Japanese A.T. Documentary Shows Ministry Program

Naomi Creason has an article titled "Grads overcome challenges; Diakon Wilderness Center sends 10 students through rough 31-day program" in the 14 July 2007 Carlisle (Pa.) Sentinel. It reports the end of the Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries' Wilderness Challenge Program experience for the 10 boys going through it this summer.

As reported here earlier, they had a Japanese television documentary film crew tagging along.

"Yoshifumi Shibako had hiked the Appalachian Trail and decided to make a documentary about it for Japan."

The presence of the film crew didn't make things any easier.

"The physical strain of the exercises that ranged anywhere from hiking 11 miles to rock climbing on the Appalachian Trail forced the participants to face themselves in different and unusual circumstances."

And the cameras sometimes intruded on the small-group atmosphere the ministry program usually employs.

"The documentary is set to air in September on NHK, the government channel in Japan."