Life at CrossRoads

Our last conference of the year was this past weekend, and it got me thinking about lasts and firsts. Although it was our last group of 2010, we experienced many firsts. We had a first time group.

We had the first (to my knowledge) double-decker bus drive up our windy mountain road. We took a lot of people rappelling, and for me it was the first time in the snow.

And since so many wanted to go, and the snow slowed us down a little, it was the first time in the dark! (Leaving the light of the lantern at the top of the cliff, the guys appeared to be rappelling into a beautifully snowy abyss-epic!)

Most importantly, we had several brand new believers in Christ, along with many decisions to follow Him with greater fervor. I know the new year will bring many more firsts, and the lasts of past will become apparent as time carries us on.

I have a hard time asking for help. Its pride, I guess, wanting to feel like I can do it on my own. This thanksgiving we had the opportunity to ask for help- through a series of events we had no turkey plans, which didn’t seem like a problem to me, but it the kids were really upset.

But we received a blessing in the form of an invitation to eat thanksgiving dinner with the Mays family. They invited us into their family gathering (along with others in the community). They probably didn’t know how much it meant to us to be so welcomed, and warmed in the spirit, through their hospitality. It is comforting to know that kindness and generosity are available in our community.

I had to swipe the card twice at the pump, but both times the screen told me to see the cashier. I was annoyed, because that meant that I had to walk all the way to the store, wait in line, talk the cashier into letting me pump, walk all the way baclk to the pump, walk all the way back to the store, wait in line again, swipe the card inside, and finally I could leave.

Really, all of this probably took less than 6 minutes, but I was expecting less than 2, so I had that as a perspective.

As I left I saw an early model jeep Cherokee. No two tires or rims on it matched- not even the same size. There were a couple of spares on the roof rack, and the trailer hitch cargo carrier had jacks, tires and related tools. To say the least, the overall reliability of the vehicle was suspect. The driver was making his way laboriously across the paved lot using a crutch and a cane, back bent from age or hard labor.

Maybe both.

Suddenly I felt a little less annoyed, and a little more grateful.

As I was setting up our rappelling site for the guys from The Church of the Holy Spirit in Orchard Hills this past Saturday, I took about an hour and just sat and listened for God. I watched the shadows from the morning sun change the visual aspect of the mountain contours.

The beginnings of the autumn colors began to stand out in contrast to the prominent green, the wash of warmth transformed the air as the chill escaped, and the smell of the dew deserting the boulder beneath me instantly transported me to the rock bound lakes I grew up on.

When I was younger I lived near a provincial park, (like a state park, for those of you who don’t speak Canadian) that had a large collection of Native American petro glyphs.

The guest book had signatures from all over the world, yet many people I knew had never heard of it much less been there. I thought it strange, but I’m just as guilty.

Today I live surrounded by beautiful mountain and miles of hiking trails, and people come from all over to enjoy them, yet I rarely do.

People come to CrossRoads to enjoy the beauty, the quiet, the sense of God’s presence, and often I am too busy to do the same myself. What opportunities are right in front of you, that you’ve not enjoyed in awhile?

I tend (like most people, I expect) to see things from my own perspective. For instance, I think about CrossRoads in terms of serving the retreat guests, and in terms of what we experience during summer camp.

I caught a glimpse of a different perspective of CrossRoads this weekend, while serving the Reformed University Fellowship’s Fall Retreat.

After I lit the campfire Saturday evening, I sat alone and watched it, listening to it crackle, and the remnants of the Little Piney River trickling behind me, pondering and meditating the ministry.

I was suddenly interrupted by laughter and cheering rolling down from Hunt Hall. The RUF group was enjoying their own version of a talent show, featuring ‘air bands’ of 90’s music.

They were obviously enjoying and participating in the show with the same enthusiasm I had seen them bring to worship, and overheard in theological discussion.

