Half way home

I am back in Louisville now. The road trip back was great, and the last moments in Vail were some that I will not forget for some time.

I don't know quite what to say, everything is a little overwhelming. Yesterday was definetely a day of hugs. I saw so many people that I have missed over the summer and there were a number of embraces.

God has blessed me with awesome experiences in life. From Vail to being here in Louisville to having parents who I can visit in Florida and a sister in Lexington. I get to travel all around. I have so many people in so many places that love and care for me and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support. And as I do travel, I see Christ wherever I go.

It was awesome to come back and go to sojourn yesterday. I got to be reminded once again how many people truely follow Christ. In this western nation there are so many "Christians" that sometimes it is hard to sort out those who truly love Christ. So it's great to be reminded how soverign God is and how he does have his hand on so many hearts. It reminds me of a song by Audio Adrenaline called "Jesus Movement": "Imagine my suprise, when I realized. Everywhere I go, I can see I'm not the only one moving...moving to Jesus." It is an awesome reminder that the Church is not a building, but instead the true body of Christ for which Christ is the head of. The author and perfector of our faith holds us together. Great to have such assurance.

Anyway. The last banquet for project was great. We got to go to a restaurant called "The Wildflower". Very expensive, very good. I am glad that project paid for it. Otherwise I would have settled for the ramen back in my condo. After the banquet we headed to the church to reminisce and have a dance party. Both were a lot of fun. Some people suprised me with their dancing skills.

Going back a little farther. Two friends from project and I climbed a couple more 14ers on wednesday called Gray's and Torrey's. They were a fun climb. A lot shorter than Holy Cross.
Pics:


The trail view

Gray's is the rounded peak on the left. Torrey's is the pointed one on the right


Top of Gray's



Top of Torrey's


The snow we went through coming off of Torrey's. Snow in august...weird.

Top of Torrey's. My wind protection outfit


The marmot that we met on the top of Torrey's. Crazy that God created animals that can live at 14,000 ft.


SO now I am back into school mode. Trying to get my house together (i'll try to post some pictures of it if I get a chance), and work out all the stuff that needs to be transfered from Vail to here ($). Hopefully in all the action I wont loose sight of the things I learned this summer. I am already slipping on quiet times. Pray I wont loose sight of what's important. It happens all too easily.

Thanks again for reading this summer. If you have any question/requests for me shoot me an email at Quickchangemcgraw@gmail.com.

O and by the way. There is an article in the Vail Daily about our project. Here is the link:
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080807/NEWS/650769654&parentprofile=search

I hope Christ is continuing to teach you things. Maybe now that my summer is done someone else should start a blog.

In Him,
Tyler Belcher

Too Close

The time which we have here in Vail is slower trickling away. Just yesterday it seemed to be wuite a while. But shortly after I found out that it was my last day of work things quickly became all too tangible. With only two days left I can feel the pressure of not seeing the friends here growing greater every moment. Thankfully, I know that it is not something to be sad about. As a friend of my sisters said on the project she was on last year: "Don't be sad it's over, be happy that it happened." Little cheesy...a little true.

I am glad that I can take things home with me from this summer. It is time to reflect on what I have learned, take it back to Louisville, and apply it to my life there. I'm glad I have Christ with me, I would feel overwhelmed if I was without him.

But these last few days will definetely be fun. I will be climbing a 14er tomorrow morning (a 14,000 ft. mountain) and then playing some basketball. And thursday brings the final banquet in which we all get to say goodbye. Only to be followed up by the car ride home on friday (which will defntely be fun if it is anything like that of the ride here) and then the new chapter in my life that is junior year at University of Louisville.

Speaking of 14er's though, a couple of friends (well 8) and I climbed one called Holy Cross on saturday morning. We began at 1:00 am and ended at 10:20 am. It was quite a climb and something I will never forget. We were even fortunate enough to make it up right before the sunrise. It was awesome to see God's creation. All I could think of was how if we were to cease worshiping Him even the rocks would cry out praise. I think that might be cool to see. But even now I can look at such awesome landscapes and not see Christ in them. Pictures follow:

My friend and fellow climber Jesse. This a view of the back side of the view from the top.


Just before sunrise


James decided to climb out onto a ridge adjacent to the summit

The whole group standing in front of the sunrise
The ridge we took to get back down (this looks relatively flat...but right before that we climbed down a boulder field, and the dropoff where you can't see anything is another large boulder field. Basically 11,000 ft and up were boulders. After the tree line stops there is intense erosion).


A pic of the peak from the ridge


This was taken on the sperate ridge you have to climbing down to start the hike up to holy cross' peak. But yea, there is the mountain in all its glory.


I will try to upload a video later. For now it was taking a little long and it is definetely time for me to sleep.

Thanks as always for reading. I will try to post more soon.

