September 11, 2018
The food has been totally awesome, and we have an amazing cook! Breakfast has been starting at 7 am but some people have been getting up at around 5 to go to the gym to work out. We start so early because the gym is at the bottom of the hill, so it takes about 15 minutes to walk down and about 20 minutes to walk up. Before breakfast we all line up and say the Shema in Hebrew then in English, which is an awesome daily reminder to love God and others. After breakfast, we get to go do our devo time for one hour before classes. It is super awesome to have that time set aside to just spend time with Jesus. Meals have been a great time to just hang out and get to know each other. Another way we have been getting to know each other is to go to a place called inspiration point. It is about a 10-minute walk up the hill and it overlooks the whole camp, and you can see the lake through the trees.
Our first day at Joshua was full of paperwork and check ins, and of course, lots and lots of unpacking. Everyone was pretty excited to finally be here and check out the building that we are going to be spending the next year in. For those who arrived early, they got all of their things unpacked and paperwork checked, and then had some free time. Except for that one guy who didn’t show up until midnight (*cough, my roommate). At 3:00 when there was an orientation meeting in Ponderosa Chapel down the hill. During the meeting, Bob Plouffe, the Senior Director, went over some of the expectations for the program and the mission statement, and then all 45 students went up to the stage and signed the covenant, and we became members of the Joshua program.
The next two days were filled with early mornings in the gym and lots and lots of coffee. Group dynamics started forming and people started getting a feel for their class. Spikeball games were formed and already you could tell that this was going to be a common game played throughout the year. Students who had been summer staff showed the rest of us some shortcuts you can take to go up and down the monstrous hill faster. All in all, everyone banded together and dove headfirst into the program. We all know this is only the very beginning, and although some aspects of the program seem daunting, the staff are supper supportive and assure us that we can succeed if we allow ourselves to accept the limitations and view them as freedoms. The general feel right now is definitely excitement, with an anticipation for what will happen when the program picks up. In the coming weeks, I hope we can all remember Romans 15:13 which says, “ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.
Our fourth day here and orientation week is in full swing. Our first day in the classroom was a simple introduction to Joshua and we went over the rules and expectations with Bob and our other staff members. At the end of the second orientation day, Rachel assigned us a 1.5 – 2 page essay answering the question: “Who Do I Say Jesus Is?” When we write any assignment or take any test, each student must earn an 80% or higher on it in order to move on. If they don’t, then they have to redo the paper or test until they meet the requirement. Last night the library was scattered with students trying to come up with a thesis for the paper that would exceed expectations because no one wants to redo their very first assignment. Rachel also assigned us 70 pages of reading this morning and we are to have it read by tomorrow morning in time for our book discussion! However, the most daunting task that we have been assigned, is to memorize Philippians before we leave for Israel next year. We need to have chapter one memorized by the end of October. Some of us are more confident in our memory than others, but I haven’t heard anyone reciting it yet. Hopefully these are our only school assignments to worry about today.
Going into our fourth day at Joshua and I feel like the covenant is starting to set in for all of us. One of the rules our class is trying to adjust to right now, is the “even” rule. In the simplest way, we aren’t able to hang out with an even amount of guys and girls. This is a very purposeful rule that Joshua has to help us minimize distractions and to be aware of our surroundings. I’ve been talking with other students and most of are relating on struggling with the music commitment. Music is in most of our normal daily routines, so now having the awareness that this is something we run to, I think having this removed is going to be really stretching and beneficial to us during this year. We are going to be reminded daily that this isn’t about us, it’s about surrendering all we have to God and giving Him the space to work in our hearts. I look forward to seeing how our class supports and encourages each other while we are all committed to this covenant during our year. I’m also excited to see all that God is going to do in our class in this next season and how we are going to cling to Him instead of our distractions.
Written by Carson, Caleb, Hannah, and Jaedyn
