Praising Him in the Mountains

Well, the weather continued to be so amazing (and cold), that our fellowship group decided to go back to the mountain for our study time together.

We warned everyone that it would be cold. 

A couple of people did not bring coats, and I think they were pretty sorry.  

The hike down into the valley and back up again warmed some people up, but once we got still, it was harder to keep warm.

I don't like to be cold, so I had on all kinds of layers :)

Before the sun started setting, everyone decided to drive back so they could get to the city before dark, but our crew wanted to stay, so we got out our coffee thermos and enjoyed the God-show.

November 1, 2019

We thought we would make it back up here before it got too cold, but soon after this, snow started falling in the mountains, and we knew it would get harder to drive up and more difficult to concentrate on school or reading if we were so cold.

We looked forward to Spring, but never would we have guessed that the four to six weeks of beautiful weather that this country is allowed in the Spring, we would be inside our homes, stationary, with the rest of the world.

Mountain Picnic

As the heat increases here (it's already over 100 degrees), it's good to look back at pictures of when it was cooler.

These were taken Easter weekend at a picnic we attended with our teammates and a couple of other families.

Everything was so green.

Almost everyone was eager to hike the mountain, but I stayed behind with Keira and a few.

However, shortly after the group left, Keira ran to catch up with one of the ladies, and they began their ascent.

 When everyone made it back down, we sat down to eat.

After about 15 minutes, two men wondering in the countryside approached us and started playing their instruments.  A squawking horn and a drum.

It was SO loud, and they got louder.

It turns out they wouldn't leave until every man in the group game them money.



I have an 11-second video to show you how loud it was, but it may be too short for YouTube.  It wouldn't let me load it for some reason.

The gang.

This group of kids covers every grade from 4 to 12, plus pre-K.

That's my son looking back :)

Fun day on God's green earth.

Camping in the COLD

Well, I confessed to you at an earlier date that I am, in fact, a "glamper" even though I survived a night on the mountain back in June.

So when my family was invited to go back to the same mountain for a night of camping, I, of course, declined.  However, my three older children and my husband could not be stopped.

I felt I was being a pragmatist by declining because I saw the forecast that said it would be below freezing when the sun went down.  I didn't think that "Keira" needed to be out there in such cold weather, so I declined on her behalf.  (I was so thankful to have her as an excuse).

Apparently, they had a good time. 

They also said they weren't as cold this time as we were in June because they were better prepared with the right clothes and enough blankets.

Still, I'm glad I could stay home and pray for them while sitting in front of a heater.

I'm told they went caving again.

They also hiked up a very tall mountain.

They said the view at the top was breath-taking.

I did not like hearing there was a sheer drop-off at the top.  Yikes!

Hello!

My kids inherited a love of rocks from my father and my sister; therefore, wherever we go, someone is always looking for and collecting "cool" rocks.

This is what happens to your son when he has a pocket full of "cool" rocks and then he takes a spill down the mountain.

Glad you guys had a fun time!  I loved hearing your stories!

The Mountaintop

 

It's always a nice treat to get out of the city, and we've only done it twice in 8 months.  So when someone with a car offered to take us, we were all up for it.

By the way, we are very close to purchasing a vehicle, so hopefully soon, we'll be able to leave the city anytime we want.

We went with two other families to hike, picnic, and study the Good Book together in the wide open spaces of His creation.

For my girls, who don't get to run free outside, this was such a fun excursion.

The weather being cool also helped.

Keira is such a trooper and pretty good at hiking, too.

How many people who live in the city never get to see this?

But we can't always live on the mountaintop.  We have to go down below where life is.  Right?

The "Mountain Top" Experience....Twice

I figure since this baby is coming in 6 days, I'd better get some posts written that have been sitting here, waiting on me.

This story will be more pictures than words, simply because I wasn't there.

Tyler and Will (our summer interns) saw that their time was winding down, and Doug had wanted to take them to climb a mountain while they were here.

I politely declined the invitation to go, and Karis chose to visit a friend that day.  In Karis' defense, she thought they were camping over-night on the mountain, and she didn't want to do that...and I don't blame her.

Anyway, Kylie, Caleb, Doug and the two guys went, and they "found" Mt Wati.

They started climbing.


It took quite a while.

Resting on mountain #1

Can I tell you how glad my pregnant body was not having this experience!?

 Kylie lost her shoe on this incline, but thankfully, Will hadn't climbed up yet, so he brought it with him.


Anyway...

A guy met them on the way up and walked with Will.  At the top, Will happened to ask, "What is that mountain over there called?"

And he said, "Mt. Wati."

What??!!


When the rest of the group made it to the top, Will broke the news to everyone.

It was a mountain quite a ways across the valley.

I took this picture off my friends' Jason and Carolyn's blog, so I hope they don't mind.

SO....the 5 Americans hiked down the other side, away from their car, through the valley, through a village, and up the real Mt. Wati.

This mountain, of course, was higher, and took more time, but amazingly, Kylie and Caleb hung in there.

I don't have all the pictures of the climb down and the walk through the valley, but here are some of the "final product" pictures from the second climb.

What a day!!

Kylie's Climbing Buddy at the top of Mt. Wati

Thank you, Will, for holding on to Caleb!

Mt. Wati conquered...finally

Caleb and Doug, making headway on Wati

Caleb apparently didn't know he was on an old ceremonial grave site on the side of Mt. Wati

After 2 mountains and a rain storm, and they are STILL smiling.