Drip Drip Drop

Drip, drip, drop

Little April shower

Beating a tune as you fall all around

Drip, drip, drop

Little April shower

What can compare with your beautiful sound?

Beautiful sound, beautiful sound

Drip, drop, drip, drop

(Little April Showers - Bambi)

Okay so it's not exactly April anymore and in all honesty, it hasn't even been raining out here. BUT we did have a delightfully non-spring-like dump of snow on May 1st! Oh the joys of being in Jackson Hole.

However, with said dump of 6 inches, came a whole day of symphonious dripping as the fluffy snow melted away, dropping in heavy clumps from tree branches and leaking over the eaves of buildings. Drips and drops were heard all over campus as the snow turned to slush and the ground turned to mush. By late afternoon the sun was shining happily down on the muddy lawn and the snow was scarce.

The sparkling drops of weeping snowmelt continued into the evening. The sound was close enough to resembling a light April shower that I was willing to pretend and sing-a-long to the Bambi song as I went about the day. Now all we're missing are those supposed "May flowers".

I had almost forgotten how Wyoming seems to misunderstand the word "spring" as an actual change of seasons...

The Genius of Ancient Man is here!

Hey all! You will recall, if you have been a long time reader of my blog, that I was in Wyoming for 6 months working on a book with Pastor Don and a team from JHBC. (read posts about the project here, here, here, and here) Well...after over 2 years of research and another year of writing and editing, the book is done! If you would like to see the finished product, look it up at Amazon.com or check out this link from Answers in Genesis! There is a short promo video on the right hand side that is pretty fun.

So blown away by what God is already doing with this book and excited to see it for myself! Thank you for your prayers and support!

Weddings and old friends and car accidents

I recently had the huge honour and blessing of not only attending another wedding but being a photographer for this amazing couple. I'm sure you've all heard Bible College often jokingly referred to as “bridal college” and in the case of the JHBC class of 2011, it seems to be true! This is the second couple that God brought together at JHBC during our year there and what a cool couple they are! Both with a heart for reaching people with the gospel and a desire to live for God's glory, Richard and Olivia have the potential to do great things for God's kingdom. How excited I am to watch them grow and learn and discover His plan for their lives! 

I was doubly blessed on this occasion because Richard and Olivia decided to have their wedding in the place that they met; a place that has had such a huge impact on their lives. Being back in Wyoming was so cool! I journeyed their with my dear friend Megan and we had quite the trip! Through Washington, Idaho and Montana we travelled along enjoying each other, good music and the beautiful sights. We got lost a few times in search of Starbucks and the campground we were to stay at but it was all part of the adventure! 

This trip was made even more interesting by a little car accident we found ourselves in. Completely my fault, we kinda made contact with a guardrail on the side of the road...thank God no one was hurt and no one else was involved. It was terrifying for me and I wonder that I had to drive hundreds of miles away from home to have my first car accident but I trust that God has a plan in it all. We were truly blessed to be in Jackson, surrounded by loving, caring people who took care of us and comforted us. God is too good to me. The poor wrecked car made the trip home even more adventurous. I don't think I have ever been so stressed out or tense in my entire life but God brought us home safely in time for my birthday the next day!

Suffice to say, the trip was pretty memorable. I am so glad I was able to go and so thankful for Megan for joining me, though I don't know how eager she will be to do so again...

Sudden yet Sovereign

A melancholy heaviness has beset me. It's a sadness, not despairing, but troubled. It comes after the shocking news of Dr. Dave's sudden death. I mean, I didn't really know him well, and yet he had a deep impact on my life, helping to grow my faith in the short week that he taught at JHBC last year. I remember his characteristic laugh and his joy in the Lord, excited to share his knowledge and wisdom with students of all ages. It's just so weird to hear that he is gone, gone to be with our Saviour.

