This is the girls account of CANOE/HIKING TRIP ‘08.

The trip started out as Stephen said in the previous blog, early in the morning
with breakfast and last goodbyes to guys.  We headed out on probably about
a two hour bus ride.  Upon arrival at our launch site we prepared to canoe first
by grabbing a paddle, life jacket and canoe.  And soon dividing group gear
into our boats and tying it in.  All us girls excluding two leaders Steve Kaack and Greg
Rokos got into a circle and prayed before leaving.  I was nervous to be leaving since
I had never been in a canoe before.  So we set out, it rained a little and we saw little
sun but it was a good day of canoeing.  At around supper hour we stopped
to set up camp, thankfully our group had a tent and quickly got that put together
and started making a fire.  I’m not sure a lot of people understand this but, food
from camping tastes the best there is nothing quite like it.  We had a campfire which
each D-group (Discipleship group) planned at least one.  And then went to bed, I
can say for sure my muscles were sore and tired it didn’t matter where
we were we all needed some rest.

Day Two
Still sore we all slowly but surely wake up, finally take the chance of getting out of
our warm sleeping bags to face another day on the river.  Of course not without first
having breakfast, warm drinks and packing our tent up.  It was foggy when we
first got up, but a few hours later the sun shone down on us while we paddled
down the river.  This was our first full day of canoeing, it was much more challenging
being that there were some rapids and just tough spots that we could have been
swept into and tipped into the river.  Also there were times were the river was calm,
it gave us moments to relax, take pictures or just revel in Gods creation.  There were
times where we could grab onto each others canoes and become one large raft.
It’s amazing even by the second day of being together how connected you can become
to a small or large group, and also how God can work through all of the individuals
that are girls and we all ended up at the same place.  We set up camp later in the day
and prepared dinner for ourselves before campfire.  Part of the trip for the girls
was also reading through the book of Ruth and journalling about it as well as
our experiences throughout the trip.  There were many deep discussions about
everything from what it means to be a godly good wife to just having respect
for one another.

Day Three
We woke up in good time, not too early or too late.   So it definitely made it easier to
climb out of the sleeping bag and get going.  We got onto the river, my paddling
partner and I (Genaya, oh and I am Erica) were doing well.  We had some races
against Emma and Kristianne right before the end of the beautiful day.
That is before we hit some small rapids and dumped our canoe.  Lets just say
that is an experience in and of itself, I won’t go into depth about it.
(Emma and Kristianne did end up saving us) So right after that Steve decided that
we were done canoeing.  So well my group made our fire and set up the tent
while I tried to warm up.  Afterward we ate supper and then proceeded to have our
normal campfire, and bed time.

Day Four
We got up at 6am, I remember hearing someone say it’s time to get up and opening
my eyes still to darkness.  I was for sure not ready to get up, but we did and it was
beautifuloutside.  The moon was still out and shining brightly, and the fog was
coming off of the river it was one of those special once in a lifetime sights.  And I
guess having a fire made fast made up for being up that early too.  I think we were
all thankful to be almost done canoeing, but at the same time sad that the experience
was over too.  By the time we were awake and fed we were ready to get on the river.
It took around an hour to get where the bus was, again the weather was simply beautiful
if we weren’t done there it would’ve been an awesome day to be on the water all day.
Upon arrival we cleaned our canoes for the boys, and loaded them onto the carts.
We boarded the bus to an alumnus farm for lunch, and trading of gear with the boys.
Got some time to dry out clothes needed for hiking, and our tents.  As well as
trading the cooking gear (the people hiking have a stove) as well as the tents/tarps.
It was really good to swap stories and just see how the guys were.  It was ridiculously
hot, throughout the day and when we later boarded the bus that took us to where we
were to be camping for one night and then hiking out to another site the next day.
The night was really relaxing we had some time to just sit around after supper was
done and we were set up.