In Christ,
Tyler

Sorry for the wait

So it has been a while since my last post. I guess I have taken most of my free time to reflect on the things taking place here and to chill with the friends I have here in Vail.

The past week and weekend have revealed some awesome lessons for me and the other kids here on VSP (vail summer project). I know we are all feeling the urgency of our situation since we have less than two weeks left. I want to do a lot before leaving, including witnessing to more co-workers, and investing even more in the relationships I have with people (both CRU kids and the people of Vail). Honestly I just want to feel like I have accomplished the task I set out for, to expand God's kingdom in Vail and to show His love to the people here. I want to continue to grow in His love, grace and knowledge.

I have found that a day when I don't try to share the gospel with people is an empty day. I feel farther from Christ and like I am not completing the task he has given me. But thankfully I can bank on grace. Praise the Lord.

So this past weekend we all (CRU) came together and painted a mural/ made a mosaic on the wall of Simba Run's garage. We made the mosaic out of broken plates and tiles. Before we broke these plates we scribed the things in our lives that we wanted to be broken of, and brought them before God. Then we smashed them and used them to make an awesome work of art. A good picture of how Christ uses broken people in the body of believers to create beautiful things, and to give us life in full. Anyway. The mural and mosaic look freakin awesome. Pics follow:

The wall before even any prep work was done


The initial sketch and layout


Everyone working hard on setting the tiles on the wall, which was followed by painting the mountains, trees and sky


The two who planned out the entire thing. They were the artists behind the project (Kim Mazzone [right] and Ferrell Rickardson [left]).


The finished Product! It's hard to tell how good it looks from this photo, but there were a lot of compliments made and I think Simba really likes the outcome of the project.


A close up of the sun/summer portion of the mural

So yea, after about only 6 hours of work the mural/mosaic turned out awesome. Hope it is there to stay for a while.

Anyway. Thanks for all the encouragement you guys. Everyone who has sent me stuff, called me, or contacted me in any way has been a great help. I hope you all are mutually encouraged by me as well. I am constantly amazed at how many people read this blog. Speaking of which, stephanie if your out there in germany reading this then hey, I hope to write/talk to you soon. Thanks again to everyone who reads. Peace out.

In Christ,
Tyler

P.S. As always I hope you all are continuing to grow in the grace, knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

This world

So camping went well this past weekend. We went someplace in a high altitude desert. Don't really know where it was, but it was a great time to get some relaxing conversation and fellowship in with the other CRU kids. Good time also to have an outdoor quiet time and to experience the awe of God's creation.

After camping we were able to go zip lining for free b/c of the awesome contribution of some friends from Vail church. I will try to get some pictures up of it, but basically it was amazing. Some of these lines were 1000 ft long and got you going 35 mph. 

After this I got to go and have dinner with my rents, and then I was privileged to go and see the Dark Night. All in all a pretty good day. 

Sunday presented itself as a time to regroup. After Church I basically came home and read a bit, took a nap, all that good Sunday stuff. 

Also, I looked for some apartments online. When I get home I don't have a place to live unless John finds one for david, him and I. So that is an interesting evolution in life. God will provide. 

Thanks to all who have sent me mail, it's been amazing encouragement. I will brave the day continuing to seek to spread the gospel. I hope you all in Christ are doing the same. I pray you are continually being encouraged and driven towards Christ by those around you and the things that you learn. 

In Him,

Tyler

Water works

7:30 couldn't come too soon this morning. I was able to go with my dad to fly fish the creeks of Vail. It was amazing, and something I have always wanted to do. I think he had a good time and I know I had a great experience. Learning how to fly fish is a little tricky, and I don't have it down by any means, but non the less we both kept going for about 5 hours. I was even fortunate enough to catch a fish. No big deal.

Everything kind of melts away when you are standing in a river casting. It reminds me a lot of rock climbing. These are two of the only activities that I can think of that really make me forget everything else. Being out in Gods creation and realizing how many things he has blessed me with kind of floor me.

Lately God has continued to increase my faith in Him. There are still a lot of things that I wonder about, and many times when I run from Him, but he keeps with me. I love and praise Him for that.

My parents are here until tom, but I have a camping trip tonight. Hopefully we will be able to see one another before they leave. Pray that we would be able to, and if not that we could continue to encourage one another regardless of the distance separating us.

In Christ,
Tyler

P.S. The Dark Night came out today. I want to see it very badly.

Out of the Blue

So my parents came to the red Lion to surprise me today. I must say I have never had such an unexpected visit. To come out of the kitchen and see my dad standing there was great. You just don't expect to see your parents when you're in Vail and they are hundreds of miles away in FL.

Night of reflection was tonight. Very inspiring. Read Jude and about David's mighty men. Good times. I cam continually encouraged to share the gospel.

