Summit Ministries

Greetings from Manitou Springs CO. I'm sorry that I am not able to join you
for this graduation ceremony, but my thoughts and prayers are with you as
you wrap up our fourth Summit Semester program.

From my conversations with Eric and from all I've heard from others, I know
that you will leave Snow Wolf Lodge changed young people. In your classes,
you've learned the importance of thinking critically, and expressing
yourself clearly thanks to Dr. Bauman and other guest lectures. Outside of
class you've been pushed to grow in self-discipline and self-reflection.
For the last twelve weeks you've been a family, sharing the experiences and
challenges of this semester. Your challenge now is to take the experiences
that you've had there and impact your schools, churches, families and
communities back home.

I'd like to thank all the parents who are here tonight for the work you've
done to prepare your students for life itself. We know that they would not
be here if it were not for all of the support and love that you have given
them over the years. Thank you for allowing us to assist you in your goal
of raising mature and responsible young people who are equipped to influence
this world for the cause of Christ.

This program would not be possible if it were not for our exceptional
faculty, hardworking staff, and generous donors. I'd like to thank all of
the staff and faculty for their commitment to excellence and their desire
to see these young people grow-up physically, spiritually and emotionally in
the grace and knowledge of Christ. And I would personally like to thank Jan
and Mike Mandt for their input into this property and program...may it
continue to be a blessing to both of them as young people are affected by
its influence and tenor of instruction and values.

Over the next couple of years you young people will be making some of the
most important decisions of your lives. May you make wise decisions,
keeping God our Father first, and serving Him with all He's given you in
time, talent and enthusiasm. Life is short so make the most of it.
Good-bye and God speed...David A. Noebel, President, Summit Ministries

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live from deep within your hearts.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of God's creations
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hands to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with just enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done:
Cry the transforming Gospel of Jesus with your life to the ends of the earth.

Amen.

On Wednesday, John Stonestreet wrapped up the last of our Semester classes. After class, we began our very last work crew. The kitchen, always the coveted work crew assignment, began hopping with Thanksgiving preparation. On another assignment, Jake and I put away 300 or so books from the Summit bookstore and library. I noticed, as I keep noticing all semester, that I have so much to read and to learn. I wish that I could have another semester just to read all those books.

On Thursday, we, just like the rest of America, celebrated Thanksgiving. For my dear friend Damiya "Amusement" Park, this was the first traditional American holiday. We watched the Macy's parade together (a poor representation of the true meaning of Thanksgiving, I think) at Eric and Sara's house. I like spending time up there because Eric and Sara seem like my family and their children are such fun. The families of many fellow students arrived in the morning as we finished the preparations for dinner.

Graduation day, Friday, came all too quickly. However, I especially anticipated the day because my boyfriend Kyle told me to wait for a surprise. Although I suspected that he might come, I didn't dare believe it, for it seemed impossible due to his busy schedule at school in Michigan. He did come though, and I overflowed with joy for the rest of the day. Just like my family's visit in October (though in a slightly different way), showing Kyle the place and people by whom I've been surrounded for three months was so fulfilling.

The staff threw a graduation banquet for us that night. As we all sang the Doxology to bless the meal for the last time, I looked into the eyes of Damiya, Mae, and Precious (the three classmates at my table) and saw between us the friendship we had built together so far. After dinner, each student presented a two or three minute reflection on his or her experience of Semester. Many commented on the beneficial challenges of class with Bauman and of living in community. A few of our faithful hikers re-lived their adventures in the dark. Several speeches came with tears, many with laughs. It made me reflect on the whole community's ups and downs through the past three months.

This semester was no retreat from reality. Surely, we limited the outside distractions of current events and partially calmed the roar of our normal at-home personal dramas and dilemmas, but many of the same diversions and demands came with our time at Snow Wolf Lodge. I find repeatedly that wherever people live, those will exist. We struggled through three months of demands on our time and our priorities. We felt the pressure of roommate disagreements and relationship disparity. We experienced emotional and intellectual fatigue and physical ailments. And, through all of this, perhaps most painfully, we saw the weakness of our own souls in their current state.

