Home Again

I am now back in Texas! My trip home was long. I started at 11:00 in the morning and arrived in San Antonio at 11:00pm. I went from Kalispell to Spoakne on a plane that held only 19 people! From Spokane to Denver, I sat close to a sweet older lady that ordered Cranberry juice with an extra glass so she could share with me. In the Denver aiport, I ate at Quizzno's for my first time ever. It was pretty good. While we waited for our plane, I talked to a older man about what I had been in Monatna for and what I was doing for the summer. He is a retired college professor from Virginia and said he was proud that I went to college and was going on to get my masters. He said all young people should be like me. On the last flight, I saw a great lightning show out the window of the plane. When the plane landed, I was greated by my wonderful family. Mom made me a welcome home sign and gave me a teddy bear. Rebecca gave me a big red, Jordan gave me Cadbury Easter eggs, and Daddy gave me a Rose. We gathered my luggage and headed for home. Well, we stopped at IHOP first and then went home. I am so glad to be back in Texas again! I could live without the humidity though!

Oh Canada

My last full day in Montana was lots of fun. The Burdett's, the Templeman's, and I went to Waterton National Park in Canada. It is the extension of Galcier on the Canada side. We started at 9:15 and drove to Glacier. We entered at West Glacier and drove over the top and Logan Pass and down the other side and exited the park at St. Mary's. It is faster to go to Canada this way then to go all the way around the outside of the park. We stopped for pictures along the way. In St. Mary's, we stopped for lunch. Then we continued along our journey. We entered the park again at Many Glacier just long enough for pictures. Then we exited again and drove to the US/ Canada border at Chief Mountain. After we crossed the border we took pictures of the US and Canada flag next to each other. Then we entered Waterton Lakes National Park. We saw the famous Prince of Whales hotel, Cameron Falls, and in the town of Waterton we saw several deer and one sheep just prancing down the street. Then we drove up to Red Rock Canyon. On the way we saw a black bear in the valley below and stopped for pictures. We took pictures at Red Rock Canyon and hiked a trail to nearby Blackiston Falls. Then we got back in the car and went to a town in Canada called Cardiston. We ate a picnic supper in the car and got dessert at Dairy Queen. Then we headed back to the border. Once we were back in the US, we went the long way home around the park. We stopped at Two Medicine Lake, East Glacier where the historic Glacier Lodge is, and we stopped at the goat lick where several mountain goats roam. We drove the rest of the way home and got there at 11:00 pm. What a long adventurous day! We got great pictures and I can now add Canada to my countries I have visited list.

Saying Goodbye

May 29th was my last day at church. The kids came in saying they didn't want me to leave and was I sure I had to say goodbye. Some of them gave me hugs and gifts. Then I taught Sunday school as normal. We went to the regular service, but then things were different. Mr. Burdett reviewed with the children the two missionaries they had been learning about the past couple of weeks. He said that after their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas returned home. Then he said that we have someone that has been with us since January as a missionary and it is now time for her to return home. Then he called me to the front. The youth presented me with a cook book. The children gave me a slow cooker cookbook, and then the 4's and 5's gave me a Montana shirt with their names written on the back. The youth left to get a party set up and I lead the children in singing some songs. Then we all went out into the big room for hot dogs, chips, and cake and icecream. The cake was decorated in red, white, and, blue and said thank you Rachael. We ate and talked for a long time. Then the kids presented a dance they have been working on for me. They did a good job. When it was time for everyone to leave, I gave them all one last hug and said goodbye. That is when the tears poured down my cheeks. I hate to say goodbye. I have grown to love these kids and who knows when or if I will see them again, so that was hard.

Then I went to my college Bible study that night for the last time. They announced it and called the Burdett's to find out my favorite kind of icecream and so they had it for me. I walked around and told everyone good bye and got pictures of the leaders. Then I went home.

It was sad to leave, but I know that I had fulfilled my time there and God wants me back home now. The time he gave me there was wonderful and I will miss it, but I look forward to the wonderful things He has planned for my future.

