As I settle in to my hotel room here in Littleton on Thursday night, I'm close enough to the end of my training week with Rachel's Challenge that I can begin to reflect on what has been one of the most incredible weeks of my life. Rather than a typical blog post where I try to share some "big idea" or thoughts on a subject, I thought this time I'd simply share a journal of my experiences this week.
Monday
My week began with a 7:30am flight from Pittsburgh to Denver. The skies were clear, and the flight was unbelievably smooth. Arriving in Denver at 8:30am local time, I waited for an hour for my fellow new presenters to arrive, then we headed out the door to our new adventure. The scenery was, as one would expect, gorgeous. Blue skies, mountains, and everything seemed new. The roads, the buildings, the housing developments; you would have a hard time convincing me they weren't all built in the last ten years. We pulled our rented Chevy Impala into the parking lot at Rachel's Challenge just after 11am, and walked expectantly into the 2nd floor office suite. We were
immediately greeted by Sarah, our program director, and by Sandy Scott, Rachel's stepmother and one of the absolute sweetest people I have ever met in my life. They showed us around the office, introduced us to the folks who were there, and brought us to the breakroom where we sat down to enjoy lunch together. Soon we were joined by Darrell Scott, Rachel's father. Darrell is someone I've seen on television, in documentaries, and spoken to through email and skype, but to finally meet him in person was indeed an honor and a privilege. After sharing our backgrounds and getting to know each other a little bit, we settled into the conference room to begin our training.
immediately greeted by Sarah, our program director, and by Sandy Scott, Rachel's stepmother and one of the absolute sweetest people I have ever met in my life. They showed us around the office, introduced us to the folks who were there, and brought us to the breakroom where we sat down to enjoy lunch together. Soon we were joined by Darrell Scott, Rachel's father. Darrell is someone I've seen on television, in documentaries, and spoken to through email and skype, but to finally meet him in person was indeed an honor and a privilege. After sharing our backgrounds and getting to know each other a little bit, we settled into the conference room to begin our training.
Things kicked off with Darrell sharing the history and background of Rachel's Challenge. One of the first things he talked about were the 25 or so children he knows about who are named Rachel or Rachel Joy in honor of his daughter. He shared two photos of one of those little girls, sent to him back in 2005. They were of my daughter Rachel Joy. I had forgotten I'd sent him those photos, but he had not. Needless to say I was touched and blown away by the gesture. Darrell went on to give us an incredible history of what I can only describe as a succession of big-time "God moments" which led to Rachel's Challenge becoming the organization it is today. It would be one of the themes, for me, that defined the week: God was in no way surprised by the events at Columbine on April 20, 1999, and He had in fact been preparing the way for something amazing and beautiful to grow out of the midst of unimaginable tragedy and sorrow. That is of course my own interpretation of things, but I believe anyone seeing and hearing what I was able to experience this week who believes in God would likely say the same.
After Darrell shared with us we spent some time getting to know our "tech bag" which contains all of our multimedia tools for the presentations, then headed out for a great dinner at a local sports bar. The food was incredible, and the very comfortable bed back at the hotel was most welcome at the end of a very long but meaningful day.
Tuesday
Tuesday was a day I will never forget. The day started bright an early with a 7:45am visit to Starbucks before heading to the RC office to begin training at 8:30am. We took turns presenting "Rachel's Challenge" - the main assembly presentation we do for 7-12 graders, and guess who got to go first? Yep, it was me. After our presentations and a break for lunch, the team of coaches offered feedback, critique, and very helpful advice on how to improve on what we said and how we said it. I can't say enough about our coaches. They are so professional, so talented, and so passionate about what they do. They challenged us and pushed us in ways I couldn't have imagined, so we can share Rachel's story with passion and excellence. I am a better speaker and a better person because of their input into my life this week. After working hard at improving our presentations in the afternoon, and taking photos for our profiles on the RC website, we prepared for what I knew would be an emotional evening with Darrell and Sandy Scott. 
We loaded up in a couple vehicles and I followed the Scotts to Clement Park, adjacent to Columbine High School and home to the Columbine Memorial. Central to the memorial are large sections dedicated to each of the thirteen precious, innocent lives taken in the tragedy. Darrell walked us around to each of them, sharing stories about each of them: Rachel, Danny, Dave, Cassie, Lauren, John, Kyle, Steven, Corey, Kelly, Isaiah, Matt, and Daniel. It was a beautiful and moving tribute, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed some tears. We spent some time reading the tributes and reflecting together before making our way over to the school.
