youth minister called me ] R, and said, it's game ti 80 people 1 son "I would have tosaythat Mount French is my favorite mountain," junior John Riley Wi Ison said. "It has the least amount of people on it. It's so secluded." Not many students could name their favorite mountain, or even climb one. But for Wilson, climbing mountains was a summer job. Wilson worked as a guide for the past two summers at Wilderness Trek, a Church of Christ-based wilderness camp that took youth groups and other groups hiking for a week at a time. AtTrek, two guides were in charge of leading teens and adults of varying ages up 14,000-foot moWltains in Colorado, while simultaneously offering..tjlem an enriching experience to grow closer to @~d . For Wilson, those mountaintop experiences began with a simple phone call. -:. ,'" "My youth minister called me and said, ·~, it's game time,"' Wilson said, "and after talking with him about what it was, I knew this was about to be the coolest job ever." Wilson first joined Trek the summer of 2009. "The f1rst summer was more of a mystery; I didn't have a clue what Iwas getting into," Wilson said. "The second summer was an opportunity to really step up and be a leader and take charge of our trips." Wilson qualified as a guide leader his second summer of work. According to Wilson, developing a good relationship with the other guides was important because they worked so close to one another. Junior Ryan Johnson worked at Wilderness Trek alongside Wilson and came to appreciate Wilson's genuine personality. "I think one of the qualities Iadmire most about JR is his ability to be his 'true self,"' Johnson said. "JR doesn't change who he is for certain people." The team of guides was not only in charge of taking care of each other, but also taking care of the kids they took up the mountain. "The hardest part about this job to me is dealing with certain kids who are scared out of their minds to go any further up the mountain," Wilson said. "But it's also the most fulfilling part because I get to be the one to encourage them that they can do it, and to see them do it is the best feeling ever." According to Johnson, Wilson had a knack for relating to the kids and challenging them at the same time. "On trail, John Riley has the incredible gift of saying what needs to be said," Johnson said. "He always knows when to give encouragement or tough love. I think the kids respect JR because of that." Ultimately, summiting a 14,000-foot peak was nothing compared to the relationships Wilson formed along the way. "AtTrek, I was able to see John Riley's heart and his love for God," Johnson said. "Because of that I have gamed a tremendous amount of respect for him, but also gained an irreplaceable friendship." Caitlin Caldwell
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