Wonder Voyage 2008 Summer Blog

The J2A group from St Andrew’s Episcopal in State College, PA has spent the last week in Virginia on a “Colonial Quest.”  When you examine the roots of these two word, what you find is that colonial is derived from the root meaning to cultivate or grow, and quest is from the word that means journey or mission.

The youth from St Andrews have truly lived out these words this week. They have been on a journey of growth.  To be in the very area where our nation grew from infancy, during the very week in which we celebrate our much fought for independence, was very special.  As we pondered what tenacity, generosity, and courage it took to survive the struggles and build this nation, the students came to understand that the building of a community of faith takes the same things. The J2A members were able to grow in patience, grace, and understanding as the week progressed; they took strides in tearing down walls and removing masks in order to be open and honest wiht one another.  

As we said our goodbyes after the Eucharist at historic Bruton Parish Church, the students agreed that they have a community worth building, nurturing, and preserving.

Now that the “Pennsylpalians” have returned home, we pray that as the J2A’ers move into the YAC program that they will cherish, share, and continue on with the lessons they learned on their pilgrimage to Williamsburg. 

July 4th was a very hot day in Virginia.  After spending a morning in the Jamestown Settlement, the group was hungry and wishing they were back in the ocean.  Mutiny was averted with the fortification of lunch that included freezer pops that Molly wisely and sweetly packed in the cooler. 
 
Our second stop of the day was Yorktown; it was still hot, but the town was charming and full of the distractions of the holiday.  Although at first the group dispersed to explore, we came back together for snow cones and a very traditional 4th of July parade.  The sun went behind the clouds, and a good time was had by all.
 
After the parade the J2A’s had the option of staying at Yorktown for the evening to see the fireworks, or going to Sonic for burgers and then returning to the retreat center for a campfire.  The team pulled together in a circle, let everyone have a voice, and made their decision.
 
It rained while we ate at Sonic (making the decision to leave Yorktown seem pretty brilliant).  Some of the young men in the group set up a great campfire, and combined with the S’mores it seemed like that would be the perfect end to the evening; but the real highlight was yet to come.  We lost electricity in the retreat house due to the storm.  It makes me wonder if we shouldn’t turn the lights off more often.  In the candlelight, the group settled into a very comfortable conversation.  It was honest and open and very full of caring and trust.

It is Wednesday and we are on our second full day of pilgrimage.  We began the morning with a Celtic prayer that had us acknowledge that today we are seeking God in our hearts, our soul, with our mind, and with all our strength. 
 
We were given an opportunity to shut out the world today by removing ourselves from society and spending the day in a little sleepy beach town called Cape Charles, VA.  It took us an hour and half to get there by going over and under the awe inspiring Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. 

Everyone left their electronics in the car and for the day everyone was unplugged.  We swam in the water, talked, threw balls, and some J2Aers even did a flip or two on a sandbar.

Madeline had suggested to us that we write our “disappointments and sorrows in the sand”.  Many of us took time to do this throughout the day.
 
We arrived home close to seven, ate pizza and then had circle time where we talked about the day.  Molly had challenged us this morning to think about something that takes our breath away.  Each member of the group shared.  My breath was taken away by the youths’ insight.  We finished the night by having some quiet time and reading the notes from the congregation.

Norman Spivey is a St Andrew’s Team Leader

After a warm send off from St Andrew’s (and only one small injury in the parking lot) we set off on our journey for Virginia.  The three lively vans followed in tandem and managed not to get lost from each other the whole day. 

After stopping for ice cream, we arrived at our pilgrimage destination: the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center.  Yeah!  It’s a nice place, with woods, a pool, sports areas, and a cottage big enough for all of us. 

Our leader from Wonder Voyage, Molly, is great.  She’s been working hard to make this a very special week for us, and so far, so good. She made dinner for us while we settled in, and then we ended our long day of travel with games and Compline.

This morning we were up bright and early, and after a brief time of morning prayer, we set out to explore Colonial Williamsburg.  We divided and conquered this morning with groups going all over the grounds to explore, discover, and to try to imagine the community building that went on with these early settlers.  In the afternoon the J2A youth were allowed to explore Williamsburg in groups on their own.

Later, Molly introdued a “Stone Soup” lesson that will culminate in the team making dinner.  They’ve already brainstormed the menu, and shopped with a tight budget, but the cooking and meal are yet to come because right now it’s swime time!  Just a little bit of the fun and fellowship we’ve been up to…