But I wouldn't change the "realness" of Semester. What worth would our time in Pagosa have held if we only used this time to escape? Instead, all forty residents of Snow Wolf Lodge had great opportunities to learn not only about the truth of ideas but also the truth of relationships. We now have better preparation to move back into the lives that normal people live and to live them better than we did before. For many of us, this posed the first opportunity to live intimately with non-family members. Some saw themselves as growing by adjusting to a regimented schedule, while others interpreted the same schedule as too lax and allowing.

Personally, I learned more about the importance of serving those to whom I live closest. Because of the new environment, my eyes opened to the great need for service and my calling to do so more habitually. Additionally, the centrality of academics each day here pushed me to evaluate how I spend my time and energy. I appreciated the freedom to learn thoroughly in specific areas and to understand the general ideas of other areas. But like Eric said at the beginning of the semester, he had to give us "room to fail". We had room for conflict with our priorities and with our ideas. Alongside our fun times and adventurous learning, we struggled through these things. And the combination of the fun and the challenges fills our departure with memories as it makes us better people going home.

Well, here we are at the last week of our time here at Summit Semester. I didn't think it would go so fast. I had no idea that twelve weeks of intensive reading, studying, teaching, and volleyball could fly by so quickly.

Our last few weeks here have been quite hectic, with lots to do and an increasingly short amount of time to do it. Notable events from this past week include our last week of classes with Dr. Bauman, the last Sunday in Pagosa Springs with Grace Evangelical Free Church, and our Christmas Celebration.

Dr. Bauman is certainly the best teacher that I have had the pleasure of studying under. His combination of knowledge, ability to effectively use the Socratic Method, wit, and humor are astounding and rare. Thus, it was hard to see him go this past week, knowing that we will likely never have the opportunity to be taught by him again. Our class was apparently rather fast when it came to the amount of classes finished, as we finished our Christianity and Politics class last week and we finished our English Literature Class halfway through this week. Fortunately for us, this gave us the opportunity to have several class periods devoted simply to asking Dr. Bauman questions. Additionally we had several extra Church History and Theology Classes, which I found very enjoyable. This past week in English Literature Class we covered the poetry of both Gerard Manley Hopkins and Walter de la Mare. For our Church History and Theology class we discussed Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, Anabaptism, and the Council of Trent. It was very eye-opening to have a semester of church history and during the last week finally get to the theologians that are recognizable to the contemporary Christian. I think that goes to show how little we know in the area of church history as evangelicals and how we really should know more about where certain theological beliefs came from and what their history and historical context are.

Our final class with Bauman was memorable and moving. At the end, he said of our class: "You've been here now for basically three whole months. From my perspective in the front of the room, I think you've done a very good job. I think you've made noticeable, remarkable progress on lots of fronts. I think that you guys ask better questions than you did, I think you answer questions better than you did, I think that you edit your own thoughts and responses better than you did, so that things don't come out of you unexamined and embarrass you terribly after they're out in public. You've made very good progress on a lot of fronts and I hope that you feel a good deal of satisfaction from that progress, because you've earned it. And so I'd say, 'Good job to you guys!' You deserve a hand, you should applaud yourselves because you've been a good influence on one another, and on me, and on the staff, I know that's a fact on all points. And so, good job. I'm glad you came and I hope you're glad you came. I think that you probably made lifelong friends and gained insights that will last the rest of your life. I think you've produced a really important and pivotal semester for yourself that's going to last a long time, so good job- well done!"

Our last Sunday at Grace was also very memorable. Pastor Jeff gave a sermon that really spoke to the issue of not simply dwelling on the past but pressing on towards the future and the work that lies there. There were times during the sermon that it felt like he was talking directly to us from Summit. We cannot just focus on the good times and memories, though we will undoubtedly never forget our three months here. We need to press on towards our goals and growing the Kingdom of God. At the end of the service, all of us were called to the front, where Pastor Jeff and the elders of the church prayed over us, which I really appreciated. Following that, some of us who had led music in the past several weeks led the Doxology in four-part harmony. I felt that it was a very fitting end to our time at Grace. For twelve weeks this church treated us like family, welcoming us and making us feel at home while continuing to help us grow and allow us to serve within their community.

