From Indiana to the Rockies: Wesley in Colorado

By Mina W., Junior

Colorado! Our trip started early on

New Years Day when we departed

from Wesley. Eight hours and a handful of stops later, we arrived in Lawrence, Kansas at First United Methodist Church. There, we enjoyed the church’s playground and walked a short trail to stretch our legs. After getting some dinner, we had a devotional time and went to sleep for

the night. The next morning, we continued our drive to Colorado with some memorable stops along the way including at a gas station with a Dinosaur statue and what some alumni of the trip lovingly refer to as the “halfway Dairy Queen”.

At last, we arrived at the cabin safely and were greeted by Glen, Wen, and TJ, who had prepared dinner! Wen and TJ had flown in the day before and

had spent time with Glen, enjoying the cabin and going on a hike in the snow!

​The next day, we enjoyed the sunrise and experienced the mountains coming alive from the cabin deck. Later on, we traveled to Golden Gate Canyon State Park and took many photos at Panorama Point. Glen was kind enough to point out all of the many mountains to us. Then, we took a short hike around in the park, stopping here and there for pictures and some snacks. After our hike, we returned to the cabin and ate lunch. A handful of students decided to go on a second hike in the late afternoon and climbed Mt. Thorodin. They only got a little lost on the way back down the mountain, before safely returning to the cabin. Those who chose to remain at the cabin relaxed, and some even played cabin putt-putt with croquet balls and mallets.

“Climbing Mt. Thorodin was an unforgettable experience for me. I was the slowest person in the group, but there was always someone behind me making sure I was safe, which made me feel deeply supported and encouraged. Reaching the summit and seeing the breathtaking views made all the effort worthwhile.” - Yizhuo Liu

The second full day in Colorado was busy. We started the morning with a church service in the nearby town of Nederland. During the service, several students sang “We Three Kings” alongside the church’s men’s choir. After church, we spent some time in Nederland looking through the various shops before heading to Boulder. On the way to Boulder, we made a couple of stops. The first was at Castle Rock, where we admired the views, took some pictures, and explored. Our second stop was at Red Rocks, where we hiked in the unseasonably warm weather and had a blast climbing up onto some of the rocks. We continued on into Boulder and spent our time shopping before we went to dinner hosted by some alumni at their house. We ate great Sri Lankan food and finished the night out with some games.

Due to a lack of snow at the ski resorts, we had to do some last-minute reworking of the itinerary. We pushed skiing back a day and added in a snowy hike up to Crater Lake along the continental divide. Many snowball fights ensued on the way up, and we gleefully slid most of the way back down. The following day was ski day. Some ventured to Devil’s Thumb Ski Ranch to cross-country ski, and the others went to Loveland Ski Resort to downhill ski. I took the opportunity to enjoy a cabin day and relax.

“Despite this being my third year going on the Colorado trip, this is my first year downhill skiing. I was too nervous to do it my first two years but my friends convinced me to do it this year and I’m so glad they did! It was a lot of fun and although I fell down a lot, I also learned a lot and I’m excited to go skiing again soon if I have the chance.” - Samuel Piper

“I was able to do cross-country skiing during the Colorado trip. The scenery was beautiful, it was a good workout, and trying not to fall down the mini slopes was a lot of fun. In general, this trip was amazing!” - Pablo Camacho 

Our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park was a fan favorite. We left the cabin early in the morning in hopes of spotting some wildlife on the way to the park. We stopped briefly at the YMCA of the Rockies for a morning devotional. After arriving at the park, we caught a brief film about the park’s history and bought some souvenirs at the gift shop. We had a lovely lunch picnic before finally hitting the trails. Our group hiked from Glacier Gorge up to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and finally Emerald Lake. We had a blast taking pictures and sliding chunks of ice across the smooth frozen surface of the lake. On our way back to the vans, some of us took a brief detour to visit Bear Lake. For dinner, we split into two groups, with one enjoying Nepali-Indian food and the other going to the local Thai restaurant.

Our final full day in Colorado was relaxing yet fun. In the morning, some chose to attend a service project in Denver, working with a transitional housing center. Another group helped with a local service project in Nederland, helping deliver firewood to residents in need. One such resident was kind enough to gift us some delicious banana bread. The remaining students spent time getting some well-needed rest at the cabin. In the afternoon, we drove back into Nederland and experienced the carousel of happiness. Our evening was spent playing card games and eating food at a local brewery.

“The service project we did in Colorado was incredibly impactful, as we get to use our youthfulness to truly impact the lives of people in the community” - David Claudy.

“Seeing how the transitional housing service project in Colorado uplifts those in need truly inspired me. Spending the day painting and serving reminded me that doing good for others fills our hearts with genuine joy, and I’m grateful to have been part of it.” - Keerthana Unni. 

Before officially hitting the road home, we stopped at Glen’s brother’s house and enjoyed some homemade cookies and other treats. There, we said farewell to those flying back home and began the journey back to Indiana. We stayed the night at St. Luke UMC in Lincoln, Nebraska and were provided dinner by pastor Ivan. We played a few rounds of sardines before going to sleep. The next day, Glen’s parents treated us to lunch at Pizza Ranch in Iowa City. We all shared highlights of the trip with Jim and Jan (aka Grammy and Gramps). Finally, we arrived back home again in Indiana feeling tired, yet spiritually fulfilled.