It just seems so random, so out of nowhere. It was just Monday I was hearing about his recent visit to the college to teach...and now he's gone. It's interesting that he taught about God's will and I know, obviously this is all in God's will and yet we, left behind here, just really can't understand it all. And so, I know God is in control and Dr. Dave is with Jesus, yet it's still confusing piecing together the grief of being left of behind, the moving on, the next step. I guess I could totally let it not effect me. I mean, it's likely I'd never see him again on this earth anyways and yet, we have a connection; we're family through Christ and so maybe that's why it affects me more than some newscast announcement. I think of his family and those close to him and I grieve for them and the changes they are facing. And yet I know that they have comfort in the knowledge of the truth, just as I do.

How blessed we are to leave the questions with God; to trust His sovereign control in all things.

I'll be home for Christmas

It's really over.

Over the last three days I have hugged, cried, and waved as I watched my dear friends drive away. It's hard, being the last to leave. I'm not going to lie, it's a lonely place tonight on this empty campus. I'm all packed up, ready to head out tomorrow afternoon, ready to start the next step.

The last week here was packed with such amazingly awesome times. We stayed up late, played games, chatted about anything and everything, went out to eat, played broomball (still sore, but SO worth it), and just ENJOYED each other. I also finished my work here, well obviously the book will be a continuing project but we are as complete as we can be on our draft, waiting to hear back from the editors now. It felt so bizarre to finish up everything. So fulfilling, yet it left me feeling all jittery and odd. I was rather hyper and giddy as well. As you can probably guess, it made for an exciting evening.  :)

And so now, I sit in my lonely, empty house. Looking around as memories flash by me. I hear echoes of laughter, can still feel the hugs of my friends, and see glimpses of their twinkling eyes. How I will miss living here and being a part of their lives in this way.

I still can't get over how I blessed I am. As I was packing I came across a picture of me from my very first day in Jackson Hole. I stared down at the girl in the photo, looked into her uncertain eyes and asked, "Would you ever have guessed? Could you ever imagine God would have given us this amazing year and a half?" I remember clearly that girl, I know her well, she's still very much a part of me but, well she's also practically a stranger. God has grown me so much over the last 18 months. I have experienced so much, learned so much, and I pray matured and grown wiser through it all. I have never before had such a great trust in God and His plan, a dependance on His faithfulness. Truly, even though I am uncertain about my future, I am sure that He is in control and so I rejoice at the uncertainty, for through it, God will prove faithful yet again.

And so Canada, watch out. I'm coming home.

ten days

Ten days. I will be home in ten days.

I don't know if these tears that well up in my eyes come from joy and anticipation or if perhaps they testify to the ache in my heart when I think of leaving this place, these people, this task I have been blessed with. The past almost 18 months spent in Wyoming have impacted my life in so many ways and I hate to leave it. The last 5 1/2 months I have spent working on this book, serving at the school, have been such an incredible blessing. What a joy it has been to serve my Lord in this place. I have enjoyed each and every day with its specific trials and delights. I admit that I walk into this next chapter of life with much apprehension about my purpose. I never want to stop serving God, glorifying Him with all that I am and do and that's been so easy here. I know that I can do that wherever I am but as of yet, it's just not clear to me what I need to be doing upon my return. That's nerve-wracking to me, but really it's just another opportunity to trust my Father and His plans.

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:10)

And so in these last ten days, the final pages of this amazing chapter God has written in my life, I will continue to serve, to love, to find joy in each moment, praising Him for this gift. I will let myself cry but I will not dwell in unhappiness. I will let my heart ache but with joy, storing up these memories as precious treasures. And I will look forward to the change, with a firm confidence in God's provision, with excitement for His plans for me, whatever they may be.

Ten days.

Pretending it's December

It's that time of year again, when I start posting about the crazy early snow!!! Almost 3 weeks earlier than last year, it started about 10:15 this morning and has been falling steady every since!

Interestingly I was just discussing with a friend yesterday about how it already looks like winter. It feels like we didn't even have an autumn! As I watched the colors change, I was subconsciously denying the exit of summer and it felt like the weather was on my side, for just last week we were enjoying hot days, wearing T-shirts and shorts! But before we knew it, the leaves were not only a different colour, they were all on the ground! The trees are looking more and more bare, winter's bleakness quickly taking over the hillsides.

