*+-This Week At Montreat -+*

By coming to Montreat this year, I have been able to grow not only as a person, but as a Christian. The best part of Montreat us going to small groups. With small groups I was able to meet many new people, and also discuss the topics of worship from the keynote that we had just seen, and also the sermon from the night before. The more we discuss these things the more they stick in our heads and help us to understand what we had heard. The theme this week is "The World is on Fire." This phrase can either be used in a positive way or in a negative. When the week started off the leaders of worship used it in more of a negative way, so they showed all of the bad and detrimental events going on in the world (such as Global Warming, Violence, Racism, Sexism, etc.)
The great thing about worship at montreat is that they are able to give the phrase "The World is on Fire" a positive side too. They described how The World is on fire with God's love and how everyone should be able to spread/start the fire within ourselves - and help put out the negative fires in our world. I feel that by coming to Montreat this week I have been able to learn more about being a Christian and also how to go about living my life in a positive manner.

-Todd Hughes

Free Afternoon in Montreat

Today we had a free afternoon; so we decided that we would venture up to Asheville. We did some window shopping around town and we found the Mast General Store and we just had to look around. I left there with my pockets a pound and a half heavier. In the Mast General Store there were barrels after barrels of candy which I was unable to resist. We then proceeded to continue our journey in Asheville for the next four hours. On the way back to Montreat we were serenaded by the Forest Hills Church youth members that were singing to the songs on the radio. We got back to Montreat and had a little bit of time to get ready for communion. We were all putting on our best clothes and headed town to communion. It was a wonderful service to be a part of. The minister talked about his saints that he uses as mentors. These were people that in some way or another truly impacted his life. He asked us to think about who some of our saints are. His saints were Martin Luther King Jr., Dorthy Day, and Oscar Romero. When communion ended we went back to what we have been doing all week... playing rummy.

yours truly
Mr. Patrick Brittain

Wensday Afternoon, Spencer DeSpain

So far, Montreat is amazing! I love the people and the environment here...it's almost like an addiction. I always look forward to coming every summer and it is the highlight of my summer. Montreat is honestly the most amazing place to be. My relationship with Jennifer Hughes, Todd Hughes, Patrick Brittian, Hannah Howell, and Jeanette Quick has gotten so much closer, it's the best bonding place. Until Montreat I never really talked to much anyone, now, I'm actually talking to everyone, including everyone from Forest Hill's youth group. If I had to pick one favorite thing about Montreat, it'd have to be the bonding and the small groups...and the food is amazing too. :) But the one person that I would like to thank out of this whole expierence and for helping us go to Montreat possible, Jeanette Quick. She's probably the best DCE, (Director of Christian Education) we've had in a while. She's like my second mother, so thanks. But otherwise, Montreat is incredible. So, I'll see everyone Sunday morning.

Much Love,
- Spencer DeSpain.

hannah wednesday in montreat!

Whats up fellow Presbyterians! Everyone is having a great time here in Montreat :) In Montreat we wake up and go to keynote at 9. Keynote is where we bascially sing and dance. Then we go to small group which is a group of 30 random kids or adults from diffrent churches around the country. Small group time is usually 2 times a day but today we only have small group in the morning, so were going to Ashville! Each year at Montreat there is a theme, the theme this year is world on fire so the worship is all about fires, like fires in the world and how might might not be able to prevent world wars but how we can help put out local fires...we can all work towards eliminating racism, sexism, poverty, greed, and many other issues that keep our brothers and sisters in harms way.

Hannah Howell

Monday Night. Spencer DeSpain

Well, so far everything is fantasitc. The house is beautiful, absolutely wonderful. I love the youth of Forest Hill's Presbyterian, they're great and very welcoming. My favorite part is the small groups, there's about thirty in each small groups, and I love it so much. Everyone is so helpful and very energetic. I definatly don't want to leave, but I'm pretty sure that everyone waiting for me back home want's to know how it went. Overall, I love Montreat. I'm pretty sure for my summer job, will be working at Montreat, so, thanks to everyone for sending me here.


Love, Spencer DeSpain.

