“Foundation Retreat is a 4-day Christ-centered camp for incoming freshman at Texas Tech to meet with the Lord and get connected to community and campus ministries.”
If I could count the number of times I have said that sentence, I would be very, very rich.
This week, as I enter my last week in Lubbock, hundreds of precious baby freshmen are flying and driving and cartwheeling into West Texas, meeting at the Jones, and heading 2 hours north on a big yellow bus for the 4 days that changed my life.
See, 4 years ago, 18-year-old Hannah was driving from San Antonio to Lubbock on about 3 hours of sleep, ready to be as far away from home as possible. I met Hannah Brooks in line at registration who would go on to be my roommate and best friend. I met another roomie and best friend in my small group- Leah (Patzig) Clark. I had never seen people genuinely worship like they did at camp. I had never been so open in a small group than I was in Kelsie Watts & Spencer Hahn’s small group. I don’t remember what the speaker talked about, I just knew I was entering a community that was going to change me forever. (Hey Haley Hurst, here’s to you for Foundation 2010)
Spring of my freshman year I was hired on as a counselor. ORANGE TEAM REPRESENT. Hahahaha anyone on the Big O that year knows what a mess it was, what a ragtag bunch we were. But my partner, Taylor McAlpine taught me the importance of asking questions, instead of always talking (Me? Always talking? That’s weird.) It was the day before camp, as we were calling our campers, that I first talked to Addie Trammell. She talked my ear off about college and rush for 2 hours while I waited in line at the Financial Aid office. She became one of my most cherished friends.
Fall of my sophomore year I was hired as Development Chair on the leadership team. Under the direction of our fearless leaders, Adam Hernandez and Caroline Weir, we transitioned to two camps. Fundraisers and event planning galore, we did it! We successfully pulled off two camps without any fatal injuries or financial backsliding. (And by ‘we’ I mean God did it because LOL if we thought we had much to do with it besides obedience.) That year I met Kiva Carson (Praise the Lord). Shout out to the rest of the 2012 leadership team- (looking at you Cameron Jones, Heather Wright, Aaron Villareal, Bess Caldwell, Jacie Pickrell, Coleman Green, Sarah (Wilson) Green, Ryan Dykes, Josh Aguas, Matt Langhoff, Melanie Watson, Hunter Davis)
And then fall of my junior year was the biggest leap. I felt lead to apply for director, which is somewhere between a dream job and a death wish. And then I was hired, along with my partner Weston Mumme. I don’t think I’ve ever cried more than that year. I don’t think I had ever been stretched more until that year. Completely inadequate, completely crazy, completely naïve to the responsibilities. Completely in love with what the Lord was doing through this camp, and willing to do whatever it took to make those two weeks in August a success for his Kingdom. Leadership 2014 fo life: McLain Grant, Rusty David, Amanda Perez, Heather Wright, Rhett Hartsfield, Ryan Williams, Elisabeth Anderson, Bailee Taylor, Bo Wells, Tyler Spears, Barrett Bass, Abbey Smith, Josh Jackson, Molly (Willms) Bates.
We have two camps, Alpha and Omega. This was the second Alpha camp ever. Terrifying. At the camp in Marble Falls, its 2pm, campers are starting to arrive and Weston and I get a call from our leadership pair riding the bus with campers from Dallas.
The bus driver is driving like he’s drunk, they say.
The campers are freaking out, they say.
One of them is convinced he just spiked his drink, they say.
Another one of them just called the cops, they say.
Oh. Good. Lord.
Around that same time, our Alpha camp speaker, Carl Gulley, and his family showed up. As soon as I made eye contact with him, I felt burdens fall off my shoulders, as if they weren’t welcome in his presence. That’s how deeply the Holy Spirit had hold of this family. He hugged us, and asked in the most genuine, fatherly way possible, “How are y’all?” It was all I could do to not cry. WE’VE NEVER MET HIM BEFORE, AND YET I FELT LIKE I COULD JUST CRUMPLE IN HIS FATHERLY ARMS BECAUSE HE HAS THAT MUCH JESUS IN HIM. And he instantly became the biggest blessing all week.
Oh, and the bus driver wasn’t drunk. As it turns out, he was just really, reeeaaaalllly old, and maybe should reconsider driving busloads of people everywhere.
And after the first day of madness that was Alpha camp, the Lord romanced me with his love for me as his child. He encouraged me in my gifts through Carl and Blair Gulley. He rested in the Texas Hill Country, on those campers, on our staff, on our leadership team.
Of course, both Alpha and Omega came with their own, special, logistical ups and downs. But God showed up. The Holy Spirit moved. Campers were changed, were introduced to Christ-seeking community, to counselors who wanted nothing more than for them to succeed in these next four years, to friends who wanted to walk out their calling with them.
Foundation Retreat was the biggest portion of my time here at Texas Tech. The fun lessons, the hard lessons, the friendships, the God-encounters, the leadership experience. I can’t say enough about this retreat. I can’t sing it’s praises enough. Because through the obedience and endurance and love of college students answering God’s calling, hundreds more are hearing His name and starting the walk with him, in the midst of one of the most influential times in their lives.
I can’t thank God enough for allowing me to be a small part in this Kingdom changing camp. It was just about all I could do not to stick around this morning and jump on the bus to Ceta Canyon (There’s an extra dose of the Holy Spirit there y’all, I’m sure of it) for worship with David’s Plea.
Foundation Retreat 2013 – Alpha Camp from Austin Wideman on Vimeo.
Foundation Retreat 2013 – Omega Camp from Austin Wideman on Vimeo.
Oh, how I love you, Foundation Retreat.
