Summer Memories... STEP 2013!

Well.. I know it's been quite a while since I blogged.. But, I'll try and redeem myself! ;) I've been so busy this year! :)

This summer in June I went to STEP. STEP stands for Skills Training for Emergency Preparedness. It is held at the International ALERT Academy in Big Sandy, Texas every summer! :) To learn more about the program click here.

Some of the questions people ask about my experience at STEP are.. What kind of camp was that again? Was it different than you were expecting? What did you learn? What did you like the best?
So.. I'll try to answer these questions to the best of my ability! :)

What kind of camp was it?
       It was a Biblically based emergency preparedness camp for girls ages 15 and up. We had about 50 girls that were split up into 3 groups and 6 teams. I was in Red Team One with 7 other girls ages 16-20.

Was it different than you were expecting?
     I didn't really know what to expect!! It was kind of how I envisioned it, but I didn't think about how it would be a whole lot since I really didn't have a clue about what it could be like! I had been planning on coming to STEP since October of 2012, so I had some time to mentally prepare myself. What I really wanted out of STEP was some alone time with God. Some time away from family, friends and distractions where I could just focus on my relationship with God, and His will for my life. I just graduated highschool this spring, so I was needing some direction.
I was also hoping to learn life skills that would be useful later in life. I was excited about PT, because I really wanted to get in better shape.. which I totally did!
One of the things I really didn't expect or prepare for, was how close I would get to some of my teammates. I thought I would make friends at STEP, but I didn't know that we would become so close. I almost feel as if I have gained sisters! :)

What did you learn?
      I learned so much!! It's almost hard to explain. I feel as if I am still realizing the things that I learned at STEP. It was truly a life changing experience. I changed a lot there in little ways and in some big ways as well. To give you an idea about the skills we learned.. here are some of the classes we had:
Map Navigation
Canoeing
Water Safety
First Aid/CPR
Search and Rescue
Self Defense
Basic Plumbing, Electrical and Drywall Repair
Auto Maintenance
Ropes and Knots
River Crossing
Rappelling
and... much more! :)

I learned so much spiritually as well! God revealed a lot of little things to me while I was at STEP. I am so thankful that He allowed me to go!! :)
I had an amazing team leader. God definitely put me on the team he wanted me on with the teammates he knew I needed. He is so good and he supplies our every need!
Some personal skills I learned were journaling, time management and how to take a shower in less than 5 minutes! ;) We also memorized large portions of Philippians, which was a lot of fun!

What did you like the best?
     That is always so hard to choose! I liked everything!! I think I finally decided though, after debating about it for quite some time, was that the thing I liked the best was making dear friends. I became so close to several of my teammates and my team leader! When you live with people for a month and go through everything with them (including team building activities) you just become close. I am so thankful for them all! :)

I am so glad that God allowed me to go to STEP this year. I highly recommend it to anyone that is eligible. You learn so much. It is just such an amazing and life changing experience!

 My dear friend Katelynn!! :)

 Some of my team and group mates

 Group room time :)

 First Aid ;)

 My dear friends. Some of my team mates and the awesomest team leader ever! :)))