Hi! I'm Alice and a ton of you probably don't know me because I haven't been to a ton of retreats partly because I live so far away from where they happen. I have lived in Olympia Washington (yes that's relatively near Seattle) my entire life and have been to Almont summer camp every other summer since I was five. This last winter I also attended Almont winter retreat which was great! Olympia is a pretty great town with a lot of local and youth theater. I spend most of my time doing homework (pretty lame huh) and hanging out in my house with my cats and reading and playing piano and, oh yeah, homework ;). When I have free time I enjoy playing frisbee and doing other various activities with my friends. Today I am going bowling with them (since I learned how at winter retreat) and then watching Star Wars movies. I also enjoy singing and learning French!
Downtown Olympia
The most exiting thing I've done recently is without a doubt my trip to France over spring break. This trip was with Kids in Koncert which is a youth choir in Olympia that is connected with the summer theater program I have been involved with every summer since I was five. This year, the choir was made up of kids ages 9-19 and everything in between. This video is of my choir and I singing at our final concert (the only one in Paris). You are probably wondering why you can't understand what we are singing. That is because it's in French. However, you might recognize the song because it is from the musical Les Misérables which was originally a french musical but was made popular when it was produced in English in London. It has since been translated back into French and a ton of other languages and is one of my personal favorites.
Most of our time in France was spent in Rodez, a small town in southern France (6 out of 7 days) and I had an amazing time. All of the kids stayed with host families which was amazing and the parents who came along stayed in a hotel. I was sorry to come home but we eat a lot more cheese now...
Now I'm busy finishing up my sophomore year in high school and am exited for summer when I will, among other things, be performing in The Sound of Music, learning to drive, going river rafting with some friends, and visiting my half brother, his wife and their 1 year old son in Nevada.
Hi! I'm Alice and a ton of you probably don't know me because I haven't been to a ton of retreats partly because I live so far away from where they happen. I have lived in Olympia Washington (yes that's relatively near Seattle) my entire life and have been to Almont summer camp every other summer since I was five. This last winter I also attended Almont winter retreat which was great! Olympia is a pretty great town with a lot of local and youth theater. I spend most of my time doing homework (pretty lame huh) and hanging out in my house with my cats and reading and playing piano and, oh yeah, homework ;). When I have free time I enjoy playing frisbee and doing other various activities with my friends. Today I am going bowling with them (since I learned how at winter retreat) and then watching Star Wars movies. I also enjoy singing and learning French!
There was heaven and hell at this retreat and it was amazing. Those of you who were there, know all about this. Those of you who weren't, well, you will soon see why! The teens made a movie. Making a movie might have been one of the coolest things we've ever done at a retreat. Instead of our usual sessions, teens worked together to created an original story that reflected an aspect of our Swedenborgian faith. Then they set up and filmed scenes. I know that some teens may not have been into it as much as others, and that some people may have missed our regular sessions; but, I think this was one of the most creatively exciting things the SCYL has done in a long time. The main movie theme that the teens worked on centered around love and relationships (including same sex and harmful), and how the decisions you make here on earth effect your future soul after you die.
r, played by Nina, reflects on her past in her diary as she nears the end of her life. Scenes dramatize characters here on earth who later die and reappear in the afterlife. The scene of the ladies in hell definitely creeped me out. Adults may find the movie edgy and controversial. Some in the church may even find it a touch offensive, but it does represent the best of heaven and the worst of hell (both here on earth and in the next life). It is deeply personal, emotionally charged, and it reflects how teenagers look at, struggle with and vision relationships. Most importantly, it is uniquely teen and is not something that adults created or coerced. Teen energy and life force drove the production and it shows. I also think everyone gained some spiritual insight into the nature of heaven and hell. For me, this retreat helped me remember how real and seductively dangerous demons and hellish influences can be. The decision to choose hell over heaven is very tempting and the teens did an amazing job depicting this in their movie.