In Christ,
Ty

P.S. Hello to those in Lexington whom I love dearly and continue to pray for. I hope to see you soon.

weekender

So this weekend started off with a life skill. These are activities we do as a project to help us realize biblical teachings. Yesterday we were all given cameras to go out into Vail and take pictures of 5 different subjects. Those being redemption, empathy, true love, beauty and evil. Once we took all the pictures my family group had them developed and then we hung all 300 or so up on the wall of a community room in Simba Run where we live. We then had a large group meeting to discuss how our day went, stories we were able to gather from the event, and also what the pictures meant to us. Every CRU projector grabbed 3 pictures that represented how God was working in their life. IT was awesome getting to hear the multiple perspectives surrounding each picture. Some people came up with amazing explanations that I would have never thought of. Overall it was an great exercise. I hope that everyone took home something significant that they will continue to remember through the project. I personally realized, even more than I knew before, how much grace God has for us. No matter how much I screw things up he is there to forgive me. I can't imagine being without that.

After the life skill a bunch of people decided to go on a night hike. A bunch of us only took a two and a half hour hike up to booth falls, while another group added 5 more hours to the hike by going all the way up to booth lake (a 2,000 foot increase in elevation). Needless to say they got back a little late. My roommate Sully rolled in around 4:00 am. I was a little confused at first, thinking he was getting ready for church really early, only to realize he was just getting in.

Today Church was awesome. The usual worship team was back along with Craig Smith, our usual pastor. He did a great job going through Jonah ch. 3. For worship we focused on old hyms, which I really enjoyed. I have found myself wanting to sing those for a while, in fact there was conversation of that desire while some of us hiked booth falls last night.

After church I was fortunate enough to go to a fly fishing clinic. It was interesting. Makes me want to get out in the river and actually try it for myself.

This was follow by a gondola trip up Vail mt. to hand out lemonade and spread the gospel amung people coming up berry picker trail. It was an awesome opportunity to get to know CRU people even better, hand out some refreshments, and speak with people we would have otherwise never gotten a chance to converse with.

So the weeks are widdling down. We are all realizing how much work we have to get done here in a short amount of time. Therefore, we are kicking things into high gear. I think now that relationships have been established among both CRU people with CRU people, and CRU peeps with their co-workers it is time to really invest in the Kingdom. So please pray that the gospel would be shared in any way possible, and that we would have the zeal for Christ to continue to follow His word.

Miss you all. My computer time is running out at the Lib, so I must go. Thanks again for reading.

In Christ,
Tyler

Struggle

Today was a good one. But it was hard. There were a lot of opportunities to talk to co-workers about Christ/Church/etc. Which is definetely a plus. But they were some difficult struggles. Please pray that the people we are given a chance to speak with here in Vail would have their hearts softened and that they would hear the gospel and realize Christ is the way the truth and the life.

Thanks to everyone who has, or is sending me mail. It is very much appreciated. I apologize if I haven't sent any back. This is def. a busy time in my life.

We had a huge soccer game tonight. Every Tuesday at Ford park. It is a great time and we almost always have enough for two huge teams. So its a good time to get to know one another and have some healthy competition.

In Christ,
Tyler

Light

So Saturday was full of great stuff. Went to a few outlet malls and the REI store in Denver. Ate at a place called Beau Jo's (amazing pizza), and finally went to the Rockies game (which was won 12-6 by the mountain locals). Beau Jo's has a challenge that asks its participants, which can be at most two people, to eat 14 lbs of pizza. I would really love to try it. I think I might try to recruit sponsors so that I can go into the challenge knowing I have financial support if me and the guy I try it with fail. It is $75 to try to beat the challenge. Yet, if you eat the entire pizza you recieve $100 and two free t-shirts.

Church was great. The Vail Church is going through Jonah today. We had our usual pastor speaking and our normal worship team, and they did an awesome job. It was a great day of learning through reading scripture and singing praises in community. Afterward a bunch of us (guys) went to go play basketball close to the church. We ended up being able to play 3 games of 5 on 5. Best of all a gentleman who works at home depot with some of the CRU guys was there playing with us. So hopefully we fostered some freindship throughout the games.

After all this the guys from my family group and I went out to buy food for tonight. What we did was make a nice dinner for the 8 girls in our 12 person family group. We grilled chicken, baked potatoes, prepared a salad, and closed it with chocolate fondu and fruit. All this was prepared around a candle lit table with sparkling cider for beverage. It was a little choppy getting things together with our alotted time today, but everything came together eventually and I hope we were able to bring the group closer together.

We are reading John together as family groups currently. I think the book is amazing. I have only read the first chapter for the pourpose of discussing it with family group today. But even one chapter seems so full of theology and truth that it is almost overwhelming. I am thankful for scripture and all we can gather from it. I am looking forward to reading more into John and praying that God will constantly reveal more things to me through it.

