Latest News
ISAS Spring 2012: Update #3 Notes from the Field & Classroom
Oh what a trio!
It’s hard to believe the semester has finished and the students are now in their respective homes awaiting summer jobs and such. After Ecuador things did not slow down a bit! Right out of Spring Break the students hit the books in order to finish up assignments and discussions of topics yet to be covered. Papers were written, supposedly over 70 pages per person over the course of the semester!
The picture above is from our 2 week expedition in Death Valley National Park. April was creeping in on us and the snow hadn’t melted much, so we decided to head south and explore a different ecological environment. We found ourselves searching for springs and cottonwood trees, while dodging scorpions and wild horses.
The students excelled to say the least. Communication was flowing and relationships were becoming even more meaningful. Walks from base to peruse the Pines Market, late night $1 bowling in Oakhurst, and watching movies squeezed on a couch in front of a tiny TV were just a few activities that filled the students’ free time in April.
Almost weekly, we have “Family Night” at a staff member’s home during the ISAS semester. Our final family night was at the Smith’s home. After dinner together we set aside time for the students to share about their time with us in ISAS and we prayed for them before they made their journeys homeward. Hearing Katy express appreciation for the support of our community, followed by David thanking Derek for being a brother to him, and Derek excitedly talking about possible continued connection with Summit Adventure in the future was the perfect close to a semester of growth.
Thank you, readers, for your continued support and prayer – please pray for the students and staff as we transition out of the semester and into the next season of life.
Summit Adventure featured in Shout! Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine
It’s Not the Summit, It’s the Climb
By April Dubie on Apr 01, 2012 with Comments 0
12:00am my watch goes off. I drowsily roll over in my sleeping bag, confused and still achy. It’s only been four hours since I lay down.
Sleepily, I turn on my headlamp and add layers to my already cold body. Hot tea, steaming oatmeal, some snacks for the climb, and I’m ready. I look up and with the moon beaming, I can see the 14,179ft peak shining in the distance.
No one speaks; everyone is in their own world, preparing for the day’s summit attempt. I put on my harness and helmet, check the rope and count the pickets. I grab my backpack and begin walking toward the snowline.
I hope I have everything. I step off the rocks and onto the snow. It’s crisp and hard, perfect for our ascent. I tighten my crampons, and as my team ropes up, my heart races. I breathe deep: this is what it means to be alive.
This is what it means to be alive for me… the physical rush of pushing myself to my limit, outside my comfort zone, and inviting others to share with me in the glory that is Creation. Mount Shasta, Hotlum-Bolam Ridge, is not the easiest walk in the park. It’s not even really a walk. It’s an uphill battle, involving ice axes, crampons, side-stepping, kick-stepping, and plunge-stepping; and, when you reach the top, after nine hours of climbing, the battle is only half-way over. You still have to come back down.
I remember being exhausted as our rope team approached the final leg of the climb: a mixed volcanic-scree slope which led to the uppermost ridge. We still couldn’t see the summit as we began the final push, and I was tired. Patience and persistence had gotten our rope team this far. We needed to continue choosing patience as we traveled arduously together, setting snow and ice anchors. When our team reached the summit, it was a powerful moment I’ll never forget. Looking in every direction, you could see clearly for miles and Habakkuk’s words seemed truer than ever: “… His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden” (Habakkuk 3:3-4, NIV).
But, the physical accomplishment of summiting wasn’t the only powerful experience on the course. Experiencing everything that led up to that peak with my rope team was inspiring. I think we forget that in life there will be seasons of long, uphill battles, where not falling is a result of calculated and firm footing; where choosing your community is of utmost importance, because they will be the first to know you need rescuing; and where sometimes you will not be able to see the end… or even what’s around the next corner, but it is precisely in those times when God says to us, like Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NIV).
Since 1972, the mission of Summit Adventure has been to facilitate transformational learning that strengthens relationships, deepens faith, and builds compassion through Christ-centered outdoor adventure, service, and experiential education. We believe that outdoor experiences pose a unique way to learn about relationships with God and others, simplicity and stewardship, service and selflessness, leadership and courage. We also make every effort to incorporate service into each of our courses as we feel God calls us to more than just experiencing this world, He calls us to affect the world for His purposes. To find out more about Summit Adventure, please visit our website at www.summitadventure.com or contact us at 559-642-3899 .
