Wednesday Rolls Around...

Here it is, already Wednesday evening. The next couple days are going to fly by, as I get out of school early to bus down to the season opener for DCC Soccer. Fridays are ALWAYS anticipated, and then it's already the weekend! Katie has a softball tournament on Friday and Saturday; she's continuing to improve her skills and abilities. Tomorrow is also the third meeting for the bible study I'm leading on Silver Day lunch periods, for which I'm really excited! The original student who I was going to meet with had a schedule change that switched his lunch period, too, but we're still trying to work something out. So, last Friday, I started the book of John with Michael (from baseball). Shortly after beginning, Tristan, a fellow soccer player joined us. Another guy from the soccer team, Jordan, had indicated that he would be interested in coming as well; yesterday after lunch, he studied with us as well. This time, I sent the New Testaments with them (thank you Troy!) to prepare for tomorrow, and I also covered the "Swedish Method" of analyzing and studying that we have learned in the Castleview youth group. For those reading this post that wish they could know where to start with studying the Bible with a neighbor, friend, coworker, or family member, I recommend One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm. It's an excellent book that we read at Castleview, and it has very practical and relevant tips and plans for studying the Bible with others.
      We've had a lot of fun with Peter, Becki, Charlotte, and Gwen here; they've been able to get in some hikes and another zoo trip with those at home. Tonight is also the first night of AWANA, so Luke down through Mark are there as I type. That's all for now folks... dinner time!

Hey Mom, lawn ornaments!

     Okay, it's been too long in between posts. I'm getting adjusted to how my schedule with school and everything else, so this also means I'm working on how to fit in blogging. We just got back from hiking Waldo Canyon with Peter and Becki, who are here for the week. We had a great time with Grandpa and Grandma Paige; an answer to prayer for this visit was that they found a house! Pray that the rest of the moving process continues smoothly, and praise God for His provision! Katie and I are finally getting used to the new school environment, although there are always new, difficult, or exciting things going on. On Thursday, I found out that I have made varsity for the soccer team! Our first scrimmage against another school is tomorrow; the first official match is Thursday. Katie has played her first two softball games that have included some great hits! I'm enjoying the challenge of Physics, Spanish II is getting better, Anatomy & Physiology is off to a good start, and FST (Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry) is good when I know what I'm doing. (Which fortunately is happening right now!)
      Tomorrow is the beginning of my AP Language & Comp. class. I'd appreciate prayer for the adding in of another class with a large amount of homework, and that I'd be trusting God with all the details of my schedule and time management. The past two weeks, we've visited Pulpit Rock Church and gotten to know a family there. Our crew has gone to their house to swim twice, and yesterday, during the drive, the kids noticed some "lawn ornaments" that you would only see out west. These were just in a person's yard in the neighborhood. So... after you finish this post, check out the new photos to see what is keeping you in suspense. And yes, it is all real.
     Tonight is dinner out at The Mason Jar restaurant. I'm looking forward to some cornbread muffins and home-style cookin'! We're getting ready to go now, so I'll have to end this post for now. (But not before I post those pictures!) Thanks for your prayers!

New Visitors!

    Last night, Grandpa and Grandma Paige arrived at our home after spending the day looking at different houses. They're hoping to find one to rent or buy by the end of this stay. If you would be praying for this, we would greatly appreciate it! Another church visit today; I'll have to let ya'll know how it fares. Yesterday, Katie and I had our team practices in the morning. She made the JV team for softball, and I'll find out what I'm doing after we finish evaluations on Wednesday of this week. I'm so thankful that I've slowly acclimated to the altitude... especially since we had a two mile run for warmups! We have yet to have a scrimmage and the majority of practices have been running, so I'm wondering if I'm in the wrong place... who switched the signs for soccer and cross country? ;)

School's Beginnings

Ok, two days complete for the 2011-2012 school year... but who's counting, right? For me, tomorrow holds the thrilling trio- Function, Statistics, Trigonometry; Physics; and to top it all off, Anatomy and Physiology. (Compare that with my other usual day that only has Spanish II!) Soccer evaluations continue to the end of the week, and then we'll see what happens from there. Katie and I both agree that it has been very helpful to play a sport, as we then know people in our classes and lunch period to be with. Even though it has only been two days, we also can feel the love for our family growing exponentially... it is such a blessing to regroup in a peaceful, loving "home base" each night. I love every minute of relief from the foul language and inappropriate conversations that go on all day in school; it's not hard to get stressed by the worldliness that pervades the majority of what goes on. Please, please, please, pray for Katie and myself, that more than just ignoring or not participating in the sin goes on, we would stand up for what we know is right. Pray that we make the hard choices to stand out, not blending in with the "norm". Lastly, pray for our conversations: 1) With those who are Christians, that we would be as iron sharpening iron, (Proverbs 26:17) as there are those who claim Christianity, yet their lives are no different than those around them, 2) With the unsaved, that we would take the first step in talking to them, being open about our faith, and not picking and choosing those that we share the Gospel with. God has allowed us to be here for a reason, a purpose that is so much bigger than we are. In the span of all eternity, this infinitesimal flash of life is drowned out in the comparison, but we will live forever - either with our Creator or apart from Him. This life on earth is the only chance we have to share the Gospel with unbelievers. Why would we choose to live in "comfort" and choose to not offend others at the cost of their soul? We are so grateful for your love and prayer; I want to plea one last time (in this post!) for us to have an opportunity to share the Gospel with our fellow students.
    Alright, that's enough for now... I'll be getting pictures of Anna's birthday celebration up soon!