Montreat Youth Conference

Hey all - our adventures with the high school youth continue as we enjoy Montreat w/ our friends from Forest Hills Presbyterian Church (shout out to Beth Utley!). Check out the montreat website for a glimpse into the theme, conference leaders and music. You might even see our beautiful mugs up there! We have a small group this year, but our kids and adults are having a great time!

Posted by Jeanette

pictures!

the complete file...http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87669&id=543926027&l=298e4d1d9c

enjoy!

Good Bye Scotland

Good Bye to Scotland!!!

As we begin our journey back home I think each one of us will be bringing home special memories of a beautiful place and beautiful people. Thanks to all that helped make this trip a possibility. It has made a life changing impression on everyone!!

God Bless

Stuart Rush

A Day at Dun Add : Charlie Peksa

Today we went to a mountain called Dunadd. This was supposedly the birthplace of Scotland where the Kings were crowned, and where the Scotti from Ireland first came. It was an extreme experience for me. Everything around me was so impossible to comprehend at the time. I took a minute for myself to find peace.( I have had a great, but rough and tiring week.)I stood at the edge of the mount and looked at the rolling hills, the gardens, with the chilly Scottish air blowing through my hair, it was the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever been in my life.

There was a songle moment I felt on top of that mountain, that everything in my life would work out and that God truly was by my side no matter what. This trip has seriously opened my eyes to what I need to accomplish in my faith and what I take for granted so much of the time. It has been an absolutely life changing experience for me and I have loved every minute of it. Truly I don't want to come back home either. I have missed all of you dearly and am overjoyed that i will be able to see not only my own family, but also all my family in the church who has helped us through this trip. Thank you all so much.

~Peace out!
~Charlie Peksa

The Sighting of Nessie!

Going back to Tuesday; we didn't really see Nessie but we thought it was a cool title; the first place we went was the castle where Macbeth killed Duncan. the castle had been remodeled so that the owner could live comfortably there. The owner stays there nine months out of the year for tax purposes. Like everywhere else we went, it had a gift shop. It was a beautiful piece of property that had a river that went behind it and it had a nice garden on the side yard. Inside the garden was a elaborate maze made out of lovely green hedges. We went on a peaceful nature hike and observed the intricate gardens and amazing forest.
Then we continued our journey southward along the Loch Ness. Unfortunately we did not spot Nessie. The loch is 24 miles long and in some places 800 feet deep. There was a lot of tourist attractions near the Loch Ness. One of the attractions was a model of what Nessie might look like. It was neet-o.
lastly, we went to the Battlefields. there was a big museum that allowed us to see the weapons that they used which enabled us to grasp the importance of the battle in relation to our being Presbyterian and the course of history. The battle only took an hour and in that short time, one side lost 2000 men and the other only lost 50 men. needless to say, the British won.

A special thanks to the following:
Our awesome tour guide, Maggie McCann; if it weren't for her we wouldn't have been able to fully experience the majestic scenery and deep history of Scotland.
Members of the congregation who have supported us on our educational heritage trip.
And all of the advisors that went on the trip and keep us in line, woke us up every day, and made it a trip that we will never forget.
Thank you all!!!!

Mr. John Cooper and Mr. Patrick Brittain

Iona

Today started very early. We need to be on the bus at 6:45am. Of course the sun had been up since 4:00am so it was already bright and sunny. This was expected for the whole day bright sunny and hot.We then took a short ride across town to catch the ferry to the island of Mull. Once in Mull we road the bus across the island to catch another ferry to the island of Iona. Most of us had a quick nap on the bus across Mull but, what we did see was beautiful. As we boarded the second ferry to Iona you could see the Abby in the distance on the cost line. it only a 10 min. ride across to Iona and the sea was a bright aqua blue color that reminded me of the waters you would see in the Bahamas. The Island of Iona is very small only 3 miles by one mile so the rest of the day would be on foot. For those who don't know Iona was the starting point of Christianity by Saint Columba in the fith Century. We first toured the Nunnery and then onto the Abbey. After the tours we hade some lunch and some free time. Some of us walked along the beach looking for the rare green marble found only on Iona. At 2:00 we attended a short worship service in the Abbey. Earlyer in the week we worshiped at the Saint Giles and today at the abby on Iona, two very signifigant places in our churches history. After worship we took some reflecting time by ourselves for an hour then headed back to the ferry to Mull. As we headed back we notice that most of us had gotten sun burned after being out in the sun all day.hmmm who would have though we would get sun burned in Scotland? obviousley no one. As I write this the back of my neck is on fire. I need a cold glass of ice water. All in all it was a wounderful day in a very special place for Christianity. We are off to Glasgow tomarrow.

