Mike and I spent last Tuesday thru Thursday on the rocks at Interstate park in Minnesota. Mike had a blast getting back into the swing of climbing, which he used to do much more of before he moved to the flat state of Nebraska. It was another story for me however. Let's just say that rock climbing was completely out of my comfort zone.
The discomfort started bright and early on Wed. morning when we hauled our gear up the mountain to set the climbs. I was doing well at 4:30 in the morning but before I knew it, I began to tumble over the rocks. I believe it was the Lord that protected me from falling over the face of the cliff (literally just feet away). Instead, I landed face first in the rocks. It was a scary moment for both Mike and I as Mike was behind me and later told me that he felt helpless as I kept falling and he could do nothing. Later that morning I belayed Mike as he was climbing. When he fell, he kept falling until his feet hit the rock VERY hard. Now, those of you who aren't familiar with rock climbing, that is NOT supposed to happen. The belayer (which was me) should have caught him within a few feet of his fall. I had all the slack out of the rope, but the rope I was using had more give in it than I knew. Needless to say, the day started off with me feeling like I wanted to quite. With the help and encouragment of Mike and the specialist, Ryan, I continued on and in the end I enjoyed my time with the kids. Once again, it was only by God's strength that I managed to get through the trip...but I did...and I am alive to tell about it :-).
These next three weeks Mike and I will be leading a rock climbing unit here at camp. We will be working with campers daily as they learn to climb. Sometimes I laugh at God's humor....he keeps putting me in environments where I am NOT comfortable, where I can only rely on God and His strength...I think I am starting to see a theme in my life.
If you could, please continue to pray for safety for both Mike and I. As you can see, we certainly need it!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Another Week in the Wilderness
It was the rush of the river, the strength of the current, the cold rain and God's beautiful creation that Mike and I experienced this last week. It was week two of wilderness trip training; focusing on canoeing, swift water rescue training and backpacking. Needless to say that it was the following schedule that God used to keep me out of my comfort zone.
Day 1: We canoed a little over 20 miles of the Fambau river. The purpose of this was to see and experience the river. My arms felt like jelly by the end of the day and I was thankful that MIke was an experienced paddler!
Day 2: We woke up early and set up camp at a new base down river. We then proceeded to learn all that we could about swift water rescue. It was a very intense day as the river water was high due to a lot of rain!
Day 3: We woke up to rain, wind and a lot of cold air. We crowded around the fire as long as we could, but then came the dreaded words of "time to get in the water"! We played out a few rescue scenerios. We were thankful that they were only scenerios and not real kids needing help!
Day 4: We paddled down river to our pull out spot, climbed in the van and then continued on our way to the mountains where we set up camp again.
Day 5: Major storms hit while we slept in our tents early in the morning. We heard trees fall all around us as rain, lightning and strong winds tumbled through camp. Thankfully, the weather cleared up for our hike to Superior Lake.
I have learned so much about God using us in our weakest state- so often we think that God needs us for him to move, but I have been learning so much about how much we need him. It is through his strength that anything of value is achieved.
Day 1: We canoed a little over 20 miles of the Fambau river. The purpose of this was to see and experience the river. My arms felt like jelly by the end of the day and I was thankful that MIke was an experienced paddler!
Day 2: We woke up early and set up camp at a new base down river. We then proceeded to learn all that we could about swift water rescue. It was a very intense day as the river water was high due to a lot of rain!
Day 3: We woke up to rain, wind and a lot of cold air. We crowded around the fire as long as we could, but then came the dreaded words of "time to get in the water"! We played out a few rescue scenerios. We were thankful that they were only scenerios and not real kids needing help!
Day 4: We paddled down river to our pull out spot, climbed in the van and then continued on our way to the mountains where we set up camp again.
Day 5: Major storms hit while we slept in our tents early in the morning. We heard trees fall all around us as rain, lightning and strong winds tumbled through camp. Thankfully, the weather cleared up for our hike to Superior Lake.
I have learned so much about God using us in our weakest state- so often we think that God needs us for him to move, but I have been learning so much about how much we need him. It is through his strength that anything of value is achieved.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wilderness Trips
Mike and I are leaving for our first wilderness training trip in 45 minutes. We will be learning to rock climb and kayak this week; next week we will be canoeing and hiking. While the training has been long and trying, it has also been a great strength builder for our relationship. Mike has done a wonderful job of teaching me and helping me to over come some fears of mine. Please pray for safe trips on the waters and in the mountains as well as while we are driving to our destinations. That is all we have time for now.
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