July 31 – Update from Pastor J

Things have been moving fast and there isn’t much time to edit videos, upload them, etc. I am busy from the crack of dawn until late at night. I promise, I will post the daily videos soon. I do not have a good Internet connection in Browning, and this has hindered me.

Let’s see . . . where do I begin for an update?

All of the team continues to be doing really well. They have worked very hard at whatever task they have been given. Yesterday we finished up our work projects in the blistering wind. The winds must have been 60 mph or more (no joke). From what the locals tell me, that’s nothing for this area. In the Winter the winds will reach 100 to 150 mph. Can you imagine those kind of winds in Northwest Montana in the dead of Winter? No wonder so many homes in Browning are torn apart.

The nights have been very cold for us as we sleep in tents. At night the temperature has dropped to below 30 degrees. The only team members who seem to be keeping really warm are the ones with sleeping bags rated for extremely cold weather. My sleeping bag has let me down! Last night was the coldest night so far and it caused many of us to have little sleep. Tonight should be much better.

The food has been very good and plentiful at our base camp (Aspenwood Resort). Terry is the lady who runs Aspenwood with her boyfriend John. They are very friendly and helpful. I am thankful that we hooked up with them for this year’s mission.

Yesterday evening we had six Blackfoot teenagers join us at our base camp. They slept over and went with us today on a very long and difficult hike inside Glacier National Park. They were also able to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with our team. I know that some good conversations took place but I have not heard the details yet. The Blackfoot teens who stayed with us were Zeta, Paula, Whitney, Destiny, Taylor, and Sean. They were fun to have around and they seemed to fit right in with our group. All of us had some hilarious moments around the campfire last night as we shared silly stories. It was so refreshing to finally connect with some Blackfoot teenagers.

Last night around the campfire we also had an awesome presentation from a Blackfoot man named Harry (sorry, but I forget his last name). Harry owns the local hardware store here in Browning. When I met him a few days ago, he did not hesitate to tell me that Jesus Christ is the reason for the good changes that have taken place in his heart. He actually offered to come and do the presentation without me asking. Last night, as he talked to our team about the history, culture, and economic conditions of the Blackfoot – he had our full attention. He really did an awesome job explaining some hard topics and answering our questions. As usual, Kaitlyn had the weirdest question! The whole thing was very interesting and much was learned.

It is obvious that Harry makes a great effort to keep himself well informed of not only what is going on here in Browning, but also around the world. I hope to build a better relationship with Harry for the years to come. It is no accident that God placed him in my path this week. What a blessing!

Like I said, we went hiking today in Glacier with the Blackfoot teens. Most of us finished the hike, but a few turned around because they weren’t feeling up to it. No big deal because those that didn’t hike much still had a good time hanging out together.

As we were leaving from the hike we spotted a grizzly bear with a cub. We were able to capture some amazing photos and video. Jake and I were ready with the cameras the moment we got in the vehicle to leave the trailhead. I’ve learned that you have to be ready with the cameras at any moment! I hope to post the pics and video soon. You will love it. What a gift from God after a grueling and tiresome hike. This morning I actually prayed that God would allow us to see some amazing wildlife and again, He comes through for us!!!

Please keep praying for our team and for the Blackfoot teens who stayed with us. Tomorrow we plan to spend some more time with them and hope to talk to them about things that really matter.

SERVING HIM,

Pastor J

~ by jasonstrainingblog on July 31, 2008.