New Arrival!

We thank God for the arrival of Annelise Sandra Josiane Guilleux. Annelise means "the grace of God's bounty" and indeed she is.

She has been a bit of a distraction from our work so if you haven't heard from us in awhile, here's the reason:

Joy is doing great in her new role and as expected suffering from severe sleep depravation. If you want more news about how Joy or Annelise are doing, drop us an email or a call.

How the CCO's outdoor ministry shapes students' lives

Here is the story of Jim Paul who was on the Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness (LDW) trip that Francois led to Wyoming in 1999. He does a great job describing how the different CCO ministry help students grow into men and women who practice their faith in all areas of life.

check Jim Paul's story here.

Jim is another example of God's faithfulness and why CCO plays an important role in the lives of college students.

The class of 2014 is coming

'Tis that time again when first year students arrive on campus and CCO staff prepare for orientation time. Yesterday the Outdoor Leadership Team sent its instructors to facilitate Fresh X, Ohio Wesleyan University's orientation. For three days, the students will hike, rock climb and canoe while getting to know the folks they will spend the next four year living and studying with. Saturday will be Waynesburg University's turn and then Westminter College follows next week.

Here is an interesting article about the benefits of outdoor orientations for students who participate. (Did you know all 8 Ivy league schools have outdoor orientations for their students?) Check it out here.

This time of year is also the unveiling of the Benoit College Mindset list, a list of cultural references about the incoming freshmen class. Check it out here. Be prepared. It can make you feel old to read it!

A new familiar face around the Outdoor Leadership Team

We are very pleased to welcome Sean Purcell to the CCO. Sean will be serving the Outdoor Leadership Team as the event coordinator. Sean brings a wealth of outdoor experience, a sharp mind steeped in his PhD studies in philosophy, and a gift for teaching. His wife Krista and daughter Ella will be joining him in the move to Pittsburgh. While Sean has been working with CCO for many years as a volunteer, we are very excited about having Sean join our team more formally. You may remember Sean from past posts on his teaching at our staff trainings last year or his leadership on Crossings, the sea kayaking trip designed for graduating college students. With Sean coming on staff, we look forward to many great discussions filled with challenging ideas and laughter whether in the classroom or in the wilderness (especially when snow is involved!).

College campuses and religion

From the Princeton Review, this year's rankings of America's most and least religious campuses.
Most religious Brigham Young University, least religious Sarah Lawrence College.
click here for article.
One of CCO's core value is "We love college students". Wherever they are. From the most religious campus to the least religious campus. Here is an example from the Atheist/Christian roundtable at last year's Jubilee conference. Click here for the video.

CCO: Transforming College Students to Transform The World.

Photos from the Alpine Pilgrimage

Howie getting ready to snap another one.

Joy beginning to display the baby bump met
Howie and I at the end of a long hike.

Howie Shultz, photographer extraordinaire, has started posting photos from the Alpine Pilgrimage. They are amazing! Click on the link below to have your breath taken away by the beauty of creation.
Howie's photo album

If you are inspired, registration for next year's trip will open soon. You can get more information about the Alpine Pilgrimage on the CCO website by clicking here.

CCO's Alpine Pilgrimage- pics of a day on the trail

Here is a snapshot of a day on the Tour du Mont Blanc. This was probably one of our hardest hiking days from Contamines Montjoie via 3 different mountain passes to the Refuges Des Mottets.


Getting ready to set out for the day.


A breather on the trail.


Leaving Col du Bonhomme on the way to Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. A little snow school lesson was necessary to prepare for this section.


Finally at the refuge-an old dairy farm. A home cooked meal with our closest 93 hiking companions! Heart food to prepare our tired muscles for tomorrow's climb over the Col de Seigne from France into Italy.


The old man...The Mont Blanc. Keep the mountain on your left and a 100 or so miles, seven valleys, 11 mountain passes, and 3 countries later you will return to where you started but you will have changed as Renee Dumal wrote:

When one has been to a mountain top
One has only to come down again
So why bother in the first place?
Just this....
One climbs...One sees
One descends...One sees no longer
But one has seen
There is an art of conducting oneself
in the lower regions
By the memory of what one saw higher up.