Colorado

I’m very sleepy as it is late and I didn’t sleep much last night (even though I am feeling better). However, I think we may be without internet for some time. Therefore, I’ll attempt to give an update.
After spending a couple of days in Vernal, Utah, we enjoyed attending the morning service at the local A/G church and sharing in a window in both the main service and kid’s church. We also had a couple of nice meals with the pastor and his family. It was exciting to see how this church is reaching its community!
Later Sunday afternoon we headed out to Roosevelt. There we enjoyed a pot luck and the opportunity to share about our ministry and a message from scripture. The people of this church we so friendly.
This morning we met the pastor from Roosevelt, his wife, grandbaby and a member of the church for breakfast. Soon after that we hit the road. We headed south. On our drive today I overheard some interesting conversation from the back seat including, “I have hair like Daddy’s. See this? I’m bald!” “I am not a fossil!” “I am not Dr. Pain!” Yes, all these were uttered by Hudson.
We did take a break from all the driving and visited Arches National Park. We took in the inspiring views and pointed out what we “saw” when we looked at the rocks. In one rock formation I saw a giant hand; Wesley saw Jesus. We also enjoyed a brief hike and a stop at the visitor’s center.
Tonight we pulled into Cortez, NM. Chris lived here when he was in first and second grade. Driving through town brought back memories. Tomorrow morning we might try to drive by his old house, before we head off to the Faith Comes By Hearing Campus near Albuquerque, NM, our next stop on the road trip. We will be based from there as we visit various churches in the NM area for the next two and a half weeks.

P.S. I tried to post this last night, but the internet wasn't working well. So, I am posting this now, on Tue. morning.

Our Day in Vernal

Today we decided to take a look around Vernal, Utah. After a breakfast of instant oatmeal and showers, we left the campground for the local natural history museum. Vernal, Utah is known for its dinosaur bone discoveries. The museum showed a lot of them.

It was a great hands on museum with lots of activities for children. The kids enjoyed putting together dinosaur bones in a puzzle like fashion, an activity where they had to guess which were the real fossils and which items were not, and an interactive tool for distinguishing the types of dinosaurs by looking at the bones.

It was quite an educational experience. The kids learned about what a paleontologist does, what fossils are and about different types of rock, including some that glow in the dark! They also enjoyed seeing life size replicas of dinosaurs in the outdoor dinosaur walk.


We like to sneak in educational activities whenever we get the chance and this museum was a great one. I especially appreciated how interactive it was. It really captivated the kids' interests. The museum made such an impression on Addie that she is now considering becoming a paleontologist! I highly recommend it!

After our tour of the museum we went to Wal-Mart and picked up some food for lunch. We returned to the camp sight and ate. After lunch we had a quick phonics lesson and math review. Then the kids decided that it was time to swim. Unfortunately the pool was not open. Even worse, I (Lindsey) suddenly came down with an upset stomach. The sickness, being overheated and having some minor heart troubles made me long for a bed. When sitting in the air conditioned car and sipping some Gatorade did not help, Chris graciously gave into my pleas and got me a hotel room. We found a cheap one with a pool where I am now resting. When Chris checked out of the campground they said that several people there had come down with tummy troubles. Ah well, the kids are on their way to the pool here at the hotel and I am enjoying a real bed!

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. We are supposed to be meeting up with a pastor tomorrow and then will be speaking at the Assemblies of God church here in Vernal on Sunday. I hope all of my readers have a wonderful weekend!

Hello Utah!

We’ve made it to Utah. Last night we spoke at a church in Payson. While visiting with the pastor, Chris was informed that the town was only about one percent Christian. It was a Mormon town. My heart just breaks for the Mormons. They try so hard and are still so lost. How they need to really know Jesus!
Tonight we are camping again. The kids are having a great time. We’re staying at a nice campground with running water, bathrooms a playground and a pool. We also bought an air mattress in hopes of a better night’s sleep. Here’s hoping that this combination will make for a more enjoyable camping experience.
We made smores again with the kids. Every time we eat them I am reminded of the time in the Philippines that we introduced Mario, a student from Indonesia, to them. Tonight Addie came up with her own solution for keeping smoke out of her eyes….

She’s wearing her swimming goggles! LOL! What an inventive girl!

California Girl

I grew up in Southern California, so it has been especially nice to return to the area. We got the chance to introduce Hudson to my Aunt, Uncle and cousins and the opportunity to visit some old friends.

On Sunday, I was delighted to speak at the church that I grew up in. I ran in to some familiar faces, which is always fun. Later that evening we went had the opportunity to go over to a friends house for dinner. We got to reconnect with a friend from Chris’ University of Aberdeen days. We also got to meet his wife and new baby and they got to meet Hudson.

