In February, we had our Youth weekend at Lorne Estate. Our theme for the weekend was How to Read the Bible and exploring different devotional resources. The talks were led by our leaders, who shared the importance of reading the Bible daily and spending time with God in prayer. They also discussed resources they had used and gave us some examples to try ourselves. One of these resources focused on exams and managing stress, which is particularly relevant for us.
On Friday evening, we had a ski themed games night where everyone dressed up in big coats and ski goggles, as Hannah was leaving that night to go on her school ski trip. We played games which included musical chairs and a snowball fight, where the room was split in two and teams aimed to finish with the least snowballs on their side. Everyone really enjoyed the games, although the room was ‘unseasonably’ warm, and we all appreciated standing outside to cool down.
On Saturday morning, we completed a crate stacking challenge in pairs. We were harnessed in and had to see how high we could get by making a tower that was 2 or 3 crates wide. We finished the morning with archery, and it became quite competitive as we had been divided into two teams.
After lunch we headed into Bangor and were split into three teams for an outfit challenge, using items from charity shops, with the aim of putting together an outfit for one of our team members. There were very different approaches to this, as Andrew ended up in women’s trousers with a zebra pattern and slippers that looked like feet, while Katie needed to find something to wear to the ‘Dress to Impress’ dinner in the evening. Having completed the challenge, we had the best part of an hour to spend in Bangor, with the boys reluctantly walking around Asda with Andrew in his outfit.
We returned to Lorne and dressed up for our formal dinner. The menu featured a roast dinner and dessert. Afterward, Ben and Fern handed out awards to everyone, recognizing humorous or memorable moments from the weekend. These included ‘Hot Dog Man’ for Daniel (his love for hot dogs was evident), awards for the crate-stacking (both for reaching the highest and for falling off early), and ‘Separation Anxiety’ for Martha, who had clearly missed Hannah since her departure. Saturday night concluded with a quiz and games before lights out.
Sunday morning was filled with mixed emotions; while everyone was tired, no one wanted the weekend to end. We had a talk in the morning and spent time in small groups again talking about different Bible stories relating to the morning’s talk. The rest of the day flew by, and before we knew it, we were putting our bags in the minibus and heading home. We all thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. What truly stayed with me, alongside the great memories we created, was Fern’s talk about using resources to help us read the Bible regularly. She emphasized that other resources should “support, not replace” the Bible and reminded us to always check them against God’s Word.
Thank you to everyone who supported the youth weekend from donations, food, and meals and those who prayed for us all when we were away. We are so grateful.
