East Texas Fishing Trip

I had the privilege of attending one of the outdoor adventure trips that Urban Connection has been doing for years now.  I found out just a few days before the trip was supposed to happen, but I immediately wanted to go since I grew up in East Texas and thought it would be fun to see the kids reaction to being there. On Friday afternoon, we packed up and began our journey with a group of 15 kids.  I was a little unsure of how everything was going to work out, but the trip was spectacular!  On Saturday morning we all woke up around 4:30 a.m. and despite the looming dark clouds foreshadowing a day full of storms, we were still able to make it out onto the Sabine Lake; the thunder storms unexpectedly shifted and the rain subsided throughout the morning.  We had eight separate boats with guides who took us all out on the lake. I was on a boat with Hector and Matthew and our guide was Stephen.  He kept calling Matthew by the name of Patrick for some reason, so when they boys got the line on the poles tangled up, they blamed it on invisible "Patrick" and we just laughed. It was amazing to see how generous these individuals were with their time and equipment.  The kids caught so many fish! Natalie and Lizbeth caught over 50 fish together with the help of their guides (I bet the boys were not expecting that!).  We also caught crab, a sting ray, and a vast array of other fish including croakers, ladyfish, red fish, and speckled trout. After eating bbq and swimming, we had an awards ceremony where trophies and prizes were handed out to the kids for the days catches. We even went on an airboat ride that afternoon in the swamp and were able to see some alligators and learn some history about the area. The kids also got to experience cajun food and even though they were hesitant, most of them really enjoyed the seafood boudin, crawfish etouffee, and gumbo.

I am so grateful that I was able to spend time with this group of kids that went on this trip.  I got to learn more about them and even meet some brothers and sisters of the kids I work with normally. As they described it, it was just peaceful.  There is something about being in nature that just has a calming effect and I was able to see this in our group.  We all can not wait for the next trip :)