Excitement raging through me as we all pile into this 15 passanger van, which by the way makes me really sick. We are on our way to my first camping experience, followed by my first time white water rafting experience the next day. Connie in the back reading a magazine eating something she is not allergic to, whatever that is, while Amanda next to her is knitting an experimental glove. Ali eating Ali proof spicy sweet chili doritos (she is allergic to dairy) as she laughs with a cute little snort and Maggie next to her with her feet up against the window as she lays down trying to take a nap with her vibrant colored pant legs flailing in the air (as if napping is possible on the windy roads from Georgia to Tennesse). Teresa next to me looking out the window admiring the extrodinary mountains which she doesn’t have back home in Florida, and Don and Barton up front having some kind of theological man conversation I am sure. Driving along screaming out the window HEY COW HEY COW LOOK AT ME COW I sit there saying to God I am so excited to be sharing this with these people, I couldn’t have picked the people I would like to be with any better than you God. Four hours later, my feelings are completely different.
Frustration is raging through me as we all are so confused as to where the campgrounds are, where are Jess and Kim (who rode seperately a few hours after we left), and why the one campground we found had a great view up a huge mountain with no vacant campsites, when the sign clearly said VACANCIES. I am upset and impatient and everyone I was sure is feeling the same way. We only have some obscure blue map to go by, its dark, and the grumbling of our stomachs as well as the growling of our hearts is so loud I can’t hear myself think.
We pull over, by Connie’s suggestion and attempt to think about what to do. After some half hearted praying Don suggests we drive on and we found the campsite after passing it three times. Now mind you we are hungry, tired, and I don’t know anything about pitching a tent or building a fire, much less doing it all in the darkness of a cool Tennesse night. After a lot of daggers where thrown the tents where up and we tried to cook hotdogs on a stick over a fire that was being fed wet wood. We retired for the night with anger still in my heart I tried to sleep while my hip bones bruised on the rough ground and my face was buried into my cool flat pillow.
Don’t get me wrong there were great moments on this trip like the rafting the next day which was so AWESOME and proved how much team work we were capable of, how much strength we really had, and how some of us had to overcome fears and trust in the Lord. The whole point of this story is that everything in building a Christlike community is not always perfect. We are still struggling to deal with all the issues that arised on this trip but to be honest I am going into it knowing that we all have problems but as long as we are able to overcome them together with Christ as our center, I still say to the Lord, I am so excited to be sharing this with these people, I couldn’t have picked the people I would like to be with any better than you God.
wow – sounds like quit the trip! I hope to hear more soon!
What a great trip! and lessons learned… Rosie, it was a joy getting to know you a bit better…and look forward to sharing many more memories. Some with maps and I hope some without – it seems those are the best in my opinion! Love you, Rosie.