Happy Birthday Anna!!!

Today is Anna's 9th birthday! We are still mid-celebration, but I wanted to honor her with a birthday post. ;) We just cut into the Dairy Queen ice cream cake; the scavenger hunt for her presents has been completed, and the big gift was the choice of a chameleon or a guitar... the guitar won out in about 1.7 seconds. (To my delight! A real-life committed student, huzzah!) We're out of candles, so instead we used matches! No smoke alarms were set off, thankfully.
    The first day of public school went well; it looks like it should be a very fun dynamic. I am thankful that I don't have to go in full time, as even the mostly full day seemed pretty long. We met lots of new people, including some other Believers; I'm excited for what will come! Please continue to wage war in prayer for us! Petition God for boldness and grace in our witness for Christ at Discovery Canyon. Thank you!

Downtown and back to school shopping...

      I can't believe it's that time already, but school is upon us. In our last day of summer break, Katie, Christie and I went to do some back to school shopping; for some fun (no, clothes shopping does't fall into that category!) Grandpa, Rachel, and the three of us took a jaunt to downtown Colorado Springs. We took a stroll down Tejon Street, looking for the crêperie that we had found with Chris, Susie, and Amy, when we first moved out here. To my horror, dismay, and perturbation, they are closed on Mondays. All the dreams of sweet, warm crêpes filled with Nutella, dark chocolate, and whipped cream, vanished from my heart. So, instead, we enjoyed some delicious subs at the Jimmy Johns a few blocks away. I put up a few pictures, too.
    This afternoon, Katie and I have tryouts for softball and soccer, which means I have some more running to look forward to! I feel a huge difference in my lung function compared to last Monday, so it should all be good.
     As the last hours of summer freedom wave farewell, slipping over the mountains to join the sun in the distant horizon, a moment of reflection brings contentment from all the memories. Reading outside with the warm sun above, blue skies on a hike, vistas from the Peak or another mountain trail, hours of strumming away on the guitar, serving on the hottest week of the summer at Camp Ray Bird, visiting with best friends and family, growing closer to God and one other as a family, and all the rest of the parts that have made this time what it was - it has been an incredible summer.

Church Search

    This Sunday, our hunt for a church home continued with a visit to New Life Church. Please continue to pray for us in our search, specifically that we would not be discouraged, as it is easy to feel like this process could be indefinite. Tomorrow, some of us are planning on going to downtown Colorado Springs, so I should have some new pictures for that! (Not many other photo-worthy events have happened in the past day or two.)

The Advent of the Noel(s)

No, it's not Christmas, but the Noels are here! (Friends from the Purdue days and now live in St. Louis) They'll only be here through tomorrow, but we'll still be showing them the good 'ol "Colorado Hospitality" and take them for a hike tomorrow. Soccer and softball conditioning are almost over, and so comes are last weekend of Summer Vacation. It's been a good one...

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo- Round 2!

     Okay, sorry, it's been since Saturday that I've had a post, and so I'll catch you up to date with what's current. Monday, Grandpa Jarrett and Aunt Rachel arrived at the airport; while Mom was picking them up, Katie and I had softball and soccer conditioning, respectively. For me, all we've done is run. Yeah, it's been couple mile runs, suicides, and sprints, and stair running... times a lot. As bad as it feels when I'm actually doing it, it's nice to be getting in shape (despite the soreness). Katie has had two a day practices, it's been fun for her to get to know the other girls. Today we ventured back to Cheyenne Mountain, my first trip to the zoo there. It was really nice facility! (And quite the experience of being on a zoo on the side of a mountain!) We saw plenty of giraffe, zebra, some grizzlies, wallabies, and more. No more chipmunks trying to make friends with Luke, however. ;) (See first zoo trip post and pictures.) I'll put up the pictures tonight, so be looking for them!

Cheyenne Mountain & Pulpit Rock

The pictures for the aforementioned events are up!

Return to Cheyenne Mountain...

