The Amazing gRace

Week of April 3, 2005--

Seven of our middle and high schoolers (and two youth from St. Luke Lutheran in Cold Spring, Ky.) participated in an “Amazing Race”-themed spring break trip April 3-8. Like the reality television show, we didn’t know where our “Amazing Grace” trip would take us.

Our trip began with a twist: rather than leaving for our destination the first day, we spent Sunday night at church. Sunday evening included a relaxed dinner together, exciting competitions, searching for five treasure boxes hidden within the church, working on a “Youth Create” art project, singing, doing Bible study, and playing Cranium.

We awoke Monday morning to a delicious breakfast, then packed the vehicles and departed for the Good Samaritan Center. Pastor Anne (from St. Luke) led the nursing home’s Monday morning worship service, and the rest of the group sang several songs. From the Good Samaritan Center, we went on a short walking tour of Jeffersontown, which ended at our cemetery. We ate lunch together in the “old church” and gave ourselves a tour, looking at the beautiful old stained-glass windows. After a “mandatory photo opporunity,” we began our trek “from one ‘Ville to another.” Some were convinced we were going to Ohio; others thought we were headed to a camp in Indiana. After dinner, we reached our final destination—Lutheridge Camp and Conference Center, near Asheville, North Carolina.

Our time in Asheville included service projects, initiative games and the Group Interaction Course at camp, a scenic drive along the windy Blue Ridge Parkway, and a hike up Sam’s Knob. We also looked for letterboxes in Asheville. Letterboxes are hidden throughout the United States. They contain a rubber stamp. Letterboxers use the stamps to stamp their personal logbooks each time they find a new letterbox.On Thursday we headed toward home. To shorten the return trip, we spent the night at Faith Lutheran in Lexington. On Friday, we returned to Louisville for more letterboxing, ate lunch, then said our good-byes.
It was an amazing week with a great group of kids!