“Let’s pick up that hitch-hiker!”

In anticipation of our Beyond Malibu hiking trip my YL guys & I were driving to Tacoma to make custom BEYOND T-shirts at Mable design.  As we approached the I5 on-ramp a kid in the back seat yelled “Let’s pick up that hitch hiker!”  Standing on the side of the road was a goofy looking dude with scraggly blond hair protruding from the coolest K2 hat I’ve ever seen.  His thumb was up the air & he held a sign reading ‘TACOMA’.   He jumped in the car and introduced himself as Joe. We gave him a ride and he ended up spending the rest of the evening with us.  He even made a custom Beyond T-shirt.   Joe was one of the coolest dudes my guys have ever met!  By the end of the evening we invited him on our Beyond trip, but he declined. 

One week later my guys & I are sitting outside the barn at Beyond Malibu as they introduced the guides.  One guide walks out with scraggly blond hair protruding from the coolest K2 hat I’ve ever seen AND wearing the custom Beyond T-shirt he made a week earlier.  My guys go CRAZY “Dude, it’s Joe the Hitchhiker!”  We rushed him and tackled him with a hug.  My guys quickly learned Joe is one of my good friends and we set the whole thing up.  Joe had instant rapport with the guys and we had an epic 7 days on the mountain.

Thanks Beyond Malibu for helping facilitate a lifelong memory for my guys!
 Thanks Joe for sharing your story and helping my guys grow in their faith in Jesus Christ!

Casey Price
Young Life Leader, Everett, WA
Trip Leader - 2005, 2007, 2008