ISAS Spring 2012: Update #2 Notes from the Field & Classroom
Our time in Ecuador has come and gone. The experiences, conversations, and challenges are innumerable.
The prayer is that the students (and staff) will continue to reflect on their time in Ecuador in order to process life learnings.
ISAS students in Banos after group haircuts! photo by: Jamie Husain
While in Ecuador, the ISAS program stepped foot on many mountains – Gua Gua and Rucu Pichincha, Iliniza Norte, and Cayambe. We were faced with rain, high winds, snow, ice, as well as sunrises and sunsets beautiful beyond imagination. Climbing mountains goes well beyond the uphill slog. There’s preparation and will necessary to push yourself in the middle of the night under a bright moon while you ascend above 17,000ft. Once the climb is over, the implications set in. What did you learn from this? This success or failure… How can this relate or does it reflect in your daily life? Choices or decisions you make, paths you follow…
When we weren’t preparing for, climbing, or decompressing from the mountain experiences – life went on, busily. The students had chances to spend two separate weeks with Ecuadorian families. While living with these families students had the challenge (for class) to interview native Ecuadorians, allow themselves to be fully immersed in the Ecuadorian culture, and speak Spanish to their (or the dictionary’s) best ability. It’s beautiful to watch familial relationships build within just a few days, especially between an indigenous pastor, Pedro, and one of our students.
There is in between time as we transition from different portions of the 6-week experience and this is spent at the One Mission Society Guesthouse in Quito, Ecuador. This Guesthouse becomes more of a home, as we are greeted with hugs and smiles by the missionary couple who have given their lives to this ministry. The beds become familiar, the internet access becomes a chance to reconnect with family and friends, and the space a space of rest and processing. Speaking of processing, the students and staff take some time to visit Banos, Ecuador where papers are written, office work caught up on, and adventures had! A couple students rented 4X4 vehicles and explored the nearby hillsides in between paper writing, while others watched free movies at a local coffee shop or went for long walks in town.
We have all returned from a week of Spring Break and are hitting the books full force. Two more weeks until we leave to spend two weeks in the wilderness on the Expedition portion of the semester. Students are reading, writing, and expedition planning in the midst of living in community together at our Basecamp in Bass Lake.
It’s hard to believe that May 5th (the day the students leave us) is coming so quickly. Please, as we come to mind, pray for drive to complete the remainder of the semester while being fully invested. I ask God to not only bless these students for continued learning and personal growth, but for you, the reader, as well.
Olivet Nazarene University: Spring Break – Inner city L.A. / Joshua Tree National Park
13 men from Olivet Nazarene University met Summit in Los Angeles where they served with World Impact L.A. (WI) and Union Rescue Mission (URM) on Skid Row. Besides serving they also spent some time climbing the golden domes of Joshua Tree National Park.
During the service days the group would meet at 5:30 AM to pray for the ministry before driving down to Skid Row to help serve breakfast and lunch. Union Rescue Mission currently serves thousands of people every year. They provide everything from counseling, psychological services, substance abuse recovery, health care and dental services in addition to food, shelter and clothing. We were privileged to help serve four meals there.
After spending time at URM, the guys rested before serving at World Impact during the afternoon. This work involved landscaping a neglected area filled with weeds into a wood-chip covered area that could be used for prayer and reflection. The guys also helped paint an apartment that would be used by newly married staff members of WI. Altogether, each member of the group offered about 26 hours of service (416 total hours).
Prior to these service days, the group spent time in Joshua Tree National Park. On our second day in the park we were able to facilitate a day of climbing for World Impact’s youth-ministry known as “Kaleo.” The guys from Olivet provided an introduction to rock climbing for the 13-member group. One of the group members, Sheila, later wrote about the experience in her blog (see below). Besides climbing, the Mojave Desert of Joshua Tree offered a time of solitude, an afternoon hike up “Rattlesnake Canyon,” the fellowship of camping, cooking meals together and sharing around a campfire.