Last night, I woke up freezing cold and realized that summer was indeed gone. So today, I broke out my winter wardrobe and I'm wearing my first long-sleeve shirt of the season, even put on a scarf! The morning started out with a fantastic downpour of rain which then, almost magically, became fat, fluffy flakes of snow. I ran outside... and then quickly back in as it was raining AND snowing, quite drenching to the skin. I proceeded to prance around the lodge as Cally sat there saying, "it's so unpleasant". I refused to let her pessimism deter me though and continually exclaimed over the snow to her and every other person who walked in.

Finally Aaron came in and we enjoyed a fantastic time running around in the snow and sliding down the ramp. I even sacrificed my curly hair to the awesomeness! I know it's all gonna melt soon and maybe won't be back for awhile so I'm going to enjoy it while I can! So Christmas music, fireplace, scarves, and hot drinks it is!

Loving Jackson Hole!!!

The sweet little things

I've been blessed again with another visit from family! My mom and her parents were able to visit for almost a week and what a week it was! I don't even know how to express how thankful I was to have them out here. We packed our days with fun things to do including a trip to Yellowstone, shopping around Jackson, and a trip to Idaho Falls. I have to say though, my favourite parts were just the simple things, the quiet moments that brought me back home:

coffee time in the morning, long and drawn out, chatting about anything and everything

laughing and teasing each other in the long car rides

walking in the sunshine by the river

snuggling with Mom while watching a movie

hanging at Elevated Grounds for hours, learning how to knit and purl

Mom finally seeing a moose, enjoying a few minutes just watching him

It's those little things that I really appreciated. The hours of just talking, as those who know me, is pretty much my favourite thing to do! This little taste of home was so fantastic, but also has me aching for the rest of my family and home life. Yet at the same time, I am so content to finish up my work here, still praising God for the opportunities I have here. Now, with only a little over 2 months left down here, I don't want to spend my time just waiting to go home. I want to enjoy each day, value each friendship, invest in my JHBC people and embrace the time I have in Wyoming.

I was thinking lately on how God is so sovereign and truly His plans are beyond me. You know, of all my siblings, I was always the "homebody". I was always the one who just loved chillin' at home, planning family outings, morning "talk time"; I was never planning on leaving for long and wanted to live the rest of my life in Abbotsford. Yet out of all of them, I'm the one God sent away for a year and a half! (Granted my younger sis has yet to graduate and may be off to Africa for all I know!) It astounds me again and again how much He has taught me and how I have grown in Him. Where before, I was all but terrified to leave home, my family and my comfort zone, now I have learned that my security is in Him, the one person that will NEVER leave me. So many things have changed in my life, so many more things will change in the coming months. Yet I know that wherever He sends me, I will always have Him and truly, He is enough - more than enough.

Lavender Sky

sunlight kisses the mountains as the shadows grow long

walking under a clear sky that's still holdin' on

to summer, though green is slipping away

overtaken by yellows, browns, reds – more everyday

though even the warm breeze denies the truth

as I crunch those first leaves I see the proof

that those days are long gone, just memories now

but I've still got the smiles that they endow

and I can look up with joy at the brightly clothed trees

knowing change is beautiful, just like the leaves

in a sudden rush of wind they come cascading down

tickling my cheek and painting the ground

where they scamper about, first here then there

and I know I could be like them, carefree if I dare

to follow His leading, to embrace the changes He brings

to know, for believers, that He works all things

together for good and just like the colours of fall

He can paint a new picture when I follow His call

the waving trees seem to applaud as I reach this conclusion

the grasses nod in agreement; this joy isn't delusion

I take a deep breath of that colourful air and I sigh

and praise God for life, tonight, under the lavender sky

LOVE my Family

Yesterday I was blessed beyond words by a surprise visit from my dear Grandma Eleanor and Great Uncle Herb and Auntie Myrna. On their way to Boise, ID and later Arizona, they went out of their way to come out to Jackson Hole and visit me!

