Middle School Odyssey Trip for Hill Country Montessori

If Ayn Rand had written her own version of Lord of the Flies, the final work would very likely have been a perfect retelling of the Odyssey Trip for the Hill Country Montessori School. Unlike any of the other adventures we have been asked to plan for groups, rather than focusing on God, His character, and His plan for us, this group actually asked me to avoid discussing Him. Well, as Jesus is quoted in Luke 19:40, if we don't speak even the stones will cry out His praises. It may not have been the stones but God did show Himself in the storms He brought this group, both figuratively and literally!


Pre-launch safety and other important trip details are given due attention by most (all but one) participant.

On the afternoon of July 28, we finished setting shuttle, packing the canoes, and set out from the boat ramp at Chickasaw Trace on what was supposed to be a five day journey down the Duck River. The intent was to help the students bond as a team and challenge themselves with new experiences and, with a cooling swim in the river and a relatively easy paddle, when we stopped to make camp that first night, it looked like everything was right on track. After a quick lesson in how to set up the tents and deal with bathroom needs, everyone ate their fill of a good hot chicken, rice, cheese, and vegetable meal, discussed our plans for an early start the next morning, and retired for the night in our tents.


The hot summer days made an occasional cooling dip in the water almost irresistable.

The following morning I had breakfast prepared by 6:30 AM and the middle school girls and their teachers were up and packed just as planned. The boys, on the other hand, showed absolutely no desire to exert themselves in the least. After much too long a delay, apparently expecting others to pack their gear for them, they complained that the breakfast had been packed away before they were ready to eat, and then only halfheartedly moved to put their gear in the canoe I decided to put the two of them in together. I sent the others on ahead so they wouldn't have to paddle so long in the heat of the day, certain that these young men would jump into gear in their effort to outdo or at least catch up with the girls and everyone else. Was I ever wrong!

Two computer crashes after entering all the sordid details has saved you from reading about the miriad of problems caused by the lack of teamwork and the self-absorbed attitudes shown by some members of this group. The remainder of the trip left no doubt that, when God and the purpose He gives is removed from life, the result is a collection of meaningless actions without any real purpose. If you really want all the minute-by-minute, blow-by-blow details, give me a call and we can discuss it over lunch.


Clifford, who runs the "Sense of Place Institute" demonstrates his excellent sense of place when it comes to tent site selection .


It took an act of God but finally we got to see the kids working together as a team.