Mountain Top Experiences

By: Heather Shoffstall

When Pastor Tom spoke about mountain top experiences the other week (Mark 9:2-13) I was amid three weeks at Jumonville for mission trips and camp. I guess you would call that a perk of my job. At least I would call it a perk. You see Jumonville is a very special place to me.

My parents honeymooned at Jumonville, I attended camps and retreats as a youth, but the most memorable moment at Jumonville was the day that I gave my heart to Jesus. As I sat in the chapel and listened to the speaker that night, I felt the Holy Spirit move and I answered the call laid on my heart. I had no idea at that time what that meant, but I knew that my life had changed.

I could not wait to get home and tell everyone about what had happened to me on that mountain top. I was on fire for Jesus and wanted more of the feeling that I had sitting in that church pew. Fortunately, our church had an active youth group and leaders that helped my faith to blossom.

Over the years some of my favorite memories are of Jumonville. There was the time that I first brought my kids to the mountaintop. They were youth in my youth group at Somerset Grace and we came up as a group to experience team building on the ropes course. Then just a couple of years ago, we returned to the mountain with another youth group. This time, Grant was an adult and Kendra was a student leader at the retreat. We walked to the cross together and all sat on one of the benches at the cross. The bench we sat on, unbeknownst to us, was a bench that was dedicated to a friend of ours after he lost his battle with cancer. That moment was something very special to all of us. Not only because it was Brady’s favorite place, but because we were able to share this moment as a family.

Those mountain-top experiences not only shaped my faith but also shaped my faith journey. Every time I return to the mountain, I am reminded of what Jesus has done not only for me, but for each one of us. That is why these mountain top experiences are so important to each one of us, but especially to our students. As I write this, I am sitting at DSM/FISH camp at Jumonville. I am surrounded by 53 students and 5 adult advisors who are experiencing all that camp has to offer.

Students from 4th through 12th grade are spending time building relationships that will last far beyond their time in FISH and DSM. They are building relationships with friends and the leaders, but more importantly, they are building their relationship with Jesus. They are learning that to have legendary courage, faith, and love that they need to have a relationship with Jesus that is legendary. A relationship that when they come down from the mountain will be challenged but will remain strong with the help of the relationships that they have built while on the mountain.

Mountain top experiences are vital to building our relationship with Jesus. Earlier I said that being able to be at camp was a perk of this job, however, that is not all that it is. Being on this mountain with these students is a privilege. A privilege to be a small part of their faith journeys and a privilege for them to be a part of my faith journey.