This Sunday those of us at Snow Wolf Lodge celebrated Christmas--complete with Christmas tree and gift exchange. A group of us went up about a mile into the National Forest, cut down a white fir tree, and hauled it back up to the lodge. After experiencing some difficulty in getting the tree to stand up straight, the tree was decorated with Christmas roses, white lights, popcorn, and an angel. Our celebration also included cookie decoration, a gingerbread house competition, a Christmas ham, and a white elephant gift exchange. The gift exchange was pretty amazing, with things such as books, food, missing hats, frozen money, a sketch of Bauman, and hot sauce being given as gifts. The festivities concluded with a Christmas classic: "A Muppet Christmas Carol." And so a great day ended and the last week of our wonderful experience here at Snow Wolf Lodge began.

Our time here has been fun, exciting, thought-provoking, insightful, and, I believe, life-changing in many ways. I will never forget the friends that I have made, the memories that were created, the questioning and learning that was done, and the great three months that I spent in the middle of nowhere in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I really see my time here a true blessing from God. My prayer for all of you reading this is that you grow in your knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus as we have in our three months.

A torn feeling exists when you know you are about to lose something you love. I can understand the Pevensies' feelings in Prince Caspian when they were faced with walking through the door Aslan created to return to their own world. In a sense, we are all preparing to walk through our own "doors" to our world, looking back at the place we loved and how it has changed us and towards a world where we are called to serve. You feel divided, loving the best of both. I know full well this is the feeling you get when you realize that you can never go back to being the same.

This weekend was a hard one for my fellow students and me. Pushing aside apprehension while sitting down in class Saturday night, we all attempted to enjoy the final lecture from Dr. Michael Bauman. He spoke with his usual humor and accuracy. He answered our questions with questions like he's always done. Still, amidst it all, there were signs. Students hung out in the classroom far longer then they usually do, requesting pictures and signatures from Dr. Bauman. We all managed to pull off smiles and frowns at the same time.

In the last classes this week we concentrated on the life and theology of John Calvin, which raised several questions on predestination and free will. This has always been a troubling subject for me and it was refreshing to hear other perspectives on the matter. Turmoil still exists, but having a few questions answered is always a relief. This doesn't mean that I understand in full, but I found direction and clarity in the process. The questions on Calvin, Luther, and Arminius carried over into one-on-one conversations with other students.

This one-on-one time stimulated other discussions about God's nature and future plans. I think that it is these personal conversations I have enjoyed the most this weekend. Playing pool with a Josiah, we had conversations about friendships and how we need them as humans to have a full life. We played multiple rounds, sharing our flaws in that area. Putting a puzzle together with Emily, we each shared failings we continue to struggle with, and ways we could hold each other accountable. Theses moments demonstrate continually the special place we have taken in each others' lives.

All things have their set time, and our time here at Snow Wolf is drawing to a close. Among us friendships have been made that will continue no matter the distance. Maturing happened between all of us here as iron sharpens iron. None of us are the same people that came--as it should be. The solitude and memories of this place are now in our hearts, where we might recall the good times and the lessons learned. We have laughed together, prayed together, ate together, cried together, and now the time has come to part together. As hard as it is to look at that parting, I am so thankful that we get to part and return to the world as active men and women of God. We get to go out, with the peace of the mountains in our hearts and our mutual love encouraging the next step, as a whole. While we are apart, we are still together a part of the Church. Lord be praised we don't have to face anything truly alone! There may be no more pool games we will play together. There may be no more classes or late night puzzle parties, but together we will be working to make a difference, and that is our greatest adventure. These thoughts of finality linger in our minds, but we have a week left to persevere in our class work and time as a family.

TIME OF SOLITUDE

A time of solitude have I chosen:
A time to reflect and let Thought flow.
I travel to the stillness of the mountain,
But I must depart 'ere the start of snow.

This is a time I will hold sacred;
This opening of my minds door.
This is a time to explore all
And all shall I explore.

Trail whisper of questions and life.
I will pause when I see it fit.
I'll smell the flowers, trace the gems,
And glean a lesson in the midst of it.

A time of solitude have I chosen:
Yet, I am never really alone.
Dear God, reach down. My heart is open--
Teach me how to make it your home.

