Becoming a better man: EMH reflections

by EMH student Hawk White

When I first began attending DPCA as a freshman, I was scared to death to sit in a classroom full of strangers and listen to a teacher present material that I would later be tested on. But everyone at this school welcomed me with open arms, teachers and students alike. It made the transition from homeschooling to DPCA so much easer. Everything new that I experienced here excited me, but nothing excited me as much as EMH.

I love to be in the outdoors more than anything on this earth, especially when I get to be with friends.  EMH offered all of this.  What could be better than spending days at a time out of the normal regime of school, mountain and rock climbing, hiking, rappelling, exploring, and simply enjoying God’s creation?  Spending time with friends while doing all of these things truly makes for some of the best times of my life.  Those are the main reasons I participate in EMH.

Some of the best times I've had thus far this year took place on the Sand Dunes course at the beginning of the year.  It’s always tough when you have to step out of your comfort zone for days at a time with people you don't really know that well.  But somehow this trip was different than ones I've been on before.  Everybody acted like family, even though we had new people from out of state. Nobody complained, people started to stretch their limits to entirely new levels, and everyone was willing to take risks, whether it meant hiking farther or being able to walk on steep terrain and keep pushing forward.  Nobody ever got to the point of saying, “I can't go on”; there was always one more step to take. That was probably the biggest highlight this year for me.

During this course I learned that I'm not very good at dealing with people, nor am I very patient with them. This course forced me to confront these issues, and I’ve slowly seen God change my reaction to people. This is the greatest thing I’ve been able to take away from this program for myself so far.  I'm far from being the man I want to be, but this EMH program has helped me to see the man I need to be, whether it's helping and interacting with my group around meals or taking the initiative to be the bad guy for a moment so that things can get done.  Or even if it’s as simple as being a good listener and following instructions well, even when it’s hard. 

I can't wait to see how the upcoming courses play out.  I know God is working to help me become a better man through this program, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my upperclassman years of high school than to be involved in this school and EMH.

Ekklesia Mountain High is a boarding and day-student program for high school juniors and seniors at Darren Patterson Christian Academy, in which approximately forty days of wilderness experience and leadership training is integrated with rigorous academics in DPCA's Biblically-centered environment.  To learn more, please visit the school's website at www.dpcaweb.org, and the EMH program's website at www.emhweb.org.

How EMH changed my life

by EMH Senior Becca Wade

Nothing teaches bravery like hanging alone, 200 feet above the ground, by a thin yellow and green rope. No challenge teaches patience more quickly than when a sixty-five pound pack is weighing on your back, the sun is burning  your scalp, and you must hike slowly up a mountain to stay with your friends. No experience grows unconditional love like sharing a little tent with three other girls for ten days through sweaty smells, irritation, and rocky beds. And no reward compares to soaking your sore feet in a creek or spotting a shooting star as you share your dreams with a close group of classmates. During the ten-day backpacking trips with Ekklesia Mountain High, I have been challenged to leap out of my comfort zone. EMH is hugely important to my life because it has grown my character and maturity so much more than any high school experience ever could have.

For example, looking at the average high school experience, few situations will drastically push a student out of a comfort zone. High school students usually focus on friends, homework, sports, and performing well in all activities in order to be the person that colleges want to have. Most challenging situations occur within the school walls: public speaking, conflict with friends, competitive sports. The biggest goals presented in these situations are not very big. Although the focus ebbs and flows, above all, students work toward success after high school. Although this is a valid goal, its self-focused nature does not necessarily teach students strength of character.

Ekklesia Mountain High completely changes the focus and goals of high school. Although education is still rigorous and highly valued, the focus is on growing the community and growing leadership within each individual. This outdoor program uses challenging outdoor situations to grow students. Not just simulated challenges within school walls, these challenges draw a student into real life past school. If students don’t take responsibility and properly follow through with taught outdoor techniques, one of their friends could get injured. If students don’t learn how to value each other and work together, they will have no food or shelter. EMH grows high school students to be not only intelligent people with strong educational backgrounds, but participating, others-centered citizens as well.

High school has provided me with many amazing opportunities. I am grateful for all the charts I have memorized and the books I have read. I love the friends that make me laugh. Although much of high school has been fun, I will always be most grateful for my trips with Ekklesia Mountain High because they have created in me a stronger character – a character that strives for patience, bravery, thankfulness, and unconditional love for the people around me. 

Ekklesia Mountain High is a boarding and day-student program for high school juniors and seniors at Darren Patterson Christian Academy, in which approximately forty days of wilderness experience and leadership training is integrated with rigorous academics in DPCA's Biblically-centered environment.  To learn more, please visit the school's website at www.dpcaweb.org, and the EMH program's website at www.emhweb.org.

Challenge and fun at BCAP

DPCA and EMH students and faculty recently had the opportunity to try out Browns Canyon Adventure Park at Noah's Ark Whitewater Rafting. They had a fantastic experience! Check out this link on the DPCA Eagle for photos and more of the story.