Columbine High School is something that until this night I'd only known from television images and from photos on the internet. Having known so much about the tragedy over the years, it was an overwhelming experience to walk on what I consider to be sacred ground. The sense of the evil and profound sadness that had taken place there was very real, but so was the reminder that what had been intended for evil has since been used for a great good which has touched millions of lives. Standing near the spot where Rachel closed her eyes to this world and stepped into eternity was a difficult experience, but one I am grateful to have shared with my new family at Rachel's Challenge. 
From Columbine High School we headed to Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens where Rachel, Corey, and teacher Dave Sanders are buried. Also located there are 13 black marble crosses with the victims' images and 13 trees planted by a school in New York. Here, Darrell asked us to take some time in silence to consider the events which took these precious lives, and the meaning of what it is we will be doing by sharing Rachel's story. After taking some time to reflect, I shared with Darrell and Sandy the notes given to me by my Rachel and Caleb to place at Rachel's grave. Rachel's said "I accept Rachel's challenge" then listed the five challenges and ended with her name: Rachel Joy Mowery. Caleb's was simply a drawing of Rachel Joy Scott in heaven. Darrell placed the papers under a rock on Rachel's grave marker. From there we headed to the Elephant Bar (a restaurant) for a very enjoyable dinner with the Scotts.
If there's one thing I will take away from that evening and from this week, it's that the important story is not how Rachel died, but how she lived. That is the story that Rachel's Challenge exists to tell, that is the story that we can all learn so much from. Yes, Rachel's death was the catalyst that brought her story to the world, but it's the story of her life that is changing countless lives around the globe.Wednesday
Wednesday was another full day of working on our skills as presenters, learning more about our roles in communicating Rachel's story, and getting to know the materials and resources we provide to schools. Mike Scott (Rachel's brother and a really fun guy) is in charge of equipment and materials, and took us through some of those materials. He also let us pick out some shirts to take with us on the road. After enjoying a delicious lunch of Chick-Fil-A (yes!), and enjoying some goofing off time (I have some very entertaining videos of us dancing like idiots that I've promised not to share) we spent the afternoon getting to know some of the other programs we will be presenting.
We finished up early so we could head back to the hotel and get ready for an evening picnic with our RC family. As we drove through Denver area traffic (for my Ohio friends, think Boardman at Christmas, only everywhere), it began to rain. The rain continued as we made our way to the park (one of many expansive, beautiful parks in the Littleton area), with lightning over the mountains in the distance.
.jpg) |
| with Rachel's brother Craig |
Beyond meeting Craig, as well as many other members of the Rachel's Challenge family, we also got the chance to spend some time getting to know Rachel's big sister Bethanee and her family. Bethanee and her husband Don were married less than two years before Rachel's death, and as you can imagine, losing a sister was devastating. She shared with us her experiences in the first few years after Columbine, which gave us some further insight into what the family has endured, but also help me further see how God has been at work in their lives. Every member of Rachel's family I got to know this week was incredibly kind and treated me as though I were part of the family.
The plan had been to play some beach volleyball, but a group of guys got to the court first, so we just spent time talking and enjoying each other's company before heading back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep.
 |
| Rachel's sister Bethanee and brother Mike |
Thursday
Our final full day of training consisted of further honing our skills as presenters, as well as learning and practicing the elementary program. This meant we got to pretend to be elementary kids, and then rehearse talking to each other as elementary kids. Like many of the workshops we did, it was a time for stretching us and getting us out of our comfort zones. I know I said it once before, but again I can't say enough good things about our coaches. These are men and women who are passionate about Rachel's story, and about telling that story with excellence. They challenged us, encouraged us, and taught us so much. We also had a whole lot of fun in the process. To say I am honored to be a part of this organization is an understatement.
We wrapped up Thursday and had a rare evening with no plans, so we headed back to our hotel to enjoy dinner and a quiet evening to ourselves.
Friday
 |
| With Darrell and Sandy Scott |
Looking ahead to the fall, my first month already includes visits to schools in Ohio, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. I am so incredibly excited, so unbelievably honored to be doing something I'm so passionate about. I also realize more and more how much this isn't about me. It's about Rachel. It's about her story. It's about how she treated people: with kindness and compassion. It's about challenging everyone we meet to treat people that way. Everyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about Rachel's story, and I can honestly say that passion has only grown after getting to know Rachel's family and the amazing people at Rachel's Challenge.
Comments
Post a Comment