Maryland Cru Fall Retreat - Lauren Bork

Students involved in Maryland Cru spent the weekend of Oct. 10-12 at Sandy Hill Retreat Center in North East, Md., for their annual fall retreat.  This gave the students an opportunity to get away from campus, enjoy nature, connect with others in the ministry, and refocus their relationships with God.

Girls set up their cabin for the weekend. However, they spent little time inside, as there were a variety of activities around the camp for them to participate in.

A group of girls show off the Maryland Cru headbands they received upon registering for the retreat.

Junior transfer student Ana Blickenstaff enjoys the weekend away. She said her favorite part of the weekend was getting to know a lot of people that share her passion for serving the Lord.

Pastor Jeff Martin, the speaker for the weekend, reads the story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to the Lord. He shared this story as an example of how every story in the Bible points to Jesus Christ during the session he led on “How to Study the Bible Effectively.”

A student takes notes during one of the retreat’s services, so she can take all she learned back to campus with her.

Freshmen Zach Rodriguez throws a Frisbee to his friend. In between the retreat’s different programs, students had free time to get active and bond with their brothers and sisters in Christ in any way they chose.

The staff at Sandy Hill Retreat Center opened up their docks to let the students canoe during their free time. Sandy Hill is located at the top of the Chesapeake Bay, and the calm weather provided great conditions on the water.

Students line up to get a play going during the retreat's flag football tournament Saturday afternoon. Students from Howard University who also were at Sandy Hill for the weekend challenged Maryland Cru students in the tournament, but the Maryland students came out victorious.

Sophomore Jeremiah Colbath shows off his talent of walking on a slack line during his free time on Saturday afternoon. He said it took a lot of practice to learn, and he enjoys teaching others how to do it.

Sophomores Katelyn Nave (left) and Sara Dignan have a conversation on a picnic table during the retreat. This weekend was special for the two friends because Fall Retreat is where they bonded and became close friends last year as freshmen.

Debbie Chang learns how to play a new worship song on the ukulele. Although the weekend provided students with the opportunity to participate in many fun activities, their ultimate goal was to focus solely on God and bring praise to him.

A student mixes her hot chocolate during the retreat’s Women’s Time. On Saturday evening, all of the girls on the retreat gathered together to relax, share their hearts, and encourage each other in their walks of faith.

Many students said the bonfire on Saturday night was their highlight of the retreat. After a very busy and active day, it provided them with the opportunity to just relax, make s’mores, and have conversations with the people they had met.

As the weekend came to a close, Maryland Cru students gathered for a worship session at the bonfire Saturday night.

 Link to some of the raw take: https://plus.google.com/photos/107884398278092517888/albums/6070308885351967777?banner=pwa