Everything is going really well even with the departure of staff. I hope everyone is looking to the future with hope that God will continue to work through us to share his gospel. It seems everyone is becoming more and more aware of the urgency in which we need to share with others, and that we must depend on God's timing to share Christ with others. I pray that though I am sure we have all passed up oportunities (I know I have), that we will continue to look for chances to speak His truth. Both now and when we return to our respective areas I hope we continue to use every day to its full advantage.

As always, thanks for the encouragement and for reading this blog. I hope everyone continues to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ.

In Christ,
Tyler

Carried

So Christ got me through work. It was as crazy as I would have expected, but overall a great day. I got a number of good responses concerning my expediting abilities, and owe it all the Him. I prayed quite a bit today. It was nerve raking thinking that so many orders where filtering through me and that people were depending on me for their food to get out to the tables right and in a timely manner. I know it might seem like a small task, but trust me it was a little crazy. I must say though, I couldn't have done in without my great food runners and the help and patience of kitchen management. There was no yelling today, which was a gift in itself. I hope that somehow it was a witness for Christ.

After work a lot of people went to see fireworks, others opted to see WALL-E. I went with the movie. It was awesome. I would def recommend it to a friend (that being you).

Tommorrow a lot of us are going to denver to spend the day and then out to a Rockies (vs. Marlins) game. I am hopeful for a good time over fellowship with the other crusaders. A lot of others are going to another area to a shopping mall (I think it's called silverthorn), and still others are doing their own thing (hiking, fishing, etc.).

SO the staff is gone now. Which means a lot more responsibility for the students. Especially a few of us, four main students are heading up the project now. I hope you will pray for them. That God would guide and direct their decisions just like he did their selection.

Overall continue to pray that the gospel would be spread through us here in Vail. So much oporunity is out there, I pray the Holy Spirit would continually work through us. I know He will, God wastes nothing.

I hope you all are doing well wherever you are reading this from. I hope to speak with you soon.

In Christ,
Tyler

4th

So today is going to be a crazy one. This is the busiest day for the Red Lion during the summer. Being the 4th there is a parade that starts right outside of the Red Lion's building. I will be an expeditor today. Thus I will have a lot of responsibility. I am quite anxious about it so prayers are very appreciated. Hope that the gospel is still shared throughout the business of the day and that I have a calm spirit throughout the time there (9-5). Thanks.

In Christ,

Tyler

Adventure Race

So today we swam before biking 20 mi and then hiked up Vail mountain a total of 8 mi.

It was an amazing day. Our team, the Kindergartners (just a theme, we are all at least 20), did an amazing job. Though it was hard everyone continue to persevere and I was really proud of everyone.

We had three guys in the group. This inherently produces pride, just by our nature. God blessed us with little controversy throughout the day. In fact, I think the most we had was deciding on a team name yesterday and getting costumes.

Quite the physical strain. Everyone's tired. Including myself. So I depart.

In Christ,
Tyler

Time well spent

This weekend is sure to bring challenge. We have an adventure race that divides our project into teams and puts us up against one another through a race containing biking, running and swimming. We all developed costumes and team names for our groups, so that should be entertaining as well. Overall I think it will be hard both physically and mentally (trying to keep the teams together, keep pride down, and work together through it all).

This week has been interesting. The time flies by when you are constantly busy. It seems that every day brings a full schedule of work and CRU activities. I know I have mentioned that a lot, but it is definetely a truth in my life now.

But I wouldn't trade the activities for more time. We continue to grow together as a group, both as a full 42 students and as our smaller work groups and family groups.

We have also begun to really develop relationships with co-workers. As we meet more frequently I continually hear stories of how people are interacting with their co-workers in different ways. This is really encouraging, hopefully not only for me but also for all the others here and out there hearing about our ministry.

I personally have been able to meet with my co-workers more and more. Bringing them into our group has been a goal and I feel like the students working at the red lion have really been trying hard. I pray that God continues to bless our efforts and establishes some fruit...I know he is already planting seeds.

Quiet times are priceless. Though they do usually consist of some sleeping (rest is rest after all), they are definetely productive. I have been able to really learn more and more about God through scripture. Traveling through Jeremiah and Isaiah in the past two months has shown me how incredibly forgiving and graceful God is. I pray that he continues to increase my knowledge of scripture.

I think of home constantly. Which as you may know is a number of places. I continue to remember those in C-wood, Louisville, Gainesville, and Milton (as well as the people I have met in those places). I continue to pray for you all. Specifically today I thought of CBC. Any of you at Crestwood Baptist Church reading this should realize that I pray for you continually. I hope that you continue to look for God's guidance in our Church and for the necessary decernment when looking for a new pastor. On top of that though I really want everyone there to be of one mind in the spirit of Christ as Paul mentions many times in scripture. I pray this for the entire body of believers. That we would constantly be on our guard for division among us and that we would continue to run the race before us with perserverance, throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Anyway, I have been blessed with a significant amount of growth while I have been here. Mostly things have revolved around my pride being reduced, and only having confidence in Christ. Yet, there are definetely specific things that I have realized throughout the trip. I pray that they would continue to resognate with me once i return.

