I'm not even sure how to start this particular blog post. How do I begin writing about an event that happened so quickly and out of no where...
Five minutes past ten not a single person had shown up for our service. We had decided to postpone in the hopes that someone would show up. Little did we expect a black bear to be the first to show his face. While a black bear running past the amphitheater was nothing less than cool what was to happen next left the few of us completely speechless. Before I go on I must say this, mom, part of me thought not to post about this event because I am sure to get some concerning comment from you, but rest assure that what I have told you about black bears still stands. They are actually much safer than you believe.
A high pitch squeal was enough to turn all of our heads and what we witnessed was absolutely incredible. Running right toward us was a tiny little dear and on its heels was the majestic black bear we had just seen earlier. Some 15 yards away the dear saw us and made a quick turn, but in the process lost its footing and fell to the ground. Just the opportunity the bear was awaiting for. The mid sized black bear quickly clamped its massive jaws around the fawns neck and proceeded to calmly walk up the hill with the fawn squealing the entire time. In this whole chase the bear actually ran through several camp sites and if this was not enough an even larger bear was watching the entire thing. The second bear was a brown color and was truly massive.
An event that I shall never forget for the rest of my life. The best way I can describe the even is simply, incredible. A truly incredible event. Oh, and by the way, right after this whole event we got a group of like eight people that all work at Wuksachi, so the service went well too.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Don't walk on the far side of the fire
Our adventure began late, disorganized, and not completely planned out, but in the end all went according to plan; we had fun. Each weekend we (generally Joe, Libby, Katie, and I) attempt to plan out an unforgettable hike to somewhere fun and exciting. This past weekend someone came up with the crazy idea of making camp on top of Moro Rock. Having been up the 400 steps before I must admit I was a skeptic. First off, how on earth were we going to find a spot on top of a huge rock that would be comfortable enough to sleep and secondly it was technically illegal.
All jumping into the car we decided to scope the rock out as we climbed the grueling steps. We would make our decision once we got there. It quickly became apparent that our crazy idea was just that: crazy. No where on the step rock was there a place that we could even attempt to make camp. So we decided to make our way down the rock to our backup plan: hanging rock. Hanging rock is generally the location that individuals go to get a good view of Moro Rock. It is just as high, but more of a cliff than just a large rock jutting out of the mountain like Moro. After scouting hanging rock for only a few minutes we had found our camping site. It wasn't the easiest place to get to, nor the best place to lay our heads, but defiantly one with the best view.
After setting up camp we headed back up Moro Rock to see an incredible sun set. While it wasn't the best I'd ever seen, it was nice to get a little reminder of life in Pentwater. I am a big fan of the age old tradition of making our way down to the beach in order to watch the sun fall into Lake Michigan, throw the fling sock and merely enjoy the company of family and friends. While there was no coarse sand under my feet, and if a fling sock was thrown it would be lost to the thousand foot drop (estimate), it was still nice to get a little reminder of the good old days.
As we watched the sun disappear under the horizon we sat ourselves down anticipating the arrival of the millions of stars that would sparkle above us. As we merely sat and enjoyed each others company little sparkling lights began to appear not only in the sky but in the valley below. In the day light the large city on the edge of the mountain range is invisible to the naked eye, but as the sun goes down and the street lights come on, the enormous city slowly comes into plan view.
We decided to make our way back to our camp site to enjoy a small illegal fire on the side of our cliff in order to cook s'mores. After satisfying our taste buds with the sugary treat we just sat back and enjoyed the view at which time we all witnessed the best falling star that I have ever seen in my life. It must have lasted five or six seconds, and the fire trailing behind was plainly visible. It was no little streak of light in the sky like any normal shooting star, but very large, long lasting, and beautiful. It was a great way to end our night.
As we lay in our sleeping bags we fell asleep under the stars (rain cover was off). The next morning we awoke to a new day in which we would find even more adventure. We visited Grant Grove, Crescent Meadow, Eagle view, and Panoramic View.
