The top ten memories of the Fall Retreat as told by the people who have been there. In another sense, these may be the top ten reasons why you should attend the fall retreat Oct. 3-4 at Cedar Crest Camp in Mexico, MO.

No. 7: Speakers (read our interview with this year’s speaker, Neil Kring)

“Each year the speaker has been amazing! A cool aspect is the fact that the speakers always give their best and most powerful talks, so they are always really impactful and creative messages. Last year, our speaker, Noel, was really impactful to me because each of the talks he gave related to a person in history. I really love history, and this wasn’t just a boring history lesson, it was really powerful to see how he used real life stories to help us learn about Jesus and relate on a more personal level. It is cool to see how much we can learn from other people’s stories!”

- Cassie Clooten (4 retreats)

“I’ve always remembered speakers as spiritual leaders who join us for the weekend, not as a guy who we only interacted with at the talks, but someone who was there to share life with us. Eating with the group at meals, and hanging out with everyone in the evenings around a campfire, or whatever we end up doing. I love being able to hang out with the guy who comes to share life with us and that’s very much what happens. We get to see his life in action.”

- Jeff Huhman (4 retreats)

What recommendations do you have to combat cold and drowsiness during the talks?

1. A heart desiring to hear from God. If you truly want to hear what the Lord has to teach you during this retreat, it will be much easier to stay alert! 2. Get at least “some” sleep – have fun, but do go to bed in time to get a few hours of decent sleep. 3. Plan for the weather – each year it changes, plan for the possibility of cold or raining weather – bring a sweatshirt, jacket, etc. 4. Get up in time to eat breakfast!! And have some coffee if you need it!

- Cassie Clooten