To any hillians reading this Blog. I love you all. I pray for you continually. I'm excited to see you guys when I get home.

To the people at Harlan, I hope God is blessing you with unity. That there are no quarrells among you and that you continue to encourage one another towards Christ.

To Caleb and Rachel. Congrats once again on the wedding. I am encouraged by your relationship and I know God will continue to bless it and bless those around you through it.

I hope that anyone who wants to pray for me and the group of believers here would remember our pourpose. That we are here to be Christs hands and feet and to show him to the people of the valley. That we all wish to grow towards him and be stretched in our faith. That we want to grow closer to one another learning to invest in wisdom of Christ.

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me in any way. I pray that Christ would continue to show the world himself through this project.

I know there are not any pictures here, but I don't have much to show this time around. I do of course have my Flickr site, and also if you can get on Facebook there are a number of pictures to be viewed in mine and other people's profiles.

I will see you all soon.

In Christ,
Tyler

Reading: Jeremiah (need to find something new, not that I have exhuasted the book, moreso it has exausted me)

Men's Weekend

This past weekend consisted of a camping adventure in eagle CO. Two days of camping, hiking, spelunking, and a little outdoor driving fun. Throughout the days we worked on bringing the group together. I think it worked out. We were able to share some thoughts with one another during devotionals around the fire and we got to eat a lot of food, always a good thing. Actually, let me emphasize the "a lot" of food. We were car camping so we were able to bring a plethora of edibles. last nights dinner was a blend of vegetables, penne pasta, and chicken. This was coupled with garlic bread and a desert of cupcakes. Not your typical backpacking food.

The hike we went on was pretty intense. The initial plan was to make it all the way to Lake Charles, a good 4 miles of hiking. The trouble was the snow. Not much of it had melted yet and we had to post hole it for the majority of the trip. This produced some twisted ankles and frustrated spirits. But some of us made it to the lake none the less.


At first the trail was pretty clear


Then we started to see patches of snow, eventually it began to block the path

And eventually it was all over the place

I know none of the pictures show it, but there were multiple occurences of fall through. I personally fell in up to my crotch more than a couple of times. The majority of the trip was therefore spent with wet pants up to the top of my calfs and rather wet shoes.

After we made it down from lake charles and back to camp, everyone dried off, ate dinner and then headed off to go caving.

Caving was a great expereince. Nothing suprising there. Just running around in a cave, trying to find our way aorund. Spend a good portion of the night in there. Got out around 10:30, and home by 11.

It was overall a great oportunity to know everyone better. We were able to talk about personal struggles and what God has taught us in the past regarding those specifics.

But, I think we are all a little tired from the trip. Here are some more pictures if you feel so inclined to view them.

I'm sorry if the blog isn't too exciting recently, but I am a little fatigued. Please pray for strength for all of us here in Vail and that we would have confidence to share the gospel and remember it in our everyday lives.

In Christ,
Tyler

reading: Philippeans, Jeremiah

I saw a marmot

So these past few days have continued to be busy. Work and more work and then some more CRU stuff. But as you can probably assume, it's all good. More opportunities have come up in work. People are hanging out with us CRU kids outside of work and the relationships that are present only at work have gotten stronger. So Christ is working through us. I pray that our relationship with people continues to grow, that we are given an opportunity to share Christ with them, and that we will be able to continue to draw our strength from God.

I have not yet been able to find an outlet to speak about Christ. Though today I was able to play some music in the Kitchen from my Ipod. This might seem insignificant, but they saw that I have some music that they know and like, and at the same time I was able to play some things that had a lot of Christian influence (FIVE IRON FRENZY!!!!).

Overall I want the people I meet to know that Christ died for them and that God loves them. But that they need to realize him as their savior AND their King. I don't doubt that some people in Vail would claim to be saved by knowing of God, but they don't know HIM. The personal relationship is key. Being saved by faith in Jesus Christ as one who came as a perfect man and as God, and died on the cross for our sins.

Side Note: Went hiking yesterday with four other guys. It was awesome. We made it up to a world class ice climbing location called "the fang". It is an area with two waterfalls that form frozen columbs in the winter, and sheets of ice on the rock faces beside the walls. Thus creating amazing climbing. It was an awesome hike that ended with us sitting in hamocks (courtesy of Allen, Jared, and Eric) reading God's word and praying. Not too bad for a night of reflection. Here is a link to some pictures. By the way, this past saturday we went on a hike to an area called "hanging lake" and "spounting rock". This was about a mile and a quarter hike that led to a mountain side lake. Phenomenal. We were able to climb up a ridge as well and get higher than the lake (some of the pictures try to show this without much avail). All in all it was simply amazing. Anyways, I digress, the pictures are posted here.




and here is a video of the falls:
If you look closely, when I look from one fall to the other you can see a rescue sled. It's left up there for the climbers, lets you know how dangerous of a climb it is.




