Live It by Molly in the Tetons
It was late and very dark when the pilgrims from Christ Church in Pomfret Connecticut arrived here in the Grand Tetons, so they had little idea of the beauty that awaited them with the rising of the sun. At every time of day the mountains look different: sometimes pink, sometimes blue, often purple, and in the evening, merely as silhouettes; but no matter the time of day, the handiwork of God the Creator is always spectacular here. We approach our journey this week with the determination to "Live It"...that is our life in faith.
After a day of orientation, acclimation, and light hiking, we spent half a day with the "Veg Crew" from the National Park Service. Thistles have flowers with a beautiful purple hue, but their effect on the ecosystem here in the Tetons is devastating. Our students spent hours in the hot sun, pulling these non-native invaders to keep them from wreaking havoc in the park. Herds of roaming bison made our drive to and from this project quite entertaining. We also spotted a huge bull moose that was attracting quite a crowd on the side of the highway. An afternoon hike through an area recovering from a forest fire gave us the opportunity to think about struggles that exist in our own lives.
Our day today included geysers, mudpots, thermal pools and waterfalls. All of these amazing wonders are in abundance at Yellowstone National Park. Again, we were overwhelmed by the amount of acreage that wildfires affect; but we also were reminded that just like regrowth in a forest often requires death first, so our lives in faith often require putting certain things to death. The students engaged in a lively discussion about struggle, suffering, and pressure in their lives, and how they can still live out their faith in the midst of these things.
Letters from home brought the evening to a sweet close, and the students were led to ponder their loved ones, and a loving God who has promised never to leave nor forsake them. We pray that more incredible adventures await us tomorrow...