San Diego and "Miles" Later

So this is another post that is behind the times... we are actually in Santa Cruz at the moment in a Seattle's Best Coffee shop catching up.  So back to San Diego.  We could not get a hold of the folks we had planned to stay with in that sunny city the Wednesday we got in so as my wife and I sat in a Borders bookstore in La Mesa I called an old college bud named Andrew Griffen.  It so happened that he lived 5 minutes away from where we were and was preparing a message for a mid week Bible Study at his church.  We met him and he treated us to dinner at a taco shop (the California burrito is awesome!) and then went to the Wednesday night service with him.  We heard a wonderful class on living a life that is joyful despite circumstances.  We hope that this message will catch on at his church and others because Christianity wasn't ever meant to be boring.  After class we mentioned we were on the road and needed a place to stay and a few girls willingly opened their homes to us.  We ended up staying the night with Ema who's fiance was out of town because he was deployed to Korea with the military.  Thanks Andrew and Ema both for your hospitality!  The next morning we got up and visited the famous San Diego Zoo and discovered that even the animals detested the sweltering heat we experienced that day (at least most of the big critters were nowhere to be seen!)  At this point we had made contact with the original person we had planned on visiting with in San Diego.  She went by Winnie and she is the grandmother of one of our Iraqw teammates, Deborah Strasser.  She was so gracious to us, taking us out to Olive Garden for dinner and opening up a beautiful room to us that contained a cozy king-size bed.  After staying one night with Winnie and her eldest daughter, Caren, Kristen and I decided to hit the beach the next morning.  The weather was the exact opposite of what we had experienced at the zoo.  The wind blew so hard that it was extremely difficult for us to keep from freezing as we attempted to relax and read.  Neither of us got in the water that day but we did head up the sidewalk for some frozen yogurt where we ran into some other disciples of Jesus who encouraged us very much.  When we got back to the beach I overheard a few guys sitting behind us talking about using drugs on girls at parties so that they might sleep with them.  These are one of those moments when you feel like saying something but not in the most compassionate way.  I turned around and told them how lame it was that they would try to get girls that way.  I know that maybe I could have started by getting to know them and share Jesus or something but I just felt like maybe these guys who already knew in their own head that it was lame just needed another guy to straight up tell them how lame it was.  Anyways, if you have suggestions about how I should go about it if I ever have another chance let me know.  I know at times Jesus spoke compassionately and unbiasedly and at others he spoke challenging conviction into people's lives.  So after our cold beach day we returned to Winnie's for Lasagna and salad and a nice evening of sharing life's stories with her.  The next morning, after a long rest and a scurry to pack up all of our belongings once more, Winnie took us on a drive up to Mt. Helix.  Actually we drove separately so that after walking around the top we could head on to Los Angeles.  Mt. Helix gave us a beautiful panoramic view on all sides of the San Diego valley area.  There was a tall white cross at the pinnacle which sat above an amphitheater which accommodates community events and concerts as well as Easter services yearly.  Here we took pictures with Winnie and parted ways with her and Caren.  We were so warmed to be in their company.  Seeing that it was a beautiful, sunny morning, Kristen and I decided to sit in the amphitheater and read out of the gospel of Matthew.  This transitioned us into a truly amazing Christ experience.  After we finished a few chapters we got up and while walking to our car ran into Miles Brannan.  He walked up with his own Bible and a copy of a devotional book by Oswald Chambers.  He asked us what we had been reading and where we were from.  We told him our story and almost immediately he invited us to lunch at his home with his wife and son.  Kristen and I left Mt. Helix beaming, excited about this encounter in the Spirit.  We met Miles and his wife Raina at an apartment complex where they happened to be the tenants.  We also watched as their two year old, Daniel, ran around like a wild beast : ) as he pulled down blinds and stuck his hand in the toilet.  he was definitely a boy.  Raina prepared a traditional Iraqi breakfast for us as her background was Greek Orthodox and she had formerly lived in Iraq.  It was entirely delicious and consisted of pita, olives, corned beef, sausages, cheeses, and  chick peas (they may have been beans).  The entire time we were there we became very acquainted with this beautiful family and it felt as if we were long lost brothers and sisters (spiritually we are).  Miles is a commercial pilot who recently discovered that he is color blind, which is an amazing feat considering that this disability keeps others from ever being able to fly.  He has developed other ways of discerning certain patterns which do not require interpreting colors.  Still, he desires complete healing so that he may be allowed to continue deeper training and so that he may fly at night.  Raina is currently studying English so that she may teach and she is already fluent in Arabic, Syriac and Aramaic.  Knowing that Kristen and I were headed to Los Angeles that same day, Miles helped us find campsites in the Simi Valley area and even secretly handed me gas money.  This was a couple that lived a open-handed lifestyle.  They have even since called us to see how we are doing and eagerly desire to reunite with us someday in the future.  If you know our God, thank him on our behalf, for the many hospitable people he has put in our path.  If you do not know Him yet, there really are people out their who are pickled in His love and love to love on others through opening their doors and hearts.  Just because the religious people you have known all your life talk about Jesus but don't live this sort of love out, don't let their lukewarm mush discourage you from finding true faith.  Hopefully we will catch up soon and be telling you all about Los Angeles, Sequoia National Park and Santa Cruz!

