TAA High School Challenge: Rooted in Nature, Community, and Faith

The end of August brought heat, humidity, and the kind of Oklahoma stillness that settles over Beavers Bend State Park like a warm blanket. Birds soared overhead, raccoons and armadillos wandered curiously through camp where 31 Tulsa Adventist Academy (TAA) high school students found themselves immersed in five days of nature, challenge, and spiritual growth. The Mountain Fork River lay perfectly smooth—its glassy surface reflecting a full moon and the silhouettes of shale cliffs rising above the water. Beneath that calm mirror, cool currents whispered through hidden rapids.

Adventure, Service, and Community

This year’s High School Challenge included hikes, swimming, canoeing, paddle‑boating, kayaking, tubing, and even an ice‑cream outing in Broken Bow. Students cooked and cleaned together, preparing meals like chilaquiles, pancakes, and fettuccine Alfredo between activities. Despite temperatures reaching 100°F every day, students remained cheerful and enthusiastic.

Horseback riding, kayaking, and shared meals were among the highlights. Students also visited the park’s Nature Center—where snakes made a memorable appearance—and enjoyed a guided tour of the museum, rich with local history.

Our planned community service project—clearing hiking trails—was cut short when the park closed the trails due to heat‑related rescues. Instead, students cleaned a large campsite, discovering all sorts of oddities along the way.

Worship and Testimony

For the first time, TAA had a dedicated camp chaplain: Gabriel Hernandez (“Pastor Gab”), who led thoughtful worships centered on our school theme, “Rooted.” Students also shared impromptu testimonies, speaking honestly about moments when they felt God’s presence—even in times of deep discouragement. Their vulnerability encouraged staff and reminded us why we teach: to help students see Jesus in every part of life.

Sabbath morning was spent with the Antlers Adventist Church, where students led the entire worship service. Pastor Gab preached on the story of Job, and the congregation blessed us with a homemade fellowship meal. We are deeply grateful for their hospitality.

Growing Together

Each year, the campout gives students opportunities to form new friendships and strengthen existing ones. It also shifts the focus of worship toward student leadership—through prayer, music, testimony, and shared spiritual reflection.

Ultimately, a successful campout means students leave inspired by nature, by each other, by their teachers, and most of all, by time spent away from electronics and closer to God.

The High School Challenge reflects TAA’s core belief that we are family, and it fulfills our mission to prepare students for heaven and earth—supporting social, emotional, spiritual, and team‑building growth away from daily routines.

By Caroline A. Fisher, High School English Instructor