Tommorow the guys and girls are splitting up. We are each going to different camping locations to spend the weekend. I am definetely looking forward to this experience. Hopefully we will all grow closer to one another and to Christ through sharing with one another what is going on in our lives (both praises, struggles, recent teachings, etc.). Of course, the fact that we get to hike and camp is exciting as well.

Also, I would like you guys to know that I never read these posts before I submit them. It's always just a type and post, so forgive any grammatical errors. And since it takes quite some time to upload/organize pictures and photos sometimes there is a lapse in my stream of counsciousness, so forgive me for that as well. Thanks again to all those who supported me this summer, your finances and prayers are very much appreciated, both by me and the other crusaders.

Pressing Issue/Subject of Learning: God wants me to rid myself of all selfish pride, and find my personal pride in Him alone.
Seems like everything I read in scripture and all the bible studies we have had point to this subject. I rejoice in the idea of God giving me more to bring me closer to Him. Sweet diggs.

I pray that you all are continuing to grow closer to Christ.

In Christ,
Tyler

A little less conversation

Yesterday was a busy one. Starting with a morning of cleaning at the Vail Church, a group of us were able to wash windows, replace lights, clean nursery toys, and other miscellaneous jobs. This ended with a free lunch full of delicious sandwich meats.

The real excitement began when we left at 3 to go hike a trail up to hanging lake and spouting rock over by grizzly creek. It was a 45 minute drive that was easily worth it. Almost every project person attended this hike, we nearly took over the place. It was about a mile up to a lake with a waterfall surrounded by cliffs and boulders. We were able to climb up to a few cliffs and rock towers. I think everyone had a great time and it was a good time to see God's creation and view the gift of nature that he has given us. I wish I had some pictures for you guys, but unfortuanately my camera stopped working once I got up there, so I will have to depend on other ones that people have taken.

Today was "The Great Rescue". This involved a mock rescue mission in the woods. We were required to split into our family groups and go into the woods looking for people. When we found them we had to provide for both physical and/or spiritual needs. So there was some awesome stuff that happened, along with some funny stories. We had staffers following our groups attempting to influence us along the way, they represented angels and demons. Everything was based on biblical influence. We could banish the demons in the name of Christ, and people we were talking with could accept Christ if they felt we provided for their spiritual needs. God showed us a lot through the metaphors and symbols in the exercise. There was a lot of realization that occurred throughout the day that we realized during the debrief in the end. I specifically noticed that God taught me a lot about pride throughout the time. He taught me a lot about pride overall today, but specifically during the exercise I learned that I need to depend on others and put my pride to the side most of the time. Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Today was a wealth of learning.

So another week and another 5 days of work are on the way. I hope you all will pray for me. That I will have patience and diligence in my job, and that Christ will shine through me during work. That I will continue to remember Jesus Christ in everything that I do. I am praying for you all, and I hope to hear from you soon.

In Christ,
Tyler

It Happened here

So i just got back from seeing "The Happening". Do not go see the movie. I don't even want to elaborate.

As far as today goes, it was quite a busy one at the Red Lion. I ended up spilling a whole lot of stuff, including both garbage and food, onto me. So much that a change of clothing was required. But it was still great talking to people and finding out that some of my co-workers (not crusaders) want to go hiking with me. 

Furthermore we had a cookout tonight that was awesome. Gave us a good opportunity to hang out and talk with one another, and eat some awesome food (if any of the girls are reading this you did a great job. And props to Jeremy for the grilling). 

Anyway. Tomorrow is a free day that will hopefully involve some hiking and biking, and maybe some productive stuff.

So to reiterate. Do not see "The Happening".  And I hope everything is going well in KY an FL. 

In Christ,

Tyler

Bingo Possibilities

So today was more work. Which is really good. As I get better at it I am able to enjoy it more. Throughout the day i learned a bunch of new buys work activities. Since we are there until 5 and it gets really slow at about 3, there is not much to do but prep things and clean. But the people are fun to hang around with, so I don't mind the free time.

So I am incredibly thankful for this trip. God has continued to teach me more and more about him and how my relationship should be with him and with other Christians. Lately the fact that I should rely on him for everything has come to the tip of my mind. Not just the big things, not that way that I hear many people speak about, like large problems in your life or big decisions, but little things. For instance, patience is a fruit of the spirit, something we should have if we are Christians, and thus Christ's and thus have the spirit within us. I have trouble with patience, and I need to rely on Christ for it. So when I want to stop doing something, or get something done quickly, I need to remember Christ, and that his timing is perfect and that I should not be anxious. This goes for everything in life. Even the little things.

