Below are paper excerpts from some of our trip participants from this year's wilderness backpacking trip.
*CER’s annual 15-day backpacking trip serves as an opportunity for our students and interns to unplug from the responsibilities and distractions of daily life and experience the great outdoors. CER has been leading wilderness backpacking trips since the 1970’s.
"Trust. Dependence. Patience. Grace. Redemption. Communication. Time. Servanthood. Healing. Unguarded. Uprooted. Yoked. Foundation. Rest. Endurance. Hope. One day at a time. The Lord equipped me with these words, one a day, that reflected my heart posture and process for the day." - Madi
"When I reached the top [of the rock climb] all the pain and suffering was worth it. Not because I did it but because I realized how much I needed God and how willing God is to lend strength. It was beautiful because it solidified and dug my foundation deeper - finally understanding what being saved by grace meant." - JJ
"The Lord reassured me that He was not angry with me for being scared. He said, “Fear is something that the devil plants inside you and you have to decide if you are
going to water that seed or trust me to remove it.” His words [allowed] me to be patient with myself and my fear." -Natalee
"I was looking out onto the mountains and was struck with awe. I was struck with God’s love for me and just the fact that he is God. I can’t even explain it. When I saw those mountains, it was like I was seeing a small portion of God’s character. It was truly amazing and mind blowing." - Addy
"I have to enjoy what I have in the moment. This trip was hard but I learned a lot, like how to take advantage of what I’m experiencing and learn from it. I was always living in the fast lane, never looking back on what I was doing because I would have felt bad. Now I can say that I’m doing something helpful for my future." - Jayden
"You get to learn about God being with you in the hills and valleys even if you have a bad attitude, negative headspace, or very little patience. God still walks with you. On one of the hikes I got frustrated and instead of taking it out on others I started singing 'Jesus has already walked this path before me, He is the one walking besides, He guides me every step, He’s the one who holds my hand.' Over and over I sang that until we got to our destination." - Phoebe
