The theme of the trip was leadership especially in the church. We spent time in devotions and different form of worship. We also set aside time to discussion about the mass exodus of believers from the church and what we personally can do about it. We learned about what makes a good leader and what makes a bad leader. We learned about Ernest Shackleton and how he led all of his men to safety.
We also spent one night outside ( I think we were suppose to spend 24 hours outside but plans changed). In order to sleep outside in the winter time you have to make a quinzee. This is much like the snow forts we made growing up. After you made the quinzee we had to make super to stay warm. This was my job which was a lot of fun. My friend Heather and I made a Moose Vegetable soup. After supper it was time for bed. And the longest night of my life so far began. First I got super cold so I had to where extra clothes. I also found out that I am claustrophobic. So every time I woke up I started panicking which looked like me crying and begging the other three girls I was sleeping with to turn on the light/let me out of the quinzee. I have never been so thankful for sunlight before in my life.
So what did I learn on this trip about leadership and more importantly about myself and my relationship with God. Well being in Northern Ontario during the winter time is gorgeous. We have an AWESOME God who is our wonderful creator. I was reminded that snow is a gift from God and I need to remember that during the long Iowa winters. I also was reminded of God's creation through the animals that we saw: 1 red fox, 1 wolf, 76 deer, moose tracks, and the tracks of a large cat. I was also reminded about how perfectly God has designed our body to take care of ourselves and stay warm. This what I learned about myself which is slightly embarrassing but it must be said. When I get completely stressed, I get very selfish and I do not care about the people around me. This is important for me to learn so that as I get in to difficult situations and try to led people through these tough times.