    It sounds like an epic movie name, I know. ;) This AM, Dad and I took off to take on the (although we did not know how formidable it would be!) Talon trail on our bikes. This was the same one we went on our last visit time, but it was so much harder to tackle this beast on wheels. It was grueling, wearying toil up to the top; this was the first time out here on a hike/bike that I thought there was a chance I couldn't force myself to do it. On the ascent, I had to fight the nausea, resisting the urge to lose my breakfast. So, this might be more information than you wanted, but it's the necessary truth.
    Oh. My. Goodness. The ride down was the most exhilarating thing I've done out here. Flying down the mountainside, whipping around turns, jumping over bumps, rocks, roots, careening towards imminent destruction, and yet living to tell about it. I never once doubted that our physical safety was not guaranteed, and at the speed I was going, there was all the likelihood of an untimely demise.
     So yes, it was worth pushing past the burning lungs and legs, gritting the teeth to the top of the next climb, and ignoring the pain. Exerting oneself to the breaking point and a new level of ability... that's where it's at.
    Dad and I also stopped at Pulpit Rock for a quick hike to the top of the outcrop. I'll get today's pictures up after a reading break... and ice cream.

It's a Double Rainbow!... All across the sky!

Full on! It's so vivid! Ok, for those of you who haven't seen the Double Rainbow viral video... this doesn't make much sense, does it? So, check out today's pictures to see it! What does it mean?!

Air force Academy!

    This was our last day with the Heldenbrands, and they just headed off to Denver to visit more friends. Before they left, this morning, Luke, Ben, and I joined the guys for a trip to the Air force Academy. It covers over 18,000 acres, and we only saw some of what is open to the public.
     The coolest part was definitely the Cadet Chapel. I got some good pictures, and the ones you see are from the Protestant Chapel, which is upstairs, and the Jewish chapel which is on the lower level. The majority of Cadets that go there to worship fall into the Protestant category, and so that part is the largest; due to the mix of faiths, there are also Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist chapels, as well as a couple multi-faith rooms on the lower level. It's encouraging to know that the Academy recognizes spiritual growth is crucial to producing strong and balanced officers, and that they still support religious freedom; at the same time, we need to pray for the Christians on campus, that they would be bold in their witness to their fellow cadets of other religions, as eternal life and forgiveness is only found in Jesus.
      A very interesting part of the Jewish chapel was a handwritten Torah (the one in today's pictures) on display, found after being hidden in World War II. You might think that it was hidden by the Jews to keep it from the Nazis, but in actuality, the opposite was true. It was being saved with other artifacts for after the war, to be put in a museum that would be constructed commemorating the annihilation of all Jewish people. This torah was then given by the Israeli armed forces to the Air force Academy to be put in the Jewish chapel.
      The Protestant Chapel was very beautiful, and in the back, a huge pipe organ filled the loft. Today it is worth over  $2 million, and has thousands of pipes. You can see from the pictures a bit of how massive it is. That's all for now folks!

Cripple Creek

     As promised, here be the afternoon post! Grandpa and Grandma Paige left today, and last I heard, made it safely to the airport.
     This morning, I went on a drive with the Heldenbrands to Cripple Creek, a town up in the mountains. We had a great time checking out the town, which was a huge gold mining camp back the late 18 and early 1900s, producing many millions of dollars of gold. We had lunch, went on a short hike, and visited a jail -turned-museum. The Cripple Creek jail was in use even into 1992, and was capable of holding (and often did hold) 100 inmates. I got a good number of pictures, and I'll be putting up ones from our Grandparents' visit, too. Enjoy the pictures!

Latest Elissa Update

Hey ya'll! Elissa's latest is that she'll have internet to be able to post in about two weeks. Until then, I'll be posting her messages here and on her blog as well. If you have any messages for her, the easiest way to relay them is to send them to me at farfromhome412@gmail.com. Thanks!

Palmer Trail Addiction?

This morning, Dad, Mom, Mr. Heldenbrand, Andrew, Derrick, and I took a hike at Palmer Park. It's become one of our favorite places to go in the 15 minute radius, so chances are, when you come to visit... you'll be hiking there! I'll post some more and put up pictures from the week this afternoon...

Elissa Has Arrived!

I got an e-mail from Elissa this afternoon, and wasn't able to get onto her blog, but she made it safely to Uganda, and had met up with Shannon Hurley. The flights went fine, and she had no trouble with the potential ticket problems. Continue your prayers! Thanks!

And so August begins...

     It's hard to believe all that had transpired from the beginning of the summer to now, the second day of August. God has been incredibly gracious in this move and transition (how many times I've heard that word this year, I can't begin to recall.), and He continues to be our Rock, Redeemer, and Provider. Amen!
     Yesterday, Grandpa and Grandma Paige, along with the older crew, were able to help Mom out in her school planning. We took the little ones to Cottonwood Creek Park, and then to lunch, while the schoolteacher worked on lesson plans and curriculum purchasing for the upcoming year. Katie and I will start school at Discovery Canyon High School on August 16th, (Anna's birthday!) and the ones at home will follow suit the day after.
     Through all the twists and turns of change, a tangible way I've seen God working is through the tightening of family bonds. As siblings, we've grown closer and continue to become better friends. Please be praying for Katie and me, that we would be witnesses for Christ at DCC, and for the family as a whole, as we go through this (yes, once more) transition. This Wednesday, we'll be saying "See you soon!" to Grandpa and Grandma, and welcoming the round of guests, the Heldenbrands (missionary friends in Spain).
     I'll be updating soon...