--Taylor

Grand Canyon

We apologize for our constant "behindness" in this blog.  This post is about our experience at the Grand Canyon.  I also apologize that my posts are not as poetic and descriptive as Taylor's.  I'm a more matter-of-fact, lets get to the point kind of writer.  But I enjoy reading his posts much more than my own!  Back to the Grand Canyon, we originally had planned to hike down to the bottom, camp there for two nights, and then hike back up.  However, at the last minute, we decided we shouldn't do it.  We were just unsure if we were in enough shape to do it, or whether it would be smart with the heat and everything.  I'm actually glad we did not do it.  While hiking in Zion, I carried a Camelback on my back full of a gallon of water as well as my lunch.  The weight on my back while hiking tough hills was enough to wear me out every hill we went up.  We had to continually stop so I could catch my breath.  I started thinking about what it would be like to hike down with a much heavier pack that is holding clothes, food, a sleeping bag, AND water.  Plus add heat and miles of hiking.  Overall, we just decided it wouldn't be the best idea.  Instead, we did a day hike down the canyon for awhile and then back up.  It was beautiful, fun, and the perfect amount of time.  I loved the Canyon.  It's so nice to finally say I've seen it!  While we were there, we also went to a short IMAX movie about the Canyon.  Enjoy the pictures!

Out of the Desert into Canaan

"On Zion's glorious summit stood, a numerous host redeemed by blood," were words that echoed between the mountain tops as Kristen and I attempted the five mile, three hour hike to the top of Angel's Landing, in Zion National Park, Utah.  This park has rightfully earned its name, an oasis in the middle of the desert, lush with greenery and cliffs painted with a beautiful multi-layered record of the past.  For Kristen and I, camping in this park for two nights and hiking for two days was paradise compared to the sweltering heat we had previously experienced in Phoenix.  When we got in the evening of our first night we were required to stay in a group campsite with some other travelers because all of the single campsites were booked.  When this kind of thing occurs we have learned to put up our God antennas and assume he has someone in mind that could make use of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It so happened that we were placed with three British guys who grew up together in Oxford and were making a quick road trip through the U.S. to celebrate graduating from university.  They had stopped in this beautiful Eden on the way to Las Vegas.  As we shared seating area and watched as they built a fire out of our cooking embers we began to learn about what each of them planned to do with their lives.  One was a history major, desiring to use that to change his part of the world.  Another desired to design homes with his talents as a architect.  The third specialized in Greco-Roman history.  His area of study brought about thoughts of an ancient Jewish peasant named Jesus, who Kristen and I explained to them was our Lord.  Understanding where these guys of our generation were coming from (caring deeply about the injustices of the modern world), we explained to them how we wanted to share His love in Africa, not as colonialists attempting to undergo a takeover of resources but as ambassadors of another kingdom, one that affirmed the positive traits of the tribal group we were reaching out to, while at the same time offering forgiveness of and freedom from sins that had destroyed their connection with the life giving God.  We explained how the Gospel of Christ was the answer to peace amongst tribal groups who fought over each of their "god-given" rights to all the cattle in the world.  Though I in some ways wish we had challenged them to know the Lord and give their lives and plans up to Him I hope they were able to see the impact His love has to bring justice to the poor and oppressed of this world while still affirming the need for eternal salvation and not just to line the pockets of westerners, .  Our honest conversation gave Kristen and I the opportunity to pray over them in person, that they may come to know the love of Christ more fully, that they may be drawn nearer to Him and that they might have a fun time on the rest of their trip.  This gave us the opportunity to plant seeds in their hearts without making assumptions about their plans for Vegas, and without denying our allegiance to Christ.  The next day Kristen and I took a beautiful hike up to Angel's Landing.  Huffing and puffing up the mountain was soon rewarded by breath-taking views of the valley below.  God is beyond grand.  His creation is spectacular.  The next day the emerald pool hike refreshed us as we felt breezes come off the cliff faces as water trickled down their slippery walls in to deep green eyes below.  God is so good and even if we had said nothing to these guys we are grateful that even the creation displays His majesty to those who are unsure of his love for them.