All jumping into the car we decided to scope the rock out as we climbed the grueling steps. We would make our decision once we got there. It quickly became apparent that our crazy idea was just that: crazy. No where on the step rock was there a place that we could even attempt to make camp. So we decided to make our way down the rock to our backup plan: hanging rock. Hanging rock is generally the location that individuals go to get a good view of Moro Rock. It is just as high, but more of a cliff than just a large rock jutting out of the mountain like Moro. After scouting hanging rock for only a few minutes we had found our camping site. It wasn't the easiest place to get to, nor the best place to lay our heads, but defiantly one with the best view.
 | |
| You can just see Moro Rock on the right |
 | ||
| The smog from the city below actually makes for a great sun set |
 |
| Panoramic view |
We decided to make our way back to our camp site to enjoy a small illegal fire on the side of our cliff in order to cook s'mores. After satisfying our taste buds with the sugary treat we just sat back and enjoyed the view at which time we all witnessed the best falling star that I have ever seen in my life. It must have lasted five or six seconds, and the fire trailing behind was plainly visible. It was no little streak of light in the sky like any normal shooting star, but very large, long lasting, and beautiful. It was a great way to end our night.
As we lay in our sleeping bags we fell asleep under the stars (rain cover was off). The next morning we awoke to a new day in which we would find even more adventure. We visited Grant Grove, Crescent Meadow, Eagle view, and Panoramic View.
 |
| Panoramic View |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
National Park Service
Once a week meetings with the entire team sets the stage for each Sunday service. As a team we hold two services a week. One, a mere five minute walk away located at Lodgepole and the other about a hour drive to a camping spot close to Grant Grove. There are a total of six of us, so we split it half and half, which so far is working great. Joe (Fellow ACMNPer and room mate) and Libby (also ACMNPer and also lives and works at lodgepole) have even made a colorful spreadsheet showing who is where and doing what each week. Nice and organized.
Three of us are able to play guitar and Libby plays the banjo, so all positions are pretty well passed around. By our second service, it was time for me to preach. At that point we did not have a neat schedule, so I volunteered. As the week progressed the Holy Spirit lead me to a topic, so as far as having something to say I was all set, although it was still to be determined how gifted I was at public speaking. I didn't really fell nervous even though I have done very little public peaking at this point in my life. Even so, I would say I did pretty well (with the help of the Holy Spirit of course). Sure, I made some beginner mistakes, but who doesn't their first time? I'll be honest, It was kind of strange being the one speaking. I realize it isn't about me, but about the Holy Spirit using whomever He pleases, but I couldn't help but felling really young while standing in front of the few people that had taken the time to come to our service. I've grown up with preachers with many years behind them, and have experienced much, and there I was only being 19 and God had chosen me to preach to individuals that where old enough to be my parents or even grandparents. What had the Holy Spirit given me to say that they needed to hear? Maybe I was asking the wrong questions or maybe I shouldn't have been questioning it at all. After all, as a disciple, it is just my job to obey. So who knows, maybe next time it will all fell more natural. Maybe it was just because it was my first time. God only knows...literally. The following week I experienced another first, I helped lead worship with Joe and next week I'm on my own regarding leading worship. Should be interesting.
Each week we receive about two families. So nothing too big yet. Word is hard to get around, because we aren't allowed to go around to each campsite speaking to individuals. Flyers are about the only way word is spread and frankly that doesn't spread very quickly. The Lord is in control, so who needs to come will be there. It isn't about the amount of people.
