The Most Unlikely Totem Pole
Solidarity – Fullerton CA
Youth Church Winter Retreat 2009
For the past three years, teens that are a part of the Youth Church on Monday nights have had the opportunity to attend The Oaks winter retreat, including the one held a few weeks ago. The Oaks is a campground owned by World Impact and located north of Los Angeles. Each winter they put on a special retreat for churches and ministries, providing an environment specifically designed for teens from local urban areas. Activities include basketball, soccer, archery, rock climbing!, paintball, a high ropes course, and much more. Every morning and evening the students attend a general session where they have the opportunity to learn about Christ and what it means to follow Him.
Last year, three of the teens that went decided that they wanted to be Christ followers! Since that time they have been involved in a weekly discipleship group, and even had the chance to attend a special leadership training back at The Oaks last fall. This year we were able to take a new group of teens and grow in deeper relationships with them as we were in awe of watching God move in their individual lives. Please enjoy the following story highlighting the perspective of a staff member who attended and his relationship with one of our teens.
The Most Unlikely Totem Pole
Every year the teens end up doing something at The Oaks that they never have before. This year my friend Israel, a freshman in high school, got a chance to experience the knee-knocking fear of a high ropes course.
When we first approached Israel about the opportunity to join me in the ropes course he was all for it, but as we approached the platform, his excitement quickly turned to apprehension. Israel and I stared fifty feet up to a tiny wooden platform that the two of us had to climb up to. One look up at the monstrosity caused Israel to look me in the eye and say, “There is no way that I am going to do this.”
After a little prompting, our group of teen boys was able to convince Israel to step into his harness and helmet. Again, as he stood there in all of his climbing gear, Israel looked at me and without blinking mumbled, “Kev, I’m not feeling good. I feel like I might lose my lunch.” From the expression on his face, he didn’t look like he was kidding.
I have to give credit to Israel- either his quiet determination was masked by his fear, or he simply succumbed to peer pressure and began to climb. The two of us stood fifteen feet in the air after making it to the first platform. Israel did what no one should do when they are afraid of heights... he looked down. Dread swept over Israel once again. He pleaded to go back down, but I convinced him to continue to climb.
With every new platform we reached came another question asking if we could go down, yet Israel climbed on. At one point we had to stop because Israel could not reach the next platform. I had to climb down and allow Israel to use my knee as a stepping ladder to reach the next plank. Thirty feet in the air, my knee wavered under Israel’s weight. He could reach the next plank, but needed to get higher in order to get his body on top of the platform. Suddenly, the ropes course manager yells, “Use him as a ladder, step on Kevin’s shoulders!!!!” With my feet planted on a suspended tire and both hands clinging to two pieces of rope that dangled in the wind, my body was coming off the structure in a 45 degree angle. Israel climbed on my shoulders and as he did, his weight dug into my collar bone. I half sat, half squatted, hanging on to those two ropes as if I were sitting on an imaginary toilet thirty feet in the air. We looked like the most unusual ethnic totem pole: a tiny Chinese base and a larger Mexican head.
Eventually Israel and I made it to the top. He was laughing as we stood at the very edge of the platform. Israel’s voice cracked, somewhat do to euphoria and partially to the adrenaline that was pumping through veins, as he asked if we could finally go down. I conceded and we repelled down the climbing structure. Israel was never so happy to be sitting on dirt in a sweat soaked shirt as he snickered about nearly crushing me. We climbed down the path and went to dinner where this story was told and retold; gaining momentum every time he told it. It is in moments such as these that really bond me to the kids in our neighborhood.
Kevin Mo-Wong, Solid Life Director