Ekklesia Mountain High is a boarding and day-student program for high school juniors and seniors at Darren Patterson Christian Academy, in which approximately forty days of wilderness experience and leadership training is integrated with rigorous academics in DPCA's Biblically-centered environment.  To learn more, please visit the school's website at www.dpcaweb.org, and the EMH program's website at www.emhweb.org.

Over the edge: Moab Rock Climbing Course

Levi climbing "Looking Glass Rock"

She stands on the edge of the precipice, rope dangling into the dark chasm below.  Her anchor is secure, her belayer at the ready. Heart pounding, breath shaking, she pushes through the fear and over the edge into the void.

This was junior Katie Busch’s “favorite but most terrifying” moment of the Moab Rock Climbing Course. Looking Glass Rock towers 185 feet above the ground. After climbing this daunting slab in three “pitches” or stages, the students had nowhere to go but down.

“I was scared getting up there,” Katie remembered. “But I was terrified getting down.” Sitting on a precipice overlooking empty air, she had to push off the edge and trust the rope to hold her. “Going over that edge was the hardest thing to do. But when I did it, I was so happy. It was so fun. I wish I could go back and do it again.”

Climbing at "Wall Street"

On the Moab Rock Climbing Course, October 2-12, 2013, students confronted the edge in multiple ways. Physically they had to learn to trust one another and to trust the rope as they climbed and rappelled in demanding and challenging environments. Standing at the top of a 200 foot drop, you have to know the person on the other end of the rope is trustworthy.

Hanging out after a good day

More of "Wall Street"

In the same way, students had to learn to trust one another as they shared about their fears and experiences. Many students faced the edge of a precipice emotionally: if I open up and talk about my struggles, what will happen? As they stepped over the edge and began to trust one another, they found a community of support waiting to hold them up.

EMH Director Ben Little shared his observations from the course. “When students reflected at the end of the course about some of their favorite moments, they talked about overcoming challenges and fears. Some of these included learning to trust in a physical sense, but even more so in an emotional sense with their fears and struggles. Many of the students said they had a lot of great one-on-one conversations where they shared their fears and temptations with someone else for the first time in their life. Once they did it—once they stepped over the edge—they found value and acceptance. They enjoyed the freedom of being able to share their struggles with someone else. The connection between the physical fears and the emotional fears became even greater as the week went on. Some amazing relationships were built.”

Juan ascends "Wall Street" while Levi looks on 

A big part of building relationships includes the cook groups for the course. These are groups of three or four students put together by the instructors before the course even begins. Why are they so important?

Food group fun

“These groups are together constantly,” says Mr. Little. “They work together before the course to put together all the food they will need for the entire ten days. Then they work together during the course to prepare three meals a day. They have to decide who is doing what, what meal they will make with what they have, and so forth. If they don’t work well together, they won’t have a very good experience.”

Students don’t get to choose their own groups, and instructors often deliberately place them with other students they may not know well. To make breakfast and dinner, these groups spend an hour or more preparing the meal and then eating it together. If one person is not participating, it becomes obvious, and the whole group suffers. They learn to self-manage and solve conflict among themselves.

Study time at the park

Several of the students shared about how important the food group became to them during the course as they learned to know new people.

“This group of students really enjoyed each other, and that was a big highlight of the course for me,” remarked Mr. Little. “The students were so encouraging to one another and had so much fun together. They often began games or other activities spontaneously, without prompting or initiation by the instructors. It was fun to see them initiating their own group activities.”

The activities and discussion for the course all focused on the theme of the year: “The Mission of God’s People.” Continuing discussions begun on the Sand Dunes course and in Bible class at school, the group talked about the calling of Abraham to be a blessing to all nations. Our calling as God’s children is to be a part of that mission to be a blessing to the nations. What does that look like in our own community, culture and school? Students were challenged to think about what God is calling them to do to reach the people around them and “keep the way of the Lord.” (For a more detailed look at the theme of The Mission of God’s People, click here.)

At the top of "Wall Street"

Becca makes it look easy

Canyoneering in "Morning Glory"

Climbing "The Fin"

On the last night of the course, the students came together for a community celebration. Each food group prepared a meal and brought it to share with the whole group, potluck style. (“Of course, everyone loved the instructors’ meal the most,” Mr. Little pointed out with a grin.) After the meal, the students had opportunity to share what the course meant to them and what they liked. The evening ended with communion together, a celebration of what Christ was doing in their lives individually and corporately. It became a close time of sharing and worship.

“I grew a lot spiritually on this course,” said senior Ellen Burdick. “I also really enjoyed it. It was so much fun.”

Hawk enjoys the view from "Little Finger Rock"

Joel and Mr. Little on "Little Finger Rock"

For more photos of the course, visit the EMH Facebook Page


Ekklesia Mountain High is a boarding and day-student program for high school juniors and seniors at Darren Patterson Christian Academy, in which approximately forty days of wilderness experience and leadership training is integrated with rigorous academics in DPCA's Biblically-centered environment.  To learn more, please visit the school's website at www.dpcaweb.org, and the EMH program's website at www.emhweb.org.