The Gethsemane Cougars of Raleigh, N.C., held their first Pathfinders Alumni Weekend this past fall. The purpose was to reunite old friendships as well as recruit veteran Pathfinders to the ministry staff.
On the inaugural weekend trip to West Virginia, Tyrone Fisher, Kenroy McCalla, and Maria Gabriel represented the Gethsemane staff; Kalila Joseph, Brian Baker, Theresa Brown, Tony Santiago, and Evroy Brown represented alumni. The club mascot, Nikki, a Greater Swiss Mountain dog, took the journey as well.
Sabbath activities included sightseeing at the New River Gorge Visitor Center, and a nature hike from the top of the ridge to the river at the bottom, Kaymoor Miners Trail. From the parks observation deck, there was a breathtaking view of the New River Gorge Bridge. It is almost 900 feet from the bridge to the water below, and, reportedly, the third highest bridge in the United States. On the way back up, the group sang “Jacob’s Ladder.”
Sunday’s activity included a four-hour whitewater rafting trip down the Upper Gauley River, which is said to be the second best river in North America for great rapids. The Upper Gauley has Class 5 rapids, the highest passable level. A lot of waves were conquered, the group bumped into some rocks, and managed to stay on board as the raft went over a 14-foot drop. Besides having lots of adventures to tell the grandchildren about, an alumni member was recruited to be an instructor during the new season.
South Atlantic | January 2018
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