Kevin Bridge

The Day on the Bus...

Today began with the traditional scottish "breakfast." After that, we got on the bus, and stopped in Dunkeld. We visited the archives of the cathedral in Dunkeld, and there we saw the "She" bible. This is the only bible that refers to god as a she. Although it was just a misprint it is still the only bible that has ever done so. And then we got on the bus........(for 3 hours) We could see the transition from the city of Dundee to the country scenery of the city Elgin. We then toured the Elgin Cathedral. The cathedral had a very interesting background including, being nearly destroyed three times and eventually was left alone to deteriorate after the reformation. It was occupied by monks since the 13th century. The Biblical garden that we toured was a beautiful place that informed us of some of the different stories of the bible. Other than touring the two different cathedrals, and the biblical garden, all we did was ride the bus to our next destination, The Eight Acres Hotel.

~Drew Sessoms~
~Todd Hughes~
~Zach Simpson~

The Olde Course at St. Andrews -- from Kyle Rush

A continuation of John's description of today...today we visited one of the most hallowed grounds in the game of golf. Because it was Sunday and there was no play we got to walk the course and take pics on the sarazen bridge. After seeing it in person the tv does it no justice. Undulation is everywhere! We also looked at the olde course museum and saw a replica of the clarit jug and the runner up trophy for the open championship. We are having a great time and are looking forward to what God has for us the rest of the trip.

But wait . . there's more!

Wow! What a day we had. We woke up to sunny blue skies, warmer temps and gentle breezees. That may not sound like much, but after a few days of on-again, off-again rain and rather windy days . . this was perfect!
To top it off, we went to Sunday service at St. Giles cathedral. The sounds of that massive organ and that choir, reverberating through that gigantic stone sanctuary was amazing. We all had communion and got to participate in a service that was a bit more formal than ours, but at the same time, very familiar. (Except for the part about passing around the silver caldron of wine that we all drank from!)
We probably set a record for number of photos taken by a goup of tourists in one day! The trip over to St. Andrews passed over some beautiful countryside . . then arrival at the village of St. Andrews and going out on the Old Course, the beach, the St. Andrews Cathedral, (where perhaps the bones of the disciple reside), the castle . . . and on and on and on. We strolled Market Street, stopped for a light lunch of soup and sandwich, then took our bus to Dundee where we are spending the night.
Tomorrow we're off to discover more of the hinder-lands: Elgin and a few other places.
To our incredible congregation, and to the parents of our youth, we thank you for your continued support. We will represent you well over here and look forward to bringing back a part of our Presbyterian heritage to share with you.
Tune in later for more news and updates.
John McCorkle

Free Day in Scotland

Hello!
Abbey and Caroline here...with news about our wee little shopping trip through Edinburgh! Though the exchange rate of $1.70 = £1 set us back a little bit, we were all able to buy plenty of trinkets made exclusively for tourists. Consider it a kilt-extravaganza over here! We spent part of the day at the royal mile and then ventured on to the Britainnia (the queen's yacht) for the afternoon. The Royal Mile was filled with kilted gents, loud bag pipes, pesty vendors, and William Wallace. Most of us had an expensive American lunch at subway while some of us went to Wannaburger, which took a little longer (cough boys). So we waited, and waited, and Cam, Abbey, and Caroline had a fantabulous photo shoot....with just about every phonebooth, statue, and stairs in about a 20 foot radius while all of the locals stared and laughed. The Britanna was a boat. a big boat. a HUGE boat! Here Ken was quick to join the photoshoot by posing as the captain. We also went to John Knox's house where Ken also joined the photoshoot, letting his imagination run free as he acted as John Knox himself. Well, that was our free day spent in Scotland, and we definitely needed it with our packed schedule for the rest of the week! We'll end this jolly ol' blog with a Happy Father's Day! We love you Dad! Woop Woop Shoopidy Doop!

new pictures from Jeanette....

