Heather talks about how she started the Ministry…

Over the years, some of the best times I ever had was spending time in nature, both tapping into my child-like spirit of adventure and stepping out of the busyness of everyday life by being silent.  As my relationship with God grew, without even thinking about it, I was led to spending time outside while I prayed!  In the integration of the two, my senses began to open to the ways God communicated to me words or images of healing, growth, encouragement, inspiration, and love.  

Around 8 years ago, I saw a movie, “The Way”, starring Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen.  It was a story about a father, who tragically lost his son, and was dealing with the deep grief associated with it.  Remembering conversations with his son’s love for the pilgrimage, El Camino de Santiago in Europe, he decided to take up the walk himself.  Through that experience, he was able to heal from the heavy grief, met unexpected people along the way, and realized the transformation and growth this walk brought to him.  After the movie, I thought to myself, why not invite others to a walk/hike in outdoors, invite God into the process, and create a space for community, healing, discernment, growth, and the recovery of joy?

I invited some friends to something I would call, “Hiking with Intention.” We began by gathering at the head of a hiking trail.  I invited them to bring along an intention, something they would hike for that day.  Like the El Camino, each hike could be considered a “mini pilgrimage”, a “prayer of the feet.” When we completed the hike, I invited everyone to share what that time was like for them.  How might they have seen/noticed God showing up?  

I enjoyed this so much, I extended the invitation to them in my parish.  Again, they were well received, from the struggling agnostic, to the curious, to the devout believer in Jesus. My prayer was that this be a space to be created for them to be “fully who they are, where they are” on the spiritual journey, all the while asking God to reveal Himself to them in His beautiful, natural creation. 

After a year, I thought to myself, why don’t we add some adventurous activities and integrate them with a brief time of spiritual formation? With the St. Norberts’ Young Adult group, we did things anywhere between “Hiking with Intention” at various locations, to zip-lining while talking about trusting God, and inner tubing on a hot sunny day, remembering how to be still and allow the current (and God) to “carry” you.  At that time, I had been giving Spiritual Direction for two years. One day, one of my close friends, said, “Heather, you are a good spiritual director as you lead others in their faith life, you love taking people hiking, and have created these unique experiences integrating the two.  Why not consider putting these things together and offer these experiences on a broader scale?  After briefly, prayerfully discerning that idea with God, my husband, and trusted friends, I decided to give it a try.  

In November, 2018, Peak Encounter Ministries, Inc was founded.  The name Peak, came from my favorite mountain, Pikes Peak in Colorado as well as reaching “to the heights” in prayer with God, inspired by Blessed Pierre Giorgio Frasatti.  “Encounter”, came from my deep desire for everyone to “encounter God”.  As I prayed more, and continued to discern, the words, which sums up the ministry, came to me as a gift: “through creation, the Creator and created meet.”