wisdom, but not more information. We need more courage that Jesus really is in control, more heart that he will take care of us. 

Peter represents our attempt to solve the lack of control in our own way. 

Jesus rebukes peter, put the sword away! Stop it! You don't see everything I do, stop trying to fix it. 

Jesus is calling us today to a place of courage. Take heart, I am in control and I love you too much to just let you sit in this spot. I want to lead you to the place where I'm going to shape you. I'm going to lead you to your future. Stop trying to solve it with your own strength and wisdom. What if you spent energy reading my word and praying? Instead of swinging your sword use that energy to pursue a real relationship with me. 

Focus on Jesus. Don't try to be peter. Listen to Jesus and submit to his authority. 

Love Came Down

Praise the Lord for the work that He does through us!

Isn't it amazing that we have the incredible blessing of getting to take part in the work that God is doing? I imagine the work that God is doing as a huge wave sweeping over the earth. It's beautiful in it's intricacy and terrible in its power. That represents God's plan. Now imagine that in that wave there are billions of smaller waves that are still a part of the whole movement flooding over the Earth, but cover a specific area. Imagine getting to nuture that small wave, allowing it to build up and making sure that things don't stand in it's way when it comes. That's what I feel like happened at Real Life Ministries Spokane church last night.
The church had two Good Friday services last night. The services consisted of live readings, lots of worship, a short but powerful message by our lead pastor and all of this was being covered by live video that was projected up on the big screen and to rooms throughout the church building.
In short, a lot was happening and there were many people working together at the top of their game to do their best to share the message of Jesus's sacrifice. And everyone agrees, God worked heavily throughout the evening. Praise God.

Light and Momentary Afflictions - Journal Entry

Light and Momentary Afflictions

*note: This is one post in a series comprising of several of my journal entries from the past months. While most are written to myself, I hope these will give you a better idea of what I'm going through and hopefully glean some lessons from what God is trying to teach me.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What light and momentary afflictions we face when compared with the thought of dwelling in the house of The Lord forever. 

Throw aside your pain Nate, cling to the hope given in Christ. Do the work set before you, knowing that The Lord promises such greater rewards. 

Just like when your body is in pain and you tell yourself 'my body can handle so much more than this'. Do this same thing with your spirit. 

*note: Some explanation about this; there are times in everyone's life when they're experiencing physical pain. Maybe it's from having a 300lb rock dropped on your knee or maybe it's from a particularly difficult workout. When I'm in these moments I have a little mantra that I say in my head. "Suck it up Nate, your body can handle so much more pain than this physically, the only thing that is stopping you is your psychological blocks and desire for the discomfort to stop". This stems from hearing so many times that Special Forces training is 10% physical and 90% mental. I think this same thing is true when applied to our lives and our spirit.

In times when it feels like your spirit has endured the most pain it can go through, and you have no desire to continue, know that it's The Lords desire that you DO continue, and know that your strength comes from Him, whose strength is infinite. 

Fun Things

It makes me so happy to walk into the room that I'm staying while visiting seattle and to see that among the things I deemed most important to bring on this trip in my one backpack (just one or two changes of clothes, toiletries, computer), there's my climbing gear sitting on top of it all :) 

Tis So Sweet

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 

Isaiah 12:2

I am driving down the freeway. I catch a glimpse of a sign that reads “North I-405 Bellevue”. I realize that my chest has tightened. My pulse has probably quickened as well and I heavy in my hands and legs as my body reacts to my anxiety. If I don’t keep focus I will start to panic. I know how it goes - first I’ll start breathing faster, my chest will drop in dramatic waves. Then my heart will beat even faster, and as I give control over to the anxiety I will suddenly feel like I can’t breathe enough, my head will feel light and before long I will be in full blown panic mode, finding it difficult to perform even simple functions. Voices will be muted, I will be lost in fear.

But I have a hope in the darkness - I know this feeling. I’ve experienced it before. "Where?” I ask myself as I drive closer to this ominous sign. I have a quick flash back to more than four years earlier. 

