You step out of the bus and are immediately blown away by just how beautiful the Ranch is. Green grass reaches far out in the pasture, mountains cut across the sky, and the air has not one trace of humidity (if you're from the south you know how beautiful this is).
Then, as you're walking up the hill from the bus to the main buildings, you start to hear the clapping and cheers of the full time staff and guys who came early for river guide training. They're lined up, making a tunnel with their hands, and each one of them has a huge smile on their face.
You go inside where punch, cookies, and small talk await you. For returning staff members this is a time for long overdue reunions filled with hugs and reminiscing. For new staff members it's a time for meeting yet another and another new person. With each one it's hard not to think about how God might use them in your life this summer.
My favorite part is next. After a quick talk from one of the full time staff members, Jonathan, we begin to sing songs of worship. Jonathan had mentioned that this was a place for free worship, but you didn't really understand that until you started to sing. The people around you are completely open in expressing themselves to God. Whether this means claiming His goodness aloud with hands held high, or standing still with a silent prayer on your mind- the room is just so...vulnerable.
When worship is done, Jonathan (in charge of boys summer staff) and Katie (in charge of girls) give out living assignments. You take your luggage to the correct trailer and follow your crowd of new housemates to where ever you might be assigned.
Which brings me to The Convent! Yes, that's what it is called. The Convent is so named because it is a house of all girls that live the farthest away from the main area of the Ranch...and also any guys! Now, "house" might be a generous term for the place I'll be living this summer. To give you an idea- I'm sharing a room with five other girls and I'm pretty sure it's not much bigger than my freshman dorm room! But I couldn't be less worried about the small size; in fact, I'm interested to see how it will only make us closer as the weeks go by.
So. Here I am. At JH Ranch. I've been here less than 24 hours and it's incredible just how present the Lord is. I know He's never not with me, but here I don't have to look. His spirit is bouncing off the walls, it is overflowing from every room. Last night, as my roommates and I were almost ready to collapse from exhaustion we made time to pray together- for ourselves, each other, and the summer we'll spend in our little, loving room. It may not seem like much, though to me a little activity such as that feels like the most refreshing breath of air.
I forgot what it's like to be around such a yearning group of believers. I say yearning because though we are all on different paths and at different points in our relationship with God, we are all just striving after Him. It is a beautiful common ground to have.
I'm now sitting on one of the Convent couches, typing this out on my phone and looking at yet another breath taking view. This is going to be a beautiful summer.
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