-- Taylor

Phoenix, Arizona

For those of you reading our blog, make sure you always check for more than one post at a time.  What I mean by this is that this post is not the only new one posted.  We usually do several at a time.  We just didn't want you to miss anything!  This post will be short, but I wanted to write a little about our time here in the Phoenix area.  Let me just say- its as HOT as it claims to be!!  For the first night here, we camped in the Sonoran Desert.  This was a very unique experience.  First of all, it was a real desert complete with cacti (yes, I know the correct plural of this word and am proud of that!) and nothing but sand and heat.  We stayed at a campground there, but there was hardly a soul around us since it was so hot (smart people probably camp there in the fall!).  We felt like we had the desert to ourselves.  I admit, I was at first scared because I felt like we were all alone out there and our little tent would not be able to protect us from desert creatures.  However, once we got in the tent at night (it was even hot at night) and looked up, all I could see were millions of stars and it was very calming.  We slept well and the next morning drove into the city to see Daniel and Erin Lee (DLee from Harding, some of you might recall him!).  They were very hospitable and let us stay with them for two days, eat their food, and sleep on their fold out couch.  They also took us to a great restaurant in downtown Pheonix for dinner, which was lots of fun.  Most of our time there was spent relaxing indoors (too hot!) and we were once again refreshed by this.  Thanks to Daniel and Erin for their hospitality! 
(oh and P.S.- our blogs are never up to date because we don't have internet very often.  When you are reading them, they are usually not currently where we are.  For example, even though this post is about Phoenix, I am writing this from Joshua Tree National Park in California!)

-Kristen

Albuquerque, New Mexico

While in Albuquerque, we were blessed to stay with Komaka and Pat, a couple who are long term friends with Jim and Melissa Nesbit (for those of you who know them from Harding). Jim and Melissa told us we should stay with them when we visited Albuquerque and they were right! Komaka and Pat displayed the aroma of Christ to us from the moment we arrived until we left. Most of our time there was spent relaxing and getting refreshed (traveling can really wear you out!). They worked during the day, so we had their home to ourselves which was really nice. In the evenings we had wonderful conversations over dinner, all about Jesus and what it means to follow Christ. Komaka and Pat taught us a lot about the cost of following Jesus- denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and following Him. They love the Lord so much! Our time there was definately needed. On our way out of town, they distributed the love of Jesus even more by filling up our gas tank and giving us $100.00 for the road! This is not to brag on them at all, as I know they do not want the glory, but I share this so that praise can be given to God for His provision through His people! He confirmed in us so much that He will take care of us wherever we go. Let that be an encouragement to those of you reading this- God will ALWAYS provide, sometimes in the most mysterious ways!