I’m strapped into an incredibly unstable contraption that could flip over at any minute, pushing me underwater where I can’t breathe. Some people know these as a “whitewater kayak”. I’m rushing towards a churning mass of white topped waves, with only a paddle and a "personal flotation device” (aka life vest) to defend myself. This is where I know that feeling from. I’ve done this already. I know that familiar tug of panic as I rush towards something that might hurt me. I remember what this means - It means that I’ve lost focus on God and the ends that He has in store for me. And, I remember the steps to take: 1. Remember that God has me, that He will always take care of me and is control of my life. Check. Give up my need for control. Check. Shake my shoulders to remind my body to loosen up, catching it up to the decision I’ve already made in my mind and heart. Check. Now, focus. Start humming “Empty Me” by Jeremy Camp. “Holy fire, burn away my desire for anything that is not of you and is of me - I want more of you and less of me….” This helps me to constantly remind myself that God has control of me/ submit to him and also helps me to focus my thoughts on my end goal instead of the waves that threaten to topple me. I crash into the first wave and immediately drop into the trough that precedes it. I do this continually, bracing myself with my paddle, until I am through the entire rapid. Then I get caught by a tiny ripple in the river and tip, prompting me to release the restraints holding me onto the kayak and I pop up in the calm water, next to my kayak. The water is warm, I’m holding onto my kayak, and I’m not dead. In fact, I’m strangely calm. "Well huh” I say to myself. God let the plan play out a little differently than I thought it would but He stayed faithful. I’m here. I’m not horribly maimed or even out of breathe. I rested in Him, He took care of me and showed me I’m a little stronger than I realized. Interesting.

Suddenly I snap back to the present. Less than a second has passed. I look up at the sign and take a deep breathe as I start to pass under it. I shake my shoulders. The music in the car dims as I gain focus. “God, this freaks me out to no end. But, I trust in you. I submit to your plan and I know you will take care of me. I will focus on you and the positive. I will not get distracted by the bad. I love you and my deepest desire is to be close to you. Watch over me. Don’t let me lose focus of you”. With that, I pass under the sign, taking the exit.

If anyone asks, “what’s the benefit of the stuff you do at camp? Isn’t it just a bunch of adrenaline junkies trying to get their fix?”, this is the story I will tell them. The activities we do at Camp are so much more than just events. They’re lessons where a weeks worth of material has been condensed into a few hours - sometimes into a few minutes. The things we do at Camp are so important because it teaches anyone who participates lessons that we can’t learn until we experience them. Thankfully in the Camp setting we get to experience them with a degree of safety instead of having to just be in life and suddenly get hit with a really tough situation. We use the time before, during and after events to disciple those around us, helping people to understand the things God may be saying to them. Normally those lessons are even more important than the one I’ve just described. Often times God will open peoples’ eyes to big life changes that need to happen, like letting go of things we value more than God, striving after Him like our first love, trusting Him in the same way we trust a belayer, learning that the life we’ve been living is lukewarm and not at all what He intended and so much more. I am so thankful that I have gotten to grow up going to Camp Bighorn and that God has used it to have an effect on my life. I feel even more privileged that I get to be working here now. Thank the Lord for the work He is doing through Camp.

Once More Unto The Breach

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, Chap.6 verse 10-12

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

As I sit here looking over this beautiful view I am reminded of the need to be ever vigilent. Paul is right when he says that our enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion - although sometimes I'm sure our own broken nature is more than enough to take us off course. 

Let me explain. Every minute of everyday for me represents a choice to be made. It's a choice between resting in God's goodness, or getting caught up in what I choose. Right now that often means sad things, mistakes I've made, people I miss. Today, even though I'm resting with friends, looking over this beautiful view, I must not let down my guard. It's so important for us to be constantly aware of the ways the enemy gets us sidetracked. So, I will try to follow Paul's example: "No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,[d] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Phil 3:13).

My question to you is, what will your day be like? If your day is viewed as an important battle, what course will you take? If you ever get lulled into complacency as I do, I encourage you to be focusing on "3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them." 

Live your life with reckless abandon for Christ today. Everything is given by Him, so hold the gifts He has given you in open hands. Strive constantly to love everyone you come into contact today. Don't you know that you are being looked to as an example? You are being watched, act accordingly. Be listening to what God is urging you towards and what He is challenging you in. 

