Pico Escondido

PICO ESCONDIDO — 1998

“‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In the same way that God’s generous portions for Young Life camping are not always simple or easy, they are also not always conventional. In 1998, the Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic need for a camp in the Dominican Republic was apparent, and Chad Wallace was scouting the countryside in search of land. Chad, later to become the first property manager at Pico Escondido, discovered a parcel owned by a group of brothers. They were eager to sell; however, they insisted on being paid in cash. “Scott Steele, national director of the Dominican Republic, did not let this minor detail stand in the way of such a beautiful acquisition. What followed would prove to be a one-of-its-kind transaction in Young Life’s history. Steele met up with his lawyer, ‘a really big guy’ who no doubt doubled as Steele’s security detail, and the pair quietly went to secure the deal. ‘We literally converted $35,000 cash to pesos (what an ordeal!), put it in this huge hockey bag and went with our lawyer up to the brothers and gave it to them,’ Steele laughed. ‘And then we owned Pico! It was crazy!’” (MFT, p. 140) For years to come, Pico Escondido (“Hidden Peak”) was developed through God’s generous portions in the form of work teams from the U.S. and local men from the nearby Vida Joven (Young Life) ministry.

Sometimes God calls us to the “safe” and “conventional”; however, it seems like the things that really matter are, more often than not, “risky” and “unconventional.” Examples of this can be seen in Young Life leaders entering the world of adolescents and in a staff member’s willingness to carry $35,000 in cash to purchase a camp. Neither are conventional; neither are safe. Has God ever called you to something risky or un-conventional? Could He be calling you to something uncomfortable, unconventional or risky today?