GateWay begins!

This weekend marked a true gateway for us: a culmination and ending point for me, and a beginning point and entrance for Strider -- with Pete playing roles on both side of the "gate."

As I've written about earlier, the purpose of GateWay is to teach and train boys for an intensive year, highlighting many of the skills and character traits that define strong men.  After a decade of brainstorming and planning this program, and six months of writing, collaborating, and editing the curriculum, I am pleased to say the GateWay vision is now down on paper.  This is something I've been excited about for so long -- it's a good feeling to finally see it take shape in the form of real boys and men!  

And now that the vision part is done, I have happily handed my part of the baton on to the men leading the group.  In some ways, I feel like I am handing my son to them as well.  The role I've played in the first 12 years of his life is quite different from what it may be from now on.... It's like I've held his hand up until this gateway, and now I am letting go and watching him go through... Well, now I'm just getting all teary, so... onto better thoughts!  I'm very thankful that Pete is the one taking his hand from this point on.

To kick off the beginning of GateWay, the whole group (6 boys and their fathers) came over for a bonfire on Friday night.  After a big game of Capture the Flag, they made a campfire version of pineapple upside-down cake in foil packets, and then talked about what this big year will hold.  I was not privy to this ceremony, of course, so don't know exactly what was talked about, but I enjoy looking at the pictures anyway.  My brother John was able to be in town this weekend, so we were thankful he could join the group and offer some bits of wisdom, too (as well as take pictures)!

Then the next morning, they all hiked up Crowder's Mountain, and worked on team-building, doing "trust falls" and discussing more about courage and other character qualities.  Again, the details are a little sketchy to me, but I did hear about pond-wading, bouldering, and other fun explorations.

And so, Strider passes through the Gate on his way to becoming a Journeyman.  I am looking forward to seeing him learn and grow into the man God wants him to be!