Hiking trips draw crowd

Photo by: Will Gentry

OC Excursions has quickly become one of the more popular Oklahoma Christian University extracurricular activities.

The OC Excursions’ mission,  according to their Facebook page, is to “provide a great opportunity to explore the great outdoors for a weekend of hiking, rappelling and learning. Our goal is to give students an opportunity to get closer to one another as well as to God through devotionals and discussions.”

About two years ago, Amy Janzen approached current alumnus Andrew Nevius and senior Spenser Bolte and asked if they would be interested in leading a few Oklahoma Christian students on a weekend retreat to enjoy nature and the presence of God away from the business of school and everyday life.

“The first trip, we took our friends to Wichita Mountains to try it because we knew they would be more understanding if things did not go perfectly,” Nevius said. “After that we opened to the whole student body to sign up.”

From just a few friends, the OC Excursions have continually increased their numbers every year since 2011. On April 5-7, the team leaders, Nevius, Bolte, junior Ashley Mohler and senior Zeke Gustafson, will lead another group of students to Sam’s Throne in Arkansas.

“The excursions are a two-night camping experience,” Mohler said. “We get to the campsite pretty late on Friday and start hiking bright and early Saturday morning in order to climb as much as possible before the sun goes down.”

One of the reasons why students go on the excursions is the chance to take a break from the demands of school and life.

“I think that just being together with people in a small group is really special,” Nevius said. “You just don’t experience something like that daily while you are at school. A lot of people just enjoy that time to hang out and just talk with other people.”

Students who go on the excursions can expect to go hiking, mountain climbing, camping, worship, spend quality time with friends and have a quiet fellowship with God while experiencing his creation.

“We integrate outdoor activity with faith and team building stuff,” Bolte said. “We want to help people get outside their comfort zone a little bit, and also learn about their relationship with God and experience him through the outdoors. This is what excursions is all about: experiencing nature and drawing closer to God.”

Students on the excursion trips learn basic team building things like wearing a harness, basic knots and a few other communication skills as they prepare to go mountain climbing.

Today’s technology can become a distraction even when enjoying God’s creation. On the excursions, some students like Mohler leave behind cell phones and other devices that can distract them from enjoying their excursion and experiencing the presence of their fellow students.

“One of my favorite things about excursions is getting to leave email at home,” Mohler said. “I’m so tired of email. On the Excursions, I get to shut myself off from email, Facebook and texting. It’s a glimpse of a simpler life, and I enjoy that.”

OC Excursions is all about experiencing something that you may never get to experience while meeting new people and getting to know them.

“I enjoy spending time in God’s creation and growing closer to my fellow students,”  Gustafson said. “The relationships formed through the excursions as well as the much-needed breaks from school to spend time in God’s creation and his presence are some of the times I have enjoyed most.”

Even though it is only a weekend retreat, OC Excursions gives students the chance to experience quality time not only with nature and God but also with other students.

“Besides getting to hike, climb and camp, someone who goes on an excursion gets to meet a random assortment of OC students, develop some new friendships, a few inside jokes and fantastic memories,” Mohler said.

Students interested in going on the Excursions are asked to pay $20 for food and to help with transportation.

In the fall semester, OC Excursions will plan to go to Sam’s Throne two or four times that semester.

“The excursions are really encouraging, especially for people who have never climbed,” Mohler said. “There is always a group at the bottom of the route cheering the climber on. Everyone wants to see each other finish a route; it’s a great feeling.”

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