Life Abroad @ Valor ~ Hiking for Redirection in Life

One of my several roles as Dean of Students here at Valor calls upon me to provide encouragement and redirection for our Scholars who are temporally-challenged (i.e. excessively tardy to class or absent unexcused most often due to over-sleeping).  Aren't we all a bit temporally-challenged on any given day? 

My predecessor in this role, Mr. Alan Linenberger, had devised a pattern of redirection for various violations of school rules, and I have, rather than re-inventing the wheel, chosen to adopt his very wise guidance.  

So, early this morning at 6:50 am, I awaited the arrival of 14 of our Valor Scholars, and three willing staff members who volunteered to join me on this peregrination. The staff volunteers included our Head of School, Mr. Jeffry Ahn, his Administrative Assistant, Ms. Eunji Kim, and my colleague and fellow Bruderhof housemate, Mr. Indy Jung, our first "Redirection Hike" up the mountain to the deer park located just above the Shire.  

Sadly, though, only six of the 14 I had "invited" actually joined this morning.  The remaining eight will now be required to join Mr. Jung and me on our early Saturday morning expedition that will last for nearly 2 hours.  This morning's hike was a mere 45 minutes in duration.  We departed from campus shortly after 7 am and started our ascent.  At the midway point, we paused to enjoy the spectacular view of the valley below Bibongsan, the mountain where Valor resides.

When we reached the summit of our climb, we were welcomed by the old buck who is the leader of the herd kept in the deer park.  We offered him some fresh green chestnut tree leaves and he graciously accepted to the astonishment of the students none of whom had ever been that close to a buck deer with a 12-point rack!

Following our encounter with the big buck and his herd of does and fawns, we began our descent.  A few of our number found the hike just a bit too wearying and so found a comfortable place of rest along the way, at least for a few minutes.

The path downward proved to be much easier that the trek upward.  We followed a familiar trail and quickly arrived back into campus just in time for the students to enjoy breakfast at the cafeteria. 

I trust that this first "Redirection Hike" has been a helpful lesson learned for each of our Scholars.  Now, they should be more motivated to be on-time to their classes, unless, of course, they enjoyed the morning's hike more than they expected and now might even be a volunteer on our next expedition this coming Saturday morning for those who missed the call to "follow me" today!

Deuteronomy 6:7 - You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 10:12 - “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Ephesians 5:2 - And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 - Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.