Marysville church group raises money by following
By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — One cup of brown rice three times a day. No salt. No butter. No seasoning.
One cup of juice three times a day. No lattes.
One pair of jeans, two T-shirts, seven sets of underwear and four pair of socks. No cell phones. No showers. No jewelry.
One sleeping bag and one pillow. No air mattress.
One portable potty.
For seven days, these rules governed the lives of eight "survivors" confined to a 40- by 20-foot plot of grass on Grove Street with only each other, a deck of cards and a borrowed Nerf ball for entertainment.
And when the group was asked why they put yourselves through the weeklong physical and mental challenge of confinement and sacrifice, the survivors will say for the best reason there is: the Lord’s work.
"The point is that people’s hearts were for the mission," said Marysville First Assembly of God Church youth pastor Nik Baumgart, 25, one of the survivors.
These eight people — four men and four women who slept in separate tents — are youth leaders for the church. Each survivor swore to abide by the rules, and in return would earn money through pledges from the community. Each pledge was worth 10 cents per hour of confinement, or $16.80 for a week of sacrifice.
The money raised would go to Speed the Light, a program that helps fund missionary work throughout the world.
The youth leaders thought that borrowing the popular television "Survivor" theme would be a creative way to get the community involved in the fund-raising drive. The team’s unique approach raised between $5,000 and $6,000.
"And what’s cool is our character stood up to the challenge," survivor Kelly Jackson, 28, said.
The challenge even went beyond hunger and boredom. Each night, the survivors were tested in a variety of other challenges, such as running an obstacle course. The winner of each challenge earned a reward, either a special meal, a chance to take a shower or the choice of a second luxury item.
Before the confinement began, each survivor was allowed to bring one luxury item, such as a toothbrush, a deck of cards, a board game or a bottle of Listerine.
The hardest challenge for Erika Pollock, 19, was standing for as long as she could perched upon a post 6 inches in diameter and 2 feet off the ground. She stood on that post for six hours, but still didn’t win the challenge. Pollock missed out on the reward she had coveted: a restaurant meal.
Pollock said she agreed to be a survivor only to see if she could go a week without real food, claiming she is "the crankiest person when I can’t eat."
"I really wanted to go to Red Robin for dinner, and I was saying to everyone, ‘Fall down, I hate you. I hope you all fall,’ " Pollock said.
As Pollock recalled the story, the other survivors burst into laughter with her as the group waited out the rain in their tents Wednesday. Unlike the "Survivor" television show, this group didn’t want to vote anyone "off the island." After seven days in confinement, the eight behaved more like the stars of "Friends."
In addition to Baumgart, Jackson and Pollock, the other survivors were Tyra Williams, 21; Nick Bosse, 18; Jesse Reimers, 22; Andrew Muoz, 15, who is home-schooled; and Heather Baumgart, 24, Nik Baumgart’s wife.
Reimers might have enjoyed the experience the most.
"I’m a freak of nature. I always wanted to be stranded on a desert island, forced to make my own rope and clothes," said Reimers, wearing clothes he had sewn together from burlap. "I always wanted to live in a place where I’m vulnerable. It’s a challenge, and I like to face obstacles."
You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097
or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.
Stephanie S. Cordle / The Herald
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