7 States, 2 Countries and 21 days into the Journey
It's official... we did it! God led us to think about doing our lives and ministry in a very different way than we have for.... well for our whole lives. We prayed, talked, dreamed, listened, and 21 days ago we pulled out of the driveway to begin our new journey.
The past 20 days have been so FULL of amazing experiences that it's almost impossible to believe it's only been 480 hours and almost 150 of them were devoted to sleep. In just over 300 hours' time, we have accumulated a treasure chest of memories. Wonderful time with family. Rich time with close friends. And so many new memories together.
Visiting Noah in Seattle. Seeing him in his element. He loves life in the city. The sights, the diversity, the variety of music and culture. It was great to see his place and see how he has it all set up to do the things he loves. Making music, working out, and raising up a variety of cool plants. Everywhere we've been people ask, "How's Noah doing? Where is he these days?" It's been a great reminder of just how cared for and thought of he is by so many people. Growing up in church and for most of his young life he was never far from my side at camps, retreats, and youth events, he developed quite the family that loves him and cares about him that's for sure.
Visiting Zach up in Bonners Ferry and hiking to one of our favorite lakes is always a joy. This time we also enjoyed a great trip to see my sister and brother in Law as well. So much fun exploring the old Eileen dam and swimming hole with them on a much-needed day of good ol' family time with no agenda.
Had a couple of great visits with Derik, Cassidy, and Opal. Derik and I raced our Ruckus scooters and determined that whichever one I rode always came in second. He seemed to think it was due to my extra pounds but I figured he must have skipped breakfast.
Getting to see Brycen and Toni in Glendive was a blast. Fishing the Yellowstone river and exploring the badlands were two days that will be hard to beat!
And in between all this, we were blessed to baptize two good friends. Visit with dozens of other great friends and introduce Kaila to most of the old ministry crew that has been like family for the past couple of decades of my life.
As we left Eastern Montana we realized that even though Kaila and I have been married for 1 1/2 years this is truly the beginning of our lives together where all of our experiences are new to us together.
For the first year and a half, it's been all about Kaila adjusting and adapting to my life. My family, my ministry, my friends, and even my house. And there is no animosity towards that season but we are both excited about the new season ahead together.
Already we've seen new places together for the first time and begun to meet new people as well.
We're looking forward to sharing more as we continue the Journey.
Kaila's getting set up to begin posting to the blog and helping us remember this great Jesus adventure and share it with others along the way.
For now, we're grateful to be in Canada, with Kaila's parents and taking some time to rest and reflect on Kaila's childhood as we explore her hometown in the days to come.
Beyond that, we're eager to explore the Northern shores of Lake Superior before we head North and back West again.
More to come as we explore, learn and grow in the months ahead.
May God richly bless you and lead you to know and live out the teachings of Jesus day by day.
~ Thad
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