When I am tired at work. I should depend on Christ. I should know that he can give me abundant strength. I should be worrying about that things that could give me strength, such as wondering whether or not I should eat more, or if I should run more often. I should know that even if I do those things, God still has control of my life, and my strength is still in him. If I don't depend on him then my actions are futile.

Therefore, the plus side is I can ask God for help in any circumstance. No matter what I need he will give to me fully. Christians must realize this. God is able to do all. If he sacrificed his son for us then how much more will he give us everything that we need in this life? He gives us himself, so that we can be complete in our joy.

So tomorrow will be another day of work. Which is great. And then dinner with all the crusaders. So just another day in Vail to look forward to.

O yea, the title of this blog is relevant. At the red lion there is bingo every wed. I hope to make it there so that i can hang out with my co-workers more, but we have stuff going on on wed (specifically reflection time for a few hours). So we will have to see if I can make it and fit reflection time in on another day. This is my only option that I see, cause there is no way I am x-ing reflection. It is much too beneficial.

I pray that you all are growing in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. That God is teaching you more and more each day.

In Christ,
Ty

P.S. Thanks to all who have sent me letters. They are most encouraging. And I hope to get some back to you soon.

Woah!

I woke up early as usual this morn to get downstairs and run a little, and what do I find? Snow. Lots of it. It's coming down like crazy. I wish I had my camera right now to get a picture for you all. It is a little strange to see snow in June, when two days ago I was getting sun burnt. Crazy Vail and it's crazy weather.

Workin Out

The past two days have been pretty work intensive. Yesterday I worked until 5 pm and then went to eat dinner with my family group immediately after, then sleep. Today was work until 5pm and then "nightlights" where we go out into the village and hang out with people (or our co-workers) to develop relationships. Then back to home for some cheescake with the fam (fam = family group for all following references). Now I am beat and ready for sleep. Unfortunately we watched the shinning two nights ago and I can't stop thinking about it.

Prayer request: That I would manage my time wisely and be able to keep a regular time for scripture and prayer.

Hope everyone is doing well. Don't forget your fathers this week (especially sunday).

In Christ,
Tyler

Rest

5K mud run was yesterday. One of the most fun times I have every had running, but at the same time one of the worst. We ran 3 laps around a mountain track that ended each time with a trek through a bunch of mud. Obviously we were very dirty by the end and very cold. I can't remember the last time I was that cold (if any of the hillians are reading this, it was like playing rugby in BH park and then hosing off at Jake's house. Expect a bit colder...and at 8,150 feet). It was a great time for everyone to come together and have some fun.

Needless to say I was exhausted waking this morning. So today has been a day of rest for most.

Yesterday was pretty much all about the Teva games. Mountain biking and climbing were the big two. The bouldering world cup was going on yesterday. So I am happy to say I got to see team USA preform well against the likes of Italy, France, Japan, etc. I can't say how cool it was to see the USA team bouldering.

A few of us got to be volunteers at the feed station for the mountain biking races. This was somewhat boring unless the bikers were coming through, but it's still fun being on the mountain getting to see some of the best compete. Some of the bikers were in the Teva mountain challenge, which included to biking race as well as kayaking, climbing, and trail running consecutively. Pretty intense.

Pics that I have from the games are here

Here are some more videos. These are from yesterday:




here is a video of the fly fishing comp. This one is for you dad. See if you can pick up a pointer or two from the pros.




On top of info about the Teva games I wanted to share something about this mornings message at The Vail Church. It was about wisdom, and derived from James 3:13-end. The idea is that wisdom = relationships. It isn't quite this basic, but check out the scripture and see what I mean. True wisdom comes from above. Knowledge form this world puffs up but love builds up.

By the way. To those in KY. No matter how much fun I have in Vail I miss all of you. Roommates at the Harlan house I hope everything is going well. And to you in Fl. I love you.

In Christ,
Tyler

Teva games and more importantly...ultimate

So today started with a great game of ultimate. This of course was only trumped by the scenery around us. The mountains behind the field we were playing on were ridiculous, on top of that it was an amazing day as far as weather goes. It's pretty crazy having God's creation overwhelm you even when your just playing a game of frisbee.
This picture should help you visualize:
The rest of the day was filled with the Teva games. Including getting a lot of free stuff (hats, shirts, cds, food, etc.) and watching a lot of activities. There was not only more kayaking but climbing and some freeriding going on. Being around world class athletes was very interesting.

Freeriding: Obstacle course in vail village for bikers, they make it look really easy. But some of the other guys we saw had some really tough times with the course.




