Tired

The last two days, have been hard to wake up as I role over feeling like a freight train ran over me. So I am taking the whole day and resting. I will take the Jeep up a 4x4 trail to do some reading around sunset, but other than that, I plan to relax and catch up on my blog.

This last week has proved to be difficult in ways I did not imagine. I was a floater (or a flying squirrel as we like to call it). This means that I play more of the servant role to my boss and the guide team who directs the group trips. Most of the time it means you get to relax a bit more, which I did, but there were a ton of big projects to get done. Two of the weatherports on the side of the mountain collapsed this winter due to the heavy snow. So instead of rebuilding, it was decided to completely abandon the sites. So myself and a few other flying squirrels had the job of hauling off all the old lumber and trash so that the site would look as if nothing was ever there.

Physically the job demanded a lot. That is why I feel like I got hit with a thousand jack hammers. We hauled load after load up and down the mountain for two days. It was tough and it was hot. But, that wasn’t the most difficult part….

We run a challenge camp. That means we challenge everyone to push themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually to the breaking point. Then we gather together and talk about how we can use what we learn from the challenge and apply it to our walk with Christ. It paints and real and simple picture. My crew and I were challenged ourselves this week. Physically, we were pushed, and mentally and spiritually we broke down. There were a lot of negative attitudes. Personally, I enjoy hard work. I enjoy helping others and making things look great (thanks mom and dad for teaching me that, even though it took me years to enjoy hard work). But when others became so negative and frustrated it began to affect me. I began to ask, “why can’t they just have a good attitude and serve each other well?” Their attitudes frustrated me so bad that I began to detest them. So my attitude turned sour because I was judging from a self righteous position. The truth is, we were all in the wrong and our once tight group was ripped apart by our selfishness. Philippians 1:27 talks about how we, as citizens of heaven, should live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Chapter 2:1-4 says we should be united in one spirit and one mind and to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” We failed miserably. But we came together and discussed what happened in love and we learned a valuable lesson.

In essence, this is what we do here at Redcloud with the youth groups and our team got a good dose of it this week. It is important that we are a team so that we can face the evil one. Please pray for our guide team this summer. Pray that we continue to stay united and “like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” Continue to pray that we have strength and energy!

HMMM

Ok, lots to tell, but I am a little hindered by technology at the moment.  I am running out of battery life on a borrowed computer, so I better hurry.   

I canceled my phone because I didn't want to spend 50 dollars a month for an answering machine that I could only check about once every week to two weeks.  You would think I would have email access too.  But Redcloud is connected by a satellite with a limited amount of bandwidth per day.  So we have many staff and little bandwidth.  So by the time I can get on the internet, we have used all of our supply, so the internet doesn't work late at night. I try to use it during the day periodically, but for some reason the satellite is not a reliable source.  So my connection is always interrupted.  So I can't really email anybody.  Currently, I was given the morning off, so I borrowed a friends computer and headed to lake city to get some reliable internet connection, only now his battery is about to go out.  So that is my current situation with connecting with the outside world.  I wish you knew how much I hate not being able to connect with all of you.  In fact, it is the only thing I am frustrated about.

Everyday is another adventure here!  My commutes are filled with the sound of rushing water instead of rushing motorists.  I spend my day not behind a desk, but outside working at a climbing rock, on a mountain, rafting, or at the top of a ropes course teaching kids to learn from challenges they fear and how they can apply that to their walk as Christians.  It is pretty amazing!  I could go on and on, but I don't have time.  Just last week, I was building bridges across swollen creeks.  A few weeks before that, I put my training into practice when I had to evacuate a young girl for a back injury.  I'll tell you more on that later.  Anyway, the battery is almost dead and I better go.  I hope to tell you more soon!  I miss you guys!