The BSU took about 40 students on the Winter Retreat. We drove over to Pelham, AL (Birmingham area) and stayed in cabins in the Oak Mountain State Park. We had so much fun studying the Word together by answering the “tough” questions. Bethani Thomas, Chelsey Bennett, Wil England, and Tucker Ward lead us in worship with song. Then, Ben Maddox, Heidi Cheatham, and Karen Maddox lead us in studying the Scripture together. We then broke up into small groups and dug deeper into shaping our lives to be like Christ. On Saturday, we hiked up to a waterfall in the State Park, where we enjoyed quite the exercise, fellowship, and a beautiful view. Saturday we also went to the Galleria Mall for dinner and, afterwards, played broomball right next to the SEC hockey tournament. Broomball was an aggressive, hilarious, and icy game that we all enjoyed playing and watching! Sunday we wrapped up our sessions and headed back home. Here are a few testimonies of students that attended and really enjoyed this Winter Retreat!
Abbie Li
Abbie loved the retreat! She said, “The broom ball is my favorite part,” and “except the people I knew before, I met about 10-15 new friends this weekend!”
Alston Bozeman
“I enjoyed being in the cabins and the state park. I liked the hike, broomball, and my small group sessions. I was able to meet at least five new people. The only complaint was a lack of cell service, but I also liked that because I wouldn’t even know if someone texted me. There were less distractions that way.”
Olivia Koonce
“I really like how it’s such a community centered retreat. You’re working together with people you don’t necessarily know well to get things done, cooking, cleaning, even helping each other up the mountain. Broomball is always fun. I really like it because just about every activity through the weekend gives you a change to bond and get to know one another better.”
Julia Champagne
My experience was fantastic! I had the BEST time playing games Friday night! The energy from some of the guys was amazing! It felt like a huge family playing together! The worship was powerful! I also enjoyed how the sessions covered some relatively common questions among college students. I learned to look at stories I’ve read before in a new light. Over all it was a fantastic experience! I love the BSU and all the people in it!
Wang Shengce
“I think it was my best weekend in the United States,” and his favorite part was, “Iceball!!!” Wang also thought the “family group was nice and [he] made many friends.” He says “thank you for this winter retreat!”
Mississippi College BSU 