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The Team Building Retreat was a great time to get out in God’s beautiful creation, to make new friends, to strengthen existing friendships, to learn to work together as a House, to set personal goals for Bible reading and prayer, and to fellowship with classmates.
After a brief orientation, the Houses went to their first activity of the day. Sapientia experienced the thrills of the High Ropes course, while Audacia sharpened their teamwork skills on the Low Ropes course.
Fides circled up to have their first official House meeting of the year that included some time to get to know each other better, leadership games, and Captain/Prefect led activities – a game of “signs” and celebrities.
Their time ended with a special birthday surprise for Mr. Leland. As a gift traveled around the circle, each student shared a birthday wish or something they were thankful for in having Mr. Leland as an adviser, teacher, and mentor.
After lunch and some free time playing gaga ball, Sapientia worked on their listening and teamwork skills with the Low Ropes Course, and it was Fides’ turn on the High Ropes.
Audacia opened their first House meeting with an ice breaker and the “who’s the leader” game. Then their Captain and Prefects led the house in a game involving numbers, another one with partners, and lastly the mind bending “4 on a couch/bench” game.
During the House meetings, each house also participated in a teamwork game called “Peel the Snake!” Lots of laughter was had by ALL!
At the end of the meeting, the house members had to go around the circle and say each member’s name quickly. If anyone messed up, then they got a face full of pie! 
Mid-afternoon brought the first official House Competition of the year! The theme was a Warrior Relay, with each house dividing its members into Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. First the “ground forces” aka Army had to army crawl through the sand volleyball court collecting ping pong balls with their house color on them.
Then the “Army” jumped on the backs of the members of the “Air Force” with their hands full of ping pong balls for a piggy back ride around the lake to meet up with their “Navy” members (the House Captain and two House Prefects) in a canoe.
At the canoes, the balls were placed in specially marked buckets, and if they had enough balls to fill the bucket their “Navy” members were allowed to leave the shore. Fides’ “Navy” got off to a quick start with Sapientia close behind.
Sapientia had to turn back because their “Navy” left the shore without their bucket. One of their “Air Force” members ended up diving in the water and swimming the bucket out to their boat.
Unfortunately the Audacia “Navy” capsized their canoe losing several of the balls from their bucket. But House Prefect, Braeden, took matters into his own hands and swam their bucket the length of lake to the “Marines.”
Arriving first to the shore to pass their bucket of balls to their “Marines” was Fides followed closely behind by Sapientia.
The “Marines” had the dirty job of using sponges to fill their bucket with lake water until all the balls overflowed over the sides of the bucket.
Fides came in first place (30 points), with Sapientia in 2nd place (20 points) and Audacia persevering to a respectable 3rd place finish (10 points).
No sore losers in this crowd! All smiles despite spending more time swimming in the lake rather than paddling!
After the House Competition it was free time for everyone! Many spent their time in the lake, while others worked on music for the worship time at evening.
After dinner their was an evening session led by Lenny Stallings, followed by an Armor time, a camp fire, s’mores, and a game of capture the flag!
The next morning after breakfast Fides went to the Low Ropes course and Audacia to the High Ropes course.
It was now Sapientia’s turn for some House games and meeting. Their Captain and Prefects led them in a “human knot” game, Simon Says, and the “signs” game.
They also worked as a team to “skin the snake.” Because they had all been together and worked hard as a team the day before, they were all pros on the “name game.
However Sapientia’s newest Advisor, Mr. Morton, struggled on one name and therefore took a pie in the face, lovingly administered by House Captain Sam!
After lunch there was one more teaching session and Armor time before packing up and returning to school.
A great time was had by all!