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In the last two weeks, I have traveled over 2,200 miles with 14 teens, and 5 other chaperones through three states in a 21-passenger rental bus. We consumed approximately 90 apples and oranges, 125 bagels, 150 granola bars, 80 hot dogs, 225 ounces of baked beans, and 60 Trekker Pizzas. Our gear included 12 tents, one portable gas grill, 40 water bottles, and 20 sleeping bags, sleeping pads, whistles, headlamps, and Crazy Creek chairs. We traveled from sea level to more than 13,000 feet of elevation, in temperatures ranging from high 30s to low 100s. We visited five national parks; Rocky Mountain, Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde, and Great Sand Dunes. We hiked a total of 18 miles, climbed aboard a 600+ ton mining truck, and did 10 loads of laundry. We showered a total of four times, and got to bathe in one lake and one freezing cold river. All that to say, I have come away with more than one story to share.
In many ways, this trip was my orientation to the UrbanTrekkers program. It was very much a learning experience for me to observe the other leaders and interact with students and staff to see what direction to take the Trekkers program down in Honduras. However, along the way, I found myself involved in something far bigger than a “program;” I became a part of the family that is UrbanTrekkers.
When asked to share what it means to be a Trekker, I was blown away by some of the responses of our students. Check ‘em out… Being a Trekker is about being committed, courageous, and confident. It’s more than just camping or hiking, it’s a living experience- stepping out of your comfort zone, meeting new people, going new places, experiencing YOU in the world while expecting God to meet you there. It’s different from the usual and all about embracing new things. It’s about having a positive attitude, grit, and perseverance. Trekkers are vibrant, thrifty, prepared, and committed to their morals.Being a Trekker is up there with being famous! It’s about gaining confidence in yourself, and knowing who you are. It’s not giving into fear. It’s family. It’s community. You learn decision-making skills and build character while expanding your horizons. And as Mr. C says…Once a Trekker, always a Trekker.
One person in particular helped me to see the true meaning of being a Trekker- her name is Faith. Faith was someone I saw right from the get-go illustrating the characteristics of a true Trekker. She was committed, confident, positive, and vibrant. Yet the thing that impressed me most about her was her inquisitiveness. In the aforementioned list of Trekker traits, you have to be ready to explore new places and embrace new things. Well, I think that the ability to ask questions and find the answers is just as adventurous as climbing to the top of a 13,000 ft. mountain ridge. Faith never faltered in her willingness to ask deep, thought provoking questions about faith, ethics, people, and how it all relates to everyday life. Don’t get me wrong- Faith knew how to confidently and respectfully share her thoughts and opinions, but she was also open to taking time to examine her own beliefs, to figure out exactly what it is that she believes.
I was on the same hiking team as Faith at Independence Pass. At first our group wasn’t sure if they could make it to the top. Round trip it was 5 miles of cold, high altitude hiking after several nights of fitful sleep. Needless to say, there were a lot of complaints at first, but we made sure to replace those with camp songs and lots of trail mix/water breaks. When we reached the first ridge, students had the option of staying put, or finishing the hike at the second peak. Some of the Trekkers decided to sit out the last leg of the journey, but not Faith. She was ready to move mountains. She couldn’t wait for me to finish my montage of photos and get going. In fact, Faith’s enthusiasm was so strong that it spread to rest of our hiking team, which eventually conquered that last peak.
At the end of our time in Colorado, we were given the opportunity to reflect and look back at how we had changed since the beginning of the trip. Faith’s final journal entry brought tears to my eyes and a fire to my soul. She expressed how much this trip had meant to her- from developing new inter-city friendships to experiencing the beauty of the Delicate Arch, Sand Dunes, and the other parks. She vulnerably shared about the mountains she currently struggles with, and how God had moved to meet her here on this trip. To hear her passionate desire to live fully for God each day made me proud to be part of the Trekker family. I know her determination to conquer the mountain is what makes her a Trekker. In the end, we both reached the same conclusion; FAITH really can move mountains….
Keep On Trekking,
Kris
Recently, I had the honor and privilege of taking our graduating seniors up to the Saranac Lakes in the Adirondacks of New York for their Senior Rites of Passage, a paddling trip in which students spend a lot of time thinking about their life, who they are now, and who they want to be as they take on new adventures after high school. The trip culminates with an overnight solo camp on an island for each student, during which they write a letter from their 50 year old self to their current self as well as a mission statement for their life.
My canoe partner for the week was Maria, one of our seniors, who is just about the cheeriest person you could ever hope to meet. Her giggle is infectious and she has an overwhelming love for her two year old son Eli that shines out of her when she tells stories about him.
On our first night on the Rites of Passage, Mr. C asked each student to answer this question: “What one thing in your life do you want to leave behind as you graduate and take your next steps?” When it was Maria’s turn to answer, her reply was that she wanted to be better with time management, because with her son and responsibilities at home, she often missed class or didn’t complete her schoolwork. She talked about how she has to work on that as she enters Camden County College this fall.