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Overall the leaders of Olivet thought the trip was a huge success. Professor Jay Martinson said, “the trip exceeded my expectations on many levels.” Here are several other quotes from the group…
“I was challenged with questions that made me reach out to God and look from him on a deeper level.” -Tyler Koch – ONU Student
“It was something that I have never experienced in my life and I loved every moment” -Andrew Oliver- ONU Student
“Hearing everyone’s story helped bring us closer together as a group which helped us in turn be able to grow and mature spiritually as a community.” -Logan Long – ONU Student
“I’ll always remember sitting down with the three homeless men I talked with and listening to their life stories. It amazed me how similar one of their stories was to my own. The experiences I had on Skid Row will stick with me for the rest of my life.” -Matthew Reynolds, ONU Student
————————————————————————————————————————————–
An excerpt from Kaleo leader Sheila’s blog written about her experience during their afternoon at Joshua Tree National park…
I had showed up with the mentality that I was only there to encourage and fit in time with the Lord in the wilderness. I didn’t want to rock climb because 1. I didn’t want to fail and 2. I was convinced I was scared of heights. All the while I felt this nudging within me, this voice (which lets be real, is clearly GOD) telling me to go out there and climb. But I refused for about the first two hours we were there.
After I was done, I was talking to a friend and realized that for years I had convinced myself that I was afraid of heights, but as I climbed I came to the realization that I wasn’t afraid of heights at all, I was afraid of myself, and I didn’t lack trust in others or the equipment, but in myself. And that’s how it is in my life. I’m not scared of people or anything like that. I’m scared of myself. I limit myself because of what I think of myself and my lack of confidence because I’ve allowed Satan victory over me in shame. I realized that I’ve tried to climb over hurdles by myself and have overcome a few, but not many. My inability to be honest has not given my friends the opportunity to spur me on towards endurance in the real hurdles of life.
Sheila serves with World Impact L.A.’s youth ministry called “Kaleo.” They work with youth from inner-city L.A. and promote “youth to live out their identity as citizens in God’s Kingdom.” To read Sheila’s entire post you can find it here.
To find out more about World Impact or Kaleo: Kaleo Youth Ministry
Geneva College – Ecuador Service & Mountaineering 2012
A Salute to Geneva College
We are constantly amazed at the decisions of our participants to come on these courses. They aren’t signing up for a luxury cruise with wine tastings and entertainment; they are signing up to learn from the shrewd schoolmaster called discomfort. They are constantly challenged to step out of their comfort zones that they might learn more about themselves, God, and each other. They face the challenges of touching poverty, experiencing altitude sickness, and breaching a language barrier; and if this weren’t enough, they are raising financial support to do so. The people on these courses are taking a bold step that few choose to make—for this, we salute them. In a country where complacency has become a common wall between us and who we are meant to be, we salute those who take up the tools to tear it down. One such group is Geneva College.
After months of support raising, planning, and Skype calls, Patrick Emery (CCO staff member and Assistant Director of Geneva College’s Pisgah Program) led eleven tired students to meet us in Quito, Ecuador. They arrived at the airport at 1:00am with giant bags, baggy eyes, and a rose they had stolen from an airport display. They gave the white rose to me as the first token of the quirkiness that would continue throughout the course. This quirkiness included sleeping on the roof every night and turning the dinner table into some sort of bizarre bazaar where rice was traded for water bottles and potatoes were purchased with stolen coins (if you don’t understand that sentence, it’s ok, neither do I). Despite this quirkiness (which I greatly enjoyed), the Geneva students showed an eagerness to learn from their experiences and to discuss in depth the situations they were faced with during the course. In particular, they discussed the connectedness of adventure and service, how we are sometimes called to adventure in pursuit of serving others and sometimes adventure is for our own growth and for the opportunity to praise God. After our attempts on Rucu Pichincha and Volcan Cayambe, the theme of community surfaced as well as the role a sense of community plays in achieving our goals.
The Geneva group left this morning, and is currently in transit from Quito, Ecuador back to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. They were fairly quiet this morning as it rained during the night and they all ended up sleeping on the floor of the hostel. As they’re sitting on their flights and as they return home to more comfortable circumstances, I expect that God will continue to use the memories they have earn to prod their minds towards growth. There were tears, frustrations, and illnesses on this course, but over all there was a sense of community and a common goal of learning through challenges. They are a rare group to whole-heartedly accept these challenges and literally pay for them. I can only hope and trust that this will continue.