-Kristen

Spiritual “Camps” and Close Encounters of the Third Kind

This post is coming to our blog much later than anticipated, but I still feel that its content is of benefit to anyone willing to read. While my wife and I spent time in Roswell, New Mexico contemplating the possibility of life on other planets, we met one man who was convinced (though not sure really what of) that something occurred in that infamous town of conspiracy. His name was John Weidemann, a single father who had moved from Oklahoma to New Mexico in order to seek an income as a heart sonogram technician. He happened to be living at the trailer park we decided to camp in for the evening. As we were setting up at our site he came over to introduce himself and find out what brought us into town. We explained to him about our journey, how we were off on an adventure to reignite our marriage and to share Jesus. After a while of conversing, he shared with us how he was currently a follower of Jesus as well and that he was in a time of serious questioning that had led him to doubt some of the major doctrinal statements he had picked up through his 7th Day Adventist roots. In this area Kristen and I could relate with him. His spiritual forefathers had set up “camp”, as Bob Hughey would put it, around a few specific doctrines, that at one point in the past may have brought life but now only deadened that movement because of its unwillingness to balance these positive practices out with other truths. The Adventists had warmed their hands and feet around the flames of sabbath rest and a strict health practices to name a few. The Churches of Christ (our heritage if you didn't know by now) has been likewise encamped around the doctrines of baptismal regeneration, a capella singing and cessationism. By making this point I am not wishing to downplay the importance of some of these beliefs but attempting to show that John's experience of being a part of a dead institutional church setting, set up around specific, unique earmarks of faith was not much different than ours. In fact most denominations tend to wind up in the same mess. The Baptists get hung up on eternal security and end times prophecy. Pentecostals emphasis the gifts of the Spirit, especially tongues. Charismatics tend to focus on high-energy worship and ecstatic manifestations of the Spirit. Calvinists are caught up in predestination and grace. Anabaptists emphasize peacemaking and justice. As the Lord has been restoring truths to His church, many groups, which at one time were thriving movements, have been deadened by their inability to continue following Jesus into new truths, while still retaining old ones. Being a part of one of these “camps” can be very appealing because at one point in time the Holy Spirit perhaps was stoking each and every one of these fires. The deception point, however came for each of these groups when followers of Jesus quit fully following and obeying Him and got comfortable just adhering to a few man-made rules and doctrines because it was either a more comfortable route or merely because they did not know that the focus was to be on the Giver of truth, not the specific truths themselves. So getting back to John, we found ourselves able to easily relate. He must of encouraged us in simply following Jesus and doing unto others as we would have them do unto us more than we encouraged him, because we came away from that RV park extremely refreshed. John was their to serve us in to so many ways, making sure we had extension cords for our laptops and even inviting us out to breakfast the next morning. Though we were unable to agree on every point of belief (no one will ever be able to this side of eternity) we were able to treat each other with Christ-likeness and practice His love as we eagerly sought to learn more about following our Lord. We each saw the shortcomings of our specific brotherhoods, but instead of letting that put us in a sour mood we decided to use our discussion as a catalyst for a greater embrace of the universal body of Christ which is not defined by doctrinal statements but by following Jesus and loving one another after the manner of Christ.

Are you camped around certain doctrines, thinking they hold the keys of life, or are you following the life-giving Jesus? Are you searching, for law-based righteousness, or are you righteous simply because Jesus' Spirit lives in you? Has your folding porch chair and cozy wool socks become to comfortable as ashes and coals slowly fade away and the embers of your campfire die out for lack of air? Then I would suggest you rethink your comfortable position. For some this might mean sticking it out in your denominational setting and stoking the embers up into a full on Holy Spirit blaze that others who have been deadened by legalism might come alive in Christ. For others, it might be that you only find life by leaving behind the institutions of your youth to find a deeper and more authentic way of following Jesus through forming house groups or new monastic communities with like-minded friends. Either way there is no room for complacency when it comes to following Jesus. There is a narrow road and few who truly find it. It is okay to question your own assumptions of the faith system you have grown up in. John's questions freed him up to follow Christ more authentically and to set aside some man-made yokes. Mine and Kristen's have as well. Actually, questioning may be a sign of someone truly seeking to not be complacent but to actually make sense of what it means to truly love God and love people in the context you live in. All in all my point is don't become too comfortable camping out around your set of beliefs and get up and make a sincere effort to follow Jesus into all truth. It may bring you under scrutiny and persecution by your own brotherhood or even your immediate family, but remember following Jesus comes at a cost, a cost that is truly worth it.