The internet cafe was wayyyy too slow, so here is a link to a small photo album so you can see a glimpse of Scotland

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87669&id=543926027&l=298e4d1d9c

more photos later!

First Day in Edinburgh- From Carly Ledford and Cam Farrar

Hi Everyone,
Sorry this is late the computer didn't want to agree with us last night but here is everything that happened June 19th

Early in the morning we had to meet in the lobby by 8:45 to leave Glasgow for Edinburgh. We enjoyed a nice bus ride as we looked at the Scottish highlands. We then stoped at the overlook of Edinburgh and took lots of creative and beautiful scenic pictures. Then the bus took us through the Royal Mile(a long mile with lots of shops and restaurants) and dropped us off at the Edinburgh Castle. We were then able to look at the extravagant architure and learn so much about Scotland's rich history. After lunch the group took tours of St. John's and St. Giles cathedral. they were both abosulutely breathtaking. Lucky for us we will be attending St. Giles for a church service Sunday morning. We then walked to the hotel for a much needed three hour rest before dinner. We dined at a local sports bar called Foot Lights. after that we met in front of St. Giles to go on an underground ghost walk. It wasnt as scary as expected but we had a lot of fun. The walk took us to vaults underneath a bridge where many poor families lived and died horrible deaths. We then took a scenic walk back to the hotel in the pouring rain. All in all it was a great day with many interesting experiences and millions of memories! So far Scotland has been great!

Love,
Carly and Cam

Scotland from Caryn Peksa and Sara Katherine Kirkpatrick

Hi Everyone! We arrived in Scotland this morning, and our first sight was the oldest building in Glasgow. We toured th e Glasgow Cathedral which is where St. Mungo set up a community 1500 years ago and we marvelled over the beautiful stained glass windows and the ornate Gothic architecture. This is one of the only cathedrals that survived the Reformation. When the Protestants came to destroy the cathedral, the Catholics risked their lives to save their church by circling the cathedral with stones and sticks, promising that the Protestants could have the cathedral, only if the Catholics could be buried under it. It is now a Presbyterian church.

Next, we enjoyed a citywide tour, while our tour guide Maggie McCann explained the significances and interesting facts about the city and later we enjoyed a traditional meal of fish and chips in St. George Square. Lastly, we arrived at the hotel to check in, had dinner and now we're off to bed!

PS. I would like to send a speacial birthday wish to my mother Sallye Kirkpatrick on her birthday!!!! Happy Birthday mom, I love you!!!!! Love, Sara Katherine

We're Here!!!!

Hello to everyone! The Scotland group made it succesfully to Glasgow. Arrived in London at 1:30AM (6:30am Local time) and made it to Glasgow around 10:00AM local time. Toured Glasgow Cathederal ate fish and chips for lunch in between rain drops. Weather here is scattered showers and 58 degrees. Everyone safe and sound although a bit tired.. Good Day to all!!!
Stuart Rush

we're off!

Dear Parents - Thanks for the great opportunity to spend a week with your high schoolers in Scotland! They are going to have a great time and learn so much about the history of Presbyterianism...and I will too! Please pray for the group, for their leaders and for our faith and perspectives to deepen this week.
Jeanette

2 Days and counting

Looking forward to a great trip!!
Stuart Rush

Ken's guest bloggers....follow us in Scotland!

Guest writer: this post is from Jeanette!

As many of you know, our high school youth are taking a trip to Scotland to learn more about their Presbyterian heritage. They have fundraised, and fundraised and are so grateful to the congregation for making this trip possible! We are on our way June 17th! We (meaning the youth) will be posting here while we are in Scotland and I hope you'll follow along and enjoy the trip with us! Here is our itinerary -

June 17/18 - Raleigh - London - Glasgow!
June 19-20 Edinburgh, we'll be worshipping at St. Gilles Cathedral on Sun morning!
June 21 St. Andrews
June 22 Dunkeld & Elgin
June 23 Culloden, Oban
June 24 Isle of Iona
June 25 back to Glasgow and then home on the 26th!

You'll be reading and seeing the details of our trip from our youth as we travel!