Day 4 scare and a rap

Our last day on the slopes turned into a crazy one as Lance took a spill on his snowboard and needed medical attention.  After an exam at the resort's medical clinic, an ambulance ride to the Gunnison hospital, an X-Ray and a CT scan, we were relieved to learn that he was alright.  Just an abdominal bruise and some soreness from the crash.  Meanwhile, most of our group visited the shops in the quaint town of Crested Butte, and we all met back up for dinner in town.

This evening we had our closing devotional time, including reflections on the day in small groups and communion and affirmations together in a large group.  Afterward we celebrated Katie Swanson's 15th birthday with cake and ice cream in the lobby.  Be sure to visit the photo gallery to see new pictures from the slopes and around town today.

Oh, and one final thing: Our youth have not only been volunteering to lead our evening devotional time, they have also been offering a "thought for the day" in the morning.  So, here's today's thought that was shared on the bus microphone on the way to the mountain this morning (thanks to Roy for transcribing it onto the blog):

Thought o' the Day
Lyrics by Roy Parker
Beatboxing Skills by Lance James (sorry, you had to be there)

It's Lance & Roy and we're here to say,
"Hey y'all listen up - it's the thought of the day!"
The thought is very simple, so don't you fear
It's just to think fondly of everyone here.
First, Riley & Lauren are friends that are the best
And Seve & Kurt are cooler than all the rest.
Pat & Tim are bros who win
The other bros are Sam & Lee, and B - T - Dubbs they're twins.
Jared & Jeffrey's names both start with 'J'
And Matt & Macy's follow in the same way.
Taylor & Sheridan's heights are quite small
While Sam B. & Chris are really quite tall.
Allison & Jess are rad in every way
And don't forget Katie - it's her birthday today!
There's Ashley whose questions always make me smile
And my neighbor B-Lo who I've known for quite awhile.
Don't forget there are adults on the retreat
Contrary to popular belief - they're all neat.
There's David, Patricia, Anna, & Chad
And in case you didn't notice, he is Jared's dad.
There's Susan/Doug, Stan/Cherie, Sarah & Russ
And don't forget Tony - he drives the bus.
I hope you liked this list of all the cats in our basket
They're the people who make the tisket worth the tasket.
This has been Lance & Roy's thought for the day
Think fondly of everyone in your own special way.

The trip so far...

Hello all! Sorry it's taken me so long to post, we've been pretty busy since we arrived in Gunnison on Sunday night. To catch you up:

1. We had a good drive from Fort Worth to Gunnison. Some icy roads in Wichita Falls, but everything before and after that was nice. The windy road through the Monarch Pass was completely clear, and we pulled into our hotel right at 9 p.m. Mountain Time. It was definitely a welcome surprise to get a good night's sleep after a long day of travel.

2. On Monday we left at 7:30 to get fitted for skis and boards before heading out on the mountain. We had 14 folks taking lessons, and most of them came away prepared to hit the slopes with confidence. (A couple learned that skiing is not their thing, which is a good thing to figure out.) After a full day on the mountain, we came back to Gunnison for a tasty Italian dinner at Mario's, followed by free time at the hotel and our group devotional time to end the evening.

3. Today we were able to sleep in a bit since there were no rentals to pick up. We left for the mountain around 8:15, and lots of folks got in a full day of skiing or snowboarding. Meanwhile, our non-skiers took the shuttle from the mountain down to the quaint town of Crested Butte to visit the shops and have lunch together at one of the restaurants. By the end of the day everyone was very hungry, so after a quick stop at the hotel we enjoyed a bountiful Chinese dinner at Double Dragon just down the street. A few moments ago we wrapped up our evening devotional time (led by youth volunteers) and everyone just headed up to their rooms.

Overall it's been a great trip and we've enjoyed good skiing, food, and fellowship together. Be sure to check out photos of our adventures by clicking here to visit the trip photo gallery!