I loved giving them the grand tour around my home here, introducing them to my extended family in the Hole and showing them my favourite coffeeshop. We had time before dinner to run into town and show Gramma the elk arches and such in the square. I suggested the Bar J for dinner because the students were all going. I didn't know but Uncle Herb and Auntie Myrna had been here before and wanted to go to the Bar J again so it worked out great! We had such a fun time talking and getting our chuckwagon dinner and then laughing throughout the show. It was so much fun to see family again, not mention spend an evening at the Bar J.

It was such a cool thing to spent time with my family. Sometimes I feel so isolated out here, so very far from home and all things Canada. I was soooo touched that they made the effort and the drive out here. My family is the greatest! I cannot thank God enough for them and for bringing them down to visit me, encourage me and warm my heart.

And the blessings don't end there! Next week my Mom and her parents are coming down on their way to Arizona too! (apparently we're like Canada geese, migratory) I'm so excited to see them all and spend time with them. It's been too long since I've been with family. Well, blood-related family for I cannot overlook the amazing family I have here! So many brothers and sisters, I am truly blessed!

Just Look Around...

We were half way up the trail to Paintbrush Divide when Kenton made a statement that really hit me. He had just stopped for a brief rest and looked around saying, "Wow, sometimes you just gotta stop and look where you are!" This was in reference to the amazing view, the awesome surroundings in which we had found ourselves, hiking in the Teton backcountry.

As I too stopped and took in the amazing view, the Grand standing soberly in the distance, Lake Solitude resting in stillness and silence at the end of the canyon, the blue sky spotted with fluffy white clouds, I was struck by how often I go through life without looking up and around at where I am. How often do I just trudge along following the path in front of me. I follow after the boots in front of me, doing what others have done before. I maneuver around the obstacles in my path, trusting God for a way. I pace myself up the steep inclines, relying on God for strength and knowing He'll get me to the top. I pick my way carefully among the teetering rocks, looking to God for guidance with every step.

But though I am working my way through life, trusting God the whole way, I often forget to stop, and look around, to realize WHERE He has brought me and to praise Him for how He was led me here! Sometimes I focus so much on the little things and yes, God has proven unbelievably faithful in those things, leading me step by step along His path, that when I look up and look back at where I have come, I realize with new appreciation how MUCH His guidance has affected my life.

For instance, each day I spend here, working on this book, I am again and again coming to Him for guidance and wisdom because I feel so inadequate and incapable of doing this thing but I am also so thankful for the opportunity and how much I am learning. And then, on this backpack trip it hit me that not only has God been teaching me to trust Him while writing this book, but He is teaching me to trust Him with every aspect of my future because I have NO IDEA where He will lead me next. I look back on myself, a year from now and I see a timid girl, excited to start a new adventure at Bible school but insecure and thinking I had to plan out my whole life. Now, I find myself back in this amazing place, totally at home, able to encourage others, giving my life over completely to God's will and not trying to force my own plans. I find myself overwhelmed with God's blessings. Not only has He led me back here, given me a project which I am passionate about to work on for His glory, but He has blessed me with innumerable opportunities like this, my third backpack trip into the Tetons!

So when Kenton said, "you just gotta stop and look where you are", I did stop and it hit me: here I am, in the middle Grand Teton National Park, hiking with an amazing group of people, in Wyoming! This time last year, I thought I'd be sitting in a classroom listening to lectures about unimportant people, places, and times. God works in mysterious and mighty ways which we can never anticipate. So I encourage you, to not only focus on each and every day, but to take some time to look around at where God has you; to praise Him for what He has done in your life and for where He has led you; to realize that each day that you have been trusting Him has been leading you higher and further towards His ultimate goal and plan for your life.

