Against the backdrop of the Sawtooth National Forest, the Idaho Conference youth department held its first youth retreat in eastern Idaho. About 20 young people along with their youth leaders attended the Eastern Idaho Youth Retreat at Camp Tawakani Sept. 7–9. Bruce Biggs, currently a hospice chaplain who has worked many years as a youth pastor, was the speaker for the weekend. On Sabbath afternoon, Tom Sherwood, Hilltop Adventist School teacher from Twin Falls, guided the blindfolded youth, each carrying a raw egg in his or her hand, through the woods along a rope course in a faith-building exercise. Sierra Holcomb, 14, of Salmon, Idaho, said, "The rope course was awesome! It was a great spiritual experience."
The retreat was so successful that the conference plans to make it an annual event. It contributed to the spiritual growth of those youth who came. As Andrea Edie, 13, of Heyburn, Idaho, said, "I loved all of the beautiful scenery and the hike. Altogether, I had some of the best days of my life."