I continue to ask for your prayers. I am convinced it is the best thing you, thousands of miles away, can do for this ministry God has thrown me into. Your prayers are being heard, and the Lord is carrying me through this summer. While the Lord has placed me in the front lines at this specific location, you, my brothers and sisters in Christ are also part of this ministry. I thank the Lord I am not alone. I have you supporting me and I have the Holy Spirit with me. Thank you... Also, if you want to send me letters that would great too. :)
Three of us are able to play guitar and Libby plays the banjo, so all positions are pretty well passed around. By our second service, it was time for me to preach. At that point we did not have a neat schedule, so I volunteered. As the week progressed the Holy Spirit lead me to a topic, so as far as having something to say I was all set, although it was still to be determined how gifted I was at public speaking. I didn't really fell nervous even though I have done very little public peaking at this point in my life. Even so, I would say I did pretty well (with the help of the Holy Spirit of course). Sure, I made some beginner mistakes, but who doesn't their first time? I'll be honest, It was kind of strange being the one speaking. I realize it isn't about me, but about the Holy Spirit using whomever He pleases, but I couldn't help but felling really young while standing in front of the few people that had taken the time to come to our service. I've grown up with preachers with many years behind them, and have experienced much, and there I was only being 19 and God had chosen me to preach to individuals that where old enough to be my parents or even grandparents. What had the Holy Spirit given me to say that they needed to hear? Maybe I was asking the wrong questions or maybe I shouldn't have been questioning it at all. After all, as a disciple, it is just my job to obey. So who knows, maybe next time it will all fell more natural. Maybe it was just because it was my first time. God only knows...literally. The following week I experienced another first, I helped lead worship with Joe and next week I'm on my own regarding leading worship. Should be interesting.
Each week we receive about two families. So nothing too big yet. Word is hard to get around, because we aren't allowed to go around to each campsite speaking to individuals. Flyers are about the only way word is spread and frankly that doesn't spread very quickly. The Lord is in control, so who needs to come will be there. It isn't about the amount of people.
I continue to ask for your prayers. I am convinced it is the best thing you, thousands of miles away, can do for this ministry God has thrown me into. Your prayers are being heard, and the Lord is carrying me through this summer. While the Lord has placed me in the front lines at this specific location, you, my brothers and sisters in Christ are also part of this ministry. I thank the Lord I am not alone. I have you supporting me and I have the Holy Spirit with me. Thank you... Also, if you want to send me letters that would great too. :)
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The Job
I guess it is about time to tell you all about what I am doing here as a job. First off, I did not end up with the job I was hired for. Not too surprising, but I still kind of wish I ended up being a bell hop. Oh'well, life goes on. I work utilities at Lodgepole Market. We sell groceries, and lots of stuff that say Sequoia. We also have a deli that sells pre made sandwiches that have gotten boring to eat real fast, and a snack bar that sells the typical grease covered cheeseburger, fries, and if you're felling lucky, the pizza.
Thankfully my schedule is set each week so it is easy to plan around. Unfortunately I can't do much around it. I start each day at 12:30 and work till 8:30. Not enough time to do a major hike in the morning and too dark by the time I get out. I receive Sunday's and Monday's off, in which I will take my big hiking trips on. For example, I am taking a 14 mile round trip tomorrow to twin lakes. Should be an epic adventure.
Typical day consists of taking out the trash, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the laundry rooms, stocking wood and beer, breaking down boxes, I occasionally help out on cash register, but other than that it is up in the air. My bosses say I do a good job and that I am on top of things, so I would say they like me well enough.
Living conditions...well, are interesting. I currently have one room mate, but I am about to receive another. The room is a little bigger than what my dorm was at SAU, but not by too much. Coming into the room two others were already settled down, but for some reason my boss decided to move them and keep me and my current room mate in the room even though we had just got there. Anyways, my point is to say, the room had not been cleaned when I got there. Dirty blankets shoved in a corner, trash on the floor, and definitely needed to be vacuumed. Bad as that sounds, at this point I am just glad they decided against putting a total of four of us in the room. I am a very tolerable individual, but I have no idea how four of us would have lived in that room. It is much like dorm living. One bathroom down the hall and all of our rooms on the same length of hall. We also have a small hang out room with a TV. This all being located above the market. We have no internet or phone service, but we do have a fire bit! In order to write these posts or get on facebook, I must make it two miles up the mountain to the Wuksachi Lodge. Thankfully there is a free shuttle.
So there you have it. Where I live and what I do!