As I come to this path's end
And I return to the life outside;
Let me hold memories as a friend,
And to others the lessons I learned confide.

It's quiet. The snow is sleeping outside my window and the moon looks like chalk scribbled on a blackboard sky. Not too unusual for twelve at night. But tonight's a little different. Rather than the normal deluge of thoughts haunting me from lectures throughout the past semester, I'm forced to focus and reflect on the past two days. I can see Eric asking us about the kingdom of heaven. A quick flashback of Bauman standing behind a podium jumps to mind. I hear the verses of Gerard Manley Hopkins, his alliteration and sprung rhythm pulsing inside of my head. Melanchthon is prying around my psyche.

These sorts of thoughts and the atmosphere that surrounds them have become familiar to me. Sometimes I wonder how empty I'll feel without them after I've left. The intellectual part won't be hard. You can read a book anywhere. But things like Sam ripping our stomachs out with laughter, ping-pong down in the game room, and finding Josiah cooking in the kitchen with his red bandana on will be hard to replace. They may even be irreplaceable.

"What is the kingdom of God like? What should I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." When Christ says this, what does he mean, "[the kingdom of God] is like a mustard seed?" Who or what is the kingdom of God? Since I'm writing with the pen of my thoughts, I'll let you read what I think. I believe Jesus is referring to himself. Christ was buried just as the seed was planted; he rose from the ground and was lifted up just as the seed sprouted and grew; and we are now called to "abide in him," just as the birds reside in the branches. But I don't think it stops with Christ. I believe his words have dual symbolism. They also seem to speak of the gospel. In the same way the seed of the gospel is planted in the hearts of men, growing branches like open arms, ready to receive all those who hear. Either way, I believe the kingdom of heaven is already among us. As a matter of fact, I believe it is inside of us (whether that is as Christ or the gospel or both), and I also believe that there is more to come. I believe that God's literal kingdom will come, and that we will physically be part of it. When we as the bride are married to Christ on his return, I believe the kingdom of God will permeate throughout us, not just reside within.

If Eric challenged me with the kingdom, Bauman brutalized me with the subject of wrestling with God. He used something I'd like to refer to as "The Abraham Dilemma" to test our minds and our theology. The argument is too extensive to write in a blog, but go ahead and ask your Summit student about it when they get home. It should be a good gateway for discussion. They'll probably respond with indignation and despair, but ask them if it helped them grow; ask them if it made them question and think. For those interested in some immediate food for thought on the subject of wrestling with God, read "Carrion Comfort" by Gerard Manley Hopkins. And don't just read it, fight to understand it. When first exposed to it last year, it was one of the hardest poems I had ever read; it was still a battle reading it in class last night.

Summit Semester has challenged every part of me. My perceptions, my thoughts, and my actions have all been tested and tried. This environment of thought and relationship, of growing and love, is something that will be missed. This is a place to find and examine yourself, to find and examine your faith. And that's what Summit has helped me learn, that it's my faith, not my parents'. Your dear, sweet, intelligent friends and/or family will be home soon, and my poor heart will be ripped into twenty-seven different pieces. If you could, ask them for it and send it to my address.
817 W. Russell Dr.
Plant City, FL 33563.

Only in our doing can we grasp you.
Only with our hands can we illumine you.
The mind is but a visitor:
it thinks us out of our world.

Each mind fabricates itself.
We sense its limits, for we have made them.
And just when we would flee them, you come
and make yourself an offering.

I don't want to think a place for you.
Speak to me from everywhere.
Your Gospel can be comprehended
without looking for its source.

When I go toward you
it is with my whole life.

--Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)

As the time to go back home is coming, several taboos have risen at Summit. One of them is that we cannot count or say how many days are left. I know everyone is going to miss each other a lot. Especially, in my case - I came here all the way from Korea - it will be really hard to transition home without my Americans. Partly, however, I'm excited to start my new days after this semester. That's because I've learned, thought, and debated about many crucial issues of life. Yes! I'm being changed.