To tell you the truth, Maria’s answer made me angry. Did I know that she often missed class because of responsibilities with Eli? Yes. However, I also know that I’ve witnessed Maria’s boyfriend back out on taking care of Eli or picking Maria up from school, so time management on Maria’s part isn’t necessarily what needs to change. It scared me that she might actually believe that she could fix the fact that she missed class simply by managing her own time better, and that she might believe that she was supposed to go it alone in taking care of Eli. It scared me to think that she was unconsciously resigning herself to a life of making up for other people’s shortcomings, as so many women in Camden do.
The next day, while we were paddling through what I’m convinced is one of the most beautiful places on this earth, I asked Maria one question: “Who does all the work in taking care of Eli?” Her answer was very straightforward and matter of fact. “Oh I do, Julia. My boyfriend just goes to work and comes home.” With that answer, I dropped the subject, praying she would mull over why I asked that one question while she was out on her island with a whole 24 hours to think. If the idea of this trip was for her to come of age and contemplate her entry into life after high school, I wanted to see what answers she would find without me giving my opinions.
Dropping her off at her island, I felt assured in her ability to take seriously her assignments and to understand our intent in leaving her to fend for herself overnight. What made me hopeful was not that she was well-prepared in terms of camping skills (which she was, don’t worry), but the sense of peace that I saw come across her face as we paddled away from her. The beauty of this trip is that once you leave the students on their island, all you can do for them is pray. So I prayed that she would look at this “time management” phrase she had used and dive into the underlying causes of those issues.
The next night was our final night together, the night of the actual Rites of Passage ceremony. The Trekkers had all come back victorious from their islands, and they were sharing their letters to themselves around the campfire. When it was Maria’s turn to read, the sincerity in her nervous, timid voice gripped my attention. She began to read her letter with all of her hopes, dreams, and advice for herself and for Eli, and then she said the one thing that I had prayed would cross her mind. She read, “Maria, I pray that [her boyfriend] has grown into the man he needs to be and loves you and Eli.”
In the echo of those words, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I realized that as we leave the Rites of Passage trip behind, Maria will be going back to the reality of her parenting arrangement, and that reality will be a harsh force against the words she wrote. But in that moment of clarity on her island, Maria secured something for herself and for her son, and she put it in writing. She secured her right to reliable people to surround and love her and her son. She recognized that no parent, no person, should ever have to go it alone. It is my deepest wish for Maria that she hold on to that fact for the rest of her life.
Keep on trekking,
Julia
TRENTON — With the morning sun glimmering on the rippled Delaware River, paddlers loaded into long, slim outrigger canoes set off on a two day, 50-mile journey.
The paddlers, in distinctive blue and yellow canoes, are not justmaking the trip for the physical fitness and scenic views. They are raising awareness and money for Urban Promise summer camp programs in Trenton, Camden and Wilmington, Del.
Urban Promise is a nonprofit that started in Camden 25 years ago, providing after school and summer programs for inner-city kids. Children receive help with their studies and managing their lives. The program also emphasizes Christian spiritual development and leadership.
Carl Clark was a participant in the Camden program as he was growing up and, as an adult, started the Trenton branch in 2010. Yesterday, at 7 a.m., he helped to prepare the canoes for the trek south from the Duck Island starting point. Twenty-five children and adults are on this trip.
“I really didn’t have any role models who were adults that I could really look up to,” Clark, 32, said, remembering how he was at age 6 when he met Urban Promise founder Bruce Main. The program helped him to acquire character and wisdom, he said. “That’s necessary for the development of a young person,” Clark said.
He decided to bring the program to Trenton, leaving behind a career as a banker, because he wanted to provide the same hope to children and teens that he had when he was growing up. Clark first came to Trenton when he attended The College of New Jersey on a full scholarship in nearby Ewing. “We do just about everything under the sun for development of young kids and teenagers,” he said.
Clark said the summer camp programs are led by teenagers in the community who are called “street leaders.” The high-school aged street leaders go through a class where they learn leadership and life skills such as interviewing and resume building, then they have to interview for the job as counselor for the summer camp. The teens are then paid by Urban Promise to be counselors for the younger children, usually ages 6 to 12, who are enrolled in the free camp.
“Some of the children they don’t feel so much hope,” said Marselly Almanzar, an intern with Urban Promise Trenton. “I’ve seen how this can help them achieve so much more.”
Clark said the camp will run at two churches in Trenton this year from July 9 to Aug. 10. The program is sustained mostly by donations, said Phyllis Jones, the board president for Urban Promise Trenton.
Main came up with the idea for the “Paddle for Promise” fundraiser while brainstorming ways for the three regional Urban Promise groups to collaborate.
“We have this whole emphasis on getting kids out doors,” Main said. “Let’s do something on the river.”
He said he called up some friends from the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association and the Philadelphia Police Dragon Boat Team who provided the canoes and some manpower to guide the novice Urban Promise employees along the way.
The group arrived in Camden yesterday afternoon and will row from Camden to Wilmington today. Volunteers from all three locations are using the trip to raise funds for the summer camps. The group from Trenton is looking to raise $2,500.
