The majority of our class was excited about Senior Survival, but then there were those who were dreading it, and I'm sad to say that I was one of those students. I slowly packed my bag for the coming week. It didn't feel real to me yet, but once we crossed the creaking bridge to the other side, it hit me: I'm really doing this.
For six days, the senior class of 2008 experienced the most bugs they had ever seen, cooked their own food, took freezing showers from river water, and slept on hard ground.
Each day we had four classes. Our morning started with Spiritual Survival, which helped us realize how much God really cares for us and how important it is to have a true relationship with our Savior. Integrity games gave us an opportunity to trust our classmates more. Wilderness Survival taught us how to survive if we ever got lost, and a special treat was Survival Surprise, which was different every day.
At night we would gather around the campfire and sing. I've never felt the power of the Holy Spirit more than when we came together not only as classmates, but also as brothers and sisters of Christ. Our class bonded more than I ever thought it could. We liked each other previously, but during Senior Survival, everyone stepped outside of their comfort zones and opened up to those whom they didn't know as well. Since we were put into units, we grew especially close to those in our group.
Soon I wasn't even worried about the primitive conditions or the many bug marks left on my skin. I felt like I was one with God's creation.
In the six days we spent together, I found that my expectations were proven wrong, and I'm so thankful. I've realized how much I take everything at Milo for granted. I wish that we had more experiences like this in our everyday lives.
We need to learn to trust each other and to trust God. Our lives are what we make them.
