By
Wesley DeLaughter
After
ten hours of winding roads, exhausting travel, and buses breaking down on the
side of mountains, the dorm students finally arrived in the Cameron Highlands
on 12 November, Saturday, for their dorm retreat.
That
morning, all three dorms had boarded the bus with high spirits, excited for a
weekend that promised to be fun, bonding, and educational for them. Aside from
the slightly bumpy start, it was just as promised. Together the dorm students
played games, laughed, and enjoyed life as a dorm family away from the stress
of school.
Away
from Dalat, up in the mountains, stress was not the only thing that dropped. At
62 degrees, the cooler temperature proved to be a shock to those who had
adjusted to the tropical island of Penang. It was a blessing to some and a
burden to others. The words “I’m freezing” were forced out by Madaline Rude
(12) through chattering teeth as Jack Cura (9) ran past her to receive a
football thrown by his father, Jackson dorm dad Tom Cura. Sweaters and hot
cocoa were as common a sight as shorts and strawberry milkshakes.
Up
in the Highlands, the food and drinks were very different from Penang.
Strawberries, a product Cameron Highlands is known for, were the clear
favorites of the dorm students, with many of them buying boxes fresh off the
farm. The strawberry shortcake prepared by the dorm parents worked like a charm
to calm the grumpy mass of students. Right after this was the first session
with Mr. Beau Abdulla, who had come along to present a difficult topic to the
students.
Mr.
Abdulla spoke on Sex, Relationships, and Intimacy, topics that are not very
well addressed today in our community. One of the points of his talk was that
our sexuality is not something to be ashamed of but is something that we are to
be careful of. The difference between God’s view of sex and Culture’s view of
sex was another significant point that was touched on.
On
the last night, the students came together one last time in the Highlands to
show their talents in the annual dorm Talent Show. Singing, dancing, jokes, and
laughter rang throughout the chapel that served as our conference room. Caleb
Jun’s (8) performance received an explosion of applause. The other students
reacted with surprise to his angelic singing voice accompanied by his sister,
Julia Jun (12), and her guitar skills. The reactions varied from clapping to
joking outbursts such as “MARRY ME!” from students, including Daniel Choi (11) and
Isaiah DeLaughter (10).
The
next morning the dorm students boarded the bus, packed their bags, and took
with them the last of the strawberries they had been devouring throughout the
weekend. With a bittersweet goodbye, the bus took off down the mountain road to
leave behind the Cameron Highlands. Returning to Penang, the students were
tired and relaxed after a much needed weekend break. Getting off the bus at
Dalat, the students returned to the dorm, reminiscing about their weekend
adventure in the Highlands.
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