Crashing Durango

For the past week, Kim, Jude, and I have been Crashing the Rohlinger Vacation with about 60 high school students and sponsors up in Durango, Colorado. Very, very cool stuff. Here are some highlights:

• We weren’t real sure how Jude would do on a nine hour road trip but he stinkin rocked it! He slept the entire way there and has slept the trip back thus far (I’m bloggin on the road). To top it off, it hasn’t thrown off his nighttime schedule either. These are some rockin stats for any parent!
• The drive up was absolutely beautiful. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone past Flagstaff and I had forgotten how beautiful it is. It’s so sweet to go from desert to pine trees back to desert and then to forests again. Where else in the world can you get that?! Monument Valley is the jam. The drive has motivated Kim and I to plan an Arizona road trip for later this year. We’ve both seen most of the state but haven’t seen much of it together. Any stops you highly recommend?
• Darius and his team did a great job putting together a memorable experience for all of us.
• The students blew us away this week. Over the past year or so, I’ve gotten to know some the students a little. But this week, Kim and I really got to connect with some of them. So many of them are so dedicated in their walks with Christ and it shows once you get to hang with them.
• Late afternoon on Thursday, I got to jam with some the students, singing a ton of their favorite worship tunes. It’s so cool to see them guys connect so personally in worship; you can see it’s a part of who they are, not something they’re a part of. That was easily my favorite moment of the trip.
• The evening worship and talks (Family Meetings… since we were crashing their vacation) were incredible. Most of the students are more accustomed to upbeat worship songs. We did some of those but we also slowed it down a bit for a more intimate, heart felt time of worship to God. These students laid their hearts out for Jesus and it was a blessing of mine to lead them.
• Pastor Greg gave some incredible talks to the students each night (and captured some highlights each day on his blog), even opening up for some Q and A sessions. I love that my pastor is an open book and these kids took advantage of it, asking a ton of insight-seeking questions.
• All in all, Kim and I felt so fortunate to be a part of this week. I hope we are asked back next year!