What is a Missionary Anyways?

What is a Missionary?

Just had a fun little revelation. I've always stumbled over Camp Bighorns referring to their staff as "missionaries". When we think of missionaries, even a non-Christian would think of someone who preaches about Jesus and goes off to some far away country to do so. I think most of us could agree that this is the first thing that comes to our mind. 

But let's say we dissect that definition a little bit. We can break that down into two parts. First, a missionary tells people about the Good News of Jesus Christ, that he came for us and died to make up the difference between where we are and perfection or 100%. Now that's exactly what I and the other staff at camp are doing. It just happens to be that our audience is not an exotic people group on some remote island. Instead they're 'regular' people. They come from cities and towns and churches. Many of them already consider themselves "Christians". But how many of them realize the fullness of what Jesus came todo? How many of them, or us for that matter, can describe the beautiful, powerful loving nature of God? Especially when we're surrounded by "normal life" these things get forgotten or minimized. Through adventure, we can create metaphors for Gods love and his role in our lives. We can pose important questions and even start to understand what He's asking us to do in our lives. So, these are people getting to hear about the good news, mostly in a completely new context then they've ever experienced, as well as in a fullness they've never known.  

 Now onto our next obstacle. Missionaries are sent and go to exotic places like Papua New Guinea , Kenya and China. The reason they travel to these places is to go to the people who need to hear the good news. In places like Papua New Guinea, entire people groups even have not heard and experienced Gods love and direction fully. But couldn't we say that about our own society? We and the world have such a skewed view of God, Jesus and redemption that we lose most of it's meaty truth, if not all of us. If you went to a non-believer, say your next door neighbor or the person in the office next to you, what would they say about Jesus? "Oh he was a good guy who talked about good moral stuff". You may get lucky enough to hear "he did something nice for us". And so, we can establish that our own society needs to hear the good news just as much as someone in a far off land. It just happens to be that at Camp Bighorn, they travel to us. We teach Gods truth through adventure activities and our special campus community. And since you can't just go whitewater kayaking anywhere, we bring them to rural Montana, in the middle of the wilderness where God has already prepared so many places and experiences where His lessons can be taught. 

And so, yes, we do not travel to exotic lands and translate the bible into a new language. Or maybe that's exactly what we do? Except that our version of Papua New Guinea is the great rock climbing spot behind camp. Our version of translating a bible into Tagalog is translating Gods love and truth into terms that our generation and society can understand. 

God is doing great things through the missionaries at Camp Bighorn, and I am so proud that I get to be a part of it. 

Cheers!

Students Headed Back to Prairie

Students left this morning at 7:00am. Hard to see people go that you're never going to see again and yet developed such strong bonds with regardless. Excited for their journey and hopefully I'll get to hear a little bit about how God is using them down the road. Thankfully, not all of the students are gone forever, some of them (selected as interns) will be returning to serve as Summer Staff this next season. Looking forward to good hang out time, deep conversations and many adventures.
Thank you God for the people you put in our lives, because we know that even if we only get to be with them for a short time, many of them make a lasting difference on us and how we grow.

Practicums!

Just a few pictures from the "practicums" that happened a little while ago! Practicums are a great way for students to practice running their own camp - in this case it was with a young group of boy/girl scouts and a group from Wood Creek Academy, a troubled youth ranch neighboring Camp Bighorn.

Things are a'brewin'!

"God himself always seems to be doing his best here, working like a man in the glow of enthusiasm"

Sitting in on a meeting with the Explore students about the upcoming winter camp that they're planning! Very excited to be taking some pictures during this weekend!!

The Night the Snowmobile Crashed and the Stars were Beautiful

"The place seemed holy, where one might hope to see God."

"Precious night, precious day to abide in me forever. Thanks be to God for this immortal gift."

- John Muir

My "epic" snowmobile story is long overdue. What do these quotes have to do with getting stuck in the mountains you ask? I'll give you a hint, sometimes what seems like the most terrible thing turns into an amazing blessing.

Our Program Director, Reuben, and I were out on a scouting trip in the high mountains near Camp. We had followed a new road up the mountain and had cut through some pretty serious rough terrain with the snowmobile when the road emptied out into a wide saddle. The view was breathtaking.

