Chris and Rachel Thomas Missionaries to Mexico 
As part of our practical skills class, we had the choice to travel to a nearby property to experience the great outdoors on an overnight trip. Carrying all our gear and needed supplies, we hiked in to our location and had to set up camp. Finding a good spot to set up the tent was a challenge because a main portion of the area was rock! 
The group spread out to set up their own shelters and tents, but worked as a group to gather wood for the fire and create a pipe to get water from the spring nearby.
We were able to participate in several different pratical skill activities. A favorite event of the afternoon included killing, skinning, and cooking a goat over the fire. 
It tasted great! As the sun dropped, the cold filtered in. The temperature dropped to the low 20′s that night. The team enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship while spending time around the bonfire.
One of the lessons that we learned from this trip was in regard to keeping the fire going through the night. The fire helped to keep warm, but it seemed like we waited until the fire had died down a great deal before adding more fuel to it. So it would initially get really hot and after a time the cold would start creeping in again. It was not until the cold became unbearable that someone would add more wood to the fire. When we shared this story with our loved ones we made the analogy that sometimes Christians do the same thing in their relationship with God. They perhaps forget to consistently be adding fuel to their relationship with God. It is only when life becomes cold and unbearable without a strong fire-burning relationship with God that they realize the need for more fuel. It is our prayer that we all should be ever mindful to not allow the fire to die down in our lives!
