BC

We're back from our sailing adventure in BC! It was a great trip, we both didn't want to get off the boat. We were blessed with great weather, currents (The tides and resulting currents around the islands can create pretty strong currents that you have to time right, or face strong currents against you or whirlpools. :-D). We started out with the destination of Campbell River, but things were going so well the first few days that we agreed to go further. It ended up being the same amount of time to go about twice as far. We met a variety of cool people. We met Shawn, a guy who lives on his gorgeous sailboat. John rowed the dinghy over one day while anchored in the same bay, and they chatted late into the night over homebrewed beer. We met him again at the end of our trip and both went over and chatted late over beer, about our faith  and what it is. Pray that the bible we left him will give him truth.
We spent a couple days at the Salmon Coast Research Station, a place our skipper Ivan goes every year to help out. We hung out with them for a couple days, attended their annual "Pie-Off" competition (ate too much delicious pie), went salmon-berry picking, bravely fought crabs (John has the battle wound to prove it) ate said crabs, and visited with the people there.

We left our skipper Ivan on his birthday at Port McNeill, near the top of vancouver island, on sunday. We had many fun conversations and learned a lot from him. It was fun to be trusted as competent crew and have a pleasant skipper to spend the days with! We went to church there in Port McNeill at the Full Gospel Church, where they were excited to be welcoming a new pastor there the following week. Please pray that that church would be strengthened in it's ministry and spiritual growth with the arrival of a new pastor there! We were then treated to lunch by a family we met, the Jorgensens. They were kind enough to drop us off on the highway to find a ride down the highway to get back to the states. We were picked up by a guy our age named Cody, who ended up dropping us off right at the border after driving down the island and catching a ferry across. We were very blessed to make it back to the states in one day! 

We saw seals, pacific white-sided dolphins, bald eagles, and beautiful scenery.

One of many eagles

Driving the boat on a sunny day up a fjord

what you lookin' at?

at shoal bay

lush vegitation

crabs!

Now we have to still figure out what's next! Currently in Winthrop, Washington, probably going to play a little bit on a mountain bike trail, climb and perhaps ski.

 Please pray for us - Colossians 1:9-14
"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Gone Sailin'

We're now off on a week long sailing adventure up the inside passage of British Colombia's Vancouver Island! We are in a dock in Blaine, WA, prepping the boat to leave early tomorrow morning. Laura got her passport in Seattle while we were visiting John's friend Ingrid and her boyfriend Russ. We spent a fun couple of days with them, including taking a ferry over to Olympic National park and did some hiking. (no pictures, I was being spacy and forgot a memory card...)


Please pray we'll be a blessing to our skipper!

Pacific Northwest

Since we left off, we went over to Shoshone falls with Virginia, Haley, Mike and Fernando. They graciously treated us to a burger and fries and we parted ways.

We then headed to Boise, where we headed up (and up and up) Bogus Basin road to an old logging road to camp, finding an overlook of the city. We took a hike and did some talking the next morning.

Heading back into town in the afternoon, we found a gearshop, and learned that Boise is close by to everything outdoorsy. We were pointed to another gear shop downtown and perused the guidebooks, to discover that Idaho has many natural hot springs. We purchased the book of hot springs of the northwest, and after chatting with the sales lady, we picked one to visit the next day. We set off by motorcycle north towards the mountains there. Beautiful country, with high rivers and many trees. A short hike up a hill by some waterfalls and we found Skinnydipper  natural hot springs that users maintain, with adjustable hot and cold pipes. We stayed a few hours and chatted with a couple people, soaked and soaked up the sunshine, too.

Afterwards we were going to head north for a bit more adventure but the north was quickly becoming socked in with rain. We turned back to Boise and went to Ha' Pennys pub to celebrate my (Laura's) birthday a day early.

We drove the next day to Bend, Oregon. It seemed like Boulder had transplanted itself here, trendy and outdoorsy. We met a bartender later that evening who recommended us to a nearby church she thought was pretty cool, so, the next morning we went to Westside Church. We liked the gospel message we heard and chatted with a few people. Daniel, who sat next to us, was looking for a job, so pray for him. We also met someone (whose name I am spacing - sorry!!) that we shared our story with before the service as he welcomed us to the church.  After not really making any connections for later that day, we toured a little of Bend, talked, and read more of the book we've been reading - "God's Smuggler" by Brother Andrew. It's been making us think of what ministry really looks like and how faithful some of God's elect are and how faithful God is.

We're asking for prayer for us, as it is difficult to let the Lord be in control of all the fears in the new circumstances we're in. Talking and loving on all sorts of people, especially new ones, is something the Lord is teaching me I need to work on, to let the benefits and good things that may occur from doing something top my fears and 'what ifs'. We had to decide the next step recently of an opportunity that came up a few weeks ago - and we're on our way towards Seattle to help sail a boat up Vancouver island with the guy we met, Ivan. Pray that we keep following His direction as we head up the coast.

