Oh the Things We Learn

A big THANK YOU to all who participated in Beyond this past summer! Last week, Jenny (Head cook, 2008 and Guide, 2009-2010) went through all of your participant evaluations to see what you had to say about your week long adventure. It is truly amazing the impact that God has made in each one of you. One of the questions that you were asked was, “What did you learn from your trip that you can use in situations back home?”

Here is what you said:

• “I learned about perseverance. And that God rewards those who faithfully persevere. There were so many times I wanted just to go home but I knew I had to keep going and it was so worth it in the end.”
• “God has provided people in my life that will help me even when I won’t help myself.”
• “So much – I can’t write it all down. But I am going to reach out, pray about and follow God in my community of women.”
• “I learned to take initiative while serving others. And I really learned how to love others sacrificially.”
• “God will never leave or forsake me, ever! And because of that, I can take on whatever comes my way with God.”
• “Life can be lived wonderfully and simply.”
• “It’s okay to ask questions and still be a believer.” 
• “I feel better in knowing a group of teenage Christian girls because normally I feel very alone.”
• “I learned to pursue people the way God wants to pursue me. I want to allow people to see more of me, and open up.”
• “I learned what is actually important in life. I learned tolet go of things, including pent up emotions and insecurities. I learned to seek answers, to learn peoples’ stories before judging them, to forgive…and so much more.”
• “The entire climb paralleled life for me and all its challenges. So I will always use the strength I learned here in life.”
• “God is faithful and it takes me deciding that I am just going to keep walking through the crap till I get in the clear and see God.”
• “The trip had me reflect on what I believe, question God’s existence and love, learn why I want to be a Christian, and learn about Christ-centered relationships.” 
• “There is so much beauty in the scars because they are an integral/joyful part of the journey.” 
• “Nothing will be as challenging back home as climbing mountains.”

Thanks for sharing with us, and thank you for everything you taught us this summer!

BEYOND'S ARTISTS: Featuring Steven Gnam

Steven Gnam started taking photographs as an eight year old. In high school photography grew into a media that allowed him to share God’s Spirit revealed to him through creation while exploring the woods and mountains of his native Western Montana. Steven served as a mountain guide from 2005-2007, where he also met his wife Aly.  Meeting Aly, broadened the scope of Steven’s lens to Seattle and then to Guatemala where he worked with Agros International photographing the day to day life of the families in various Agros sponsored villages. Back in Montana, Steven works with conservation magazines and other organizations. His current focus is working on a book sharing conservation issues in the Northern Rockies, telling the interrelated stories of Grizzly bears, the Whitebark Pine and other species. To see more of his work please visit, http://www.stevengnamphotography.com/.


Here is some of his shots from his years at Beyond:

Mountains above the Jervis.

Mt. Pearkes from Beyond Heaven.

Hiking to Kingdom Come.

 A few of Steven's photographs from his time in Montana. 

Cottonwood leaves and dew drops.

Aly Dimmit-Gnam in the Mission Mountains Wilderness.

Grizzly sow and cub standing up for a better view.

Yellow-Headed Blackbird singing at sunset.

A LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM

Forty years ago Beyond Malibu was born out of the idea of going beyond the resort camp setting into the rugged outdoors where more situations exist that afford the opportunity to go beyond one’s self physically, mentally and spiritually.

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to take 9 teenage guys from Birmingham on the Beyond Malibu backpacking expedition into the rugged Western Canadian Coast Mountains surrounding the Princess Louisa Inlet in British Colombia. The trip was by far one of the most relationally enriching experiences I have ever encountered in my time pursuing kids with the extravagant love of Jesus Christ.

At the end of our trip, I huddled the guys together and asked, "Can you imagine trying to do what we did without our guides to lead us through the mountains?" They emphatically responded, "No way, we would never have made it!" I then replied, "Fellas, life itself is a rugged wilderness and Jesus Christ says, 'Follow me.'"

May we follow Him together in this grand adventure, pressing on, full of hope and abundant love. Thank you for supporting this mission and allowing trips like this to exist.

