Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a fourth grade field trip! My friend, Jayne, invited me to go along with the class to the Cochise Stronghold. Her, Janette, and I have "run" the particular trail that they wanted to hike, so Jayne thought that I would be a good addition to the adults. However, I did not realize that I was going to be leading this expedition!
Yesterday just happened to be the hottest day of the year, 96 degrees. So we head out about 10 am, I think, and we get started along. I guess in my naivety I thought that fourth graders could handle a 2 mile hike up to the Half Moon Dank and back. Well...... not even a 1/2 mile into our hike, I started noticing how red most of the kids faces were. We did stop and rest for a few minutes here and there, but by the time that we made it to the 1 mile mark I was a little concerned. Two boys that were close to me we really red in the face, and when I asked them if they had water, of course they said no. So I ended up sacrificing my water so that we would actually make it back with some of the kids still alive.
We rested about 10 minutes, asked the teacher if we should turn back or go on, and then we preceded up the trail. I don't think we had hiked 5 minutes, when I realized that half of the group had turned around. So are now small group continued on. It was HOT and by the time we got to the the Half Moon Dank, there was not much water between all of us. I hadn't had any. We rested 20 minutes and headed back down, which is so much easier and faster. I felt fairly confident that we would all make it back down since everyone had survived the trip up. Wrong.
Two or three kids fell as we were heading down. Nothing major, just a few scrapes, and then about 3/4 mile back down we stopped to rest and poor little Katie was so hot and thirsty, and out of water. I was carrying a water bottle for another little girl so I let Katie have a drink of hers. Boy, did I get some dirty looks!! But I just looked pleasantly at her, thinking that she had met her match! Katie drank a little, then the little girl, THEN she passed it to the boy behind her who said that he was thirsty. HA, who won that one?!? We finally made it to the 1/2 mile maker and waited for some of our group to catch up. When the teacher finally came she asked if I could run (and I do mean run) back down to camp and get the father of the boy who was about to pass out!
So I took off, soon realizing that I myself may pass out because I had become very, very thirsty! I prayed the whole way down that God would give me the strength to make it back. (Again, the hottest day of the year!) I ran most of it, but the last part of the trail is mostly sand so it was difficult. However, I made it back to camp, grabbed some bottles of water, and we headed back up. The boy didn't pass out, and they were walking back down by the time we got to them.
But poor Katie, she had gotten over heated and was sick to her stomach. I felt so bad! I guess only having 2 kids get sick isn't too bad. I guess that I'm not a very good guide. I wonder if they'll invite me back next year?
Prayer for the President of the United States
3 years ago
2 comments:
1. What a beautiful example of your generosity!
2. It was their idea to go to the stronghold - not yours! If they don't invite you back, it isn't because of your 'leadership'. It is because they learned a lesson - go to the stronghold before May, AND prepare the children!
3. As much as I love the stronghold, it can't hold a candle to Mary Kidder Rak's place. Anna still talk about it often. Maybe we can go up there in a couple of weeks.
Great post!
Oh thanks, you know how to make someone feel better! I hope that we can make it up there. That week I will being helping with horse camp, but I hope that we can work something in. Can't wait to see y'all!
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