CRU Leadership Team - Weekend of Miracles on the French Broad River

CRU High School Leadership Team at on of our French Broad River Campsite Locations

     During the early Spring weekend of March 18, 19, and 20, the leadership team of CRU High School Atlanta-Central participated in an in-depth experiential education course in listening to God, experiencing His love, and seeing answers to prayer.

     The French Broad served as the classroom for us to wrap the 4 SPIRITUAL LAWS in real-time observations and experiences which might clearly explain these concepts to others upon our return home.  We had a great start thanks to Rory Rigdon at Asheville's Trinity Baptist Church for providing the vehicle and Matt Fuller of New City Christian School for driving the shuttle for the drivers.  After a roughly one hour wait while we set shuttle at Asheville's Westfeldt Park, we launched our canoes and the lessons started almost as soon as we headed downstream. The bridges over the river, the cool weather, and other things we noticed reminded us of gravity, psychrometric factors, and other unavoidable aspects of our world, and that the Creator God who made the physical world with these physical laws also made the spiritual world which likewise is controlled by unchangeable spiritual laws.

     God's love for us was demonstrated time and again by the unnecessary and yet unavoidable beauty surrounding us.  We saw this in the blue skies and thick contrasting clouds, the colorful birds, particularly the mallards, wood ducks, hawks, meadow larks, and finches, not to mention some of the most colorful sunsets you can imagine.  We also experienced His love this weekend in the more unusual happenings that several of us recognized as miracles.  One of these was the total inaccuracy of the weather forecast.  You may think it not unusual at all for the weatherman to be wrong but we had bright days and not a drop of rain every day on the river while, at the same time, the weather radar showed pouring rain in our location.  We and many of our friends back home had been asking Jesus for relief from the constant 60% - 90% chance of rain forecast for all day Saturday and Sunday.  The miracle came in the fact that while it did rain almost constantly, there was an unexplained warm air layer which settled over our route, causing the falling rain to evaporate before reaching us on the river.  God's timing (or His sense of humor) was further demonstrated in the rain storm that finally did open up on us within minutes after getting the van loaded and on the road.

     Our universal imperfection (Romans 3:23) was taught by our missed paddle strokes and frequent run-ins with overhanging limbs and spider webs. Our inability to reach God through any efforts of our own, if we ever had any doubt about it, was clearly demonstrated by the width of the aptly named French BROAD River. Jared talked of the uselessness of an attempt to swim across the ocean but several of us saw the same truth had any of us attempted to jump across the river without getting soaked (Romans 6:23).

Many of the strainers we had to negotiate allowed only one way of safe passage.

     The Lord seemed to reach out to us around every turn to dispel the lie that there could be many different ways to Heaven (John 14:6).  Although the river was really, really wide, the many strainers (trees, limbs, and other debris washed into the river) often ran shore to shore leaving only a tiny opening through which it was safe to pass.  We couldn't help but think of Matthew's words each time we had to negotiate these narrow passages, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13,14)
     Even with God's miraculous protection from the rainy weather, three of our group managed to exit their canoes mid-stream for a closer look at the many fish in the river.  Normally a reason for kidding and laughter; the cold water, steady breezes, and overcast skies combined with having all their clothes and sleeping bags soaked turned this into a very real threat of hypothermia.  Our prayers for support and relief for the wet paddlers were answered in short order almost as soon as we reached our next campsite. As we unloaded our gear and started setting up camp, we saw a horse and rider approaching.  She turned out to be Kelly Rhodes, owner of Rhodes Ranch where we were camping.  Hospitality hardly begins to explain the way she greeted us.  In addition to showing her pleasure at our use of her property, when she heard of our wet river rats and their soaked sleeping bags, she showed no hesitation in offering the use of her large dryer, easily capable of drying the wet sleeping bags and clothes.  It wasn't much later that Steve, her husband, showed up with his pickup loaded with firewood for our fire and ready to take the wet items up to be cleaned and dried thoroughly.  Needless to say, all slept well that night at Rhodes Ranch with a clearer understanding of how Jesus knows our needs and hears our prayers.  

