A Look Back at The Annual High School Beach Retreat
By Wallace Edwards, a High School Youth Ministry Intern specializing in Middle School Ministry, and Kate Miller, a High School Youth Ministry Intern specializing in Youth Communications.
Wallace’s Reflection:
The weekend of September 29th, a group of 30 youth and four adults traveled to the beautiful Crystal Coast of North Carolina to enjoy a time of relaxation and fellowship. They left White Memorial bright and early Saturday morning to head down to the Beaufort docks in time to meet the captains of the Lookout Cruises and hop on a 45-foot catamaran.
Our group sailed up the coast along Shackleford banks and anchored on the tip of Cape Lookout. We enjoyed a picnic lunch from Beaufort Grocery and some beach time before docking at Cape Lookout and getting a picture in front of the lighthouse. Exhausted from the lovely boat day, the group returned to their accommodations at the Trinity Center in Pine Knoll Shores. We unpacked and had dinner before the infamous ice cream trip to Dairy Queen. All hyper and sugared up from DQ blizzards, the youth got to have free time back at the Trinity Center before winding down and heading to bed in preparation for Sunday’s adventures.
Early Sunday morning, everyone awakened to a beautiful sunrise. We headed to the beach to have a worship service led by the seniors, where everyone reflected and gave thanks for the time spent together and the opportunities given to them by God. After breakfast, the youth had lots of time to hang out on the beach and enjoy the sunshine. And before we knew it, it was time for the ride home. Stopping to enjoy one last meal together at Bojangles, our splendid White Memorial youth group arrived home late afternoon with sun-kissed faces and big smiles!
Kate’s Reflection:
Every September for the past four years, I have attended White Memorial’s High School Beach Retreat. I look forward to it every year! As a current senior, I had my final Beach Retreat, and now I have amazing memories I have made on the trip. This one-night trip down to Atlantic Beach, where we stay at the Trinity Center, has great leaders and an opportunity to bond with other youth!
Although we are only there for a short amount of time, it is packed with fun activities. As soon as we get to Beaufort, we go straight onto the Catamaran and head out to Cape Lookout. We spend most of the day sailing and anchoring somewhere and swimming with friends. It is always a great time to spend with your peers and meet new friends. It is my favorite part of the trip. Our Sunday beach day is also tons of fun. It’s filled with a lot of football and swimming! I have greatly enjoyed the last four years I have been on this trip and will forever cherish the memories I have from it!
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