By Benjamin Reed. Pubished on Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Designed for adult MKs (Missionary Kids) seeking a deep encounter with God amidst the beauty of the Canadian back country wilderness, Wilderness ReBoot is a co-ed retreat for MKs ages 21-35 willing to be challenged physically and spiritually, while deepening their relationship with God by seeking His direction in their lives.
My purpose of doing the Wilderness Reboot retreat is found in Acts 14:22 “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”.
I firmly believe that young adults who have grown up overseas have amazing gifts and abilities that we, the older generation, need urgently.
Strengthen the souls of disciples
At Wilderness ReBoot, we intentionally abandon screens and the internet and leave behind the noise of our culture for one week. We practice entering quiet to wrestle with our addiction to busyness as we spend time in the Kananaskis mountains southwest of Calgary.
Our souls’ hunger for beauty leads us to the wilderness; the beautiful mountains, sky, trees, rivers, and flowers connect with our souls that are nourished by beauty. Riding horses, canoeing, hiking, and rappelling (led by Blue Bronna Wilderness camp staff) helps us experience the mountains up close.
We invite young adults (ages 21-early thirties) who have grown up overseas to be reminded that we are not alone. There are many who share similar but different experiences. We are not created to be an “island.”
Encourage in the faith
At Wilderness ReBoot, we provide materials, a journal, and short devotionals every morning on solitude with God. We practice solitude around the camp, and we respect everyone’s individuality as they practice solitude - whether through poetry; song; sketching; singing; the need to rest/sleep; prayer; journaling, or sitting by the river and listening to the water.
We welcome honest, hard questions. We have had people who are actively seeking God, and those who aren’t. I don’t believe hard questions disqualify us from the journey of faith.
We teach how to lament. Lament is an ancient prayer form in the church where the people of God intentionally express their pain, grief and sorrow to God who welcomes them as they are.
Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God
Sharing stories is a key part of the Wilderness ReBoot experience. We ask everyone (staff included) to come prepared to share part of their story (20 minutes) around the campfire. No one is forced to share anything they are not comfortable to share. The group participates in listening actively to the one sharing by doing three things:
- We reflect on what we heard, to make sure we heard correctly.
- We share what moved our emotions as we listened.
- Then the group prays (silent) prayers of blessing for the one who shared.
We respect the stories that are shared by covenanting to guard each other but agreeing to not share anybody else’s story. I take this very seriously. No one has permission to share another’s story.
An Invitation
Every time we have run Wilderness ReBoot, the retreat has been an amazing encouragement to me, and I feel so honored to invest in the next generation of leaders. Thank you for your prayers. We trust God 100% every year.
Are you an adult MK (Missionary Kid) or TCK (Third Cuture Kid) between the ages of 21-35 who grew up overseas? Or do you know an adult MK or TCK who would be interested in attending?
You can find more information, and links to register here: Wilderness ReBoot 2023
A Sneak Peak
Here are a couple videos to give you an inside look at Wilderness ReBoot…
Wilderness ReBoot 2022 Highlights
Wilderness ReBoot: Chara’s Story
Benjamin Reed is the Program Director for Wilderness ReBoot. Benjamin and his wife, Marlene, have been in missionary life for 30+ years, serving in Kyrgyzstan and Canada. Currently, Ben serves as a care worker with the MORE Network, in the areas of spiritual direction and pastoral care within the overseas worker community, prayer ministry, and re-entry debriefing. Ben speaks two languages of Central Asia, plays the Komuz, and loves cultural music and learning about world culture. He also loves hiking in the great outdoors, running, swimming and biking. Ben and Marlene have been married for 30+ years, have three adult children, and are enjoying being first time grandparents.