"The view was breathtaking"

After a quick break we continued further into the area we wanted to explore. We were fighting our way down the road when suddenly, the road dropped away. The only way out was to keep pushing farther, trying to "sidehill" the slope with the snowmobile.

"Side-hilling"

As we continued, I could tell Reuben leaning on the snowmobile wasn't enough to lean it onto it's edge, so I swung my leg around to step on the side of the vehicle. As I did, I lost my balance and had to step off. At first, I chuckled thinking man that was silly. But as I saw Reuben continue to keep driving, I realized that he was so focused on not getting the sled (snowmobile) stuck that he didn't see me step off behind him. I shouted in futility as I watched Reuben drive off, farther and farther. 

And so, thus began the walk to him. I knew that Reuben would eventually realize I wasn't there, so all I had to do was close the distance between ourselves and then jump on the sled and we'd be off again. However, I started cursing myself for not having my snowshoes with me as I kept "post-holing" into tree well after tree well in the deep snow. After one particularly deep dive where I sank up to my chest, I noticed that I couldn't hear the sound of the snowmobile's engine anymore. Interesting.

A minute or two later I saw Reuben walking towards me. After quick apologies, a few chuckles and throwing on my newly delivered snow shoes, we started hiking in the direction of our ride out. As we walked, Reuben offered up "so... the sled sorta slipped down a hill. And ran into a tree." It turned out that as Reuben was driving the sled across another steep slope, he had to bail (jump off the sled in order to prevent it from tipping onto him). Unfortunately, the snowmobile didn't care that it no longer had a rider. As Reuben yelled to me to hit the "kill-switch", he realized that his passenger had disappeared and the snowmobile continued to run away down the slope, like an unruly child who just got free of his monkey-backpack-tether-leash and was now free to explore on his own. Despite Reuben's best efforts to pull the sled towards him, it continued to drive downhill, straight into a tree.

Reuben and I then spent two or three hours trying to get the snowmobile free. We used deadman anchors, vector angles, logs as levers and more to try and extricate our ride home- to no avail. Finally, with a "Huh.." Reuben discovered a tree wedged into the undercarriage of the snowmobile that effectively locked it in place. Once we removed that, it was only fifteen minutes before we had the sled turned around into a position that we could drive out from.

The moment of truth came. Reuben started the engine, I took my position pulling to the side of a ski and..... the sled sunk. It continued this until the track eventually hit frozen, slick dirt. We now realized we weren't getting out by ourselves. So, we hiked back to the saddle where we had cell phone reception, then called Camp and asked them to bring up another sled with some special gear, normally used for climbing. Two hours later, around 8pm, Garrett and Timo showed up. Two or three more hours and we had the sled free and thus began our nighttime descent of the mountain. The stars were out and, despite the need to lean into corners to prevent tipping and the occasional air from a bump, that ride was incredibly peaceful.

We rolled back into camp at about midnight and I sat for awhile in the lodge thinking about what a blessing God had turned the night into. Sometimes the things that seem terrible in the moment, are really just the opposite. If we take the time to step outside of our circumstance and realize this, I feel like we will get a much deeper appreciation of God's blessings.

Good Morning from the Mountains

"What we would here and now call our ‘happiness’ is not the end God chiefly has in view: but when we are such as He can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy.

C. S. Lewis

Good morning all! I just wanted to give a quick update as to what's happening at Camp.

Yesterday morning the Explore 1 (first years) left on their team trip. This is their opportunity to plan and execute a trip without any serious involvement from their interns or staff. One group was planning to hike 14 hrs in one day so we'll see how that goes!

Meanwhile at Camp the snow is melting with our ridiculously warm weather - it's about 36 degrees right now! It's the first time in several weeks where you can go outside and the inside of your nose doesn't immediately start freezing. Right now I have several projects I'm working on.
I just finished an "announcement video" in collaboration with Timo and Corinne Towne and we're in pre-production for their full on support video.
Also, the Venture ministry of Camp Bighorn is hosting an adventure race in May and so I'm working with the team in a support role of who I like to call our Marketing Manager. Hopefully you'll see a promotional video out in the next couple weeks!
I'm also working with Mitch Long, a member of our Operations team to show people the incredible work he's doing keeping Camp up and running. I spent a good amount of time working on some thank you card designs for people who have contributed to staff at camp- so if you get one of them in the mail I hope you like them!

