We moved to Malibu in 2008 b
ecause Gord landed a job in the maintenance department of this up-scale Young Life camp. Let’s be honest, what YL camp isn’t up-scale? Anyway, we arrived in the fall by boat and worked all winter fixing, plumbing, moving furniture, shovelling snow (and there was a lot that year, if you recall) from boardwalks, decks and roofs. The pipes froze, then unfroze with sewage midway, exploding into dorm bathrooms. The on
ly raw sewage I had encountered until that point, other than my own, was my children’s and let me say, that love makes a lot of difference when it comes to sewage.
We worked hard, soaked up the beauty, played around in boats and looked forward to spring when things kicked into high gear.
It became clear sometime in April that a key staff position was as yet unfilled so my dear husband found himself the Challenge Course Manager. For outdoor enthusiasts who love climbing it would have been a dream-come-true. For my acrophobic man, this turn of events was looking like a resignation. I’m proud to say he hung in there and, with the essential help of two amazing interns, set-up, maintained, repaired, tested, and disassembled the course from spring to the end of summer.
Part of the process involved a trip to a YL camp in Oregon for certification. During training, another wife and I were asked to participate so the trainees could practice on us. My part was to climb the Pamper Pole, so named because it is reputed to be terrifying enough that jumpers needed Pampers to stay dry while jumping. The pole stands 50 ft high with a 1 ft by 3 ft platform on top. I was to climb the pole, pull myself into a standing position and jump. The anticipated action went against everything I had been taught about safety, self-preservation and high places.
I jumped, didn’t need Pampers and it was just fine. Glad to be of help. 
Our Malibu experience challenged us in many ways and I would like to say it was good for us. Maybe it was and I just can’t see it yet. It’s difficult to know when you do something unusual, how it will turn out. Often I don’t have a clear sense of the impact until long after the event. Malibu is like that for me. I am beginning to accept it’s something I will never know.
From my Pamper Pole climb and jump I gained a real sense of accomplishment.
Maybe that’s enough.
I enjoyed your comment “…I would like to say it was good for us. Maybe it was and I just can’t see it yet.”
Sounds like there is a lot more that could be told there 🙂
So many times dear friend we make choices and then look back and ask why? I feel the same way about some of the choices I made when I moved schools. My last school was very negative in every way and my new school is positive in more ways than I can count. I guess in the end I have to say maybe I would not appreciate this place I am in now if I hadn’t experienced the past.
Yes, I agree that appreciation blossoms in contrast. As far as I can tell, our experience at camp brought us to a place of utter dependence on God in so many ways. I knew what it meant to be poor in spirit…and that’s been a very good thing.