Sorry the blog posts have been few & far between but cell signal is rare out here!

Yesterday we hiked into the backcountry of Yellowstone. We couldn’t do our planned hike to Mallard Lake because there is waist-high snow on the trail! But we improvised & were blessed with a beautiful trail in a part of the park that none of us have ever been to. We explored the mountainside, watched a sunset over the mountains, slept under the stars, & woke up to a bison hanging out about 100 yards from us!

We hiked a little over 4 miles back to the bus this morning, which doesn’t sound like much, but that included going uphill  500 feet in elevation in under 1/2 mile!  We were all pretty worn out but were rewarded with a gorgeous view of a waterfall!

We drove south out of Yellowstone today & are setting up camp in the Tetons. I have pictures to upload but I’m going to have to wait until I have a stronger signal.

The students are doing great & having a wonderful time. Thanks to all the parents for raising such fun, respectful, adventurous young adults. We are enjoying them immensely. And thanks for entrusting them to us for this special week!

More updates & pics to come as soon as I can!

Take a minute and check out John 6:16-21, and pay close attention to verse 19.

What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen? Seriously. What’s that “goto” story you tell that trumps everybody else’s? I bet yours is good. But the disciples have you beat. Let’s be honest, they saw some incredible stuff. But Jesus walking on water? That is near the top.

Picture it: the disciples are in a boat, three miles away from shore. They look up, and see Jesus literally walking across the top of the water like it was a sidewalk. Verse 19 is classic, “They saw Jesus approaching . . . and they were terrified.” Keep in mind, these guys hadn’t been with Jesus that long. Sure, they knew something was different about Him, but walking on water? It was enough to scare them half-to-death.

We have an advantage over the disciples. We have the whole story. We can read the Bible and see the big-picture view. The disciples were in that moment; they had the “I’m in the boat and I can’t believe what I’m seeing,” view. And although we can appreciate having the rest of the story, how crazy would it be if you were in that boat?

The disciples were scared and filled with awe. Are you filled with awe when you think about Jesus? What’s a moment you’ve been in simply “in awe” of the Creator God?

We’re having a wonderful time exploring the park. I have about 2 minutes to update this before I lose cell coverage again, so I just wanted to say hello from everyone & let you know we’re doing well. Hiking into the backcountry tonight, then heading to the Tetons tomorrow! Will update again when I can!

Take a minute and read John 4:45-54. Don’t miss John 4:50. 

Jesus worked some incredible miracles, performed amazing healings, and taught wisdom and knowledge that no one had ever heard. This story is no exception. A man who had a sick child approached Jesus and asked for healing. Jesus agreed to heal the child, and did so without even being present with the sick child. It’s a great story. But there is one verse that encapsulates Jesus and our faith relationship with Him.

Verse 50 is where we see Jesus agree to heal the child. He says to the man, “Go. Your child is going to live.” It’s one thing for Jesus to heal people whom He touched or saw; it’s another thing entirely to see Jesus healing people without seeing or touching them. Only the Son of God could wield so much power.

The second cool part of verse 50 is the man’s response. Jesus said He was going to heal the child. What was the man’s response? “The man took Jesus at his word.” Just like that. Jesus spoke, and the man believed. On the spot. No questions asked. Is your faith like this? Do you take Jesus for His word? Are you convinced Jesus is who He says He is, and can accomplish anything He wants to?

Sorry for not updating yesterday. We didn’t have cell coverage most of the day & when we did, we was too busy playing Catch Phrase on the bus & laughing our heads off! Yesterday we traveled from Rapid City, SD to Cody, WY & camped in a national forest campsite.

What a day today has been! We got into Yellowstone Park around 9am & by lunch we had seen 3 grizzly bears, 3 grizzly cubs, a moose, tons of bison, an ice-covered lake, & played in the snow! We can also count to 14 in under 6.2 seconds, and I just heard someone behind me call someone else a doof. So it’s an all-around good day! 🙂