My biggest question is about trustworthiness of the Bible, so I was always crazy about theology class, however, for the last few days, I found myself acutely sensitive to topics such as war, communism, poverty, and quite frankly, almost everything about Korea. Looking at my country from far away, I've been deeply, seriously thinking about the reason why we are the only divided country in the world and what I can do for my country. Actually, it was started by a question in politics class.

"Damiya, I think the best way to drive communism out of Korea is war. We, Americans can destroy it in a day. How do you think about this?" BOOM! WHAT? All of a sudden, I felt as if I received a hard blow to the head. I'm absolutely not a pacifist, but I never thought about war as a way to solve the problem. We already know how horrible war is and still remember the history of the disasters caused by war. Why do we have to make such a terrible decision again? I said to him who asked that question, "I don't think war is the best way. The first reason is that we want to solve our problems by ourselves. I don't believe there is a pure purpose of helping in the political world..." It might sound unreasonable to many Christian conservative Americans here. I could feel it right away because they immediately responded to my answers, looking at me with sad faces. (It was another invisible conflict between lonely Korean and Americans!) In the end, our conversation was over, leaving the question about alternative plans instead of war.

After that, I couldn't stop blaming myself. First, I felt like I failed to defend my country from external powers. Second, at that moment, my opinion sounded like a paranoiac, who always worried about something never going to happen, because I didn't say why I think like that. Third, I was too emotional to talk about my Korea. I couldn't help that tears come out. How dumb. These three things kept bothering me over and over again, so I decided to prepare a short presentation to introduce Korea to the other students and write a statement: the justification of peace in Korea. I might miss the real truth, but as for now, I think this is the best course of action. I thank my friends here for opening my eyes to reality and motivating me to study harder to contribute to my country.

Summit is about to be over. I might fall short of God's expectation because I myself slowed down my change, doing something different from what I'm supposed to do, however, now I know human beings have free will which means predestination, and radical change doesn't happen at a moment--it's a lifelong task. Thus, I will be responsible for what I've done and try hard to get out of nihilism and postmodernism for the rest of my life.

Oh, I want to conclude my blog with a poem that I wrote when Paradise Lost inspired me. This is for someone whose name starts with J. I've read out loud this poem so many times in this week. I'm kind of tired of it, but you might like it.

Title: You

J... How can I forget the moment that I saw you first?
Unexpectedly, you came into my life and changed everything
Step by step, gently, softly, you walked deep into my heart
Thy smile always makes my eyes tear because it is so gorgeous
Kind, awesome, wonderful, amazing...
It's not enough to describe you even if I use up every word in the world
Damiya...
Damiya...
I still remember your sweet voice to call my name. What supports my life is
Nothing but the fact that I'm falling in love with you
Gosh...

Are you ready? Read the first letter of each line. Haha! I'm having so much fun here!

"Adventures in the Dark," not only a sweet title for my memoirs, but one of the themes of my time at Summit Semester. I made my decision to attend Semester a week before classes began. I was in the dark and had no idea what to expect. When I arrived, I heard excited anticipatory chatter about Dr. Bauman, but nothing could have prepared me for the impending doom and self-construct destruction. Adventures in the dark also has been a theme of everyday life at Snow Wolf Lodge. Every day is different whether it be subject matter in class, the dinner menu, or late night hikes on the mountain.

This week Dr. Bauman opened his heart and mind to us as he defended his beliefs tooth and nail. Early in the week we had an open forum and we discussed pacifism, its consequences, other options, and the price to be paid by those who do not or will not take action. "The pacifist is the tyrant's dream come true." According to Dr. Bauman and history, the only peace in a fallen world is a "defendable peace." In order to achieve peace you must speak the tyrants' language. His language is not that of pattycake and footsie-wootsie. It takes a power to check a power. In Reagan's words "peace through strength," in Bauman's words "you have to kick the tyrants' a**, or yours will get kicked." Dr. Bauman also defended his stance on philosophy and its place in the world. Dr. Bauman defines philosophy as the search for truth without the use or acknowledgment of God's revelation. Name one philosopher or philosophy that has ever found God? None can be found, philosophy is a useful tool, but has no place in the realm of theology. Philosophy only corrupts and misleads theology. Given his definition of philosophy, I would say I agree with his points and I enjoyed hearing him defend them.

