Hike up the mountains

After receiving messages concerning how to treat "One Another" we prepared for our hiking trip up into the mountains. Every hike into the mountains is a great opportunity to bond and help one another. Little did we know what God had in store for us.

The leader of the camp gave us a half hour discussion on the dangers of the mountain. He told us to pack a jacket in case it gets cold, hiking boots to support our ankles, sunscreen. He told us how much food to pack and how to use tread light on the environment, even while using the bathroom. There was even a small chance of running into bears, so he gave as much advise as he could. Then he mentioned the hike was about 2 hours to the top. Which didn't seem like too large of a hike but we were prepared to be cautions. He also briefly mentioned that we would travel to the trail head by a convertible transport.

After getting used to our communist barracks, we now were introduced to our communist convertible transport. It was a large blue truck that showed no favoritism between hauling sand & gravel or a load of Romanian campers. We joyfully loaded up using an aluminum ladder. For "safety" they tied two straps across the box for us to hold onto. As we loaded we noticed a strong wind blowing the trees that hadnt been there on previous days.

Heading up the mountain we cheered and hollered at any people we saw in their homes or in thier cars. It was a jovial time had by all. Some people sat down while others continued to hang on. As the sides of the road got a little steeper, Ralph concentrated on maintaining composure in the face of great heights. As we got higher into the mountains, the trees began to close in around us. Of the people who where standing, they had to watch for a low branch that would sweep over the truck, but going uphill the speeds were pretty slow.

The hike up the mountain was wonderful, beautiful mountain lakes with rocky areas and greenery that is slightly different than what we're used to. For instance, a bush that formed barriers and mazes that had needles like a pine tree, but grew no higher than 8 feet (~2 meters) tall. There were always areas to sit down and rest in a lovely grass as we ascended. The conversations were full of encouragement and the time was a great time of bonding for all of us. The group had split into two: one who wanted to go for the top and another who wanted to enjoy the scenery. As the group approached the top, the wind we saw earlier had brought some dark clouds toward us. The view was wonderful but the wind picked up as well. We began to make our way down engaging in even more great conversations and building relationships. As the two groups met up again, the dark clouds gave way to a full fledged thunderstorm. The intensity of the rain varied in intensity every few minutes. Now the rain made hiking down the trail more tricky, slipping on the wet rocks. When we made it down the trail we all got that feeling of relief after overcoming a large task. But this ... was only part of our journey.

Its getting late so keep posted for the next installment entitled: Stenga!Drapta!Jost!