Glacier National Park

Yesterday was so much fun. We left the house at about 9:00 in the morning and drove to Glacier National Park. Going to the Sun Road is now open all the way and so we drove all the way to the top at Logan Pass visitor center. We got out at several places on the way and took pictures of the gorgeous scenery. At the top, there is still lots and lots of snow. We have pictures of us in front of snow banks above our heads. Several people brought their skis up and were skiing down some of the mountains up there. On the way back down we saw two mountain goat and stopped to get pictures. Then a black bear walked right in front of our car. I was so excited. I really wanted to see a bear and I got to. He was to quick for a picture though. Then we went hiking on one of the trails. It goes past a big gorge called Avalanche gorge that has a beautiful waterfall. At the end of the trail you come to Avalanche lake that is surrounded in mountains and several waterfalls. It is really pretty. You can walk all the way around the lake but we didn't have enough time. On the way up the trail and on the way back we saw several deer that stopped and posed for their pictures. We left at about 3:45 because we had to get back home for comapny to come. About ten minutes after we got home they started to arrive. It was my last night to play cards. We had pizza and salad for supper and later had strawberry shortcake for dessert. We played hand and foot and my partner Caleb and I got second place. It was lots of fun. Caleb and his parents Lori and Dean gave me some huckleberry body wash, huckleberry jam, and a USA flag shirt that says Kalispell, Montana. I am really going to miss our Thursday nights together. They are such neat people.

Food, Fun, and Family

Yesterday we had a family day at Columbia Mountain Cabins. It is this cute little place up next to Columbia Mountain that has several cabins you can rent. The property has two ponds; lots of birds; a playground with basketball goal, volleyball net, and badmitton net; and some little trails that lead you on walks through the woods. We invited all the kids and their parents to come out and spend the day together. We had 18 kids and only one parent and it rained on and off the whole time, but it was still lots of fun. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, played games, and had a Bible lesson. At the end, everyone got prizes. Then we went back to the church for our monthly dinner and movie. We watched Where the Red Fern Grows. I have seen it before and I still cried like a baby. I guess when it comes to movies I will never grow up!

A day with Kerri

Yesterday I spent almost the whole day with my friend Kerri from Bible study. It was her birthday. We met at subway and took our sandwiches to the park and sat on the rocks by the lake to eat and talk. Then we stopped at this little place that sells smoothies and milkshakes. I had one of the best strawberry, banana milkshakes I have ever had. Then we went by the Bible school she went to here in Bigfork. She graduated with only four other people! We drove to Kallispell and went to different stores so she could find a frisbee to play ulitimate frisbee with. She didn't find the one she wanted. Later, we went to her apartment that she shares with her older sisters. It is really cute! It has old movie posters all over the living room. Roger, you would love this, the whole kitchen is decorated in Coca cola stuff. They even have old coca cola advertisement pictures on the walls and seat cushions on their chairs. Then I met her two older sisters and we all went to Quidoba's Mexican Grill for supper. It is a make it your way nacho, burrito, and quesadilla place. Not bad for up north. What was funny is that I had to pronounce things like Pico de Gallo for the girls and explain what it was. I also explained what an avacodo was too. Then we went to the movies and saw Sahara. It was a funny movie about these two guys trying to find old ironsides ( the boat from the civil war) off the coast of Africa and how they got involved in a government conspircay of a deadly disease that a lady doctor from the world health organization was trying to investigate. It is interesting how it all works out. A happy ending for all the good guys. After the movie, Kerri's friend Jason gave her a frisbee like the one she had been looking for all day. Then she brought me back home to Bigfork. We had a lot of fun together and she said it was a good birthday.

Outbreak

This past week we had a crew of people at the house who were here for mold remediation of the attic. They taped off the whole room where I used to sleep and walked around in big white suits and masks. I thought of the ebola virus or something with the way they were dressed. Fortunately the outbreak was just mold in the attic and it wasn't even alive anymore. So they had to blast all the wood with baking soda and sand to take away the bad wood. One day they were here, one of their guys fell through the roof and landed on the Burdett's bed. The next day they lost their pressure in the attc and so all that they were spraying in the attic came down into the rest of the house. We had to spend the next several days dusting and vacuuming everything. It was quite an adventure, but now the wood looks as good as new.

The Honeymooners come to visit

Last weekend my friends Rachel and Quincy got married and came here to Montana on their honeymoon. So I hung out with them last Sunday. I took them to Glacier National Park, Hungry Horse Dam, I showed them the church, and we went to dinner at this nice resteraunt which claims it has real Texas barbeque . The resteraunt is called the Back Room and it is good but not quite like Texas. Then I got to have dinner with them on Monday night and on Tuesday I showed them the little town of Bigfork where I live. They said the enjoyed their honeymoon and were glad to get to visit with me a little while. I was glad to see friends from home and they brought me big red as an added bonus.