Also, I have some exciting news about my office space! I've been given a little bit of freedom to turn the downstairs basement of the office building into a studio for filming support videos and such. Originally, I just planned to have a large white wall to use as a backdrop and I've set up my desk as an editing station. However, I've since come to realize that there's much more potential for this room! What camp really needs is a place that people can come that is relatively quite and conducive to creativity, just like a coffee shop actually. And so, I'm partnering up with one of my good friends here to turn the basement into.... "The Studio" - a place where staff can come and work on things from advertising campaigns to support letters and hopefully be a place where we can shout about God's amazing work even more loudly. More on that to come!

Other than that, I hope you have an amazing day. Remember, God is good, He has a plan for your life and loves you dearly. 

Ο Θεός να ευλογεί

"Do you not know?

    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:28

Chapel Time

Blessed to get to have chapel time with the students this morning and it's so awesome to see young people standing up and taking a leadership role of their own volition to praise God. So proud of this group!

Mountain Roads are the Best

Just had a great drive while getting some footage for the upcoming Towne arrival announcement video! Stoked to see this come together!!

Epic Night

"There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

There gloom the dark, broad seas....

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

'T is not too late to seek a newer world."

Excerpt from Ulysses, Tennyson 

Just got back (literally) from an amazing scouting trip with Reuben our Program Director. The idea was to try and find some good spots to teach backcountry skiing, but about 2 hours into our trip something went terribly wrong. The snowmobile we were using slid down a slope and got stuck at the bottom, pinned against a tree. And then, the rest of the night was awesome and epic. Too tired to finish the story now but expect more tomorrow! Goodnight

Good Morning!

Just got to take part in a great chapel led by Reuben, our Program Director. 

Going to start filming with Timo and Corinne Towne in t-minus 50 minutes!

Evening - Fri Jan 17th

Embers from tonight's campfire. Peaceful and thought provoking. 

In the middle of Winter Skills!

"Jesus said unto them, 'My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work' "

John 4:34

Through the marvel of technology I'm posting from the top of Seagal Pass, a mountain pass just down the road from Camp Bighorn. Just got finished with a day of survival training for the students where we focused on shelter building and making rescue signals after hiking about 3 miles in the snow up to our location. God was definitely at work today, especially in the evening discussion time talking about 'being in the world but not of it" (John 17:9-19). Thankful to God for a lot of things, one of which is the emergency medical training He's given me. I was able to put some of this to work today, which I'm not rejoicing about but rather that I'm thankful for the ability to respond to situations. 

Praying that tomorrow is another day filled with Gods work and for His guidance, as we have a few difficult decisions to make. So thankful for the opportunity to just be here and to be a part in Gods work and see Him moving throughout the day. Check back tomorrow or in a few days to see pictures!

And so it begins again..

"I therefore concluded not to venture farther, but did nevertheless."

- John Muir

Just finished packing (mostly, except for clothes still in the dryer) for another out trip with the Explore 1 students. Yesterday when I was coming off the mountain I was thinking about what a joy it would've been to get to spend more time out in God's beautiful wilderness. God knew my heart and answered the prayer that I never even voiced! I've been blesse with another opportunity to venture out into the mountains, this time teaching part of a survival skills curriculum. We'll be out three days, two nights and we'll be working on teaching the students what to do if they get stranded in the wilderness. They'll put their previous survival training into practice as they try to light fires in wet snow, find dry wood in wet, snowy conditions and fight to stay warm in windy, sub freezing conditions. 

I can't wait to get out there. God is full of blessings and I am so excited to take advantage of this one. Expect to see lots of pictures when I get back on Sat. evening as this time I am making ABSOLUTELY sure that I'm not forgetting my camera. 

Good night and God bless!

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are bein renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all"

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Winter Intro: Mission Accomplished

"Another midday cloudland, displaying power and beauty that one never wearies in beholding, but hopelessly unsketchable and untellable."

