FAILURE

by Isabel Arnold

Isabel Arnold, a 20-year-old junior at Michigan State University, is the oldest of Andrew Arnold’s three children. She completed her first Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries expedition, the 20-day teen girls trip, at age 15, and recently finished her second summer working for the ministry.

before my first trip, I had been feeling the impact of culture and society on my identity. I was placing my worth on performance in school, sports, as a daughter, and as a friend. It was OK, but it was shakable.

Whenever something would happen—a bad grade or injury—I would crumble, asking myself, “What’s my identity? What’s going to define me now?”

I was so excited to go, but no one talked about the hard parts.

It was not easy, but I was able to do so much more than I thought I could. I learned it takes a step outside of our comfort zone to grow and become an even better, more confident version of ourselves.

The nature of the wilderness is that there are going to be moments of failure. You’re going to read a map wrong. You’re going to make a weird meal that turns into a mushy scramble. So often, we see failure as these massive things that if you fail, everything changes and you’re never going to be the same. We live our whole lives trying not to fail.

Having moments of little failures where nothing horrible happens—or even if it does, you have a team of people around you and the resources within yourself to work out this thing—normalizes it in a way. Then the next moment you fail, you realize it’s not as scary as you thought or as impossible to bounce back.

The expedition was freeing because it gave me the tools to understand that failures are normal. Instead of my mindset being, “Everything is going to change; I’m horrible,” I can say, “It’s OK; I failed. What does that tell me about this experience? What can I do next time to change the outcome?”

Some people think they could never spend time in the wilderness, use the restroom outside, cook their own meals. If a 15-year-old who had never been backpacking before in her life can go out there for 20 days and survive, anyone can do it.

The outdoors in general is impactful, but the ability to immerse yourself in it, have an intentional community, and live life together in a space like that is just so amazing.

It will be an experience you won’t regret.

“I was the lowest level entry instructor. It was more of a Sherpa role, just serving in support,” Kerr says. “I learned a lot about backpacking, camping, cooking, climbing, and setting up routes. More than anything, I learned about leadership and functioning in a group.

“When Andrew came to Wabash, I was able to serve as a mentor for him and his pledge brothers for two years in our fraternity. Then the roles were reversed,” he says. “At SROM, he was mentoring me.”

Arnold credits his time at Wabash and people like Kerr as being instrumental in his growth as a leader.

“Throughout high school I didn’t appreciate how much my life can influence others,” he says. “At Wabash I was impacted by the leadership of other people and recognized I could be a leader that effected change that was life-giving and fruitful.

“I wanted to be a good steward of the influence I have,” Arnold says. “I decided to set my intention and goals toward that. I might fail, but I knew I would learn something in the process.”

He has made it his life’s work.

“We bring people to the edge of their capacities,” says Arnold. “When you’re at the edge of yourself, surrounded by community that loves and cares about you, and by instructors or mentors to shepherd you through that space, you leave the experience having grown and matured. That is the significance of what we do.”

Even after 23 years officially working for Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries, Arnold continues to grow in his understanding of the importance and impact of the organization’s reach.

“There is something transformational or catalytic when people come into the wilderness and creation. That can be a little intimidating,” says Arnold. “You put on your backpack, you leave civilization and everything you have for five, seven, 10, 20, or even 40 days. But there’s something immersive about getting away from all the distractions and pressure. The chaos that modern life can bring can weigh on your soul and take up a lot of bandwidth in your mind. There’s a gift in just pressing pause.”

Arnold encourages those who may be struggling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or relationally like he once was—to disconnect, pause, and be present with themselves. That may mean turning off the phone, notifications, and media, and instead going out to explore a state or local park.

“Be present with God, whoever that may be to you. Hear, listen, and be still there,” he says. “There’s value in stillness.” .