      

Mr. Steve Rhodes, another of our "answers to prayer" with the three "fish counters."

Campfire time was great for warming, thoughtful discussions, and learning.

     I almost broke out in singing the old campfire favorite, "It only takes a spark..." as we watched the tender catch fire and quickly spread to bring light and warmth to all of us gathered around.  This clear demonstration of the exponential spread of the knowledge of the gospel message as each believer shares with two or more seekers reinforced our call to "go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)  One of our swimmers, Nathanael, was quick to point out his deepened understanding of the importance of the light and heat of the fire as opposed to dark and cold of night and how this reveals the supreme importance of having the "Light of the World" in our lives.
   
     God's blessings continued to flow out to us as we headed toward our final take-out on Sunday.  This was to be our longest day of paddling distance wise and rightfully should have been the longest in time also.  Our prayers that morning had been for safe paddling, continued dry weather, and endurance to make the distance without blisters, exhaustion, or late finish.  As usual, He had ways of giving us what we needed in a completely different way from what we thought.  We found ourselves speeding down the river at almost twice the pace of the earlier days, arriving at our destination hours earlier than expected.  The reason for this was the rain, which was not falling on us, had instead fallen upstream, swelling the streams flowing into the river, which in turn pushed us on downstream at record pace.

Some were obviously joyful upon reaching our final take-out at Westfeldt Park in Asheville.

Some of the CRU Team gathered for a shot before heading home.

     

OWLS Father-Son Adventure on the St. Marys River

The Peaceful Picturesque North Prong of the St. Marys River

The peacefulness of our Put-In spot on the St. Marys River just below the Okefenokee Swamp gave little hint of the challenges that lay ahead.

Presidents Day weekend found a dozen intrepid souls making their way down the border between GA and FL along the St. Marys River.  This OWLS Father-Son Adventure was supposed to be an opportunity to escape the crowds, struggle together through whatever adversity presented itself, enjoy being together, find time to talk to each other along the river, around the campfires, and in the tent each night.  Well, the vote is unanimous and the conclusion is that we got everything we signed up for - and lots more than we counted on.

Adam again proves the lack of cell tower coverage along the upper reaches of the St. Marys.

We definitely escaped the crowds, as we saw not even one other person during all our time on the river.  For the greatest part of the trip, we were even forced to escape the usual mobile phone interruptions as there also was no phone service available either.  Without a doubt, we struggled together through adversities.  These came in the form of obstacles you might expect along such a river: strainers, logjams, Cypress knees, and shallow water, but we would never have expected our "trip to Florida" to include 20 degree weather, sleet, and freezing rain.  Conversation was plentiful not only between dads and sons but also within the entire group as we discussed the days events, how to handle various concerns, gave mutual encouragement, offered helping hands and guidance, and just generally relayed to each other the things we noticed during our adventure.  Conversation was also evident between us and God as we questioned His will and our sanity, noticed His creation, and looked for any lessons He might want us to learn through our observations and experiences.

Although we recognize that God is due all the credit for everything created and all the blessings we receive, I still want to recognize those through whom He works to bring some of these blessings. 

MTI AdventureWear has been an ongoing supporter of the OWLS Ministry for some time now and this trip was no exception.  MTI was responsible for providing ten of the 12 life jackets worn by us during our adventure.  The savings realized through in-kind gifts of required gear and supplies like this may seem like a small thing until you realize how many more people can be served as a result.

Another big help for us, both in planning and making the trip a success, was my friend Kyle Hicks, proprietor of KandC's Oak Tree Cafe in St. George.  Kyle gave me regular reports of river conditions, weather forecasts, and other paddlers' experiences in the weeks leading up to our expedition.  Once we were in the St. George, Moniac, MacClenny area Kyle provided us welcome vehicle security by allowing us to park at his home and, more importantly, provided us shuttle service which gave us needed flexibility to adjust our river access as required by conditions.

