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The Switchback20
Brief
overview of the 20 days...
The first 5 days are an introduction to outdoors
and survival in the Appalachian forests. Switchback20 campers' come
together with campers from our other programs to focus on team
building and leadership skills. Camper's teams are presented
with unique challenges and scenarios designed to bring to
surface character flaws and strengths. Overcoming their
own personal battles will help their team advance. While
learning outdoor skills and competing in many fun and exciting
events, the 5 days are bathed in Bible study, scripture memory,
and preaching.
During the next two days, the program slows down from
it's intense pace and schedule to allow campers to reflect and
focus on the individual areas of their lives where they may need a
change in direction. Our 3 to 1 camper/staff ratio provides an
opportunity for campers and staff to develop a 1 on 1
relationship where they can open up and discuss their specific
life issues and get real biblical direction and advice to help
them make right choices. They are given reflection time to think
and to also write. Many choose to write down their goals, while
others choose to write home or journal. During these two days, campers also get
needed rest to prepare for the remaining 15 days of adventure
and focus.
Now
campers begin the 2nd phase of the program with a week of team building
and a focus on why they were created. They are given
a wilderness construction task to accomplish
together during the next 6 days, such as
building a log structure from scratch,
complete with cutting and dragging in trees.
Many times this brings to surface the
character flaws that must be corrected. They
also become aware of the value of others and,
as a result, less self centered. It is a
difficult journey, yet at the close of the six
days it is rewarding to be able to recognize
the accomplishment that hard work and effort
can be. It's during these 6 days that
they are assigned a "buddy" for the remaining
portion of the program. They go through a
series of training steps to help them learn to
work together. This includes taking small
hikes blindfolded while their new buddy must
verbally guide them down the trail. Learning
to listen and to properly communicate quickly
becomes the focus.
The weekend arrives
and they are rewarded for their hard work with
a steak dinner and their first off-campus
opportunity. Campers are loaded on a bus and
driven to town to enjoy Sunday morning at
church. This weekend is also the first
opportunity that campers can call home to
their parents.
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The 3rd and final portion of the program is an extreme week of backpacking,
canoeing,
and adventure trekking. Campers will load 5 days worth of food and gear
into their packs and head off on a life changing journey. Each
day campers are in a new location that they have hiked to. They are presented with the daily challenges of working
to set up, tear down, pack, carry, cook, clean and more. As a new-found appreciation for home, parents, and material blessings
begins to develop, campers are directed to think about their
attitude. Gratefulness and thankfulness are often the focus of
the devotion time spent around the nightly camp fires. During
this 5 day backpacking portion of the program, campers learn to
work together with their buddy and the group to accomplish the
tasks at hand. They are made aware of the fact that the group
depends upon them to carry their portion of the weight and are
taught the importance of a trust relationship. They begin each
day with personal Bible reading and close each
day with a challenge from God's Word. During
these 5 days, they are required to keep a personal
journal with two entry topics, the trial and their
spiritual walk. The isolated time on the trail is a much
slower pace and allows them to begin to think and
prepare for stepping back into everyday life at home.
The staff guides the campers to focus on what "switch"
in direction they will need to begin or maintain after they
leave this controlled environment.
The last 24 hours of the Switchback20 is an amazing time for
campers. The last evening together as a group is spent around
what we call a "testimony fire". Campers share with the group
what the Lord has done in their lives during the past 3 weeks.
They share their new goals and express the change that has been
made as well as encourage each other to stick with their
commitments. Campers prepare to face the reality that they are
going to soon re-enter the environment where they will have to
make daily choices to stand for Christ and live right. The
program closes with a camper/parent picnic and
graduation ceremony. This is a very fulfilling and
exciting time for both parents and campers.
Return to Switchback
Information Page
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