One of the greatest things about Semester is the kitchen and our magnificent chefs who work hard every day to feed us delicious meals. Bless their hearts, every once in awhile they step out of the spotlight and let me attempt to burn the whole lodge down. This past week I led a disastrous attack on the kitchen. The casualties included the dish crew, which had never seen so many dishes, and the constructs of all those who had never had or heard of chimichangas. Needless to say, it was a success, but then again every single meal is a success as long as no one gets sick afterward.

The title "Adventures in the Dark" has a story behind it. It came to me last night during the greatest Summit Semester adventure on record. It was movie night and the choices were few and unentertaining. Abby and I decided to night hike to the cross at the top of the mountain erected by former Semester students by way of the ridge loop. We were making good time and sticking to the trail when Abby's head lamp died. We persevered and continued, onward and upward, but we reached a certain point and uncertainty set in. Abby noticed the lights of Pagosa were not where they should have been had we been on the true trail. It was about that time we noticed a mysterious trail and footprints that very closely resembled our own. It happens that somehow, some way, we had gone in a circle and recrossed our own trail. At that point in time we were confused, frustrated, disoriented, tired, cold, and ready to go home. We headed down, backtracking on our trail. Things were going well, then I asked Abby, "If my flashlight dies what do you want to do? Try to find our way back in the dark or build a fire?" Five seconds later my flashlight died and all was dark. We stopped, prayed, collected our thoughts and I wrote a little verse, "Lost for real? Where are we, how did we get here, and where did we go wrong? No light to guide us, only God's grace. What lessons to be learned?" After praying we ran for 40 minutes down the mountain. Thankfully we made it and now we're much closer friends.

Summit Semester has been an amazing experience; if I have a single regret it is the regret I would have if I had chosen to stay home. I have learned in three months more than I learned in two years of college. I have almost reached a few of my primary goals-- learning to defend my position and beliefs and knowing why I believe what I believe. This adventure has shined the light on me. But now that this leg of the journey is almost over, how will it affect me? Will I use what I have learned here to shine my light on others? All I know is that I am excited for the journey and I cannot wait for the next adventure in the dark.

I sit on the couch by the fire thinking about the past weekend and reveling in the memories that it affords.

Saturday was class with Dr. Bauman; we discussed the framing of the Constitution and the various ideas of the men who founded this country. It added to the view I already had of what a great country in which I am privileged to live and how important it is that Christians be involved in the leadership of a nation. In our English literature class we finished our reading and discussion of Milton's Paradise Lost, and that evening in church history we learned about Erasmus and his plan to restore theology, piety, and the clergy in the worship and lives of Christians. In his book Enchiridion Erasmus compares the Christian walk with warfare and if we want to win we must have faith coupled with action, have Christ as our only goal, and strive for perfection.

Saturday evening, a group of us loaded into the vans and went down to the auditorium where Grace in Pagosa meets and we helped them set up for the Thanksgiving dinner that would be going on next day; it was a joy to see the people that we helped and to be a blessing to them because we set up the room in thirty minutes that usually takes them a good three hours. My spiritual gift is service and, I confess, I've been slacking off in that area lately; Saturday night was just a reiteration that I need to use my gift more, especially in the body of Christ, and it's something I'm looking forward to working on when I go home. After setting up the tables and chairs a group of us stayed to practice worship music for the following morning.

Sunday morning our group lead worship. Eight were singing, one played flute, one played drums, and I played the keyboard. It was such a sweet time to be a part of a group of people whose desire is to serve the Lord through music! This summer I had the opportunity to do the same thing and I've come to the conclusion that helping with worship on Sunday mornings is something I want to be consistently involved in.

We woke Monday morning full of anticipation and excitement--yes, that's right, the day of Farvest Hall had finally arrived. The festivities began at 9:30 down at the field and our first endeavor was making a sculpture using a variety of gourds, paint, and whatever the forest could provide. The final products were President Obama, Eric's son Liam, a swan, J.P. Moreland, Smaug the dragon... and some kind of creature. (The closest thing I can relate it to for you would be Gonzo from the Muppets.)

