Camping on Mt. Lemmon in Southern Arizona for eight cold days without showers, 14 eager and motivated participants experienced another great Challenger II Rock Climbing Program. Established to encourage spiritual growth, leadership and service in focused young adults, Challenger II centers on building godly character and insight through the challenges of rock climbing, rappelling and living together in a wilderness setting that helps foster spiritual conviction, commitment and courage.

Participants came from around the United States and from Singapore, with various skill levels from total beginner to more experienced, ready to tackle the challenge of an intense week of rock climbing. Climbers were responsible for all aspects of the camp experience, including daily meal preparation, equipment checks, fire building and the coordination of Sabbath services.

By integrating young adults into these leadership and service roles, the Challenger II program helps develop a collaborative and cooperative environment where all individuals are interdependent both on and off the rocks.

So how does rock climbing relate to spiritual development? Camp director James Capó, who also pastors the Tucson and Sierra Vista, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, congregations, said, "Climbing is an excellent parallel of our Christian calling because of all the spiritual lessons you can learn."

After a spiritual "compass check" each morning, climbers participated in "ground school," where they learned basic climbing skills such as how to use different holds, build anchors, belay other climbers, lead climb and perform daily equipment checks.

Instruction in these techniques helped participants relate their physical experiences to their Christian walk. Before you begin to climb, you must make sure your equipment is safe and that the anchor is absolutely secure in the rock face. Likewise in our Christian calling, we must firmly anchor ourselves in God's Word in order to build a strong foundation on the rock of His truth (Luke 6:48). Actually trusting your physical welfare to a solid anchor when climbing makes the point about needing to be solidly grounded spiritually quite real.

Each climb is like a new problem waiting to be solved, with multiple ways to advance depending on the approach you take. Similarly in life, we face many trials and challenges that we must endure and overcome, while relying on God to direct our path (Proverbs 3:5-6). When climbing, the goal is to find secure hand and foot holds as you push your physical limits to reach the top of the climb.

Participants experience a multitude of emotions when climbing because the path up the rock is not always obvious, with some holds and positions being more comfortable and secure while others may work only long enough to help you advance to the next move.

After climbing a 73-foot granite rock face, participant Elainea Spivey commented, "There were times when I was very comfortable and didn't want to move to a less secure place on the rock, but my belayer kept encouraging me to step out on the face. Even though I was scared, I placed my trust in his advice and was able to step outside my comfort zone and complete the climb." This illustrates how the next move in climbing, or in life, often requires an element of risk combined with a strong faith in order to move forward (Matthew 25:14-29).

Yong Jui Jin, a participant from Singapore, said that finding a "bomber" (a big, comfortable hold on the rock) makes you so happy. It's like God's obvious deliverance and help in life. You feel like you want to stay right there. But then you realize that in order to advance, "you have to leave the bomber" and move on. It takes courage and faith, but you know God is with you.

Participants also had the opportunity to belay, learning how to manage the climbing rope from the ground in order to keep advancing climbers safe. Belayers carry the most responsibility because the life of the climber rests in their hands. Similarly, God is constantly holding our spiritual belay rope, providing the gift of His Holy Spirit to give us support as we continue to press on toward our upward call (Philippians 3:12-14). Learning how to belay increased our sense of responsibility to each other as well as trust within the group, allowing participants to build even stronger relationships.

Reflecting on the day's experiences around a roaring campfire each night, stories of growth and accomplishment were shared, in addition to admitting instances of challenge and defeat. This fellowship time allowed participants to process their daily struggles and successes in order to relate the lessons they learned on the rocks to their own spiritual growth and leadership responsibilities as part of God's Church.

Mark Mickelson, who serves the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Spokane, Washington, and other congregations in the United States and Nigeria and is an experienced mountaineer, shared that he enjoys serving in the Challenger II program because it is an "opportunity to interact with young adults who are highly motivated as they continue to dedicate themselves to God's work."

In this mountain environment, the true challenge of Challenger II is brought to life: accept the responsibility and the obligation of service, commit to personal preparation and growth required for a life of service, have the courage to overcome obstacles, and experience the joy and satisfaction of living God's way of life. The idea that "leadership is not an office; leadership is influence"—a positive influence for good—was learned through the Challenger II experience.

"I hope that participants will use their experiences this week as a catalyst for their Christian calling and growth as they continue climbing on toward God's Kingdom and our ultimate purpose," said Mr. Capó. Yong Jui Jin said, "This program has helped me build new friendships with American brethren and has increased my faith to show me a greater sense of what I am striving for as I follow God's way."

After returning home, participants will be responsible for creating individual development plans in which they will apply their experiences and lessons learned at camp to service projects in their local areas that focus on a specific element of leadership. Past projects include creating a personal visiting program, leading Sabbath school classes, organizing congregational activities and/or fundraisers, and developing women's groups.

A follow-up teleconference with all participants will be scheduled to give everyone a chance to report back to the group about their projects. As we continue to grow together in godly leadership, we are certain that the bonds of love and camaraderie shared at camp will only serve to strengthen our roles within the Body (Ephesians 4:15-16). UN