Two Months Down

Well here I am at the 2/3 mark of my Grand Canyon adventure. so far this summer has been one of fun, excitement, and personal growth for me. This morning as I finished my tenth sermon for the summer I realized how far I've come in this calling that God has put in my life. The past couple of months have shown me what it takes not only to continually engage in God's Word but also how to do so while working another full time job and interacting with a wide of people including those I work with, live with, and are who I worship with on a daily basis. I can't wait to see what this last month has in store for me and what opportunities God will have for me. No pictures this time I plan on taking a lot more in these last few weeks so that I can share them with all of the people I love so much.

It's Been Awhile

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post but its been a hectic couple of weeks. Two weeks ago my parents came to visit and their 4 day visit turned into a week long visit after my mom slipped, broke her ankle, and had to have surgery and then last week I got sick, so it has been pretty crazy around here. I am doing fine and can't belief I have been here for over five weeks. This trip has been absolutely amazing so far even with all the incidents of the past two weeks I don't have any pictures to share but I should be able to get to the internet more frequently now that everything has settled down here. My mom and dad are back home now and I ask that you keep my mom in your prayers as she recovers. 

Just Another Update and a few pictures

Hi everyone just wanted to let everyone know that I am still having an amazing time here at the Grand Canyon. I am preaching two sermons this weekend as well as taking another hike into the Canyon this time I'll be going down to Plateau Point which is about 6 miles down into the Canyon. Just the other day I got some bad news my friend Pete's mom passed away and before I heard the news I wasn't planning on going to the sunset service that evening but after I heard that Holly had left this world something told me that I needed to go to the services and I'm glad I did because the sermon that Shleby, the other seminarian on our team, gave was just what I needed to hear. God is so great all the time but especially in the times when we need him the most. My parents will be coming for a visit next week so I'm really excited about that and have found a bunch of things for us to do together as a family. Here are somemore pictures that still do not capture the awesomeness of this place.

Great Hike

Saturday I went for a hike with my friend Subaas about halfway down the canyon to a place called Indian Gardens which is like a little oasis down in the Canyon. The hike down was Ok there are rest stops with water and shade every mile. As we got further down the tempearture began to rise and we noticed that our fingers were swelling probably from a combination of the temperature and altitude changes. The trip back up was a little intense ont the way up there was a mule tour stopped on the trail and we found out that someone had fallen off their mule and the tour guides were trying to get help. When we were finally able to pass and I started to walk up the trail I heard my friend Subaas ask the man if wanted us to pray for him so I immediately turned and we laid hands on him and prayed. It was a very intense but fun day we completed the trip in about 6.5 hours and were very hungry, tired, and dirty by the time we got back to the top and as we ate out lunch we both agreed that a hot shower and a long nap were in both of our futures. 
Tonight I preach my first sermon on the rim at sunset a friend of the pastor here is bringing a group of about 40 kids to the service. I am looking forward to it. Below are some pictures from the hike  

My first week

This first week at the Grand Canyon has been amzazing I have had a great time experiencing one of God's most impressive creations. The wildlife here is remarkable I've had the chance to see several herds of elk as well as deer. Yesterday there were several elk along the shuttle route they are just starting to grow there antlers back. I also started my job yesterday working in the reatail warehouse it seems to be a pretty relaxed working enviroment, there's always something to do, and the people I'm working with are very friendly.  I went with a group of folks on the Hermits Rest shuttle and got to see some incredible views including the Colorado River below are some pictures from that tour. I am still getting familiar with the area and I will have many many other pictures to share.   

first couple of days at the Grand Canyon

I got here on Monday and every minute has been amazing. I saw the Canyon for the first time Tuesday morning and it literally took my breath away. It is so overwhelming there aren't words to express it. I went down in the canyon later that day for a short hike with some friends I met here and it was very humbling exxperience mot only because of the physical strain of hiking but also the experience of being surrounded by one of God's greatest creations. I know this summer will be a great experience for both my growth as a future pastor and my life. I took lots of pictures and will be taking many more and will post them ASAP.

Will