The GO Retreat took place this weekend, beginning Friday night and concluding Saturday afternoon.
Crafted for students who have been on mission trips, internships or worked in ministry during the summer, the GO Retreat is a time of reflection over past experiences. It is also open to students who simply have a desire to go on missions.
On Friday night, about 50 students were in attendance with about 30 on Saturday.
Center for Global Missions Director Ben Langford led the GO Retreat for the fourth year in a row, after starting the retreat in 2012 with the help of Professor of Missions Bob Carpenter.
“It was fantastic,” Langford said. “Each year you plan and you hope and you dream. And each year I’m always shocked at how God moves beyond what I imagine it’s going to be, and then it kind of goes beyond my expectations.”
The retreat included several events, including a second helping lunch on Saturday. Attendees were not allowed to serve themselves, but had to wait until someone recognized their need for food.
Junior Elijah Weaver attended the retreat, his second year to go.
“I go to the GO Retreat because … I love meeting new people and there’s something special about gathering with other people who all have the same goal in mind,” Weaver said. “And also listening to new speakers and men and women with experience and expertise on something that I don’t have is always nice.”
For the second year in a row, the group participated in a game of dodge ball, inside an airplane hanger lit only by the headlights of vans.
Richard Beck, head of the Abilene Christian University psychology department was the keynote speaker for the retreat. Beck also gave a lecture on campus Thursday.
“His main interest is talking about how we are enslaved to death and how the problem of death is what causes sin,” Weaver said. “So from a psychological standpoint, he talks about our captivity to hero systems and how all us, whether it is unconscious or conscious, we desire immortality.”
Weaver said Beck has a solution to human’s fear of death.
“But ultimately perfect love casts out the fear of death and we can attain that perfect love that he says we get in Jesus,” Weaver said. “Then we no longer have that fear of death and we can live freely as servants.”
Overall, Langford said the GO Retreat was a success and he is happy with how the event turned out.
“Richard Beck was fantastic, the students were fantastic, the way they engaged, it was really moving,” Langford said. “I’m thankful for those who came and for those who participated.”
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