Ferndale

Yesterday I met my friend Roger Smith's mom. Her name is Lori Schraeder. She showed me the house where she lives, which is where Roger used to live. It is on Ferndale. She took me to Johnson's creek where they fished, the Loon lake they swam in, the river they tubed on, and Wayfare's state park where Roger jumped off the rocks into Flathead lake. She also told me about all the neighbors that used to live by them and the ones that do now. I met two couples that are her friends. She also cooked lunch for me. She made what her grandkids call her never ending soup. It was really good. Then it was time for me to come back home. Hopefully I will get to spend a day with her again before I go home.

Trash, Trash, and more Trash

Last Saturday, we had a cleanup day in Hungry Horse from 9:00 to 12:00. The Burdett's and I picked up six bags of trash just from 1 and a half streets! A lot of people came out to help and they served us lunch afterwards. Then they did a drawing for prizes. Guess who won a mountain bike. I did! Well actually it is a gift certificate to get one at Wal-mart. I am going to see if they will let me get it at one in Texas.
After t he cleanup, we had to go cleanup the church for our monthly dinner. The dinner started at 5 and Mr. Tom grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. Then we watched a movie about a girl from WWII. It was pretty sad. That day was really fun but also really long.

Making new friends

Last weekend I made new friends with relatives of people already my friends. The Shroeder family lives here in Bigfork Montana and Dan Shroeder is my friend Roger Smith's brother. Dan is married to Sue and they have twin girls Felicia and Darlene. They have other kids that are grown but I got to meet the girls. The girls were in a Talent's for Christ competition Saturday morning and so I got to hear them both sing. They have really pretty voices. After the competition we went and got pizza and cokes (they call it pop up here) and took them to Woodland park to eat. The park is really pretty. It has a big pond with lots of ducks and a few bridges over it. One part of the pond is used for ice skating in the winter. Too bad it was already spring when we went. It would have been fun to skate outside. When we finished eating and enjoying the beautiful day, we went back to their house. I got to meet their horses and their dog and just hang out with them for a little while. I am glad I got to meet them and am looking forward to doing more with them before I head back to Texas.

Polebridge

On Friday, I went with the Burdett's and another couple to this little bitty town called Polebridge. It has a bakery/mercantile, a resteraunt, and a few other little buildings and that is it. The bakery makes excellent sanwiches and pastries. Polebridge is at one of the entrances to Glacier National Park and so we drove into the park as far as we could go. The park is not officially open yet so the roads are blocked off but you can drive in up to a certain point. That part of the park is called the meadow. We saw lots od deer and hunderds of elk. That was my first time to see elk so I was pretty excited. It was a pretty fun trip.

church work

I thought I would update you guys on what has been happening in Montana. We still have a good group of kids coming regularly and every week we get some new ones. Today we had a mom and her two boys visit and say they would be back next week. We are talking about being witnesses for Jesus all this month so hopefully the kids will learn from that. One of the teenage girls has been talking to me a lot about what is going on in her life and she is really trying to change things. So I pray that God will continue to work in her life and that she would be an example to the other children.

Pictures!

Check out my new picture website at www.mountmoments.photosite.com It has pictures of several things I have mentioned on this blog.

The Harvest is Plentiful

On Wednesday, we had 42 children at church! I had 21 in my class alone. We have now started another class for pre-k and kindergarten. One of the adults decided that would really be a help to me if he took out the younger ones that can't read and write very well. I still have some children with that problem but now I can focus more on just the 1st - 4th grade.
I leave in two months, so I have started praying and would be encouraged if ya'll would pray also for someone to come along and help the church when I leave. They need so much help. I know God has a plan for this church. They have summer camps and groups coming up to help out at the church for the summer, but they will still need a regular Sunday school and Wednesday night teacher for my class.
The little boy that I wrote about earlier having so much trouble came to church Easter Sunday and Wednesday with his parents. They have decided that they need to make some changes in their lives and bringing him to church is one of them. Keep praying for that family. God is sure working on them.