Survival School

Generation 10 embarks on their Survival Camp weekend excursion

One weekend.
Pack thirteen items or less.
Follow a map to your campsite.
Find your food, (which is hidden in the woods ahead of time, so it is at least more  palatable and plentiful then real forage fare) 
Build your shelter.
Start your fire.
Cook your food. 
If you want filtered water, make your own charcoal filter! 

These are the basic rules for the traditional Practical Skills Class survival camp here at MOVE. For every missing homework assignment in class, each student will be missing one of their thirteen allowed items. Some of the less-than industrious have had to scrape by with only six of seven! 

I don’t know about you, but the present global horizon makes me feel a real personal need for some intense spiritual survival school right about now! I find myself wondering how many useful and perhaps essential items I will lack in the coming time of trial due to my prior spiritual sloth and negligence in God’s school. It reminds me of a sobering statement I read recently:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger, -- a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. Those who now exercise but little faith are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions and the decree to compel conscience. And even if they endure the test, they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have not made it a habit to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected, they will be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement.”   {YI, July 12, 1904 par. 7}  

There is no time to lose. God has precious, though difficult, lessons of faith for us to learn today that will prepare us for what is coming. But we must be willing to endure hardness as good soldiers.  

Then who of us have entered the service to expect the conveniences of life, to be off duty when we please, laying aside the soldier's armor and putting on the civilians' dress, sleeping at the post of duty, and so exposing the cause of God to reproach? The ease-loving ones will not practice self-denial and patient endurance; and when men are wanted to make mighty strokes for God, these are not ready to answer, "Here am I; send me." Hard and trying work has to be done, but blessed are those who are ready to do it when their names are called. God will not reward men and women in the next world for seeking to be comfortable in this. We are now on the battle field. There is no time for resting, no time for ease, no time for selfish indulgence. After gaining one advantage, you must do battle again; you must go on conquering and to conquer, gathering fresh strength for fresh struggles. Every victory gained gives an increase of courage, faith, and determination. Through divine strength you will prove more than a match for your enemies. {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 6} 

Lord, may we accept with gratitude today’s trials, knowing that in Your mercy and wisdom you are preparing us to survive tomorrow’s crises. Help us to trust You more and not shirk from our duty no matter how difficult! 

In the hunter’s zone

Before leaving the bush on Sunday morning, the students must complete a series of exercises as a team. Several of them are designated as blind, mute and lame, just to make things more interesting. My job this time was to scout a location on the creek and explain and supervise the students’ river-crossing challenge in which they must get the whole team across without touching the water.

 I walked some old tire tracks until I came to the creek, and then followed it upstream, looking for wide spots that would make for a more interesting crossing. Suddenly, the jungle in front of me erupted with beating wings as half-a-dozen vultures took flight. I consoled myself that they were probably as startled as I was. A brief search for the corpse yielded no results, so I continued a little further up the creek until I found the perfect crossing place at a wide bend in the stream. 

As I crouched on the uprooted end of a fallen log, waiting for the students to arrive, I heard the distant baying of hounds. Someone is out hunting today in our neck of the woods.Not good! 

I thought of all the stories I’d heard of people shot by hunters whose emotions exceeded their vision. At least the students are all together, and their last activity was the obstacle course right on the power line access road, so they should be pretty safe.  

Several minutes passed. The baying intensified, and seemed to be coming in my direction. Could the dogs be tracking me? Will they know the difference between my smell and the smell of a forest critter? I probably smell like an animal, since I haven’t had a bath since the day before yesterday!

The barking was getting very close now, and then I heard the singing blade of a machete slashing through the brush. I’m not even wearing hunter’s orange! I could be in real danger!

One of the hounds appeared abruptly, loping along quickly, nose to the ground. He passed me by and paid me no mind, but the hunter would surely be along at any moment, and I didn't’ want to be mistaken for anything not human! Should I make noise? Hide? Run? No, definitely not run! 

And then, there he was, the man with the machete.

“Shaw! I’m sure glad it’s you!” I called out in relief as I recognized the "hunter" was one of the other  staff members. 

“The dog came by and I thought he might lead me to you.” Shaw laughed. 

“Did you see the hunters?” 

“Yes, they are out under the power lines. They aren't coming this way. They just wait until the dogs flush the game out of the woods.” 

I was happy to hear it. 

The students soon arrived and completed their activity and we hiked back to campus without incident. 

Can you imagine what it will feel like to be a fugitive, hunted by dogs and armed men? Such a day could arrive sooner than you think. But even today we live in the hunter’s zone. The great hunter, the same Spirit that inspired Nimrod, is out to bag your soul. Don’t you go anywhere without Christ, you hear? Promise me that! 

P.S.  I want to thank all of you who have remembered Luciano and his family in your prayers. Luciano attended the evangelistic meetings the week before last, although he is still not coming to church regularly. It's good to see him smiling again. He says the Lord has answered our prayers and he landed a job with the sugar company. He doesn’t start for another couple weeks though. Please help me pray that if there are Sabbath conflicts he will be faithful. I have already encouraged him in this direction, but I know the fear of being without work again will be a strong temptation for him to compromise.

P.P.S. To all of you who have been affected by the devastating Camp Fire or other fires in California, we are praying for you earnestly, not only that God will supply your every need and sustain you in this trial, but also that you will come through it as finer gold, closer to God, and stronger to face whatever may be next. Our heart goes out to each one of you!