From Sept. 16 – 19, 33 students participated in Xavier Navigators’ second annual Experience Retreat in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
The students stayed in a cabin from Friday night until Sunday morning to participate in the retreat that focused on community bonding and spending extended time with God.
One way that Navigators addressed these goals was through the Daily Examen, a prayer used to look at one’s daily life; what God has given to a person, what to be thankful for and what to focus upon.
Participants expressed that the retreat is very different than others that have been held by Xavier.
“How often can you come back from a retreat with a newfound sense of community? I met a new group of people this weekend and had fun while better getting to know them and God in some of the most fun ways possible,” freshman Allie Allen said. “The best part was working together with others, whether it is preparing meals or studying scripture. Navs gives you a sense of security about what you say. You can feel confident about yourself, your emotions and your feelings without having to worry about being judged or excluded — I’ve never been able to say that about a retreat before.”
Although the key reason for the retreat was to help people interact with God in meaningful ways, it still provided fun activities for the retreatants..
The retreat grounds included
By jenny mendozA
Staff Writera hot tub, a swimming pool and an outdoor recreation area to play sports.
Football was a huge part of the weekend for the male participants, and prayer was held before each game. After a weekend of prayer, community, food, fun and Bible study, the group headed back to Cincinnati.
“Hopefully next year I will be able to see even more freshmen attend. I’m glad to be a leader and see everyone grow,” sophomore Nakhil Jelaji said.
Molly Boes also contributed to this article