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| Final View from the Randlett's Woods |
Every day is an adventure and today is no exception. The terrain surprised us as Daryl and I both thought we would drive through more lush, evergreen forests but alas, much of the time it seemed like we were on a moonscape. We passed quite large contracts of burned mountains and even saw the remnants of a recent one.
In addition to the varied topography, we stopped at a viewing spot where one could see a total of nine mountains. They are: Mt. Broken Top, Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Three Finger Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helen, Mt Adams, and Mt Ranier. In the photo below Daryl and Dom are standing on the marker showing the direction each mountain is located. Even though the atmosphere was heavy with residual fire smoke and we could not see them clearly, we were all in awe of these magnificent mountains. As we drove past miles and miles of this desert terrain, I commented to Daryl that our lives are sometimes like this too. It is not all wonderful and happy and full of brilliance like the granduer of the pine forests. There are times of drought in our lives and we wonder if any good thing can come to us. I am reminded that even in the wilderness there is great beauty in the thirsty times when we long for refreshment. This photo suggests to me that God's creations are everywhere - even in the midst of dry ground and hard rocks. Surely this is true in our daily journey.
We also stopped at the St. John Monastery for lunch and tasted their Greek cooking - spanikopita, gyro and baklava. Yum! This is a Greek Orthodox monastery and we were unable to tour it as we did not have the proper attire. Men have to wear long pants and shirts, women must wear dresses and sleeved blouses and cover their heads. I don't think my funky summer hat will qualify as reverent head covering! Oh well - it's for another day!
We finally arrived in Klamath Falls and checked into our hotel. After a short swim and relaxing in the hot tub, Dom settled down for a little time with his ipod. Daryl and I caught up on some emails.
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| Dom settles in for the night |
As we settled in for the evening, Daryl led us in our vespers. We sang about God giving us rest and talked about the ways we saw God today. Daryl inspired us this evening to think of the variety of our Creator. He remarked, "God is so vast, yet God is so intimate and cares about my needs which might seem insignificant." Dom shared, "I really liked when we looked at the mountains and then drove by them. The canyon was incredible!" Pastor Bonnie remarked that even in the desert, God is present. Daryl invited us to envision God's sweet rest for us as we have one more day until we arrive at home. He suggested that perhaps we can take some of this peace we have gained into whatever awaits us in Calaveras County.
One cannot truly describe all that has transpired in this journey. God has opened my eyes to so many things - the need to restore the earth, the commitment necessary to walk along side our youth, the fact that the youth are pregnant with possibilities for a world filled with justice and peace, the treasures of a marriage relationship that enhances my ministry, the generosity of Pastor John and Yolanda and their ability to open their mountain woods to so many people, the kindness of strangers at restaurants and tourist centers, and the love of returning home. As Daryl prayed for us this evening, may it be so for you: "May God give us a peaceful night, may we remember God's steadfast love. Amen" Journey of Delight, Pastor Bonnie
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| Evening vespers in our hotel room |
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