Project #1

Everyone has there place away from home where they never want to leave, and for me that is Wilderness Trail. Wilderness Trail is a hiking ministry in Troutdale, Virginia and changes my life every time I go. The past 4 years I have been co leading hikes all the way through Virginia and Tennessee with different churches, including my own. This past summer I hiked with a group called Black Mountain Children's Home. They were a group of annoying high schoolers that had no sense in following direction. I had been warned beforehand that they had a past of driving their staff insane and not doing anything that needed to be done with the group, so I was scared when they first drove up to property. They drove up in a shitty bus and I ran down the big hill to greet them, while peeing my pants in fear of the week to come, they opened the door and poured out. I immediately clicked with a guy named Austin and he then listened to every word I said. The week went on and I worked my way through the group one by one earning all of their trust, and by the end of the week they all listened. I had taken the time to listen to all of their story's and bond with them, listen to all of the shit they go through, and after that I was in charge. At the beginning of the week I was only second in command, but by the end the staff she was in charge gave me the reigns because they wouldn't listen to a word that came out of his mouth.