Not 100 yards after we headed downstream, we came upon our first logjam over which we had to carry our loaded canoes.


Teamwork was the order of the day as we quickly lost count of the number of lifts and carries we had to do.


The low water levels combined with the numerous Cypress knees to make even the "open" water a paddle through an obstacle course.

Even though our regular readings of the river gauges showed plenty of depth and past trip reports from others as well as my own recollections told us our canoe-camping trip should be relatively easy if not a bit slow, what we experienced had little in common with my past trips on the St. Marys.  Rivers are always changing but this was in a league all its own.  It turns out that, in spite of reports by several local river experts and numerous references made to water flow and river depth, no one I contacted thought to tell me about the record breaking flood that came through the area last June in the wake of tropical storm Debby.  With Debby's water flowing 22 feet higher then than we were paddling, the result was a river channel widened to several times its former size, masses of tree trunks, broken limbs, and stumps creating dams across the twisting stream, and, in many places, a completely relocated river.  In this fact was wrapped up one of the first lessons I think we should have learned on this trip.  The stark reality of how worthless we found our memories, old maps, and river data shouted out the importance of making sure that we base our lives only on something stable and unchanging.   That stable and unchanging roadmap for life is of course the living Word of God which is the only reliable manual for making the right choices.  The unchangeable "I AM" is the only one in whom we can place our trust for living life today and for life eternal.

Around the campfire that first night, the lessons continued as we discussed the stars, located Polaris, and remembered how God has been pointing the way throughout history (His-Story) to those who were wise enough to look to Him for wisdom and guidance.  As Romans 1:20 says," For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."


The Houser's and Trimble's ready for another day of adventure along the St. Marys River.

Chris relayed to us all after the trip home, "I have a few favorite memories, but a personal one was asking my son (Christopher) how I could improve as a dad…after first saying, “you’re great!” He shared that times like these were really special, but time around the house was special too. His ask of me in 2013 was to be around more. It hit home as I travel a lot for work. I make the commitment that special trips are “special” but just being around is special as well. It is so precious to get time away from phones, email and the daily stresses of life…a simple river, 450 canoe strokes and your son creates some of the best memories imaginable. 

I loved seeing the teamwork that naturally unfolded – helping lift canoes, shoving one another off sand banks, building camp at night and the celebration at our landing. Bonds formed over a few days floating the St. Marys.

Thank you (Ben) for driving the trip. “Life” can easily conspire against making these memories happen."

Smoke rising from the fire and fog rising from the river all add to the memories of breakfast and coffee before heading out again.  It had already risen to 23 degrees by the time this photo was taken.


Rope swings and boys just go together - even if there's no intention of dropping into the river.


Yes, boys and rope swings - even if the boys are also dads.


Mike conveyed,"Colton and I had a great time. Like all of you, simply being able to be a team unit with our boy was awesome. We got very good at synchronizing our "dig" to clear the sand bars. Coping with the temps was great, too. In a way I liked being uncomfortable, as it helps keep and teach perspective on our blessings and provision, even central heat.

I will also not soon forget the "cheesecake"…

And I say, "Thanks Mike for helping out with the cooking!"  The break you gave me made a big, big difference in the energy I had to keep making progress.

Three generations of Fuller men celebrate at river's end!  In Ken's words, "There is a truism: No Pain No Gain, and if a little pain from paddling and cold creates gain in your relationship with your son and friends, then it is all worth the hard work."