Thankfully my schedule is set each week so it is easy to plan around. Unfortunately I can't do much around it. I start each day at 12:30 and work till 8:30. Not enough time to do a major hike in the morning and too dark by the time I get out. I receive Sunday's and Monday's off, in which I will take my big hiking trips on. For example, I am taking a 14 mile round trip tomorrow to twin lakes. Should be an epic adventure.
Typical day consists of taking out the trash, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the laundry rooms, stocking wood and beer, breaking down boxes, I occasionally help out on cash register, but other than that it is up in the air. My bosses say I do a good job and that I am on top of things, so I would say they like me well enough.
Living conditions...well, are interesting. I currently have one room mate, but I am about to receive another. The room is a little bigger than what my dorm was at SAU, but not by too much. Coming into the room two others were already settled down, but for some reason my boss decided to move them and keep me and my current room mate in the room even though we had just got there. Anyways, my point is to say, the room had not been cleaned when I got there. Dirty blankets shoved in a corner, trash on the floor, and definitely needed to be vacuumed. Bad as that sounds, at this point I am just glad they decided against putting a total of four of us in the room. I am a very tolerable individual, but I have no idea how four of us would have lived in that room. It is much like dorm living. One bathroom down the hall and all of our rooms on the same length of hall. We also have a small hang out room with a TV. This all being located above the market. We have no internet or phone service, but we do have a fire bit! In order to write these posts or get on facebook, I must make it two miles up the mountain to the Wuksachi Lodge. Thankfully there is a free shuttle.
So there you have it. Where I live and what I do!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Moro Rock
Swoosh! Reminded me of the summers in Pentwater playing with a two handed acrobatic kite. You know the type of kite an Airfun employee would show off with? Well obviously there was no Airfun employee on top of Moro Rock playing with a kite, so I curiously looked around for the source of the familiar sound. It didn't take long to find that the familiar noise was coming from birds speeding past at high speeds.
Some 400 steps to the top, but man was it worth it. The view was absolutely breath taking. It was one of those places that words nor pictures can fully capture the magnitude of the beauty. Plus it was difficult to capture a 360 view with a camera that can go less than 180. On a clear day one can see literally for miles, and if not for the mountains my guess would be that the curvature of the earth would be noticeable.
As amazing as the view was I would not recommend the trip for one that is deathly afraid of heights. While there were "railings" the entire climb up, at many points it was only a two foot rock separating me from a deathly plummet. Not exactly a place to trip.
 | ||
| It was very difficult to capture the speedy bird |
 |
| View of Moro Rock |
As amazing as the view was I would not recommend the trip for one that is deathly afraid of heights. While there were "railings" the entire climb up, at many points it was only a two foot rock separating me from a deathly plummet. Not exactly a place to trip.
 |
| Rocks were often the "railings," and they weren't exactly that tall |
 |
| Other times it was a bit narrow |
After Moro Rock I continued my day off by exploring around Lodgepole and happened to see my first bear while living here at Sequoia National Park.
 |
| Two cubs |
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Community
Living high up in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, among the largest trees in the world, I have come to discover the people here are what amazes me the most. As I see it, there are two types of people here. The individuals living and working here just like me, and the many hundreds of individuals coming and going each day in order to visit the stunning sights that this wonderful forest has to offer.