Day Five
It wasn’t nearly as hard to get up this day as much as the others.  We had the time to
relax the night before so the mood kinda carried on through the night and the morning.
I had a different attitude when leaving the camp that morning, I knew that hiking would
be hard physically as well as emotionally.  I, as I am sure many others had to rely on
God for strength and perseverance that day, there were a lot of prayers said silently
and even aloud.  They said it was about halfway to our destination that we had this
climb up a hill that consisted of shale, I’d say it was the second most
challenging part of the the hiking trip. (the first challenging was on the way back,
which I will tell you about later)  All of the girls were very encouraging when we
were almost at the top, shouting encouragements that I’m sure were helping us
with every last step.  We stopped for lunch break at the very top, the wind was
refreshing and we tried to stay out of the sunshine.  It was hot and we were all so
hot just from the climb up.  But I must say the view once we got to the top was
amazing, breath-taking.  One mountain just out ahead of us, you could just feel
the majesty and power God has.  About half an hour later we were back on our feet
again, I felt refreshed and ready to hike some more.  It took I think around an hour
or 45 minutes to reach our destination.  We knew we were close because of the
rushing waters of the river, once we got there we unpacked and set up.  Most of
the girls also went down to the rocks by the river and washed up a little.  It was
very cold but felt very good after the hike.  The rest of the afternoon/night was spent
with some solo time to journal about our experiences or just to take in Gods beautiful
creation.

Day Six
This was more of a relaxed day, the leaders planned for us to go on a day hike
with a possibility of going further if we wanted to.  We probably didn’t wake until
8am, which later than we usually got up.  I was excited because we were hiking without
our backpacks which would make it a much lighter and less physically challenging hike.
We took a wrong turn however so the option to go further was not there anymore.
We ate lunch in the spot we stopped and had about half an hour of solo time to
finish journals. We all turned back afterward and headed for camp, where we had
time to just hangout with whomever or have more solo time if we desired.  We
ate supper around 5 and then had a campfire session, the last of the trip.  Later
on in the night we were encouraged at another campfire to share our struggles or
the blessings God has had for us or even how we got to the point where we were at.
It was neat to hear all the other girls stories, and it I felt really connected me more
to them because it was our time to share with each other.  We laughed and we cried,
and I’m sure God used the time to bond us closer together.  I was very emotionally
drained so it wasn’t hard to sleep when I got into the sleeping bag.

Day Seven
Last day, we got up and I could just feel the anticipation of us getting out and
going back to CLBI.  Don’t get me wrong, we very much enjoyed the experience
but we do really now more appreciate hot showers and warm beds.  We got up
and packed up (usually before everyone else) so it gave us a while to just relax
and eat before we had to head out.  The hike was much easier for the most part
until we got back to the hill to now go down.  That was the most difficult part
of the hiking, we started down a side with loose rocks and it was dry.  It was
quite a bit backed up with all of us being there so we were going down very slowly.
We made it through that and everyone sped ahead of us there were about five or
six of us at the back of the group.  We had very good talks about everything from hair
color to where we’re from.  At one point there were two paths and we tried to figure
out where to go because I guess the group was way ahead of us.  After some
deliberation we decided the bigger path because, we knew it would get us
somewhere at least to the highway and from there we would be able to find
the bus.  So we kept on that path and did eventually find the bus and everyone else
eating lunch.  We packed up our backpacks and were on our way right after lunch.  It
was a VERY hot and stinky bus ride.   Wasn’t really that comfortable either, we were
really eager to get back and shower.  When we arrived at CLBI, we were glad to be off
the bus and first unpacked all our group gear. Then we allowed to shower, boy were
they lined up.  Also the boys who got back to CLBI at around 2pm helped us out with
the cleaning and airing out of tents.  It was a very memorable trip to say the least.
I am thankful that the experience was out there to be had, to further connect
the students as they first come together this year.  And I hope to see God further
bless us through the friendships and memories that were built during this trip.

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From September 12th through 19th, the CLBI community partook in a great outdoor adventure to learn about God’s love, grace, and mercy, all in the splendor of His creation. We prepared with great anticipation and eagerness, making up for inexperience with enthusiasm and anxiety with faith. God, the knowledgeable staff, and our experienced second year leaders calmed our nerves, and we were ready to dive in headfirst when the moment came.

Our adventure began bright and early on the morning of the 12th, as we gathered to have one last meal together before the sun came up. Then we said our goodbyes to the girls, along with what little concern for gentlemanly behaviour and personal hygiene we had in the first place. We boarded the bus with our over-flowing yet artfully packed backpacks and set out for the Nordegg area, where we would be spending three and a half days on one of the most beautiful hiking locations the province has to offer.

The first day of hiking started off wonderfully, with radiant sun and a cool breeze. However it quickly and suddenly took a turn for the worse and before we knew it, we were caught halfway up the mountain in the middle of a blizzard, surrounded by snow, hail, and fog. Unsure of where to go or what to do, many of us became disheartened and afraid, seeking refuge under a tarp we had set up. It was then that we came together as a family through prayer and songs of praise, putting our worries and cares in God’s hands. Lots of leadership was shown by the staff and second years, and before we knew it, Landslide Lake, where we would be camping, was in sight. Although the weather had barely improved, our morale and enthusiasm were replenished and we were filled with a newfound sense of hope. It was amazing how, once we relied on God, the most negative period of the trip became the highlight for so many- truly a mountaintop experience.