Roswell, New Mexico

Leaving Carlsbad, we drove to Roswell, New Mexico. The only reason we went there was, of course, aliens and UFOs! We had to see what this was all about. And they were definitely everywhere. Even the Walmart had a UFO on it. It was a bit hokey, but there was a charm to it. We camped that night in an RV park God led us to. It was definitely his provision, because we had no idea where we were going to sleep that night. The woman who worked there was so sweet, and allowed us to set up our tent and make ourselves at home. The facilities there were nice and clean and there was even a game room with a couch and T.V. We heated up leftovers and then spent the evening doing our own things. That night, I had trouble sleeping because of bugs that were in our tent. It’s almost impossible for some not to get in when you climb in and out. My plan was for us to get in the tent as quickly as possible, zip it up, then turn on our lantern and attract all bugs. Once they were landing all over the lantern, Taylor could kill them for me. And he patiently did- each and EVERY bug. However, when we laid down to sleep, I could still hear a couple of them buzzing and I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that they might land on me. I was glad when morning came. We then went to the UFO museum and got to hear the story of what happened that "fateful" day in Roswell. It was fun to hear the history and listen to people’s comments as they walked through (some were true skeptics, some faithful believers).  In fact, the woman at the front desk checking us in randomly said, "Yeah, I wasn't a believer until I started working here."  For a second, I got really excited because she said she was a Believer.  And then I realized she was talking about the aliens and not about God!  Oh well, I pray she becomes a true Believer one day as well (or who knows, maybe she already is?).  I'll end with a quote from a chat I had with my sister on the internet while in Roswell:
Kristen: "I think I just spotted an alien!"
Caitlin: "Nope, its just Taylor."

-Kristen

The Christ Experience

When Kristen and I were leaving the Carlsbad Caverns Visitors Center we were left awestruck by the beauty of what seemed like endless vastness below the earth's crust that God had used many years to create.  As we came out to our Honda Civic exhausted and hungry we happened to run into two young ladies, around the same ages as us, named Hillary and Lindsay.  They were sitting in the back of their compact, eating snacks and chatting away like two best friends.  After striking up conversation we discovered that they had just recently arrived at the park and were getting ready to head into the abyss.  After a few minutes I discovered that they had become acquaintances while working for a science news broadcast that airs on NPR out of Austin, TX. They explained that they were on an adventure together to take time off work.  As we continued on in conversation somehow our plans for our trip came up and thus the name of Jesus. Seizing this opportunity to share his love and hope to them I asked, “Do you know Him?” Lindsay didn't really respond but her friend, after I further stated that it may be a strange question to ask, said, “No its not.” She then proceeded with man umms and oohhs, to figure out whether she knew him. She then at last confessed, “I know of him historically speaking but, no I don't really know him personally.” I replied that many people know of his historicity but have never really come to experience him, what I simply explained to be the Christ experience. I shared with them how my wife and I have experienced Christ's love and mercy in our own lives and how exciting it is to know that the creator of the caverns and everything else they could see knows us personally. I urged them to have a Christ experience as well, that getting to know God is the greatest adventure of a lifetime and that they could find out more about Him through reading the Bible. After they left we placed a Teen Bible (it was one of the only ones we had) on their windshield with a note referring to a verse in Colossians about how Christ has taken the penalty of our sins upon Himself. We wrote again how getting to know Him will lead the both of them on the greatest adventures they will ever embark upon. Sometimes God places people in our paths who just need to be reminded that they can experience Christ for themselves and that he does care to know about them and forgive them of their sins. He is more than a character of history. He is the Son of God, Prince of Peace, lord of Life. Is He more than just a name in an old book to you? Have you had your own Christ experience? I would challenge that even if you have gotten wet in the waters of baptism, sang the good songs as you sat in a pew and even taken the preacher's sermons to heart that you may not know Jesus. You may not have actually personally experienced His tangible love. Have you ever really sought after Him with all your mind, heart, soul and strength or do you just pretend that everything will go alright for you because you do what your parents or church told you to do since you were a kid? Following Jesus is not for those who want to pretend and get around obeying and actually having an authentic relationship with the creator of the universe. Jesus said that if you love Him you will obey His commands and then He will send the comforter, the Spirit of Life to come live inside of you. Have you ever asked for the Holy Spirit? If not then don't wait. Don't settle for religion that has, “A form of godliness but denying its power.” be empowered by the breath of God and have your own Christ experience.

