Growing up, my dad always told
me, “You have to say goodbye in order to say hello again.” We do not want to say
goodbye to spirit filled moments and glorious creation. For
many of our campers there won’t be another dock dance party “hello” to Base
Camp and the summits of Beyond. Just as challenging as kicking steps up Mt. Albert, the alders of
Mt. Pearkes or the physicality of a day five descent is figuring out how to say
“hello” to our Beyond experiences when we are at home.
The first day of climbing Mt.
Albert campers were filling time on the trail with mouthwatering descriptions
of Thai food from their hometown. Two months later I was ordering off the menu
of the infamous Thai restaurant at a table with my campers. Their faces were
shiny, hair clean and one even clad in his Beyond t-shirt.
States away from the summits of
Beyond these campers were glowing- reliving their hardships and celebrations on
the mountain over a plate of pad thai noodles. Looking at the faces around the
table I saw the Lord’s extravagant provision. The Lord met each of us in
uniquely beautiful ways. It can be recognized by the different moments each
individual chooses to share aloud- recalling the thunderous boom of the ice
falls, the sunset after days of smoky forest fire skies, or the pride of
completing the route. We spent our week on Mt. Albert tangibly trusting the Lord and
observed provision and answered prayer. Now we each begin the adventures of
fall trusting the Lord will provide extravagantly as we summit mountains in our
hometowns.
When we finished our noodles we
stood up as a group, and instead of giving pack love and heading back onto the
trail, these campers walked out of the restaurant into their daily lives:
leading in their hometown club and beginning senior year of high school,
fitting all their belongings into their car and moving away to college, and
navigating full time work. They were alive and full, taking the sweet moments
of Beyond where they went.
The Lord reminded me that
Beyond comes home with each of us. There is no need to dread or fear “goodbye”.
Beyond isn’t confined to the mountains, or Princess Louisa Inlet. The moments
at Beyond become a part of us and we have the honor of carrying them to our
destination of choice. We get to keep saying “hello”.
-Erin Donoghue