The second day of the trip was a well-needed day of rest, and a chance to explore the surroundings, both geographically and spiritually. After wringing out our clothes, sleeping bags, and backpacks, we spent the day sharing in God’s word as we began our study of the book of Joshua. It was a time to discuss what it means to be a leader, and how each of us would respond to God’s call to leave our comfort zones and live Christian lives on the edge. We also had a lot of free time this day, which some used to do extra hiking, build a sauna, or chase allegedly seen wildlife with makeshift weaponry. It was a beautiful day, and I won’t soon forget the beauty of the frost as we unzipped the tent that morning, or how the formerly hidden mountains were suddenly visible through the fog. The community building and spiritual discoveries that took place kept our spirits high as we prepared for our hike out the next day.

After a filling meal and a morning campfire, the troops were off and we set out for our next campsite, 16km away. Fortunately for us this distance was stretched on reasonably level ground and we were blessed with gorgeous weather. After several hours of fun and laughter we arrived where we would be spending the next night. We set up our tents, cooked supper, and met for a group campfire, in which we sang cheesy campfire songs and discussed what we wanted the CLBI community to look like in terms of relationships and inclusiveness. We enjoyed our night in this beautiful spot, asking questions and offering answers as to how we as individuals can work as servants for God’s greater plan. Our food was nourishing and our sleep, restful.

This was the final day of hiking as we marched the trails for only a few hours, finding our friendly busdriver ready to take us to an alumnus’s nearby farm for lunch with the girls. This stop was an eventful and necessary stop, as we traded our hiking gear for the girls’ canoing equipment. It was awesome to hear so many great stories from the girls and to tell some of our own at this mid-point milestone.

That evening we learned some knots, distributed life jackets and paddles, and prayed for safety. Then it was time to launch our canoes into the North Saskatchewan River and, led by Stephen Kaack and Greg Rokos, we embarked on the next half of the adventure. Between the two blessings of God’s abundant grace and the fact that we were using different muscle groups than for hiking, we made great time and were able to have a lot of fun along the way. I was amazed at how quickly and how seamlessly we made the transition between hiking and canoing, with no serious incidents or issues whatsoever. It was a great evening of paddling through the sunset, laughing and learning along the way.

After spending the night on a beach along the way, we cooked and packed up with our Discipleship Groups and we with a word of prayer, we were on our way. Today was our first full day canoing, and therefore a much more physically demanding day than the one preceding it. Still we met it with a renewed energy and were open to any rapids God through our way. The sense of community and fellowship was building quickly and quietly, as if it was a by-product of being outdoors and relying on one another. At campfire we discussed what we would do if we had God’s guarantee of success, as well as how traditionally we have failed time and time again when we work only for our own goals and with our own motives. We learned from the book of Joshua, however, that when God is with us we can do all things through Him and His blessings will be upon us. It’s comforting for me to know that although I don’t have my life all planned out and know where I’m headed, God does and will be with me each step of the way.

Wednesday, our last full day of the trip, was by the far the most fun for me. It was fast-paced and exciting, with rapids and surfs at every turn and as a group we really pulled together and helped each other out. We also had the opportunity this day to swim a set of rapids, which was a real rush and a great way to work up an appetite for lunch as one shot through the water as if through a horizontal waterslide, careful not to clip too many jagged rocks underneath. All in all there was so much joy and togetherness this day, and I felt as though I ended it with more friends than before. That night we also had our highly anticipated Band of Brothers campfire, at which we were given the opportunity to share a strength, weakness, and symbol encompassing the two with the entire community of men. I remember thinking long and hard about what and how much to share, and I’m glad I did open up because I realized that this group is extremely trustworthy, will hold each other accountable, and will support one another beyond what is humanly capable. This night united us all as one body, and we had the chance to learn where we fit, how we could draw strength from others, and how we can be of service to those in need. Just as Joshua did not conquer cities and cross the Jordan on his own, neither can we overcome obstacles in our paths without the help of God and our friends.