“We can expand,” he said. “The only thing that can hold us back is finances.”
Clark said his goal is to have an Urban Promise site in each of the city’s four wards and another central site so that he can reach about 500 students in Trenton.
Written by: Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton
“I’m a 2.” Hm. Normally when Mr. C does a mood check on a scale of 1-10 with our Trekkers, average answers are usually about an 8. The lowest we might get from a student is generally a 5 that comes in the morning when they’re still half asleep. This night, however, many students were feeling extremely anxious about white water rafting the next day. They’d heard stories from former students about near death experiences and falling out of the boat, and were not too sure that rafting sounded like a good time. All we could do was give them as much information as possible about what rafting entails to try to reassure them, and send them to bed for a good night’s sleep.
Getting ready to go the next morning, what surprised me was that in spite of the fear that students were feeling, not one of them expressed any intention or desire to back out. Students expressed their nerves in varying fashions, from total silence to nervous giggling to complaints about the cold wetsuits.
Our biggest blessing for the day came in the form of Blue Heron Outfitters, a class act rafting company whose owners and guides engaged with our students to reassure them and answer all of their questions. By the time they were done with the safety talk, students were already starting to feel better.
As we got to the river, of course, students’ fears bubbled to the surface once again. We did little things to assuage their fears like showing them how far we could lean out of the boat when we wedged our feet into the raft. The guides were excellent, generating excitement and moving quickly to avoid giving students time to get scared.
After that, the water started moving, and the kids started paddling, laughing, and screaming. They were screaming and laughing the way you do on a roller coaster, when the thrill of the moment takes you in. I turned to look at Ashley, who was the most nervous of the group, and she was grinning ear to ear as she paddled head on into a big beautiful wave.
When we got off the river and onto the bus, Mr. C did another mood check. A chorus of excited shouts came back: “I’m at an 11!” “I’m a 20!” “I’m a 30!” Quickly thereafter, students fell quiet, elated and exhausted after a day of adventure in the water and sun.
For me, the huge upswing in the mood check exemplifies what UrbanTrekkers does. Take a fear you have and challenge it. Find reassurance in the people you trust. Let the beauty of God’s creation bring you joy.
Keep on trekking,
Julia
"What gives value to travel is fear. It is a fact, at a certain moment, when we are far from our own country we are seized by a vague fear, and an instinctive desire to go back to the protection of old habits. This is the most obvious benefit of travel. At that moment we are feverish but also porous, so that the slightest touch makes us quiver to the depths of our being. We come across a cascade of light, and there is eternity. This is why we should not say that we travel for pleasure." - Albert Camus
That may read a bit severe to some of us, but I think Monsieur Albert speaks of the essence of trekking. I recall several years ago when
Trekkers were on their annual spring break expedition, a trip full of early morning wake ups to make the most of our six days in the Florida Everglades. After several days of 6:00 AM starts one the students made it clear to me this wasn't his idea of a vacation; ha! I remember my quick unfiltered response: "Traveling with fifteen teenagers isn't my idea of a vacation either!” The point was made.
Over the years we have learned how to make the trek more about the experience than the place. It begins in the planning, the budget, itinerary, menu, permission forms, waivers, medical forms, and lots of other details that are the obvious. But a sixteen hundred mile, six day trip on the trekker bus to Asheville, North Carolina for spring break with nineteen students and leaders requires a few tricks of the trade. Timing is key. Noticing when energy levels need a boost on long bus trips allows us to break out "DJ J-Dawg" (aka Julia VanderWoude, our Expedition Assistant) to play a pre- selected set of tunes dedicated to individual students. This never fails to re-energize a bus load of students towards the final leg of a long journey.
Morning devotions help set the tone for the day. They’re followed by our mood checks, on a scale of 1 -10, this helps us to be pro-active with knowing who's up and who's down. Our covenant requires trekkers to travel unplugged, no cell phones, no electronics except cameras. We want our students to be in the moment, to take in all that surrounds them...no talk of tomorrow when we are still in today. Bathroom breaks on a 1-10 scale (I'm at a 5 equals 30 minutes... you would never wait to announce when you are at an 8 or 9, which would be trouble.) allow for plenty of time to find a bus-friendly place to park the oversized vehicle.
Everyone wears a whistle with a known protocol on use, and a buddy system, point person, and sweep all help to insure safe travel as we journey on trails and city streets. Trekkers carry filled water bottles to ensure hydration, this and healthy meals, and good night's sleep help to create a positive energy throughout the trip. We also do our best to make sure everyone is good and tired by day's end so sleep comes quickly.
Reflecting back on a quote from one of my former students, Jose, I think he sums it up:
"...I use to think that Trekkers was only about amazing views and experiences. I never thought that Trekkers was about the lessons of life." Our students have come to recognize the value of the way we travel on Trekker trips. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s difficult to get them out of bed at 6:00 am. But when they see the intentionality in the art of the road trip, they begin to see the merit of conscious attention to their surroundings, their peers, and their own sense of being.
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