Blog Error

Hey guys!  This is just a real quick post to let you know that we had some "blogging" problems and the blog posts written before this one are out of order.  You may not have actually read all the newest things we posted.  Most of you seemed to have read the Big Bend post, but there are actually two other posts that occurred AFTER Big Bend..but they are out of order.  SO- here's the order in which the below posts should be read: First is the Big Bend post, then the post about White Sands, New Mexico and then the post about Carlsbad Caverns.  Once you read all of those, we are back on track and any posts written after this one should be in correct order.  Sorry for the mess up!  Thanks for all your comments, we'd love to hear more- they encourage us so much! 

Taylor and Kristen

Abilene, TX and Big Bend National Park

Hey to everyone reading this! This is Kristen writing, and my first time to get to share with you my own thoughts on how things are going so far. Taylor and I will each be writing our own entries related to the things we have been doing (or really, what God has been doing for us and through us) since we left the Dallas/Ft. Worth area almost a week ago. We wish we could have updated sooner, but we do not often have access to the internet unless we are staying in someone’s home (which we are right now). Let me update you on life since Dallas. When we left, we originally planned to drive all the way down to Big Bend National Park (for those of you who don’t know, this is waaaaay down in southwest Texas). However, we wanted to stop in Abilene on the way so that Taylor could show me the town, his old house where he lived as a kid, and his church. With this stop, as well as other things along the way, we realized it would be best to drive as far as we could and then stay in a motel. We got to the town of Alpine, only about an hour from Big Bend (closest town with motels still in it). But I’ll get back to that. First we stopped in Abilene, and our faithful GPS led us right to the doorstep of Taylor’s childhood home. We knocked on the door, met the guy who lives there now, and he allowed us to take a picture and film a little video. Taylor commented that everything looked so much smaller than it did when he was a kid. We also got to bless the guy by praying for him before we left. We drove to his old church, Southern Hills C of C, and took a look at it. They’ve added on additions since he was a wee one. By the way, I failed to mention earlier, but when we left Taylor’s cousin Lisa’s house, she sent us off with a card to open later. When we opened it, we found $50.00 inside and a package of stamps. It was so unexpected and yet we knew this was God making sure to remind us that He is taking care of us in every way. That is part of the purpose of this trip, or at least it’s the purpose of why we are approaching this trip the way we are. We didn’t want to come too prepared, we wanted to lean on God and let Him care for as along the way. He used Lisa to do that in a way we were not expecting. It increased our faith abundantly. Moving on through Texas, we made it to the town of Alpine, fairly close to Big Bend and spent the night in a motel. Get ready to call me spoiled, but I confess I’ve never spent the night in a MOTEL before- only what most would consider HOTELS (Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, etc.). This was a new experience for me and only cost us $35.00 for the night- compared to the Best Western up the road for $91.00. What I learned from this experience was not to judge a book by its cover. The motel (called ‘Alpine Inn’) was actually not bad. It was clean (trust me, I checked the sheets in depth) and met all our needs. There were a few shabby things about it, but overall I couldn’t believe that we only had to pay $35.00 for a decent motel room. Now I admit, I’ll always take a Hampton Inn over anything else, but it encouraged me to know that God can still meet all my needs for only $35.00! But there was an even bigger bonus involved. The next morning, we were able to bless the maid who took care of our room. She was obviously Indian (as in, the country) and was working hard cleaning all of the rooms. We wanted to pray a blessing over her on our way out, but every time we went outside to catch her, she went into a room to clean. So instead, Taylor had the idea of taking one of the Bibles we had brought on this trip to give away, wrote a note inside it and left her a tip. The note he wrote talked about