Finally we had the opportunity to sleep in a few hours as we had covered this day’s workload the day before. Aside from those of us who woke up freezing and started making breakfast at seven out of an ability to get back to sleep, we were all packed up and ready to leave by around eleven. Boarding the bus was a feeling of great relief to everyone, disregarding the fact that we were made acutely aware of just how much we needed to shower. Nevertheless the ride home was an opportunity to catch up on some sleep, finish up any homework we still had to do, and debrief about what we got out of the trip. For myself it meant finding a sense of belonging in the crazy, wild world that is CLBI. Coming to school here not knowing many people has been difficult for sure, but at least now I know that we are, metaphorically speaking, all in the same boat. Sure there will be trying times to experience here, as with any place, but if the rest of this year will be anything like the trip, it will be one to remember.

September 17 – 21 marks the first full week of “normal” routine here at CLBI. After kicking off the year with 3 days of orientation and a 8 day canoe/hiking trip, we have finally settled into a bit of a rythym this week, which has included: early morning breakfast, devotions, class sessions with Sheri Lovrod and Steve Klassen, Harambee, homework, work duties, late night conversations, library time, yearbook pictures, 7-11 runs, D-Group, choir rehearsals, immunization shots for the Second Years, basketball, volleyball, writing prayer letters, hanging-out in the Co-Ed Lounge, getting to know roomates, picking up garbage around mirror lake as a service project, preparing for LOL on September 28, making worship teams, playing guitar in the courtyard and so much more.

It has been a full and lively week, filled with new discoveries and anticipation as to what this year could hold. Classes started off with two very fine instructors. Teaching the first year students was Steve Klassen who is the Director of the Mark Centre, a retreat centre in Abbotsford BC. He taught “Living Discipleship”, which focussed on the synoptic gospels. Steve teaches with a great combination of intensity and humour, and he tells many stories from his journey of faith. Steve also has the entire gospel of Mark memorized, so he is able to dramatize and communicate stories from Mark very well. Sheri Lovrod who is the Residence Director at LCBI in Outlook, SK, taught the Second Year students “Cross Cultural Prep I”. Sheri’s deep heart for missions and her compassionate approach to ministry is beautiful to watch in action. She brings many faith building stories and a strong commitment to prayer as the primary work of missions, to her teaching sessions. After our first week of classes, we are grateful for such quality instructors!

Friday’s Harambee looked at the idea of preference. We had fun doing a random survey of what some of our different preferences were. Things like: Tim Hortons or Starbucks, Fiction or Non-Fiction, pink or orange, Hip-Hop or Country, Bad Breath or Bad Hair. As we pay attention to what our preference are (especially our preferences about deeper things) we can learn a lot about ourselves, specifically our hearts. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our preferences show what we value, what we esteem, what we give priority to, and what we cherish. Our preferences show the direction our hearts are heading.
So, the essence of worship is to prefer Christ over all things.  And conversely, the essence of sin is to prefer anything before Christ.  The path of discipleship is one where we learn to “Delight ourselves in the Lord” and thereby, learn to prefer Him not out of duty, but through delight!
CS Lewis wrote,  “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” 
We asked the question, “How do you get a bone away from a dog?  By giving it a steak.”  The way to prefer Christ more, is by discovering a greater pleasure.  We always give preference to what we believe to have the most value or worth.  If we find ourselves prefering something before Christ, our first response can be a request for the Holy Spirit to show us how much greater the glory of Christ is (Eph. 1:18-20) and to lead us to find new delight in the Lord (Ps. 34:7).  Perhaps much of the strength for “picking up our cross and denying ourselves” comes from learning to delight in the Lord.  Perhaps the learning to prefer Christ comes from a history of being delighted and satisfied in Him, and coming to recognize the psalmists understanding – “You make known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

We’re beginning to get in the groove – the rythym of class and community, and by God’s grace, learning to prefer Christ in all things.

