Rattlesnake at Succor Creek!

Today was filled with adventure. One of our homework assignments was for our family to attend a church of a different culture, so we went to the Peace in Jesus Vietnamese Lutheran Church. None of us were quite sure what to expect, but we all had a wonderful time. Everyone was warm and friendly. We couldn't sing in their language, but we recognized several of the tunes so we knew the jist of what they were singing. In our hearts we were able to sing and worship with them. I admit I didn't get much out of the sermon, but still enjoyed watching and observing. The pastor obviously was passionate about what he was sharing. We even picked up a few words by the end of the service. Then this afternoon we joined another MAF family and went hiking at Succor Creek, Oregon. We cooked on the grill and enjoyed the amazing scenery. On our walk, I came very close to stepping on a rattlesnake and after I got over being seriously startled, I just had to take pictures! And video! From a distance, of course. We certainly had something to talk about on the way home and thanked God for his protection and the beauty of his creation.

Class has begun

Friday was our first day of non-technical orientation at MAF. We had class all day, followed by pizza and ice cream with the kids Friday night. The new apartments here don't have televisions yet, so we watched old episodes of our favorite tv shows on-line with the laptop. We are excited to get to see some of our old candidacy classmates again and spend time with them. The kids have been enjoying their time with friends they haven't seen since last summer when we were here for deputation. Also, MAF is hosting activities and classes for the missionary kids to better equip them to adjust to new cultures. Yesterday they got to try foods from several different countries. It feels like we are back in school, we were even assigned homework! (Mostly reading, and nothing overwhelming.)

Mighty Mountains

Wow! In just one day we: saw antelope and sheep galore, drove to Firehole Canyon in Flaming Gorge National Recreation Center, saw wild horses in Green River Wyoming, and drove through a snow storm! We crossed Wyoming and are now in Ogden, Utah. I finally remembered to move my camera from my suitcase to the front of the van so I got photos today! I did a quickie scrapbook page for you. If you want to see it larger, just click on the image. Daniel and I have been reading a book together called "Mountain Born", about a little boy growing up on a mountain. His family raises sheep for a living and the book describes shearing in one chapter. We had the priviledge of seeing both wooly flocks of sheep and some that had been recently shorn and still bore the telltale marks, so Daniel got to see the difference first-hand. Emily especially enjoyed the antelope. I think David would say the highlight for him today was seeing the wild horses. All five of us were reminded constantly today of the creativity and majesty of our God.

Tired

Image via Wikipedia

This morning we left early and drove up the western edge of Missouri, cut the corner of Iowa, and drove all the way across southern Nebraska into Cheyenne, Wyoming. My limited experience of Nebraska is that it is rather boring, and quite stinky. We saw, and smelled, a plethera of cattle. It's been a long day and we are all tired, but very happy to be out of the van for a while.

Isaiah 40:28-29 (New International Version)

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Let the Driving Begin!

Today we started our big road trip. We are on our way to MAF headquarters in Nampa, Idaho for orientation. We drove to Pleasant Hill, MO and are staying tonight with David's brother and his family. Other than rain, we had an uneventful trip, which is unusual for us. We usually have someone get sick or the van breaks down, or both, so we are grateful. Tomorrow we get up early and hit the road again. We borrowed a car-top luggage carrier and somehow it seems like we have even less space than we had before we borrowed it. Must be some sort of Murphy's law or something. Part of the space problem is because we packed all of our school stuff so the kids can keep up with their schooling. And Josh's guitar. And I MIGHT have purchased too many snack items for the road.

The Grave Couldn't Hold Him!

Happy Easter! Our life has been crazy with illness, car troubles, travels, and school. I have neglected my blog. And we are about to hit the road again, but I wanted to share this video with you because I think it is excellent. It is a portion of a sermon by S.M. Lockridge that has been put to music and video. Let me know how you like it.