Off to a good start
Smooth paddling through Dawson Forest WMA
Paddling Class I rapids
"Running" (or walking) rapids at low water
Cooling off in the waterfall near our campsite
More playing in the waterfall
June ended and July began with a great bunch of guys from Atlanta's Vine City community, led by their mentor, Drew Henley, from Trinity Anglican Church, getting to know each other and the Living Water much better as they paddled and swam the Etowah River in Dawson County. In addition to canoeing, hiking and camping by a waterfall, building a campfire, and enjoying a number of rope swings, this adventure also included the added surprises of an opportunity for the young men to try their hand at riding a horse and seeing a baby fawn by the riverside.
Some wanted to trade their canoe for a horse.
What did the owner mean, "not broken yet?"
As with most of our OWLS Adventures which involve new participants, I explained the reason we took these trips and what it was hoped everyone took away from them. The first chapter of Romans, of course, teaches us that we are all without excuse when it comes to knowing God and His attributes as they have been revealed to us since creation through everything that has been created. This truth is followed up by Ephesians 2:10 which reminds us that, as Christians, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The kids initially expressed some lack of understanding when it came to figuring out how their time on the river would related to these ideas. I found myself thoroughly reassured at camp that evening however when, as I stretched out in my tent, I heard them showing immediate promise and deep understanding of "Experiential Evangelism" as they sat around our fire discussing the purposes and features of a life jacket and all the parallels between that and God's plan of salvation. It was almost like hearing a step-by-step iteration of the Four Spiritual Laws. I'm sure Bill Bright himself would have been quite pleased to hear them speak these spiritual truths so clearly.
Proudly wearing his PFD
#1.) Time on, in, and beside the river is meant to be abundantly rewarding and full of enjoyment. Likewise, God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.
As with most of our OWLS Adventures which involve new participants, I explained the reason we took these trips and what it was hoped everyone took away from them. The first chapter of Romans, of course, teaches us that we are all without excuse when it comes to knowing God and His attributes as they have been revealed to us since creation through everything that has been created. This truth is followed up by Ephesians 2:10 which reminds us that, as Christians, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The kids initially expressed some lack of understanding when it came to figuring out how their time on the river would related to these ideas. I found myself thoroughly reassured at camp that evening however when, as I stretched out in my tent, I heard them showing immediate promise and deep understanding of "Experiential Evangelism" as they sat around our fire discussing the purposes and features of a life jacket and all the parallels between that and God's plan of salvation. It was almost like hearing a step-by-step iteration of the Four Spiritual Laws. I'm sure Bill Bright himself would have been quite pleased to hear them speak these spiritual truths so clearly.
Proudly wearing his PFD
#1.) Time on, in, and beside the river is meant to be abundantly rewarding and full of enjoyment. Likewise, God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.
#2.) Often the river becomes too dangerous or intense for us to enjoy. Likewise, most people are unaware of God's love and plan for them or don't experience it because they are separated from Him by sin.
#3.) The PFD (life jacket) helps prevent us from drowning in the dangerous water, protects us from hard falls, and lets us travel the river knowing we will arrive safely at our destination. Likewise, Christ is God's only provision for the sin that otherwise separates us from Him and His wonderful plan for us. Jesus gives us the ability to withstand the attacks of Satan and gives us the assurance that we will live forever with Him in Heaven.
#4.) We took lots of PFD's with us on the trip, more than enough to go around. What the guys pointed out to each other was that all the life jackets in the world wouldn't do any good for someone that didn't actually put it on. In the same way, it doesn't matter that there is more than enough of Jesus's love and forgiveness to go around. It matters not that your mother, sister, or brother know the Lord. Living in a "Christian country" won't restore that relationship with God. No, everyone has to make their own personal decision to trust in Jesus to forgive them of their sin and lead them in the way they should go.
Stretching our legs at the rope swing
A fine leap at the "Rope Swing Campsite"
Wet entry!
A new fawn spotted just before our take-out.
Sure hope you can join us on our next OWLS Adventure!
