Pineridge Blog

Highlands Presbyterian

Last week I joined eight high school youth and two youth leaders from our church on their mission trip to Highlands Presbyterian in Colorado. The camp is nestled in the mountains just a few miles south of the Wild Basin entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Marcia and I were visiting a friend’s cabin about a year ago when we stumbled onto this beautiful little camp, which is off the main roads. We learned that they offer a youth mission experience. Lo and behold, it worked to go this year, so I was quick to say, “I would love to go along!”

The highlight was spending the time with the kids. What a great group of young people. We can all be very proud of who are youth are becoming in and through the church. We can also be proud of the influence that they have on the congregation.  They worked hard painting and fixing up an old cabin, which was used by guests the end of the week we were there.

We also had time to hike in the park. We took one of my favorite trails along the St. Vrain River up to Calypso Cascade. A cascade is created as a river flows down a hillside. Unlike a falls, the water does not plummet down a shear drop so much as is rushes down a steep incline. The snow is still melting high in the mountains, so the river is really up and the cascade was as big as I have ever seen it.

All the time we walked along the river and stood before the Cascade, I could hear the low rumble of the water rushing over the rocks. I love that sound. Sometimes it was a roar and sometimes it was a distant, subtle reminder of the ever-flowing river.

Pslam 42 says, “Deep is calling to deep at the thunder of your waterfalls [or ‘cascades’]; all your surging rapids and waves are sweeping over me.” As the sound of the rushing water swept over us and filled us, I imagined a similar sound coming from the rivers in our souls.  Deep calling to deep. Prayer beyond words.