While working on our creations, separate teams were called on to make caramel apples (I particularly enjoyed this because I had never made caramel apples before) and to participate in the shooting contest. We shot a .22 at a paper target and a twelve gauge shotgun at clay pigeons; three rounds for three clays. I was somehow able to get one clay, and all my shots on the paper target. I found out that my performance had me tied for fifth place. I was the only girl to place.

After our festivities down at the field we trekked up to Echo Canyon Guest Lodge and Phil delivered a passionate speech in honor of World Freedom Day, similar to Ronald Reagan's the day the Berlin Wall came down. When he had finished we tore down our own replica of the Wall. Then it was off to apple bobbing, lunch, and a movie. The rest of the afternoon was spent in preparation for the costume party at 6:00 which brought some interesting characters to Snow Wolf Lodge. I stepped out of my room and my eyes beheld a pontiff, a bird in her nest, two agents from the CIA, a turtle, a nun, a hippie, a cowgirl, a family of rednecks and their dog, Dorothy (with Toto of course), Popeye, King Josiah, postmodernism, and other various and sundry characters. The evening was filled with good food, a ball toss, a fishing booth, and lots of dancing. The dances were a cakewalk, the Virginia reel, the Electric Slide, a cha-cha, the Pattycake Polka, and Cotton-Eyed Joe. I had so much fun; probably "more fun than a human oughtta have," and I was exhausted by the time the night was over.

It has been an amazing weekend and, for that matter, an amazing two and a half months. I look back over the Semester, seeing how far I've come and wondering what the next step is. I had the idea a few weeks ago of going to Oxford next May, staffing at Summit next summer, and starting college next fall. I don't know if this is exactly what I'm supposed to do, but I will walk toward this goal and see where God takes me; He can only steer a moving ship.

If nothing else, I plan to continue pursuing my passions for music and following Him with all my heart. Our speaker at church this past Sunday taught from Hebrews 5:11-6:1, challenging us to be purposeful in our spiritual growth and maturing in our knowledge of God and His Word; I look forward to doing my best to meet this challenge after I go home. If there is one thing I learned since being here, it is that an education and spiritual growth are something you have to work for, they're not something you are given.

Imagine you are a small child eagerly awaiting Santa's coming. The big day keeps
creeping closer and closer. Finally the day comes: Christmas Eve. You can barely fall asleep because of all your excitement. Christmas morning--you rush to the tree and grab your present. Opening it with glee, you find that it was the present that you have wanted your whole life, and you are filled with the utmost happiness. This is the feeling we the students had as Dr. Bauman returned to class this Wednesday. Even after having two weeks with two amazing speakers, it was nice to get back into the swing of things.

The last three days of class have been especially interesting. In our politics class we have been learning about the United States Constitution. One thing that stuck out to me is that it was the work of many heads and many hands. I feel like some Americans think that the Constitution was created by just a few men, rather than many. In our English literature class we have been reading John Milton's Paradise Lost. This was the first poem about everyone and everything in the universe. One point that I found interesting is that Milton Christianized the classical hero: the hero that stands up for what is true even if the whole world says it's wrong. In our church history class we have been learning about Francesco Petrarch, a famous Renaissance humanist. His book The Remedy was the first book on human dignity. Its purpose was to remedy the mistaken views of Pope Innocent III, which were dumb. On Dr. Bauman's arrival he told us the story called "The Student, the Fish, and Agassi." This tale talked about how a young man wanted to become a scientist. On the first day of class he was told to take a fish out of a jar and just look at it. Day after day he had to do the same thing over and over again. He was supposed to do this until he found out everything there was to know about the fish, just as we should do with every situation life throws at us. Look at it over and over again until we finally see what we are looking at.

Summit Semester has been a wonderful experience so far. I would have to say that Summit as a whole is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. When I came to Summit, my faith was a little on the shaky side. After hearing all that the speakers had to say and just getting the chance to sit and be with God, our relationship has grown by unspeakable bounds. One thing that made my spirit do a 180 is when a girl was giving a speech; she said that "we have to give God 100% or 0%-- nothing in-between." This really gave me something to think about. As the days go on I see how big of a struggle it is for me to actually serve God with 100% of my being, but it is going to be a good road to follow. Although some say that the Summit Semester experience is like drinking from a fire hydrant, I feel like I have learned more here in a little over two months than I have in a long while. In the last two months I have met an amazing number of people and have made some lifelong friends. After Summit I plan on attending Winona State University to get my degree in Law Enforcement. After that I plan on attending law school with Summit's own Mack "Daddy" Everly. I am excited for what this last month has in store for me and my fellow comrades. The one thing that I will take home for sure is the fact that I need to "LOOK AT THE FISH!!!"

