Feature
by Rikki Porter
Jenkins took the ax and said, "Let's have an ax-throwing contest."
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Barfi and SWOT boot camp go hand in hand
Craig Grass tries his hand at ax throwing at the SWOT boot camp. The ax and knife throwing contest was one of the many random activities there.
I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the gym Friday, April 9. I remembered hearing that last semester the group of campers unknowingly ate pig brains. But for better or worse--I was hoping for better--I was going to boot camp.
I thought that boot camp would be a time to relax. I borrowed Beth Coleman's sleeping bag, Ryan Potter's frame pack, as well as my grandparents' tent, planning on just sitting back and relaxing. The weekend, though, was much different than I had envisioned.
SWOT boot camp helped campers learn about different cultures. The free time gave us a chance to have fun and get to know each other. The prayer times, speakers and unusual foods helped us realize how blessed we are in the United States.
After most of the 19 campers arrived at Tollgate Campground on Mt. Hood, Chris, SWOT chairman, brought out his sling shot and the group followed him to the river bank to watch him pelt trees on the other side of the river with stones.
The temperature was in the 30s and 40s all weekend. Peter Jenkins, who later won the Student with Outdoor Tenacity award, built many fires for us. The fire could not take the chill away, and we still shivered.
That night we went to sleep lulled by the sound of the river. But sleep did not come peacefully. I was not the only one who was wakened by the cold.
After a cold night's sleep, we were ready breakfast. Instead of changing clothes, the cold campers just added layers to the clothes that they were already wearing.
While waiting for lunch on Saturday, Jenkins took the ax and said, "Let's have an ax-throwing contest."
About 10 of us headed outside camp where we threw the ax at trees. Chris left and came back with his girka knife. Chris said the Nepali army uses girka knives to slit throats. The knife was a hit and soon the ax and knife-throwing contest had "official" rules and skill levels.
Roanna West planned the Saturday morning activities. We prayed for the persecuted church in countries such as Sudan, North Korea, Kosovo and Yugoslavia, Indonesia and India. We also prayed for Multnomah, for the professors, for the students, and for future students.
The food at boot camp was interesting. Rachel Crowthers cooked foods from India, United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka. But boot camp also created new "ethnic" foods of its own.
For Friday dinner, we ate fried naggi, an Indian dish. Naggi consists of noodles with large pieces of green pepper, onions and cabbage. It was spicy, but most people liked it.
As we were standing around trying to balance our dishes, cups and silverware and eat, Jenna Gareis asked: "Who wants barfi?" Willing to try anything, we gathered around the bowl and cautiously tasted the Indian dessert.
Indian barfi is white and spongy. Boot camp barfi is green and mushy, like well-cooked oatmeal.
We also tried to make chai tea, but failed. We persevered, added Swiss Miss and came up with something truly enjoyable: "chaicolate."
For lunch, we ate a Sri Lankan meal: dahl with pot stickers and rice. We ate on banana leaves, and most people used chop sticks.
A friend of Roanna West came to talk to us about the persecuted church in Indonesia. The speaker arrived with friends from Indonesia and India who are now living in Portland and Washington. They spoke on what life as Christians is like in their countries.
After they finished, we headed out. Some of the campers decided to meet at a Dairy Queen in Sandy to unwind before returning to school. We arrived, ordered and talked about the weekend.
Jenkins, who loved barfi and took the leftovers home with him, added barfi to Dairy Queen soft serve and invented "barfait."
We arrived at Multnomah at about 6 p.m., unloaded the supply truck, and one by one grabbed our gear and headed back to our dorms or houses.
I went to my room and turned on my heated mattress pad. I was going to keep warm that night.
I went to sleep wondering if I had eaten anything really strange (like pigs' brains) in the last 36 hours.
Rikki Porter was named after the 1973 Steely Dan song, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number."
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