"and the Lord will continually guide you , and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail" - Isaiah 58:11

Sock tan, sore muscles and two blisters later...

That's right, I've been backpacking! :)

Despite the unhappy prospect depicted in the title of this post, our 2 1/2 day trip was fantastic! So, let me explain...we found out that the college backpacking trip that usually happens...well, it wasn't really legal because you aren't allowed to take groups of over 20 people into parks or "wilderness" areas, so the past few weeks has been a mad scramble to figure out what to do with the students this year. It was decided to take them in groups up into Grand Teton National Park for two nights, not ideal but it would get the students out backpacking and it would be fun to show them the back country Jackson Hole. So on Thursday the staff headed out to check out what the hike would be like...

What a hike it was! We booked it in there and out in high gear man! To avoid a novel-length post, I'm just gonna give ya the highlights:

- 3 miles in we spent an hour chillaxin at these amazing pools. SO awesome!

- finally at our campsite about 7 miles in (around 4ish), we set up our tents and ALL of us just crash and sleep for about an hour. BEST nap EVER!

- mange (which means "eat" in French for those who ain't bilingual) some MREs which really shouldn't taste that good! Seriously, just add water?

raspberry crumble...dessert anyone??

- about 7:30 we all head to bed because we can't survive the hordes of mosquitoes

"wilderness mocha"

- up half the night listening to a porcupine chew on backpacks, and shoes...

- day hike to Death Shelf = 3 miles to the shelf, 3 miles along the shelf...6 miles back (poor Jess's back almost went out at the end of the shelf making the 6 miles back to camp VERY long)

Tetons from Death Shelf

our camp was in this canyon, to the right

-blown away by the amazing views. It's unbelievable that THIS much beauty can exist in a sin-cursed world, devastated by a flood!

- awe-struck by God's amazing gardens up there!

- amazed at our bodies ability to KEEP MOVING. Seriously, it's like my feet were just programed to keep moving, they surely didn't want to at the end of that day hike!

- bed at 8 second night (again with the mosquitoes) and up at 6:45am ready to head back at 8:30

- 7 miles in 2.5 hours!!! we is beast my friends!!!

- SHOWER (it's amazing how great it feels to be clean after that!)

So there's the trip in a nut shell. The theme of the hike was "flat as Kansas". Scott kept saying it would be flat in the canyon, then up on the shelf...neither of which was flat AT ALL! (we began to wonder if he'd ever been to Kansas!) So many hilarious jokes and laughter the whole time. I seriously love these people and love hiking and LOVE God's creation! Being out in it, falling asleep to the sound of water cascading over rocks, waking up to the warm morning sun, walking through fields of wildflowers which smell like heaven...how blessed I am to have this experience!

mmmm, love the smell of bug spray and sunscreen

Had an unbelievably fabulous day at the lake. I mean, I am SO blessed! How many people can say they go boating beneath the shadow of the Tetons!?!?!

It was a rather amusing day actually. Our beach was taken by a very expansive group so we shuttled out to another beach on an island but then after be attacked by ridiculous amounts of mosquitoes as well as realizing, rather unpleasantly, that the muddy areas of the beach were infested with leeches, we all (10 of us) climbed aboard the boat and decided to spend the day chillin out in the "deep end" where the insects were less likely to trouble us. It was so relaxing, listening to music, chatting, doing Sudoku and Wordsearches, floating around and around as the sun came and went behind the clouds, giving everyone a very pleasant reddish hue we will all be regretting tomorrow.

As I sat there, watching Scott float on the tube with Jessica, I found myself missing my own dad and our awesome chill times on the lake. As I watched and laughed at Jess and Heidi bickering, I missed my own sisters and our silly arguments always filled with laughter. As I listened to Heidi teasing her mom, I missed my own mother and her adorable quirks. Suffice to say, I was missing my family. Yet, also, I praise God for having me where I am, with such amazing people who bless me with such joy and comfort. If I have to be away from my family, at least I am with people such as these!

