Grade 8 Retreat.

On September 28th, 2015, the eight students piled into a school bus and set off for Christie Lake Conservation Area, excited for our Grade 8 Retreat! When we got there, the class trip we were expecting turned out to be better than we could have imagined. We started the day by parking our bags on the picnic tables and taking group photos. Then we spent some time exploring nature. Wesaw a snapping turtle in the lake, a garter snake in the grass, a vole, and lots of other exciting forms of wildlife, all of which added to the experience.

Pastor VanderHorst shared a message with us that was focused on our school theme this year -- “Build Your Kingdom Here”. The point of the message was that we try to build our own kingdoms, but they are imperfect. What we truly need is to have the kingdom of God built within us, because His kingdom is perfect.

Soon lunch came. In our free time, forts were built, snakes were caught, and it was all fun and games. The next activity was canoeing. We went two or three to a canoe and explored Christie Lake. I’m sure everyone had fun gliding around the lake and enjoying the surroundings. When it wasn’t our turn on the canoes we passed the time by tossing around a football, or splashing around on shore.

A bus ride back to school concluded a day of fun that I’m sure we will certainly remember for many years to follow. All in all, it was time well spent, and besides a soaker or two, there wasn’t a low point in the day. It was a day never to be forgotten.

~Annika Regnerus   ~Elisa deJong