Much Love,
Jason Zinn

Birmingham Young Life
Alabama

"That you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever." Psalm 48:13-14

BEYOND'S ARTISTS: Featuring Brandon Sawaya

It is no secret that Beyond is a beautiful place. After sifting through thousands of photographs taken throughout the last four decades, we have found it takes considerable talent to capture the essence of Beyond in a photograph. In the next few weeks we're going to highlight a few artists that have spent some time at Beyond in the mountains or on the water. Take a look at Beyond (and more) through their lenses.

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Brandon Sawaya is a professional photographer with a BA in Photography. He specializes in (but is not limited to) outdoor lifestyles and lives actively by rafting and swimming in scenic rivers, trekking trails and guiding at Beyond Malibu. Brandon lives in Redmond, WA with his wife Alaina (also a Beyond guide) and spends most of his time snapping shots and honing his skills in the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.  Brandon will be back at Beyond for his second summer of guiding in 2011.  Here are a few of his shots:

A beyond trip climbs the JJ Glacier Moraine.

Rope Teams on the JJ Glacier.

Jeff gets his summit ridge stoke!

Sea Kayaking in the Princess Louisa Inlet.

A Beyond group and the sunrise over the Princess Louisa.

A light ride!

Check out his website to see more of his work.

Website: http://www.sawayaphotography.com
Blog: http://sawayaphotography.com/blog/

Bee-yond Song

If you've visited Base Camp in recent years, this will be a familiar tune.  If not, then the lyrics of the current "Beyond Song" should give you a nice chuckle.  Enjoy!

BEE-YOND

These mountains don’t mess around,

You’ll probably wet your pants when you hit the shore.

You’ll struggle through the forest and the streams before us and get Christmas toe. 

You’ll try to climb these rocks and rappel these drops in your pink swamis.

Thank God for Mom and Dad for letting us be here so we can hang with Jesus.

Bee-yond (x4)

You think you got it-ooh you think you got it.

Just cat clawing in your helmet when you start to fall.

We get the cheddar, ooh we get the cheddar.

Mexi-meal always beats Taco Time at the mall.

Enjoy yourself, trips don’t last forever.

What makes (x5) this the exception!

So why oh, why oh are we so in denial when we see that our God is here?

Bee-yond (x5)

Leader: Alright now fellas.

Guys: Yeah!

Leader: What’s cooler than being cool?

Guys: Glacier pools!

Leader: I can’t hear you, what’s cooler than being cool?

Guys: Glacier pools!!

Leader: Alright, alright now ladies,

Ladies: Yeah!

Leader: I’m about to break this thing down for ya… Now hike it, hike it, hike it. Now hike it, hike it, hike it, hike it like your mamas stairmaster.

Bee-yond (x4)

(To the tune of Hey-Ya by OutKast)

Base Camp is closed for business

After an intense summer of nearly 50 trips, we've packed up camp and left the inlet. This week we washed everything, and we mean everything! Every tent, sleeping bag, stove, 2-cup, boot and backpack was cycled through a rigorous washing, drying and inventory process, then packed away into Rubbermaid bins and shipped down the inlet to be stored at Malibu for the winter.

Although the process of closing up camp for the year is often exhausting, it is also a very special time for those of us who have had the pleasure of spending the summer there.  Ironically, Closing is the longest period of time that we have our entire staff in camp at once. Intermixed with the long workdays are many opportunities to enjoy the people that have made Base Camp such a meaningful place and to reflect on where life has taken us over the past three months.

We boarded the boat at the end of the day, tired from a long summer of work.  With Base Camp empty and boarded up, we are thankful for the chance we’ve had to serve in this enchanted place.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:1-5

8 Weeks gone by.

It is really quite hard to believe, but yesterday we let go of our last week of trips. This was an action packed summer for both the Mountain and Sea Kayaking programs.  We took more participants on more trips this summer than in previous years; meanwhile finishing up some substantial building projects and hosting a ton of guests in Base Camp.  It will be 10 months before we send another group of participants into the hills or onto the water but you can bet on this: we're looking forward to it already. 

The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.

Psalm 65:12-13