Twelve of us were on the trail, approximately 150 meters from the peak when one of the girls dropped her backpack and exhausted she said with tears: „This is it! I am not taking one more step! I am done!” It was difficult. Claudia was out of her comfort zone, she has never been on a wilderness experience in the mountains. We stopped and I encouraged her to look back and realize how much she climbed and how close she is to the top. Stop, rest, take a deep breath, a sip of water and a candy and move on refreshed! There are so many life lessons to learn on the trail! As we talked about it at the end of the experience, Claudia said she feels stronger and more confident. She has learned more about trusting God and continuing with perseverance on the journey.

Such moments are the highlight of summer camps. It is what they are about – young people encountering God, friends and nature in a new way while removed from the comfort of the home and the city. We often think God does not intend the wilderness for us, bur Jesus himself was led by the Spirit in the wilderness and often he withdrew to such a place for quiet and prayer.

Attached you can see some of the testimonies of the Deborah House girls about the experience on the mountain hike.

Over the summer we had seven camps at Alpinis. Five of the camps were at the villa with youth groups from Giurgiu, Fetesti, Bucharest and the girls from Deborah House. The teams from Zionsville Presbyterian Church, IN and Christian Life Fellowship, Baton Rouge, LA, have done a great job helping us with camps. Thank you!

The other two camps were backpacking trips – out on the mountain without watches, cell phones or mp3 players, sleeping in tents and making a loop starting from Alpinis and returning five days later. We witnessed God’s work of transformation in the lives of both leaders and participants as we hiked, shared a tent, shared meals and life stories, rock climbed and learned from Scripture together. In June, like in the previous two years, we continued the training of leaders with Wilderness Ministry Institute from CO, USA, preparing for the later camps.

Throughout the year we continued to host camps and retreats organized by other groups and churches at Alpinis. Some groups return to Alpinis every year for such events. We hosted two series of three consecutive MLI Church Based Leadership Development seminars in May and later in October.

In September we had a team from Harrisonburg, VA who replaced the stairs between the 2nd and 3rd floors, and did repairs and interior work on the villa. Thank you!

We are grateful for being able to continue the work at Alpinis and thank you for your continued support in prayer and giving. We continue to depend on your participation through teams, support and prayer for building the Kingdom in this way, and please take this as an open invitation to participate in our work by coming, giving and praying.

„This was a real adventure! Rain, cold, wind, sunshine, friends, bonding and fun. What seemed difficult at the beginning turned into an unforgettable experience. None of us will forget how wet we were and how we dried our boots and clothes. But we will also remember the special moments and the breathtaking view. Climbing up was hard, climbing down even harder. Yet, in all of it I experienced God’s joy and care. (Hedda, Timisoara)

„For me this camp was one of the greatest things I experienced. I returned home spiritually, emotionally and physically stronger. I got to know special people in circumstances that forced us to see beyond appearances. I learned that I can do more physically than I thought. This camp was also an answer to prayer – going through a difficult situation at home, I needed a break and a time to meditate and change my perspective. I prayed before the camp that it will be a turning point in my life journey and God answered my prayer – I could see how He is Emmanuel, I saw His Spirit in Creation, His kindness, care, and sovereignty amidst our fears and desire for all to be well. All was new to me, and I am usually resistant to change. Here are a few words that sum up the experience: an investment in the relationship with God and friends, renewed strength, great fun, new passions.” (Cristina, Timisoara)