One of the first things I pictured living in a National Forest is the crisp, clean, and beautiful air that would inhabit such a place. Apparently I am one of the few that enjoy this aspect of living in a National Forest. My personal guess would be that 80% of the individuals that work here smoke. While this does not make them bad people or anything like that, it does surprise me. I am fully aware that many thousands of people smoke in the U.S., but to be honest I did not think they would care to dwell in a National Forest where the air is clean to breathe. I guess the Forest has other aspects to offer them (side story: Living high up in the mountains the air is cleaner, but it is also thinner. Meaning it has less oxygen. This often affects people, but I was happy to find it did not me. That is, until I attempted to go for a run. It was like a slap in the face. While I am not a huge runner that can go for miles, I can defiantly keep a steady pace for a few miles. Not here. Thirty seconds into my run my body finally discovered what it meant to have thinner air. I only got a measly mile until I was beet). To expound on the type of people I work with, I will also say that many of them excessively drink and cuss. Not to put them down in any way, but to merely give you an idea of the people I work with. Many of them are actually really net individuals (many of them are also old enough to be my parents). Luckily my rooming situation is the best I could really ask for, because I room with a fellow ACMNPer about the same age as me. While I am able, for the most part, run away from the smoke of the cigarettes, I am not sure sure how I would have handled living in the same room as an individual that smoked. In a whole I get along with my employees and often even go on hiking adventures with them. Fun people to be around.
The visitors are another story. Not to say I do not like them, but to be honest they are not what I expected. Again, my personal guess would be that about 80%, if not more, of the visitors that come through our doors are speaking a language that I cannot understand. Maybe that was something I was just completely oblivious to that some of you would have expected, but I sure did not. Our National Park is a bigger draw to people living outside our country than to the individuals living right next door. I just find that very interesting.
So there you have it. The community I am currently settled in. Much different than SAU, but it is the "real" world and that is where much of the ministry is. While I love SAU and CLBC, I cannot stay boxed into a christian world where the majority of the people are dedicated disciples. It is great to live and work in a green house such as SAU or CLBC, but the point of a greenhouse is to build an individual up enough so they may not only survive out in the world, but thrive. Thrive in such a way as to be able to let go and allow Christ to shine through. That is what I hope to do. Let go of my life, so Christ may have His way with me. No matter what that may entail. Keep those prayers coming!
One of the first things I pictured living in a National Forest is the crisp, clean, and beautiful air that would inhabit such a place. Apparently I am one of the few that enjoy this aspect of living in a National Forest. My personal guess would be that 80% of the individuals that work here smoke. While this does not make them bad people or anything like that, it does surprise me. I am fully aware that many thousands of people smoke in the U.S., but to be honest I did not think they would care to dwell in a National Forest where the air is clean to breathe. I guess the Forest has other aspects to offer them (side story: Living high up in the mountains the air is cleaner, but it is also thinner. Meaning it has less oxygen. This often affects people, but I was happy to find it did not me. That is, until I attempted to go for a run. It was like a slap in the face. While I am not a huge runner that can go for miles, I can defiantly keep a steady pace for a few miles. Not here. Thirty seconds into my run my body finally discovered what it meant to have thinner air. I only got a measly mile until I was beet). To expound on the type of people I work with, I will also say that many of them excessively drink and cuss. Not to put them down in any way, but to merely give you an idea of the people I work with. Many of them are actually really net individuals (many of them are also old enough to be my parents). Luckily my rooming situation is the best I could really ask for, because I room with a fellow ACMNPer about the same age as me. While I am able, for the most part, run away from the smoke of the cigarettes, I am not sure sure how I would have handled living in the same room as an individual that smoked. In a whole I get along with my employees and often even go on hiking adventures with them. Fun people to be around.
The visitors are another story. Not to say I do not like them, but to be honest they are not what I expected. Again, my personal guess would be that about 80%, if not more, of the visitors that come through our doors are speaking a language that I cannot understand. Maybe that was something I was just completely oblivious to that some of you would have expected, but I sure did not. Our National Park is a bigger draw to people living outside our country than to the individuals living right next door. I just find that very interesting.
So there you have it. The community I am currently settled in. Much different than SAU, but it is the "real" world and that is where much of the ministry is. While I love SAU and CLBC, I cannot stay boxed into a christian world where the majority of the people are dedicated disciples. It is great to live and work in a green house such as SAU or CLBC, but the point of a greenhouse is to build an individual up enough so they may not only survive out in the world, but thrive. Thrive in such a way as to be able to let go and allow Christ to shine through. That is what I hope to do. Let go of my life, so Christ may have His way with me. No matter what that may entail. Keep those prayers coming!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)