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
Sheena Aicken – Foremost, AB
Cesar Barbato – Brazil
Jonathan Barthelemy – Haiti
Martin Bauer – Fort St. John, BC
Adrian Cardinal - Wabamun, AB
Ehjae Chan – Saskatoon, SK
Jennifer Clarke - Baldonnel, BC
Ryan Dittmann - Calgary, AB
Emily Faltin – Stettler, AB
David Friedrichs - Kingman, AB
Jonathan Friedrichs - Kingman, AB
Bethany Gaertner - Tisdale, SK
Michelle Georgieff - Edmonton, AB
Kayla Grosfield – Sherwood Park, AB
Stacey Hagen - Lake Alma, SK
Kyle Hagen – Lake Alma, SK
Sam Howard - Bow Island, AB
Kristianne Hundeby - Elbow, SK
Kaylyn Isaak - Saskatoon, SK
Beth Jeglum – Strongfield, SK
Nick Joyal - Saskatoon, SK
Joshua Klassen - Fort St. John, BC
Andrea Labrecque - Camrose, AB
Trevor Loken - Edmonton, AB
Eric Nordstrom - Edmonton, AB
Tim Olson – Elbow, SK
Emma Ornevik - Norway
Amanda Osness - Kelowna, BC
Erik Osness – St. Albert, AB
Lauren Renner - Langley, BC
Bucky Schaffrick – Legal, AB
Wilson Sihlis – Hay Lakes, AB
Kara Sorenson – Camrose, AB
Genaya Toma – Brooks, AB
Jesse Vikse – Donalda, AB
Tovah Vold – Ponoka, AB
Virginia Wight - Outlook, SK
Travis Wright – Hay River, NT
Kristofer Wuthrich - Fort St. John, BC
Nathan Wuthrich - Fort St. John, BC

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS
Sarah Book – Sherwood Park, AB
Dane Christenson – Edmonton, AB
Lennae Gronhovd - Shaunavon, SK
Cullen Halvorson - Regina, SK
Chad Hamm – Saskatoon, SK
Alison Isaak – Saskatoon, SK
Erin Langager - Tofield, AB
Daniel Leblanc - Waldheim, SK
Christian Loken - Edmonton, AB
John McCune - Edmonton, AB
Melissa Nelson – Westlock, AB
Clayton Olafson - Armena, AB
Kenny Olson – Outlook, SK
Tasha Saliken - Cranbrook, BC
Kevin Schemmer - Regina SK
Bailey Skaret - Armena, AB
Ian Stolee - Calgary, AB
Hannah Urie - Sammamish, WA, USA
Lynne Zasadny - Lethbridge, AB
Kari Zimmerman - Camrose, AB

THIRD YEAR STUDENTS [INTERNS]
Sarah Walsh at Good Shepherd Lutheran (Camarillo, CA) in Parish ministry
Elli Kvemshagen at Mark Centre (Abbotsford, BC) in Christian Retreat ministry
Lindsay Almas at Hosanna Lutheran (Edmonton, AB) in Youth ministry
Jonathan Scrivens at CLBI (Camrose, AB) in Worship ministry
Angela Faas – various mission organizations in Short-term Missions
Patricia Daniels at LCBI (Outlook, SK) in Youth ministry
Jeff Rogness at Resurrection Lutheran (Camrose, AB) in Parish ministry
Phil Kjos at King of Glory Lutheran (Calgary, AB) in Children and Youth ministry
Catherine Proud with WMPL (Camrose, AB) in Mission Administration

FOUNDATIONS STUDENTS [Willow Valley]
Craig Cameron – Millet, AB
Andrew Carlson – Rochester, MN USA
Matthew Dorland – Regina, SK
Nick Hodgson – Mission, BC
Jordan Leden – Frontier, SK
Kyler Nottveit – Moosehorn, MB
Andrew Odegard -
Brent Poynton – Vauxhall, AB
Florian Schwaiger – Neilburg, SK

61 Students in Residence + 9 Foundations Students + 9 Internship Students = 79 total students

18 Staff + 30 Guest Instructors + 1 Pastor Al Severson + countless Supporters + 75 years of CLBI + 1 Faithful God = Another Year of Amazing Ministry

The halls of CLBI are teaming with life after a long summer. This place comes to life when the students arrive. The second year students arrived on Monday and immediately dove into what is affectionately called, “Boot Camp”. Boot Camp is a week of leadership development, team building, worship, teaching, journaling, canoeing, play, and planning. A lot gets accomplished in this 5 day period, as students mesh to become a leadership team for the coming year.

There is much excitement, apprehension, curiosity, and passion rising for this coming year.

There have been numerous volunteers at CLBI in the last couple of weeks. Some have been cleaning, others painting, some installing bunk beds, and others drywalling. First floor in Pearson Place now has all new flooring, room design, windows, furniture and paint. First Phase renovations are nearing completion and these recent changes are exciting.

There is also another major change in the dorms this year. Unlike most years, we have more male students than female. There are simply too many guys (which is a nice ‘problem’ to have!). So this year the guys are in Pearson Place and the women are in Vinge Centre. Now the women will have access to the co-ed lounge which is Vinge Centre after lock-up. The old switcheroo is good – it keeps everyone from getting too comfortable.

We will start blogging soon…we promise.