A "Fair-ly" Regular Day

Okay so, the Teton County Fair has been over for two days now but I have just now found time to sit down and write about it. For five days I lived and breathed the Rocky Mountain Ministries food booth and the last two days have given me some semblance of recovery enough that I think I can describe honestly what happened without exhaustion tainting my tale.

So basically, Tuesday was spent getting stuff ready for the fair: cleaning fryers, finding table cloths and decorations, getting coolers and such out etc. Then Wednesday morning the guys headed out early to set up the booth, put in the floor and lights and we followed shortly with the food, tools etc. So set up day was pretty busy for us just setting up but not very busy foodwise. However, the rest of the week was another story. Here is my typical day:

our booth

Get up at 8, get ready (close-toed shoes, hat and clothes that can get greasy and nasty), devotions, breakfast, be in the lodge by 9 or 9:30ish. Then we load trucks and head out to the fair grounds. There, we set up: snocones, deep fryers, BBQ, grill, food stuffs and cash register. About 10:30 Will, kid from the lemonade booth shows up asking why it took us so long to get there, orders a burger or some other such thing which shouldn't be eaten that early in the morning and heads back to his booth. Then we serve the few people who trickle in, try to survive the first round of the terrible guitar duo which performs three times a day, and if it's really slow we do monkey bars on the 2x4s which hold up the ceiling. (We even held a man challenge one day in which we almost split one of the boards...got a nice bruise on my palm from swinging up there but luckily now slivers.) If the slowness continues, ice starts getting thrown and we start eating the first of the deep fried oreos and scones (ugh so nasty but  delish).

Deep fried oreos

Then around 12 the rush begins and everything is chaos for a couple hours. I run cash with either Lisa, Jen, Cally or Holly and we take turns shouting orders, writing them down, grabbing drinks, taking money, directing people here and there. There are scones frying, burgers flying, philly cheese steaks grilling and snocones dripping.

We've got music playing, people shouting, metal clanging on metal as well as whatever act happens to be going on under the big top. I loved it. The noise, the chaos, the smells, the cheery people...it was fantastic. The mid-afternoon lull was always dreaded but we made the most of it with more ice cubes flying, lunch breaks, swing dancing and corn eating. (The booth next to ours sold corn on the cob with all these fantastic toppings. Jen and I went and traded them two cobs for a philly and WOW they were amazing. We were a little hesitant at first to try this odd concoction of corn, mayo, cheese, lemon juice and chili powder but I don't know if I can ever go back now! BEST way to eat corn, seriously!) The dinner rush started about 5:30 and usually goes steady till 8, a couple nights we went past nine! After that, we pack up, while still serving snocones and the occasional philly and hopefully get out of there around 10. Then back at camp we spent about an hour cleaning, preparing stuff for the next day and counting the days profit. Then it's to bed for 8 hours only to rise again and do it all over!

It was seriously one of the funnest weeks ever but also SO exhausting. We all decided that it's the kind of fun you really only want once a year. I mean, it just wouldn't be healthy to do it any more often what with the amount of deep fried food we ate. Ugh, I have never eaten that much grease in my life! We all would return home at night feeling like a deep fryer. I wasn't even that bad compared to those who spent the day over the grill and fryers. Oh, I have to put in a a good word for deep fried Oreos though. I convinced everyone to try them and then we started selling them and they went like CRAZY. By the last day we were also selling potatoes deep fried on a stick which were FANTASTIC as well as treating ourselves to deep fried Snickers which OH MY HEAD ARE SO AMAZING! Anyways, as you can tell, it's a good thing it's over or we would soon all die of heart attacks.

Tater Sticks!!!

Altogether it was a great time full of new experiences, fun fellowship with friends and a cool opportunity to practically serve God. One of the funnest parts was giving firemen and police officers all their food for free as a thank you for their service. Their reactions were always so great.

Anyways, that was super long and I understand if you gave up half way through. But if you read this far, thanks for joining me on this exciting retelling of my crazy week. It was definitely one to remember!