Backpacking At Last

I find myself in the midst of busy times. Though I kept a slower pace during my first few months back in the country, life has sped up. And somewhere along the way, I forgot about making time for blog posts. So many times I think about it, but I do not get there. It is not even that fun or exciting things or God stories are not happening, it is a matter of priorities. This past weekend I went backpacking in the Shenandoah National Park with four friends. We had a great time and started out with a pretty clear plan, but the circumstances of the day (Saturday in particular) led to changes -- Plan B & C. On Friday we hiked in to a beautiful campsite that boasted a nearby swimming hole and waterfall. It was too chilly to consider swimming but the view was great. We cooked our dinner near the water. In the park you are not allowed to build fires so we had to use a little camp stove. It meant early to bed since there was no light to really visit by. A small group had wandered into the camp after we did and ended up camping just up the hill from us. Thankfully it did not turn out to be as loud of a party as we had expected and I slept fine. My biggest disappointment in their presence was that the extra hole I had dug that evening for the next morning (when in the woods backpacking, you have to dig your own latrine which is often a time consuming process) was right by their camp which means my efforts to plan ahead were in vain because I was going to have to dig another hole in the morning. I found myself frustrated with this fact and the realization that my well-laid plans had been in vain. I was reminded of how in life I like to plan ahead and I do not like when unforeseen events mess up my plans. I can put way too much stock in my way of doing things. It was good to ponder this realization a bit and recognize that I need to grow in the area of flexibility. I must also recognize that God can at any point change my best laid plans because they may not be His plans. ("Your ways are not my ways says the Lord" -- Isaiah 55) Needless to say I was delighted when the group packed up early and moved out, making it possible for me to go and find the hole that I had dug. So all of my worrying was also in vain which is another good lesson. Because it was raining Saturday morning and we only had 3.5 miles to hike, we stayed in the tents until about noon. Then we decided to have lunch and move out. We soon discovered that the camp stove was not working and in looking at the skies we were not sure if the rain would continue all day or not. No stove meant no more hot food. More rain would mean wet feet for some of the group. We decided to change up the route and take a trail that would mean less hiking on Sunday and also put us near a campground in case we could not find water. The hike that day was nearly all up hill and we had to take one step at a time, sometimes focusing on using a rest step. By the time we were ready to set up camp, there was no site to be found. And so we walked into the campground to ask around. In the end the lure of bathrooms and the option of building a campfire captured us and we set up camp there for the night. Two of the group hiked out to bring the car over which was not far away. I never realized what a luxury campground camping is. We could store the food in the car so there was no need for setting up a bear bag. No digging holes. No packing out the trash. It was a good evening and delicious meal over the fire. On Sunday we sat around and played some games or journaled and read. I was disappointed that I did not get in more journaling throughout the trip but at least I had some down time for it. Around 11am we headed out to pick up the second car and then go our separate ways after a lunch that we did not have to cook. Overall it was a very good trip and though it was not physically relaxing (carrying 35-40lbs on your back rarely is) it was refreshing to be out in God's creation with friends. Life at work has been busy as I balance several challenges at work: finding temporary help to cover a vacant position, figuring out how many moms and children we can bring into the program, taking a college course to work towards director's credentialing, and trying to keep my hours close to just 32 per week. Overall though it is good and I am thankful to be working at Mom's House. This fall I have also picked up some hours at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm as a Maze guide. My first shift was interesting since I was still learning my way around and people would stop me and ask me for directions. Thankfully I had other guides to call upon when I felt like I would be the "blind leading the blind". All in all it should be a busy fall. Oh, and when I have another moment I will have to share some answers to prayer as far as housing and how things are going as I look to do foster care in the near future. For now though I need to take care of a few forgotten tasks.