Ben Speicher
Summit Instructor
ISAS Spring 2012: Update #1 Notes from the Field & Classroom
This winter/spring has brought us many things in Bass Lake, California: warm weather, friends traveling to and from Ecuador, God’s provision, and 4 wonderful ISAS students.
Jamie Husain, David Parker, Derek Campbell, and Katy Ireland will be spending the next 4 months with Summit Adventure embarking on a thorough exploration of who the Lord has called them to be.
Executive Director, Tom Smith and ISAS Program Director, Kelli Stansell will be walking alongside these four students throughout their journey. The students are currently living at Summit Adventure’s “Base Camp,” engaging in classes four days a week, serving in the Oakhurst community, and getting to know the Bass Lake area and surrounding wilderness. Day to day life consists of living in community with one another, studying, and homemade adventures – both in the kitchen and the outdoors!
In early February Kelli, Jamie, David, Derek and Katy will be leaving California to spend 6 weeks in and around Quito, Ecuador. During this time, students will stay with Ecuadorian families, further their learning of mountaineering skills on Andean peaks, and dive into the Ecuadorian culture head first.
Since their arrival, these four have exhibited the epitome of willingness. The students have spent two of the coldest days of the season at Fresno Dome in the Ansel Adams Wilderness taking time for solitude in the midst of snow flurries and learning about rock anchors in the spotty sun. They are currently preparing for three days in the High Country this week! As you outdoor enthusiasts understand, winter weather = unpredictable… We’ll search for snow and see what we find.
ISAS Classroom at Base - Photo taken by: Jamie Husain
Expect an update once we settle into life in Quito, Ecuador. Please be praying for continued safety, growth, and community-building.
Our First Course In 2012! (a trip report)
We just concluded our first course in 2012! 13 people joined us in Ecuador for nine amazing days of service and mountaineering. The group included a family of five, three Young Life staff, and five folks who have worked at Summit in one way or another.
We served at a new site for one of our days of service. Hogar Benana serves the elderly of Quito. We were privileged enough to spend the day with around 30 of their residents. After facilitating some games we were able to provide a celebratory lunch to bring in the New Year. We also spent two days serving with Remanso De Amor. We divided our time between working, serving with construction of their fourth floor and playing “futbol” and “Ecua Volley” with the students. Summit also supports Remanso financially through a modest percentage of the course tuition we receive from participants. Their Director Ramiro requests your prayer and financial support. If you would like to support Remanso please let us know and we can assist in this process!
Besides spending time with residents of Hogar Benana, our New Year’s celebration included dinner at our housing with Extreme Response. We were able to spend the evening with an Ecuadorian family including roof top salsa lessons, fireworks and the ceremonial burning of a “Muneco” (a South American tradition).
The following day we had great weather for our hike up Rucu Pinchincha (4698m/15,413 ft). This provided the necessary acclimatization for our next climbing objective, Volcan Cayambe (5,790 m/18,996 ft) . All but three from our group left the hut around 12:00 AM accompanied by two Ecuadorian guides. The equatorial stars shown brighter than the faint lights of small towns below us. Most participants ascended to an elevation of approximately 18,500 ft before turning around due to deteriorating visibility and poor route conditions. Everyone felt a great sense of accomplishment for their efforts on the mountain.
The perspectives gained from our time in Ecuador were also notable. We gained meaningful insights about the culture and people we found ourselves immersed in. This course was a great reminder of the powerful impact that participants can have through Summit Adventure. It was a blessing to have been around the people here in Ecuador and share in their lives. As instructors it was obvious that God was at work in more than one way with our group.
One insight that particularly stood out was a participant’s appreciation of the Latino culture. As a farmer who employs many Latinos, he described a new found appreciation and respect for those he works with. He hopes to make many return trips to Ecuador and other countries of South America. Another insight that stood out came from his daughter who went on “home visits”. This is part of an ongoing ministry provided by Remanso to support many single wives who find themselves in desperate situations. Comparing the living situations to what she experiences in the US was hard for her to comprehend. Another participant seems to be making a positive recovery from seven years she has spent facing depression and eating disorders. Two of the younger participants amazed us with the mature reactions they had to situations that they wouldn’t normally face at home. Everyone from our group described how they will continually be impacted by this experience.