Yesterday my generous Aunt took me shopping to update my wardrobe. Perhaps now I will be fashionable enough for Tokyo? Lol? Then we ended the day with a family dinner at her house.

Today, my parent’s arrive. My mom is scheduled to have surgery at a local hospital that specialized in spinal cord injuries and the issues that come along with that. The kids are excited to see Grammy and Gramps again.

The one thing that Chris has not enjoyed is the Southern California traffic! Quick free way interchanges, fast driving and cities that all run together has been a bit challenging. We have had a few “scenic tours” (as my dad likes to call them) of the area. Thankfully we’ve never gotten lost and have only hit one traffic jam so far.

It’s been a very busy couple of days, but we have enjoyed having a few days out of the car. We’ll head back out on the road today. We have a speaking engagement in Utah tomorrow.

The Not So Short Cut

We’ve had a lot of long halls in the car and are all feeling a bit road weary. Today on our way to see Chris’ old college roommate, Eddie, in Incline Village, NV, we decided to bypass the main interstate and take a short cut on an alternate high way. We were commenting to each other how or short cut was a good choice and probably prevented sitting in traffic in Sacramento.

All was going well, until we stopped in Nevada City. We pulled into a gas station as we were low on diesel, but that particular station didn’t have diesel. So, we went to the next gas station. They had diesel, but not ultra low sulfur diesel. Chris explained to me that if we put the wrong type of diesel in the car it would do major damage. He also said that all diesel cars built after 2007 are required by law to run on ultra low sulfur diesel. As we were having this conversation, we continued to look for fuel at a couple more stations, but to no avail. We got back on the high way, we got off at another gas station, with high hopes as the sign had a D on it, indicating that they sell diesel. Once again, they only sold the wrong kind. At this point Chris exclaimed that he just didn’t understand how an environmentally conscious state could not carry the more environmentally friendly fuel!

What could we do? We continued on the highway watching the fuel monitor that indicated 35 more miles could be driven before we ran out of fuel. Then we hit a national forest. I must admit, that I didn’t really appreciate the beautiful scenery at that moment. I was too busy scanning for gas station signs. The fuel gage continued to drop. Chris informed me that you can’t just restart a diesel engine that runs out of fuel. It would have to be taken to the dealer to be re-started. The numbers got lower on the fuel monitor, 25, 20, 15, 10 and the prayers increased. We had lost all cell phone service. Finally we saw a gas station and prayed that we would make it there.

Once we arrived we discovered that they did not have any diesel fuel. Our cell phone still did not work. So, Chris went into the gas station, gave the guy a dollar and called our friend in Incline Village. He valiantly agreed to come to our rescue, but warned us that he lived about an hour away. So, here I sit as I write this at a Valero Station somewhere between Nevada City and Lake Tahoe. The kids are drinking apple juice and watching an episode of the Swiss Family Robinson series on the portable DVD player. Chris is taking in the scenery and snacking on M&M’s while I am finally getting the chance to write an update for our blog.

Eddie should hopefully arrive in the next half hour with ultra low sulfur diesel. Then hopefully we will get to his house around 9:00 for a late dinner. So much for a short cut!

P.S. I wrote this on Friday, but am only just now getting the chance to post it!

On The Road Again

Yes, we’ve packed the Jetta full to bursting and we are on the road again. This time it’s a two month fund raising road trip. We started our trip with a stop at the Assemblies of God church in Tok, Alaska. Our three MK’s really enjoyed the two PK’s. We all enjoyed meeting the people at the church.
After lunch with the pastor & his family we set off for Canada. We spent our first night camping in Yukon Territory. The camp spot wasn’t ideal (think tent in a gravel pit) and it got down below freezing over night, but the kids thoroughly enjoyed it!
The next day we continued on for Liard Hot Springs, in British Columbia. We’ve had some long days in the car, but all is going well. We really roughed it as we dry camped at this Canadian national park. It was worth it for the couple of dips we enjoyed in the hot springs.
Along the way we have seen a lot of wild life. I (Lindsey) am helping Adelaide keep a list in her nature journal. Some of the animals include bears, buffalo, caribou, eagles, porcupine and many more.
Last night we slept at a hotel in Fort St John, British Columbia. It was so nice to have a soft bed and a warm shower. Tonight we are staying in a hotel again, so that we can get a very early start in the morning. We are able to get on the road quicker without having to pack up a tent and sleeping bags.
Tomorrow we have plans to meet up in the Seattle area with Chris’ Aunt Cindy for lunch. Then, we will head on for Oregon where we will stay the night with some American friends that we made in the Philippines.
There are many miles ahead of us and tomorrow we are hoping to be on the road by 6 am. So, I’d better log off for now.