the color red (a very significant color in India and a sign of purity) and how the words of Jesus are written in red because his words are pure as well. Then he wrote about how much Jesus loves her and wants her to know him so he can give her Life. We have no idea what this will do for her but that’s not important for us to know. All we know is, God wanted her to know that he loves her, and he wanted us to be the ones to tell her. And if that’s the only reason we stayed there, then that was enough. Later that morning, we drove the beautiful drive to Big Bend. There were mountains all around, though more desert-looking in nature rather than forest-looking. The actual national park had lots of trees, though. We found a campsite in the park and set up tent. This was my first time to camp. Boy, was it interesting. I really enjoyed setting up the tent and we purposely chose to camp at a higher elevation spot because it was much cooler there. The weather was great, I was even chilly at night. After setting up, we went on a hike called the Lost Mine Trail. It was a 5 mile hike, total. It was very beautiful and we saw some amazing scenery along the way. However, as much as I wanted to call myself “outdoorsy” toting my Camelback; wearing my Merrell hiking shoes; and sporting my Northface shorts, I must admit: the entire way up the trail, I was paranoid because I saw a sign warning us of mountain lions in the area. It explained what to do if you saw one and how it was not recommended that children be taken on this hike. I wanted to turn around immediately, but I knew that it was going to be the same anywhere in the area. I “bravely” proceeded forward, but had a hard time enjoying myself because I was so afraid of spotting one. (In case you are worried, I’ll go ahead and ease your minds- we never saw one). Once we made it to the top, saw the gorgeous views (see our photos) and headed down, I was doing better and was able to enjoy myself more. Still, once we finished the trail, I was quietly heaving huge sighs of relief to myself. That evening we cooked a meal on our camping stove and spent time reading our Bible together. However, when it was time for bed, as we pulled a few things from the trunk to brush our teeth, we shut the trunk and THEN realized our keys were inside of it. We hurried to find a park ranger in the dark using only our flashlights ( I was also not a fan of this because my flashlight was not enough light to spot bears or mountain lions). The park ranger informed us that the only person who had the equipment to safely break into our car was the security- and he wouldn’t be around until the morning. So we headed back to the tent and spent the night in our clothes. The next morning we had to wait a couple of hours for him to arrive, but it was okay because we spent time praying together and we even got to watch a deer walk around our campsite (so beautiful!). And once again, we got to bless him by praying over him before he left. Afterwards, he decided to inform us "since you're leaving" that the day before, a mountain lion had poked its head into a woman's tent where she and her two children were sitting.  As he chuckled (and I inwardly decided I wanted to go home) I realized this trip is going to be full of surprises!

-Kristen

Carlsbad Caverns

We stayed in Carlsbad for the night at another motel (we got in way too late to camp) and got to pray for the maids again in this place. Funnily enough, they were also Indian. In the morning we went to Carlsbad Caverns, my favorite place so far. The caverns, or caves, were amazing! God has really done some amazing things underground. I wish my pictures could do it justice, but they come nowhere close. The lighting was too bad to get any good pictures. The Caverns were absolutely huge, they went on and on. We did a self-tour while killing time, and then did a guided tour. During the guided tour, we learned about the guy who discovered the caves. Can you imagine being the first person to discover something like that? During the tour, the guide gave us a “black out” in which all the lighting is turned off. We were able to experience true, total darkness. She told us that our eyes would never be able to adjust to this amount of darkness. I think that was my favorite part of the tour. God has really made some absolutely incredible creations!  In the next post, Taylor will explain an encounter we had with some girls in the parking lot, after the caverns, in which God used us to share Jesus with them!

