Looking forward by looking back

There won't be an update on the blog next week.  Why?  Because we'll be at Mt. Washington skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing!  Next week the students will be loading up into vans and heading to the area where we did the Mt. Albert Edward hike for a five day snow filled adventure.  Rather than staying in tents we'll be enjoying a beautiful chalet complete with hot tubs for a time of wild adventuring, of great conversation and opportunity for growth.

This year students will be helping to prepare, cook and clean all of our meals under the very capable supervision of Laura Sherwood who runs the kitchen here at Qwanoes year-round.  It will be one of the may ways they have and will get to take part in leading on our out trips (it's not just a week's vacation after all!)

Being away for a week in such a comfortable setting also creates great opportunity for deep and insightful conversation as well as both planned and spontaneous times of worship.  I'm very excited to see what will come from this amazing opportunity.

Oh and then there's the skiing.

In case any of you staff, students, family or friends are wondering what is Mt. Washington like we only need to take a look back to see what we have to look forward to.  I've posted a few videos made by a past student (who happens to be my brother) of his time skiing last year at Mt. Washington.

This first clip is a video he posted on his blog which was a mashup of clips he'd taken throughout the season with a camera that can be mounted on his ski pole or his helmet.  It shows a variety of the best terrain that Mt. Washington has to offer.

Videos created and owned by Philip Karklins at www.PhotoByPhilip.com

To see more check out http://vimeo.com/philkarklins/videos

(All content is (C) Phil Karklins, do not use without permission)

This second video is for the park rats among us showing my brother Erik Karklins -another alumnus of the Kaleo program- as well as Phil again enjoying Mt. Washington's Terrain Park.  When you watch it make sure you don't miss the clean backflip off of a tiny jump; it amazes me every time!

Hopefully this will get you excited to hit the slopes or simply excited for our students who get to have an amazing experience this coming Monday to Friday.  If green circle is more your colour than double black you can always check out this video of somebody skiing for the first time and having a lot of fun with it.

There will be a lot to look forward to in the next update including how this trip went, the "One" Cowichan Valley youth rally the students are running this Friday, and the tale of a curious van that appeared yesterday with Pac Man painted on the side of it.  Be praying for physical safety travelling to and playing on the slopes next week and that it be a time of growth both individually and as a group.  See you in two weeks!