- John Muir

Here's a quick excerpt from my journal last night, Tues. Jan 14th:

Had an amazing time today getting out into God's beautiful creation with the Explore 1 students. My high point of the day was probably getting to snowshoe (for the first time) up a hill, in the beautiful winter, watching as the wind would pick up suddenly and sweep snow across the hill upwards towards the group. At one point I had pushed to the front of the group to take pictures and so was fairly alone. The wind picked up and I had been exercising a good amount so I was very warm. The wind was sweeping snow at us and even though I was wearing just a fleece and the snow stung against my face, there was something so peaceful and fulfilling about being there. I had entered my own personal cathedral and, at that singular point, had found my place in the vastness of creation. I was fully me, and fully what God wanted and designed me to be at the time. So amazing.

I looked behind me and the group was making their way up, covering their faces to shield themselves from the snow as they made their way up the hill. As I stared at the incredible valley in front of me with gorgeously snow laden trees and beauty all around me, it seemed such a shame to miss out on because you're holding your hood in front of the side of your face. Maybe that's a lesson: we're so busy protecting ourselves from the stinging conditions, that we protect ourselves from the view and beauty of the situation as well. 

Eve of Winter Intro

"But the vast mountains in the distance, shall I ever know them, shall I be allowed to enter into their midst and dwell with them?"

- John Muir

It's 12:09am and I've just finished packing for an overnight winter camping trip with the Explore students tomorrow (or I guess today). It's always a hard line to want to go light but try to pack what I may need to make the trip more comfortable, as well as wanting to be able to offer something to someone else if need be. Overall I did well though, pack feels light on my back and I have doubles of several things, not to mention the things I bring just because I like not being without them (like my backpacking stove and my coffee ;) ).

Looking forward to tomorrow, I was given the opportunity to share about avalanche safety in the morning and then get to go out with the students overnight. So exciting to think of getting to be with someone as they get their first taste of winter camping! Although, about 75% of them are Canadians so they may have more experience than I realize lol. 

No matter what, thankful for what God's done today, what He's going to do tomorrow, and the plans and promises He has for me regarding the future. 

Praying that all goes according to His plan, not necessarily mine, and that He will be glorified. 

Waiting for the Show to Start

Herb Lewis, our visitng survival expert, is going to finish up his survival curriculum with a talk with the students on leadership tonight. Looking forward to filming it- be sure to check back on this blog for the uploaded video!

The Mountains are calling

I can't describe how beautiful the scenery is around here. God did an incredible thing when he created Montana.

Last Day of Survival Training

Survival Training!

Over the past two days I've gotten to hang out with Herb Lewis and Bob "Chief" Moran (both USAF retired) as they teach the Explore 1 students about survival in the backcountry. They've also shared a lot about their views of life, leadership, respect and it's been great getting to hear their stories,

especially Chief who literally wrote the Air Force manual on survival. Appreciative that I've gotten to spend this time with them and thankful for the impact that they've have on the students. Here's a couple pictures of practical exercises yesterday out in the field.

Welcome!

The image of a high place is very special to me. In the bible, the “high places” were holy spots. When God talked to Moses He called him to the top of a mountain; when Jesus was transfigured before Peter and John, it was on a mountain top. When we come to the high places, God meets us there, it is a place where He dwells. In the solitude of a mountain top, surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, we have less distractions, the world gets quieter, things get simpler. 

For those who love to climb, a high place is a blissful experience. Whether it’s a building that was just scaled or the top of a difficult rock climb, being in a “high place” is the reward for the work just invested. The high places offer beautiful views, clearer air and a sense of solitude and belonging. 

Although we cannot always live in a high place, it is healthy and commending act to regularly return to these places, striving after God and His presence.

And so, I would like to invite you to some of my high places. This website is not only a record of my daily life, but it’s how God is working through my ministry and how He’s working in my life. My hope is that anyone following this blog will be able to see God’s work, as well as some of the fun and excitement that naturally happens at Camp. So, follow and enjoy, but my challenge to you is to see God’s work in the midst of all of this and His glory will shine through.

Thanks and I'm excited to show you all of the ways that God is acting here!

- Nate