Jimmy relayed the following:- Tripp wanted to sit in the back which I was glad to encourage even though it probably slowed us down a bit. He really stuck with it and practiced getting the strokes and pulls down. He went through a lot of frustration but also at one point he said "I'm really 'on' right now". It gave us a chance to cover a lot of life lessons, many of which I need to remind myself more frequently.
- The amount of guiding was just about right as was the time with the group. At one point or   another, we were all on our own to some degree and at other times we were all pulling together as a team. It didn't feel like we were smothered with guidance from Ben nor did it feel like we were left completely on our own. This provided for a lot of problem solving opportunities in a safe environment.
- I remember the moment the takeout point came into view and the world came flooding back to me all at once. I immediately remembered any number of 'pressing' or 'important' issues that were facing me Tuesday morning. It came to me in such a rush that it made me realize I had been switched almost completely off for the entire trip. It really gave me a great perspective. The world was still there and running without me even though I hadn't really been worried or anxious about anything for three days.  That reminded me of Matthew 6:25-27, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
- Tripp gave me a big hug when we got home Monday night and thanked me for taking him on the trip. He had a great time and gained confidence from all the hard work and problem solving.
- I agree with Chris about going to bed early. In our electrified world there always seems to be something to keep me awake longer than I need to be up but going to bed early Sat and Sun nights was a nice change up.

Chris also wrote about his recollections:

· First time canoeing for Christopher…adventure and excitement soon gave way to the reality of working and contributing
· Chris and Christopher becoming a team…that takes time and the water with a current and debris isn’t too forgiving to learning to paddle together. We had to work on a system of when Christopher would paddle, how hard, which side…had to temper his competitive spirit a bit to make sure we were working as part of a larger group as well (his dad may have had a challenge with this as well!)
· Teamwork – realizing that God designed us all with unique and complimentary gifts…I cannot cook or start a fire…but, I can lift a canoe and don’t mind getting wet. I’m thankful for the cooks and fire starters!
· Silence…something about silence was fantastic…no chirping phones or emails…no cars, planes or chaos…just quiet
· Ben Franklin: I loved the “early to bed early to rise” mantra. The second part wasn’t exactly true…but, the early to bed was wonderful!

I want to share with you, something I noticed during one of our lunch stops that stuck in my mind.  As was often the case, the boys would gather by themselves to talk, compare notes on the trip, discuss what others back home were doing, etc.  On one such occasion, I listened to them, one after another, talk about, "Dad did.....,""Daddy and I.....,""You should have heard the noise when my Dad......."  Then one of them said, "My Father......" and tried later to start a sentence by saying, "Father and I...." only to hesitate and return to saying, "Daddy and I............"  All I could come up with was that he must have felt he was to old to be calling his father, "Daddy" or "Dad" any more, or at least he wanted his buddies to think so. 

Not until half way home did I understand the significance of what I witnessed there on the side of the river.  I remember when I reached just such a point in my life as well.  I started calling and referring to my Daddy as "Father" and remember well how rough and aloof it sounded, not only to me but also to him.  It didn't take long at all for me to drop back to calling him "Dad."  I could never get used to calling "Father" one who I loved so much and whose love for me was immeasurable, one who I knew I could always count on to answer whenever I needed help.

Remember how Jesus, who is God, in conversations with His Father, used the name "Abba," literally "Daddy."  The one rare exception to that that I recall is when, because Jesus was at that time wearing the sins of all of us on the cross, the heavenly Father could not allow Himself to be a daddy to His only son.  I believe that the God who walked and talked with Adam and Eve in Eden, was "Abba" to them.  His love and presence were so clearly understood that they couldn't imagine being without their Creator and Friend.  When Adam sinned, the angel drove them, not only out of the garden, but also out of their direct fellowship with God.  From that point, until Jesus' conquering of death and sin, all of mankind could only relate to God as "King,""Ruler,""Lord,""Almighty,""Perfect," and "Father."  After Jesus rose from the grave, proving not only His justice, but God's love, ability to forgive, mercy, and grace, we are now able to call Him "Abba," "Daddy" once again.

Think about what it is to be a father and how much more meaningful it is to be a daddy.  That is exactly why God wants us all to relate to Him as Our Daddy.  Thanks be to God that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not die but instead live forever with Abba God.
 

