Moab: Through a Sophomore’s Eyes

Adventure was around every corner for our sophomore class as the five-day Biology trip to Moab was filled with hiking, rafting, touring ancient ruins, and laughing with each other around the campfire.

Mesa Verde National Park was the first stop on the journey. Jayce Treat, one of our classmates, said “It was fun learning about the native peoples of Mesa Verde and how they lived.” Touring the ancient cliff dwellings and visiting the ruins provided an amazing historical viewpoint for the trip and an appreciation of what the ancient Puebloans built.

Friday was action-packed. The first day in Utah, our class had an unforgettable experience rafting down the Colorado River, doing tricks into the ice cold water, and spending the evening browsing the streets and shops of Moab. Afterwards, everyone settled into camp and enjoyed relaxing around the campfire. The evenings together were a special bonding time for the class. “My favorite part of the trip was the campfires because I felt like that was the time when I talked to people the most,” commented Nelly Salinas.
For worship throughout the trip, Mr. Kast walked us through the week of Creation, and day by day, we got to see up close the beauty and magnificence of God’s nature.

On Sabbath we took an excursion to Arches National Park, and the sophomores really enjoyed hiking to Delicate Arch as well as seeing the fascinating places the Park had to offer. After walking and hiking all day in the hot sun, some of us took part in a hilarious mud war on the river bank to cool down which made the day all the more fun!

Overall, the trip to Moab was a really good time for the class. “I learned that you shouldn’t be in your room all day on your phone,” says Milka Mendoza. “While I was in Moab, being able to just talk to my friends and enjoy God’s nature was way more fun than being indoors all the time. At first, it may be hard to get used to, but it’s definitely worth it because you make some amazing memories with your friends. Even though our class is already close, getting to spend time in God’s creation, and making lifelong memories with classmates and sponsors brought us all even closer. Moab was definitely a highlight of sophomore year!”

Article by Samantha Hodges, Sophomore, Guest Contributor
Photos by Cindy Santana