Weekend Retreat & Valentines Day

This past weekend we went with the Christian group here (BCC) on a retreat up in the mountains. We stayed 2 nights at a camp the valley, with gorgeous mountains towering over on either side. We played an outdoor game the first night and had the following day jam-packed full of activities. CJ started Saturday out with a 5am shower in a nearby waterfall with some of his cabinmates. I was spared and got to sleep in. We had a couple good Bible studies during the day and drove to the national park we were at earlier this month (glow worms!) to see the Natural Bridge and surrounding rain forest in the daylight.

The best part of the retreat was a hike I took with CJ, Liam and some of the other BCC guys to a river valley close to camp. If you've seen Avatar, the epic scenery by the river reminded me of the colorful planet, alive with exotic plants and killer insects. At this part of the river, the current was slow, so we could hop from rock to rock and wade in the river pools. It was great-- I felt like a wild, shoeless jungle child. We then reached the river's waterfall. It was amazing to stand on the rocks, lean forward and peer over the edge of the waterfall. On our walk back up upstream, I was so kindly reminded that nature still hates me. I was stung on the foot by who knows what insect, but other than a nasty sting and a bit of swelling, I was fine.

After playing some Olympic games, we had a worship session, during which CJ played guitar, and a sermon from the Bond chaplain. We finished off the evening witha classic game of uno, or "you-no" as they say it. I'm proud to say that CJ and I dominated the Aussies and between us, won each round :)

We got back from the retreat on Valentine's Day. After church, we had lunch on the patio of a little cafe and that evening, CJ had a relaxed picnic on the beach planned, with PB&Js and candles in the sand. It was lovely-- the beach is so peaceful at night! A little more razzle dazzle to match my bling from Christmas also topped off the night quite nicely. :) Life is good.