Summary: One of the joys of my ministry is that I am in a church that has a parish school on the same campus. Which means that I get to participate in the school's outdoor education program. Basically, I get to go camping a few weeks a year with middle school students. My favorite trip of the year is one that takes us to the deserts of southwest Texas. It is beautiful country but it is a challenging trip, not just for me, but for the seventh-grade students who are going to carry a backpack into the desert for three days and two nights. They carry their own camping supplies, and they have to partner with the adults in carrying their share of food, and the water, and the shelter for the whole group. It is, quite literally, a heavy load for a young person to carry. We spend a day and a night at base camp, and then, on the morning when we are about to walk into the desert, we have each student and each adult unpack everything in the backpack, just to see what all is there. The surprising moments are not when a student decides not to bring something. Water bottles are heavy, and rain gear seems unnecessary even in the desert. What is always surprising is the things that students choose to bring and what they are willing to leave behind in order to bring it. Bundled cold weather gear and a soccer ball are the same size, but in the dessert at night in January, cold weather gear is far more important. And even though it is the same size as a flashlight, you can't bring a hair straightener on a camping trip.
