Pioneer Plunge

best week of my life. part two.

A quick synopsis of pioneer plunge: you hike out into the woods with your Eno and your clothes for the week in your pack.

The hike out there could have been pretty challenging, but we stopped so frequently (because most people were inexperienced hikers,) that it wasn't bad. In addition to the absence of contact with the outside world experienced at any YoungLife camp, the guides/staff at plunge provide campers with the opportunity to be free from time. No watches. This was a shockingly incredible experience. To never know the time is such a gift. It allows your body to wake and sleep with the cycle of the sun, and most importantly for me, makes it easier to give up scheduling and planning. Usually, I keep the time to ensure I can get things accomplished by a certain time. This week was not for accomplishing tasks, or tracking time, it was for learning to be. One emphasis for the week was family. These perfect strangers became loving, supportive community. During the week you also have the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in silence with the Lord, and resting in Him is another important aspect of relationship emphasized at plunge.

I don't want to give too much away, in case you have the opportunity to attend plunge or something similar (and if so: DO IT!), but I merely desire to set the stage for my explanation of the things I learned this week.

And before we get too far into this, I just want to emphasize how much I LOVED this experience. I love the outdoors, and have a considerable amount of outdoor experience, so I really thrived during my week in the woods.

What I wrote in my journal on my first day at plunge: "My intention for this week is to Rest in you Lord and learn to trust you. Show me through living this week what it's like to trust you."

Things the Lord taught me at Plunge:

1) What it looks like to trust Him with specific weaknesses

2) What it feels like to rest in the Him, and just enjoy spending time with Him. I don't have to "get something out of it" every time I spend designated time with him (i.e. in a devotional).

3) That I can INVITE Him into each moment

4) Don't underestimate the power of prayer

5) I LOVE reading my Bible.

6) I've been believing lies of the world (see the story of LEGION)

7) Purity is something that is real, it is not anti-feminist, and it can be kept

8) I enjoy having armpit hair. Though I do appreciate shaving everywhere else.

9) That I DO believe in Him, even through seasons of doubt.

A few of the verses that really spoke to me this week:

Matthew 4:4

Matthew 6:25

Matthew 9:28-29

Matthew 10:8-9

Hebrews 9:10

Hebrews 13:5,9

Hebrews 22-25

Something that I really appreciated at plunge was the lack of mirrors. The first couple days I caught myself trying to sneak a peak of my reflection in windows, but this urge faded as the week progressed. I reminded myself that I was there for the Lord, so it didn't matter what I looked like. Though by the end of the week appearances became irrelevant, I began to trust that I did look good, and was confident in that feeling. Often, at home, I don't feel like I look great, or feel indifferent about my appearance, but I will catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realize "woah! I look so good!" At plunge, instead of peeking at myself in the window, I harnessed that feeling of looking good and moved on:).

My descriptions above are not entirely thorough, but they include as much as I am comfortable sharing on the internet right now. If any part of this really speaks to you, please feel free to contact me and we can chat about it! I'd love to share more in person! (Or over Skype if I'm already in Spain;).)

Below is a link to Annie's playlist of all the songs we sang during the week (for worship and for fun)! I've been listening to it nonstop since we returned. Also shoutout to our guides who sang and played guitar. Thanks to them we were able to really enjoy this music!

https://open.spotify.com/user/anniekate2002/playlist/1p2oo8h4r2KPFwWSP1wAtn?si=32VrGxHSQm-pDtEFkrnzDw