An average day at Senior Survival included many new, exciting experiences, but one day stood out above the rest. It was the day of friendship, the day of faith, the day of trust. Seniors had to mount a log about six feet off the ground, turn their backs on fear, and fall into the arms of their peers.

“When I was standing on the ground, it was easy to judge the people falling and think they were wimpy for being afraid and hesitant, but when I got up there and looked down at the skinny, little arms that were meant to catch me from crashing to the ground, it really was scary,” admits Emily Smith. “What made me decide to fall? I looked at their faces, not their arms. When I concentrated on the fact that these were the people that I love and who, I assume, love me, fear was no issue.”

Several seniors readily acknowledged the fact that if the trust fall had taken place at the beginning of the week, they wouldn’t have participated. The preceding activities built the loyalty and faith needed.

“It was awesome to see everyone in my group mature from the first day to the last,” remembers Nate Barrett. “We started off arguing and getting angry and ended taking turns and working together for the success of the group as a whole.”