Ecola Bible School is a small post high school Bible school located in Cannon Beach, OR, which is on the northern coast of the beautiful state of Oregon, where I grew up. I first heard about Ecola in 4th grade when my teacher, Mr. Wood, told us that he had attended there. I was again exposed to the school in high school when my some of my camp counselors at high school summer camp had gone there. Finally, my pastor's daughter Allison Fletcher went after high school as well. After that, I visited a couple times, where I attended one of Darrin Ratcliff's 'Life of David' classes, and on the second trip, was exposed to the 'Personal Disciplemaking' classes. After these two trips, I was sold.
In October of 2010, I started my 7 month adventure at Ecola. The first thing I remember about that first day was meeting Josh Duff, who knew me, where I'd come from, and what I liked to do, right off the top of his head. That blew my mind. Then after registration, I went up to my dorm. I was in Ad Dorm 6 with Keith Mast, an awesome guy from Pennsylvania. We went around the campus trying to meet people and ended up at Anchorage Dorm, where I met Kirill Gillis, a homie from LA. Soon we made it to the rec room, where I met my first female, Jordan Preston, who was awesome! That night, I remember going to the welcoming time and sticking close with my new roommate and these two guys from Montana named David Hughes and Kent Weaver, who I thought were completely awesome and I knew that I wanted to be their friend. After that awkward ceremony, a bunch of us gathered in the parking lot to get to know each other. This group became 'The Circle Group', which slowly went away as the weeks went because people would find their niches. The 'Circle' was where I met Eliza Sang and Jessica Reif, two awesome girls I would remain friends with until now.
Ad Dorm would become a very close group. I soon was friends with David and Kent, and became friends with a guy down the hall named Benton Trerise. David, Benton, and I would be a tight group throughout the year, as well as in the future (as in now).
The classes at Ecola are life changing, and the growth you experience is driven by the fact that everyone around you in growing too. It's a greenhouse for spiritual growth, as you are protected from the outside world as you are there. Spending 4 1/2 hours in a classroom a day learning about God! There's no other experience like it! And getting two new teachers every week made the perspectives on God and His Word so great! They say 7 months at Ecola is like sitting through 20 YEARS of sermons in church. 20 YEARS!!! :)
First term for me was the term that God started to work on me, showing me the places I needed to change. The second term was blissful. Everything I wanted. Third term was the term that God took that bliss away from me and broke me, which I am so thankful for!
When I went to write this, I was hoping to cover Ecola. But I can't. What I have written here doesn't even scratch the surface. I didn't even get to Tim Meyers, Zach Ricks, Baylee Hofman, David Spencer, Matt Gunderson, Nikki Parsons, Danielle Johnson, Kylie Marble, Cameron Nohl, Jessica Brooks, and so many others, not to mention my Ecola Team, Matt White, Katie White, Rhianna Moriarty, and Lisa Matz, all of whom I didn't know when I met them! It is stunning to think back on all of what has happened in the last year and a half. I am a completely different person than I was when I started 14 months ago, and am even a different person from who I was when I left this place 4 months ago. I wish I could just write everything down for you, so that you may understand what I am talking about, but I can't. I wish I could get it all back, yes. I do. But I also realize that God is working in me to prepare me for whatever future He has planned for me.
I have many ghosts in this little town of Cannon Beach. Every important thing and almost every important person that has altered and set into motion the course of my life at present happened here. I walk around and the ghosts of amazing memories are everywhere all the time, which is bittersweet.
I can't wait to be reunited with my friends, all together in one place. How I long to hold everyone's hands as we stride into the New Jerusalem when Christ returns! Until then, my brothers and sisters, keep fighting the good fight, keep running the race, striving to love God more and more with each breath.
Revelation 22:20- "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes I am coming soon.' Amen. Come Lord Jesus."
Throughout these past 10 years, and multiple deployments. In the midst of utter isolation and uncertainty I’ve always thought back to my moments at Ecola with ghosts of the past wondering hoping that everyone is safe and doing okay. Oorahh and Semper Fidellis
ReplyDeleteKi Gillis