From Mike: Ben, thank you again for all your hard work. Leaving you to tie down all those boats on the side of the road when we were all just spent, put in perspective all the work you do.
To Ben: Mike, thanks to all of you for having such wonderful attitudes and always showing a willingness to go the extra mile in so many areas.  The extra work I did after you left was more than paid in advance with all the effort shown by everyone on this adventure.  Can't wait until we can all go again!

St. Marys River Rats - from Left to Right: Colton, Hank, Robert, Jackson, Chris, Christopher, Mike, Adam, Jimmy, and Tripp.  Not shown - Ken or Ben


 

Spring & Pre-Summer Updates

Praise God!  He has answered our prayers and met our need for a vehicle by blessing the Outdoor Wisdom Leadership School with the donation of a smooth riding and strong running Mercury sedan.  While certainly not the final replacement for "Black Beauty," our former workhorse Suburban, with the adaptation of a receiver hitch and some creative metalwork, OWLS now has a vehicle which will move our gear and pull our trailers down the highway to the trailheads and enable our staff to run shuttles and make it to various meetings and services.


Despite the limited resources experienced by almost all faith-based organizations at this time, we were still able to pull together one of our OWLS Spring Break Adventures; this one a repeat visit to Florida's Rookery Bay NWR and the 10,000 Islands planned for a group of UGA students and YoungLife Leaders living in Athens, GA.  Weather was about as perfect as it ever could be and, although the birds seemed a bit scarce, the large number of very friendly porpoises more than made up for it.  Our canoe-camping expedition took us from the boat ramp at Royal Palm Hammock, down the Blackwater River, past Shell Key and Tripod Key, beyond a number of smaller unnamed Mangrove islands, to our base camp on a white sandy peninsula forming a lagoon on Turtle Key.  When relaxing, reading our Bibles, swimming, playing games, studying nature, and sharing personal reflections with each other became too much, we took daily paddles to visit places including Gullivan Key, White Horse Key, Panther Key, as well as a trip up the length of picturesque Fish Hawk Creek, around Gator Bay, and up an unmapped side creek where we spotted the fresh tracks of a rare Florida Panther.  These impressive paw prints were so large that I could hardly cover each one with the 8-1/2" wide blade of my canoe paddle.

While the impressive, roughly two week, sellout of this summer's Paddle GA was a disappointment to the inner-city kids hoping to be able to earn a scholarship for it, I still have hopes that some of them will decide to do a more private OWLS Adventure, just for their group.  Both participants' social skills and comfort levels in crowds are always greatly enhanced by immersing them into the 300+ participant Paddle GA event but their personal reflections, spoken communications, and spiritual growth are better strengthened in our smaller 12 - 20 person group trips.  If your family or group of friends wants an unforgettable experience this summer, please get in touch with me right away to schedule your OWLS adventure.

Last but certainly not least is yet another blessing in disguise.  While the economic crisis we are all experiencing has caused lots of belt tightening, it has also resulted in the availability of some prime real estate at very reduced pricing.  Several foundation representatives have expressed their concern that the Outdoor Wisdom Leadership School has no land it can call her own: a place to regularly stage courses, conduct staff training, maintain a headquarters and permanent office.  Furthermore, I have realized for some time that OWLS could make much better use of the limited funds we have available if we could have a stable location to store and repair our equipment, set up outdoor classroom settings, maintain campsites, and stage quality adventures for OWLS participants.  The resulting economies of scale would allow us to serve roughly three times as many people with each dollar spent as we now do.  The owner of a wonderful tract of land with both highway and river access has told me he is excited about helping OWLS move into just such a situation on his property.  To make this happen we will need to demonstrate some more answered prayer in the form of a team comprised of, among others, a real estate attorney, real estate appraiser, non-profit experts, and a number of very generous monetary donors.  If God is impressing you with a desire to help fulfill this mission in creating a place where youth and families can study creation and the parables revealed therein, grow closer to God and to each other, and learn both the importance and ease of sharing their faith in Christ with others, please let me hear from you today! 

Thanks,
     Ben
Email: BenSimms@aol.com