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.