SLF 2017-18 Has Begun!

From left to right: Sarah, Abby W., Yumi, John Wilson, Abbie H., Abby C., Jonathan, Ben

The Fellows visit the Utah State Capitol building in downtown SLC!

The Salt Lake Fellows 2nd year has officially begun! We are thankful for God's provision to this program and for these 7 Fellows who have made the beginning of this year so exciting!  We kicked off the year with a backpacking trip in the High Uinta's and a Welcome Retreat in downtown Salt Lake. We have been immersing the Fellows into the culture that is so unique to Utah; touring Temple Square, climbing mountains, exploring the city, meeting church members and mentors. It has been a great start to the year and we could not be more thrilled with what God is doing here in Salt Lake and with the faithfulness of these Fellows.

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Meet the Fellows

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Thoughts from the Founder
​Wilderness Orientation: Amethyst Basin

Our campsite in the meadow below Ostler Peak and Amethyst Lake.

One of the Salt Lake Fellows' core distinctives is Engaging Creation...we truly believe this is a core value for us as humans created in God's image. We find that one of the best ways to engage with creation is to be immersed in the Wilderness! There is truly something refreshing and healing about disconnecting and disappearing into the wild for a period of time. Life isn't lived in the wilderness...we are called to create culture and love our cities and pursue people with love; but wilderness cultivates rest, perspective, strategy and an increasing understanding of self: identity, purpose and worth as God's children.

We kicked off our year with a multi-day wilderness orientation to the High Uinta's, a wilderness area 1 hour east of downtown Salt Lake City, where the tallest mountains in Utah live.  We started our expedition Thursday afternoon by driving up to the Washington Lake campground at about 10,000 ft elevation. This was the first obstacle...elevation. All of our Fellows have come from very close to sea level locations, so we knew this would be an initial challenge. 

Friday morning we took our packs and drove up to the trailhead for Amethyst Basin, a beautiful little valley called Christmas Meadows, and began the 5.5 mile trek up up toward Amethyst Lake and 12,922' Ostler Peak.

​The hike was truly challenging, with at least 2500 ft of elevation gain, with one specifically steep and rocky section that was particularly difficult and pushed our bodies to the max. We set up camp that night at the edge of the meadow just outside a small cluster of conifers with a nice space for a fire directly facing the domineering Ostler Peak. The Ostler Fork creek twisted its way through the valley creating a iconic path through the tall grass. Camp was set at about 11,000 ft, with that came some cold weather overnight. We woke up the next morning with everything covered in frost. We spent the entire day Saturday exploring, relaxing, praying, talking, reflecting, laughing, jumping in the lake and taking extended solitude time. Simply just being...immersed in wilderness. There was something so simple, but so deep and powerful about this place, about being in the middle of nowhere, disconnected from the regular pace of life. Here are some of my thoughts from my journal entry that day:

"This basin, Amethyst Lake and the Ostler Fork that runs through it all is truly amazing and inspiring. I could stay out in wilderness like this for days. Along the stream are a colorful assortment of wildflowers playing a lovely part in the foreground of the Ostler Peak centerpiece. From our campsite in the meadow it is just a short walk up to the lake which is sparkling a stunning torquoise blue. Such serene beauty in this place. Such good quiet and solitude. These mountains are so rugged, so other worldly. To be in nature like this is truly inspiring, yet peaceful and calming. My soul needs this space...this quiet, this wilderness. It is part of who I was created to be; it is connected to our humanity, our image-bearingness. I truly believe that wilderness experiences are necessary for growth, for refreshment. When we get lost in the woods we find ourselves and where we should be going. We see things more vividly; the fog clears, the noise fades, Jesus becomes more visible and tangible. Following Him seems feasible. Seeing our smallness and His greatness gives us depth of great perspective. I am re-ignited with purpose and calling. Passion is revived within. Wilderness refreshes, wilderness restores."

We had a wonderful time of bonding and growth in our community and in our relationships. Shared experiences have that effect...they push community into a place of depth. We shared about our summer, what God has been teaching us, what we had learned already since being in Utah. We talked about being in God's presence, what it means to be a disciple and follow Christ, the importance of engaging with our weakness and embracing struggle. It was a beautiful time. I finished my thoughts with this final journal entry before our hike back to the trailhead on Sunday afternoon:

"Final day in the wilderness. From Jesus' 40 day wilderness experience, He came back to His culture and community with boldness and with strategy; determined toward His ministry, His calling to seek and save the lost. His passion to bring God's kingdom to earth.  Lord, help me to follow you with this boldness and confidence in Christ. Give me passion to engage my world with intentionality and love. Use this four day adventure to strengthen my faith and confidence in this journey you have me on. Help me to seek your face. Help me to thirst for you. Help me to trust in your provision. Breathe life into my body and soul; give me joy that knows no boundaries. Lead me to rest in your grace."

We made our way back to the trail head thankful for the journey we had experienced together. In my mind, there is no better way to start a Salt Lake Fellows year!

-Ben
SLF Founder