Thank you for supporting Summit Adventure with your prayers and financial contributions! We experienced an incredible course with no injuries or major difficulties. Praise God for what he is doing through Summit Adventure and these ministries in Ecuador.
Enjoying the Environment and Spiritual Growth
Students who traveled to Ecuador for a Spring Break Wilderness Trek climbed two peaks in the Andes Mountains. Photo courtesy of OWU’s Office of University Chaplain
Spring Break Wilderness Treks
Enjoying the environment and spiritual growth
For the first time, Ohio Wesleyan University students completed service work on a Spring Break Wilderness Trek in addition to communing with nature and seeking spiritual growth.
During the “Service and Mountaineering in Ecuador” trip, eight students, Associate Chaplain William Hayes, and student leader Mery Kanashiro ’10 completed three days of service before heading to two mountain peaks in the Andes.
When they arrived in Quito, they had to adjust to the 9,300-foot altitude as they helped people at theRemanso de Amor (Haven of Love) church. While there, the OWU group painted the inside and outside of the building, helped to clear a community recreation area, and found time to play a pickup game of soccer with neighborhood children.
Despite all their hard work, the real physical challenge happened during the second part of the trip, when the group drove up near the top of two Andean peaks, where they again had to adjust to higher altitudes. They first went to GuaGua Pichincha, where they rock-climbed to reach the summit at 15,680 feet.
“It was difficult and a bit scary at times,” Hayes says. “The group really bonded as we pushed each other and all made it to the top.” He says the altitude caused headaches and made the climbers short of breath while on the two mountains.
On the second mountain, Cayambe, they drove to a climbers’ hut and then climbed up rocks and on a glacier. They started out in the dark with headlamps around 1 a.m.—so that they could return to their starting point before mid-day—when the softened snow makes climbing more dangerous.
Some of the group made it to 300 feet below the 18,996 foot summit before being stopped by a large crevasse that had opened recently. “We didn’t [reach the] summit but we were very fortunate with the weather,” Hayes says. “We were rewarded with clear skies and an amazing view of the Andes after sunrise. This was a trip highlight for much of the group.”
OWU students painted the inside and outside of a church in Quito, Ecuador, during their Spring Break Wilderness Trek. Photo courtesy of OWU’s Office of University Chaplain
The Off-season has Arrived
The summer season is officially over. The last courses have finished, the final bits of the Whitney Classic are being packed up, and the night temperatures are cool. Fall came more suddenly than I expected. I left to instruct our Go For It—Luv Em Up course with summer in full swing; I returned to blowing leaves littering the Base porch. The air is growing crisp and clouds are beginning to loiter in the sky– signs that rain and snow are hurrying on their way.
Lone Pine the morning of the Whitney Classic Photo credit: Erica Rackley
The office continues to be busy. The words “Ecuador”, “ISAS”, and “recruiting” float around in most conversations while we work on another busy spring schedule. We are continuing to pray that God uses this ministry for his purposes and that he directs us where we should go. We appreciate any prayers as we wait to see how the spring will go. In the meantime, we will enjoy the cool breezes and wait for the snow.
Women’s Retreat – July 29-31, 2011
Take a few days this summer to get to know yourself better, be challenged, be adventurous, and make lasting relationships with other women.
In the course of 3 days we will hike, camp, and rock climb in the Ansel Adams Wilderness and/or Yosemite National Park. We’ll provide the food and gear you need – you just come prepared to be open to new experiences.
There will be time for solitude, introspection, community building, and sharing. We’ll cook together, laugh together, and grow together! We look forward to the opportunity to get to know you better and walk alongside you in the wilderness.
“Wherever we go in the wilderness, or indeed, in any of God’s wild fields, we find more than we seek.”
-John Muir
Our mission at Summit Adventure is “to facilitate transformational learning that strengthens relationships, deepens faith, and builds compassion through Christ centered outdoor adventures, service and experiential education.”
Women’s Retreat
Dates: July 29-31, 2011
Cost: $395
(Cost includes food and equipment for the course, you need to bring personal clothing)