It made me smile to think that these were fellow-believers from around the state, and as I was enjoying solitude, and a fire, they were enjoying fellowship and amplified music. Two sides of CrossRoads. Two ends of the spectrum. And God is in both.

Wow! What an amazing weekend we had at CrossRoads as we “Raised the Roof”.

Looking at the event in a “snapshot” sense:

- there were over 150+ volunteers who came and helped over the course of the event,
- total man hours worked included 2,300 hours of work,
- nearly 40 tons of trash and debris was removed from the roofs,
- nearly 24,000 square feet of felt paper was applied to the roofs,
- nearly 780 bundles of shingles or 21,000 individual shingles were installed by the end of the weekend.

As I reflect back on this past weekend, I am still in awe of how God brought us all together with different skill sets and different abilities, and He formed us as a team to accomplish such an awesome goal in 3 ½ days.

Everyone’s preparation for this event proved to be blessed by God in a supernatural way. The weather was beautiful, the food was excellent and the fellowship was incredible!

I for one enjoyed the many bonds that were forged with so many folks this past weekend.

It is exciting to see God at work in the lives of Christians across the state, and to share in that excitement together at Crossroads this past weekend. On behalf of the entire CrossRoads staff and WMUV, thanks to everyone who had a part in this event!!

Raise the Roof was an awesome experience for me. It was such an encouragement to me to see so many people from across the state coming to give of themselves.

The fellowship was sweet. I heard some say that “even though it was hard work, it didn’t seem like work because they were so much fun together.”

According to my check-in count we ended with over 150 people over the course of the weekend! We even had a large number of college students from Christopher Newport University and James Madison University.

My family enjoyed spending time with the summer staff that came back for the weekend. Their energy and excitement is always a source of strength and encouragement for me.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the event. Your contribution made it a success. Blessings. Nicole Todd

We were pleased to host the WMUV Advisory Board this weekend. Seeing lots of familiar and some new friends, hearing the conversations, the laughter, and the fellowship that was enjoyed by all, was both uplifting and challenging.

The thought that stuck with me most, which was mentioned several times in different ways by different people, was the value of community, the inherent blessing we receive while we spend time with like-minded Christians.

Whether it’s campers at summer camp, navigating through middle and high school, or counselors and summer staff gaining momentum in their ministry impact at their schools and churches, or established ministry leaders partnering with each other, guiding their respective organizations to greater kingdom impact.

It leads me to wonder; on a daily basis, who am I sharpening? And on whom do I rely for sharpening? Am I putting myself in the circles, communities, or even conversations that will spur me and others to greater desires and accomplishments for the Kingdom of Heaven?

It started with a walkie call:

“Chad, we have a snake problem up here”

“And by problem you mean….?”

“I mean there’s one up here!”

Now, normally the snake calls are pretty easy to handle. Often a broom or even a Styrofoam cup can handle the ‘situation’. This particular day however, it posed a different challenge. You see, there were actually two snakes, but that was not easily apparent because they were attached.

Romantically Attached.

It’s very hard to approach an extra long snake that can bite you from both ends, and the humor of the situation was lost on no one, even those who were teetering between curious peeking and running away.

The situation was resolved with a little old fashioned divide and conquer. (It doesn’t take long to get adept at working snakes with either a hockey stick or garden hoe, and we’ve had some practice. The really big ones get the .22.)

This is the mountains, after all. It’s not all camp songs and s’mores.

The 21st Century. We think we’ve arrived and we hope you agree. We are happy to unveil our new site!

As the summer winds down, we hope to load up some of our favorite pictures onto the site. Additionally, we are excited to announce that we will begin blogging! Some subjects we hope to cover include reflections from camp, behind-the-scenes stories, and maybe the occasional recipe from Caleb(?).

So yeah, keep checking back as we continue to make adjustments, add content, and continue to keep you informed about all that’s happening at CrossRoads!

-Nathan White, WMUV Communications Technology Consultant