Hello All!!! So it is pretty late (around 10:20) and I thought I would give you a quick update on things... I made it to the park amazingly, I have the best roommates (God has blessed me through Eileene and Katelyn), work is going so well, and it's SO GORGEOUS HERE!!! My first day of work it took my trainer and I an hour and a half to finish our first room, she said a good time is 45 minutes!!! So I'm catching on! Our first ACMNP service was Sunday and after the first three our fourth service seemed to run smooth and together. We only did services at Jackson Lake Lodge (which is the ritzy place in the Tetons) and we'll do our first Signal service on Sunday. I feel like it's been go, go, go and I haven't really sat down and rested or collected my thoughts yet so my body and brain are just racing. It hasn't set in what I am doing yet, which is working out well because it feels like just another extension of home but I keep worrying about the middle of the summer when things start hitting the fan, so prayers that my time spent here will stay smooth. Also prays that Katelyn and I's relationship will grow and not crumble since we sleep, work, worship (she's in ACMNP as well), have days off, and pretty much seem married because we're around each other so much. Also pray that I can draw closer to God this summer and not fall into the secular mind-frame, it's been easy to just throw that relationship away but I've met more ACMNP people and they have encouraged me. Last but not least the roomies and I went on our first hike (after we saw our first moose and went to our first rodeo) up to Inspiration Point/Hidden Falls on Jenny Lake. It was awesome (snowy, rainy, rocky, full of fallen trees) alas I fell (twice) twisting my left ankle (twice) and banging my right knee on rocks (twice). So I'm a little sore and bruised and housekeeping is very strenuous work so prayers that my body will be strengthened, healed, and able to endure with a Christ-like attitude!!! Thanks for the prayers and keep checking for another update!

The first sprint of the journey is over...I'M IN WYOMING!!! Right now I am sitting in my Days Inn room recuperating from a 10 hour journey (exactly 10 with gas, food, and toilet stops) to Rock Springs. Tomorrow I will head straight to Signal Mountain Lodge to get settled in, orientated, and start adventuring!!! Right now God has given me an insurmountable amount of peace. It has been a pretty great drive so far. I saw my first Wyoming sunset...doesn't compare to Kansas...of course I haven't seen any mountains yet!!! Right now I ask for prayers about relationship building and that I will be able to connect and not be afraid to go out and make friends tomorrow...and the rest of the summer. So now it's time to see just how welcoming Wyoming really is...

The background...

Last year (07-08) Molly, one of my roommates, and I were sitting around brainstorming on things that could be done as a summer job. The idea of working at a National Park came up. Through my many adventures I've heard that the best rafting is in the Grand Canyon so I thought that if I worked there I would get great rafting for FREE! Well I looked into it and did some investigating for a couple of days on this idea. Then in the JinxTale (the school's electronic newsletter) was a message about this guy whose coming to Southwestern to recruit for ACMNP, A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. I was floored! I wanted to work in a National Park for the summer and now here's an opportunity to talk to a guy about also doing ministry and having a support group while working, I knew the desire must have been from God! I went up to the Jinx and talked to this guy, collecting all the information I could get, and getting more excited about a summer job. I applied on-line at the acmnp webpage and picked The Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, and Acadia (in Maine) as my choices. I got my location back, THE GRAND CANYON! I was so excited. Living in the canyon, rafting in the canyon, riding donkeys in the canyon, I knew for sure this summer would be a blast! As the semester progressed and things started happening I decided to decline my offer because of student teaching and school starting so early. I thought for sure I needed to be there the first day of school (now I look back and I kinda wished I would have waited). But through those experiences building up the possibility for working at a National Park and another summer at the Big Pool building up the possibility that I would never work there again (alas never say never), I have decided to apply at ACMNP again. When I applied this year for one of my choices I clicked the "place where needed" button to see where God would put me hoping I would get my other choices but I thought this would be a step of trust knowing that God would know where I am needed (Esther 4:14). That's just what happened. I am now preparing to work in the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming (just 30 minutes from Yellowstone). I have gone through training for ACMNP (in Castle Rock, CO) and realized that this whole "being in charge of worship thing" is going to be quite tougher then first expected. But I have trust that God will support me, encourage me, and fill me this summer using the people and creation in my life. That's why I am thankful for all of you in my life, God-sent! So you may be asking yourself "what is she even doing and what is AChristianMinistryintheNationalParks?" Well I am hired by Signal Mountain Lodge as housekeeping staff through the National Park Service. That's one responsibility. My second responsibility (as a missionary through ACMNP) is to be in charge of worship services Sunday mornings and evenings for the people who are in the park. I will be a part of a group of people through ACMNP that will work together and give the people in the park a chance for corporate worship on their vacation within the Tetons. So the ACMNP part is just a form of missions but the Signal Mountain Housekeeping part is where I get paid to make it through the summer having to pay for student loans, gas, and other responsibilities. I do not have to raise support for this "mission-trip" and I don't have to pay to be apart of it. I am just volunteering my time and efforts when I am not making beds! I will be doing my ACMNP responsibilities from Memorial Day to Labor Day and my SML responsibilities from May 22nd til October 22nd. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please let me know! Keep me in your prayers as I begin my physical journey May 21st and as I keep trunking along on my spiritual/emotional journeys! Websites for A Christian Ministry in the National Parks and Signal Mountain Lodge http://acmnp.com/ http://www.signalmountainlodge.com/