Christmas Break

Before leaving for break we all had a few more small parties including a Christmas party for just the interns. It was a great way to get ready for Christmas and got us all in the spirit. All of us left on Friday for a week Christmas break. The time we had with our family and friends was certainly a blessing and has energized us and gotten us ready for the fast approaching winter meltdown retreats. Over the holidays the majority of us had to compete with the massive snow storm that hit the East Coast. Fortunately, everyone arrived safely at their destination without any unwanted excitement. The ranch was covered in nearly a foot and a half of snow leaving a very picturesque landscape.







All of the interns returned safely to the ranch yesterday and have all gotten hard to work today on preparations for the upcoming winter meltdowns and the few retreats between now and then. We have been working mainly in the Old Town Meeting Hall getting it ready to host the youth that are soon to arrive. Each intern also has their own special projects that they are getting ready for the meltdown. All the work being put into the meltdowns is sure to pay off and make it an amazing experience for all who attend.

Winter

Time here at the Ranch has flown by. We are already four months into the internship and have grown so much during that time. The retreats have all but ended for the winter and we are experiencing more of the discipleship aspect of the program. Many of the full-time staff have been working hard to prepare classes for us that include a wide range of topics such as retreat planning, Old Testament studies and many others. Much of our time has been spent working hard on the assignments from the classes and getting ready for the winter retreats coming up.

In the last couple weeks we have had several Christmas parties. One of the parties was focused on developing friendships with those in the community. We opened our doors to the community and invited them to come and eat with us while we provided exciting activities for the kids. Everyone had a blast and it really gave all of us the opportunity to share God's love to the community. The other Christmas parties were with the rest of the staff. They provided awesome fellowship and a time to relax after a few busy months of retreats.

We are eagerly looking forward to the next few months where we will be hosting the Winter Meltdown retreats. These retreats are typically groups of over 200 youth who come for the weekend to be a part of the program that we put on. It will be an amazing opportunity to affect the lives of these youth. Typically the program includes a speaker, many events and some awesome worship. It is sure to be one of the highlights of the winter and something that we will be working towards over the coming weeks.

As you can see the internship has been amazing so far and we are all excited for the new adventures that await us in the coming months. The internship continues to mold us and draw us closer to Christ.

Change of Seasons

As I am writing this, snow is falling and doing a very good job of covering the grounds at RVR. This proves that the fall retreat season at RVR has come to an end, leaving bitter-sweet feelings for the interns. We learned a lot this fall. We worked long and hard, and we had a lot of fun. This season brought many ups and downs, but we made it through the challenges and grew as individuals and as a group. Here are some things about the fall retreat season that we loved and will miss...

• Sharing our faith with kids and watching them disconnect from the world and connect with God.
• When guests realize that they are at a safe place where the staff freely express their faith.
• The busyness. There was always something that needed to be done and none of it felt like work.
• The view from Fort Roller when all the leaves were changing colors.
• Outdoor Education. Getting to see hundreds of kids every week, watching them have fun and having fun with them!
• Working in the rain.

With the first of four seasons behind us we can't help but feel a little sad. However, the winter season at RVR is coming and with it new experiences and challenges. We are looking forward to Winter Meltdown, bible classes and playing in the snow. Speaking of snow..... there is some outside that needs to be played in......

Until next time,
Sarah Brenneman
RVR Intern