Semester!!! It's hard to believe just how fast a semester can pass. Summit Semester has been more than I imagined it could be. Before I arrived here I had talked to several alumni and asked them what was the main thing they learned during those three months. Each one answered, "I learned how to think." This frustrated me--I didn't understand... how could someone not know how to think? I discovered in under a week what they meant! Everything we have studied--politics, English literature, church history, culture, art--every single class has made me think... really think. I learned that it's not about absorbing information, dates, and theories; it's about looking at all these and discovering what is true. That is why we need to think, and that is what Semester is all about.

This past weekend we road tripped down to Santa Fe for a hasty christening into the world of modern art (1860-present), Santa Fe being the second largest art center in the United States. Upon arrival we toured Site Santa Fe, an art museum exhibiting cinema with the theme "Confused Communication." The featured art was all film clips, conveying everything from world peace to advertising. One exhibit in particular (not part of the cinema) raised many questions: it was a hole in the concrete floor of the building... hmmm??? It made us consider: What is art? What is the purpose of art? Is there a standard by which to judge it?

Next stop: Canyon Road! Canyon Road is a nearly mile-long stretch of art galleries exhibiting art that ranges from neo-Dada to Russian expressionism to pop art. Our art assignment was a scavenger hunt. We were grouped into foursomes and sent off with a list of riddles that we had to solve in order to know what works of art we had to find. Meandering in and out of galleries, we would find the artwork and get a business card to prove we found what we needed. It was amazing! I could have spent weeks exploring all the galleries just on this road. I have grown up loving art, and the opportunity to spend five hours walking around one of the greatest art capitals in this part of the world left me ecstatic! I learned so much about different art genres and styles during these few hours, and found out how much you can learn just by talking with the employees. There is a reason they work where they do--they love it. My favorite artwork was in the Jean-Claude Gaugy gallery. Gaugy is famous for creating his own art medium, carved paintings. In this process the planks that he uses have to be laying flat and he carves them, oftentimes having to work with the plank sideways or upside down, and then he paints them. Our tour guide said that often he doesn't even know what the picture is going to be before he starts. One very unique thing about his gallery was that because they were carved we were allowed (and even encouraged) to touch the paintings. In his works he did a brilliant job of capturing the whimsical nature in his subjects. I even found one that I wanted: for only $28,000! That night in the hotel after the hunt we had a chance to discuss what we had seen during our walks and tell what examples we had found for our riddles. We came up with examples for all the genres (my group even found an example of Dada--artwork in the absurd and shocking).

The next morning, we attended mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. The cathedral itself was a stunning example of sacramental art, from the architecture and sculptures to the paintings and music. It was my first Catholic mass! The service, the liturgy, and the people all fascinated me. What an eye-opening experience getting to see a worship service so different from anything that I have attended. I appreciated the sense of reverence that worshiping in such grandeur inspires. Although I don't agree with Catholic doctrine in areas, the service emphasized aspects of Christianity I rarely hear about and offered insight into worship that I wish I could experience every Sunday.

I must admit, at the beginning of the semester I was skeptical of art class. I knew what I thought (or at least I thought I did) and what I liked (that may be debatable too). But something that I learned, which struck me especially hard during the Santa Fe trip, was the ability to look at art and instead of saying "Oh, that's just dumb" merely because I don't like it, take the time to give good and defensible reasons for why I think the art is bad. I doubt I will have any concrete answers to my questions before I leave Semester, but they have brought my mind to new heights in search for the answers, heights I couldn't have imagined (or probably even cared about) two months ago. One thing the class has helped establish is that, for me as a Christian, it is impossible for me to separate my beliefs from the art I make and the art I appreciate; and ultimately, the end of art should be none other than the glory of God.