We're currently in Portland, after driving through the impressive Des chutes forest.

stretching our legs in the forest

the vouse and tall trees

New People and Places

Last Thursday we left the vouse in Kemmerer, WY and took the motorcycle up to Jackson Hole and back overnight.  We camped up in the Bridger-Teton National forest about 30 miles short of the town of Jackson.  Wished we had thought ahead and bought bear spray...  The food safety warning sign on the road we turned off on had a huge griz pawprint as a background.

camp

No one was eaten, so the next morning we drove up through Jackson and then continued up into the national park to get a glimpse of the Grand Teton.

On our return through Jackson we met a lady named Cynthia at the town park.  Cynthia is from Arizona and works hospice there while going to school studying death and dying.  She was beading on the picnic table, which she says is her escape when her job gets to be too much.  Before too long, she told us that she was in Jackson because she was running.  Work had become too difficult to handle and it had become obvious she needed to leave.  After talking for a while, we shared that a moment by moment relationship with Christ is what helps us not only cope, but continue to live outwardly in love, when life gets tough.  We left her with a Bible and asked her if we could put her picture up here.  Please pray that Cynthia would find an in-exhaustible well of peace, joy, hope, and love from constant communion with Christ as she contemplates what's next for her.

After leaving Jackson, we looped around the mountains to the west, through the Star Valley.  After the desolate drive through southern Wyoming, the lush agricultural setting of the Star Valley was absolutely divine.  We stopped in a few small towns and museums and made it home late in the evening.  In all the trip was most of 300 miles.  We really enjoyed getting away from the van for a bit and having the gas pump read less than $10 when we filled up.

Star Valley

On Saturday morning we started driving toward Pocatello, ID.  We intended to stay the weekend and go to church, then visit the university there to investigate their engineering school.  We arrived and started meandering about the center of town, talking with people and trying to get a feel for where what sort of town we were in.  After a few hours, we needed to stop and pray about what the Lords plan was, because things just didn't feel right.  Although we had found a church we intended to go to the next morning and had identified some people in the community that we could try to connect with more deeply, we felt the Lord wanted us to keep driving.

We set out in the direction of Boise, trusting that the Lord would show us where to stop so we could find a church for Sunday before evening.  About an hour later, Laura got bored of the interstate and we turned off into a cluster of farming communities.  We found ourselves in the town of Rupert.  After poking around the town square, we inquired about churches and Grace Community church was recommended to us.  After stocking up on yummies from the Panaderia, we went to find this church.  When we found it, we were invited to stay the night in the parking lot, where we got to chat with another guy who lives out of his trouse and has been going there while he's in town.  He's been writing a lot recently about the need for total surrender to Christ and want to publish some of them.

Church the next morning was encouraging. It was filled with a variety of people, with many people that seemed really excited about Christ and to be able to worship him and be lifted up by the fellowship. The message was on how we need to build our faith. With examples of going to a gym and working out, the pastor encouraged us that only we can build our faith. (www.graceid.org)

At church we met Bill, Virginia, Haley, and Mike.  They live on farm about twenty miles south of Rupert.  Bill invited us to camp there while we went down to an area called city of rocks.  We arrived later that afternoon after being treated to lunch by a few delightful older gals from the church.  Plans for the city  of rocks were postponed on account of having too much fun touring the farm, bonfiring, gun firing, weenie roasting and enjoying new friends.

Monday morning we were invited for breakfast, then went to the city of rocks.  We finished the day with chores, dinner, and lots of good conversation.

city of rocks - lots of climbing potential

This brings us to this morning.  We are sitting in the kitchen typing, wishing we didn't have to leave this fun, engaging, loving family and their world.  We'll be off towards Boise again this afternoon after stopping at Shoshone Falls.

Rawlins

We stopped in Rawlins, for the night, and since it was Wednesday night, decided to look for a Wednesday Evening Service/study at a church in town. We saw a sign pointing up the hill towards First Baptist Church, and were invited in. The pastor, Harvey, gave a talk on 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, as part of a study of both Corinthian books. He shared the good news of the resurrection – Christ’s and our own because of Him. 

We received a prayer request from Kathy, a member there that attended that night – To be with First Baptist as its numbers dwindle, and for all the churches in the area that have experienced a loss of membership as members move away as the jobs leave or just advancing in age and going to be with the Lord. We encouraged them to stay the course: keep preaching the gospel, and focusing on living Christ’s love for other people. Numbers aren’t a sign of a church being alive, and even a small congregation is just as important and can be very effective for the Lord.  Please pray that the Lord brings fruit through this congregation and that the Lord sustains them. 

 Happy June!

On our way

We're finally on the road! We're about to head out from Laramie, WY. After battling 60 mph headwinds to get here, the weather has evened out and we visited Vedauwoo. It's like heartman rocks in Gunnison on steriods. Did a 5.9+ yesterday after meeting some climbers and hanging out with them a bit. Learning how to adjust to life on the road and excited for what's next! Stopped at the University of Wyoming to chat with the engineering department. School is still a daunting thought, but we know it's up to Him to send us in the right direction. Headed west...

Pictures: 1. The vouse at hartmans before we left. (minus motorcycle, it was being used)
              2. Driving to Vedauwoo
              3. Camping at Vedauwoo