-Kristen

White Sands, New Mexico

We next headed off to New Mexico, specifically to White Sands. If you haven’t heard of it (I hadn’t), it’s beautiful! This is hard to describe without taking away the beauty, but it was just miles of sand dunes, smooth and tall. We took a self-led tour through some of the dunes, where certain animals live. The rest of the dunes, we climbed all over and took pictures. We were fortunate enough to be there right around sunset, and the sun was so beautiful going down behind the dunes. There were all sorts of people there, some having dinner on top of the dunes, or sledding down the sides. I thought to myself, if I lived around here, I think I would get a group of friends together all the time and come play at the dunes. It only costs $5.00 to get in to see them, and it looks like so much fun to slide down them. If you think about it, $5.00 is much less expensive than a movie. But anyways, it was a fairly quick stop and then we drove the rest of the evening to Carlsbad, New Mexico.

-Kristen

In Fort Worth!

Hey everyone!

Kristen and I are at my cousin Lisa's home in Fort Worth, TX enjoying tacos a family. We headed out of Searcy in such a hurry that this was the first chance that we have had to update our blog in about a week. Friends from the Exchange (there is a link to the left) sent us off with prayer and encouragement A worship leader from Bethel Church in Redding California named Keith Luker came and spoke about praying for a double portion of the faith of our spiritual fathers and mothers and lead us in a refreshing time of praise. We left the exchange and spent the night with our friends the Ritchies who sent us of with wise words and encourafemtn the next morning. We made our way down towards Rusk, TX, to spend time with my Memaw Box and to catch up on some much needed rest. being around her is always heartwarming and her wisdom and love just seems to rub off on you if you take the time to talk. Being around reminds me of how blessed I am to have the natural family I have (of which most members are spiritual siblings as well). We caught up on stories from my dad's youth until my uncle Mick and Aunt Ramona showed up. After having good laughs and serious sighs we found ourselves sitting around reading the scriptures to each other just for the fun of it. That is just how my dad's family has always been. As Kristen and I expressed our dreams for the future and divulged about our road trip, my three relatives relayed the collective wisdom they had retrieved over the years. What I gathered to be the most emphasized piece of advice was that, as Memaw put it so well, that "We must learn to turn the suffering and other bad things in life into hay" or as I would put it "Turn your desert into an Oasis". Too often as followers of Christ we allow our suffering to pull us away from the "God of all comfort" who desires that we turn to him like chicks to a mother hen. The world (and even religion) teaches us that suffering inevitably leads to depression because in the midst of suffering there is no eternal hope. Christ confounded the hopeless of his day that "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world". Christ pointed his followers to the Father who can turn mourning into dancing and sorrow into joy. Even in the midst of suffering we can be filled with an unnatural joy and a peace that passes understanding. God desires that we turn to him because he desires to heal us. suffering can either push us deeper into depression or farther into faith. If your God is not big enough to comfort and even heal you maybe suffering is something that will bring a major paradigm shift into your life. His promises are eternally true and he desires that you ask of Him as a child asks for good things. My uncle Mick reminded me that Jesus no longer calls us servants, but friends. Actually, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places and the storehouses of that realm are open to us, and Jesus bids us to simply ask the Father in His name. On another note we are hanging out with our friends Ryan and Jen Locke tomorrow and afterwards on our way to Big Bend.

In Christ,

Taylor

Countdown to Freedom!!!

Okay, so we're sitting here in our steadily emptying apartment, ready to embark on this new, epic, journey. Countdown 1 week! This is a trip we have been planning on taking since last fall and it is finally being realized! Thank you for taking time to keep up with our posts. We will be regularly updating this site with exciting new tidbits from our pilgrimage. Please expect photos and film every now and then as well. You can also follow along through both of our facebook pages. Please be praying for us as we are in need of God's provision and guidance every step of the way.

in Christ,

Taylor and Kristen