As a student of Weimar Academy, I always look forward to our annual fall campout. The late nights with warm fires, the tall trees in which our hammocks are hung, and the iconic “campout Sabbath school” are only a few of the many things I treasure about camping with Weimar Academy.  This year, we had the wonderful opportunity to go to Butte Lake, which is a campground in Lassen National Park. The setting was lovely, and the weekend proved to be a great blessing. We arrived to the campground Friday afternoon, and soon proceeded to set up our hammocks and tents. That evening during vespers, we began our journey through the Exodus.

The next morning, we all gathered for a fantastic breakfast by the fire pits. As soon as everyone had been fed, we met for a short song service before leaving to spend an hour alone with God in nature. This time alone has grown to become one of the favorite camping traditions at the academy. Following “Sabbath school” we continued on into a powerful church service given by Mr. Peacock, which then led us to our second Weimar camping tradition. The next 45 minutes were spent in groups, studying the bible, and trying to find ways to share what we had learned through nature. (This always becomes quite the entertaining activity.)

After the various activities came to a close, a group of about 35 students decided to go on an adventure to clime the giant cinder-cone. I was among the ones who wanted to explore this massive, ancient volcano.  The hike was much more intense than I had originally thought, but the view was worth the exhausting efforts it took to reach the summit. There is something special about reaching the top of a mountain, maybe it is the feeling of accomplishment, maybe it is the humility it brings, or it could be as simple as feeling closer to Heaven. What ever the reason, that hike was a very powerful experience for me, and something I will not soon forget.

Sunday morning we packed all of our belongings and loaded everything up onto the bus and shuttle. After breakfast, the students were given an opportunity to visit the lake. The water was beautiful, and it was there I was able to find a quite place to journal. The time spent on the lakeshore passed by too quickly, and it wasn’t long before we were loading everyone onto the various vehicles.

The journey back to Weimar Academy was an adventure all its own, yet it wasn’t long before we were all back home, ready for another week of school. I remember how tired I was that Sunday night, but the blessings the weekend left behind were all well with it. I am thankful for the time we were able to spend together as a family out in nature and for the many wonderful experiences I was able to share. Now, as life resumes back to the normal academic schedule, I will continue to look on this trip as a time when the students of Weimar Academy were able to just step back, and spend time together with their Creator.

– Tiffany Fisher