The qualifiers for the world cup (rock climbing) were going on. I got a short video of an Italian climbing. Right before the Italian gets on the wall you can see a Japanese competitor fall off in the background. Sorry I didn't get any of the good stuff. People would go crazy when the guys would complete their routes.




One of the most fun things that I was able to see was the dog competition. There were two dogs I watched and one was an amazing jumper. The point was to jump out off a platform and grab a toy from a "toy holder". The dog in this video jumped 6 feet 10 inches to grab the toy. Incredible. There are only a handful of dogs in the world who can jump 7 and higher, so this one was pretty impressive.




And finally some more kayaking stuff. Bear with the video, the guy towards the end has a nice stuff to show off.




Towards the end of the day there was a concert for free. Many people attended and a lot of us were able to go out and speak with people. Some conversations getting only to small talk and others making it all the way to the gospel. Good times. It was awesome to be a part of the ministry. Overall a good day. Hope you guys enjoy the videos, I know they are not the best but they took a while to update...hopefully the effort was not in vain.

In Christ,
Tyler

Day of Propositions

A lot came at me today. Lots of decisions to make. I wont go into specifics but just pray that I continue to look to Christ for my answers, and take comfort in him.

Interesting day at the Red Lion. First day of real work, without any real concentrated training. Though I was just bussing it was still a great experience. I got to meet a lot of people sitting at the bar as well as get to know other employees. I like working at the Lion. I hope that me and the others working there will be able to get the 30 hrs we were promised. For now I will just trust that I am supposed to be at this place (since I am after all employed there), and if the hours sink below our required I will react then.

Got to meet some awesome people that are here for the Teva games. One of which was a rock climbing coach from Cinci. and the other was a climber participating in the bouldering comp who was from South Africa and is now living in Denver. Apparently one of the guys that was a bachelor on "the Bachelor" showed up. The female waitresses acted accordingly.

Pretty excited for tomorrow, though I don't work some people are playing frisbee and it will be great to have an opportunity to play again. I will also have a lot of time to read and chill, not to mention sleep in.

A lot of people are still looking for jobs. I pray that they would not get discouraged, though i know how hard that is. Perseverance develops our faith and I praise God for giving them trials to push through.

We all met tonight for dinner and worship, it was awesome. Nothing better than some fajitas and then praising God with 40 other friends. 

This trip has been quite a blessing. I know it will continue to be. I hope everyone is having a good summer wherever you are, and know that I miss you all. 

In Christ

Tyler 

Here are some girls kayaking in vail village. This area of gorge creek can be modified by bumpers in the creek to make the best possible wave. They did better later on, but I wanted to video tape a little bit for you all back home.

Life Eggs

Today was lacking in any type of organized activity for me. So basically I was able to get a lot of miscellaneous things done. But throughout this stuff I was able to hang out with fellow projectors. Playing games (ticket to ride, and a weird game called boomerang) and running with people early in the morning. A good reading this morning, prayer and some workout time. It's been a good day. I was able to bike over to Vail village and open a new bank account. Very easy...got a free bag and made $5 opening an online account.

Anyway, more importantly we had family group time again. More people were able to share their life eggs, which is an easy way to help illustrate their lives and help them tell their story. This was really beneficial when it came to getting to know one another. I must say it was one of the most encouraging things we have done so far.

So some of us are going to the Red Lion tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a great job that yields a lot of opportunity. I heard a lot about it walking around Vail today, so it must be a popular place.

Also very excited for the Teva games this weekend. Talking about it tonight got me even more pumped. Apparently there will be a ton of people there and we will have easy opportunity for conversation. On top of that I am really hoping to see some of the world class kayaking that will be going on right here in town. Amazing. Also, we have some temperature drop going on. It is supposed to snow tomorrow. Pretty crazy since I got a little sun burnt during Job searching yesterday.

By the way, it's great to hear from you all that are reading this blog. If there are any aspects of Vail that you want to hear about just tell me and I will try to shed some light on stuff. Other than that thanks for all the encouragement and prayers.

By the way I added some new links to two websites. One is another persons blog on the trip and the other is one of the staff men's websites for photography (which will soon have pics of Teva Games on it, since he will be in the photography competition).

Still reading:
Philippians
Jeremiah


In Christ

Here is a new blog being done by Allen and Jared (two guys on the Vail project as well). Just another place for some Vail insight.

http://philippiansonenine.blogspot.com/

Here are some pictures from Vail. We had a little bit of a hike (20 mins). Basically climbing up the side of the mountain in between roads.

Red Lion

Today was job search day.

Went awesome. Began with some prayer and a group of us heading over to Vail village. We went to a number of places, and were fortunate enough to find a job on our first day of searching. Two other girls and I will be working at The Red Lion in Vail. It's in one of the oldest buildings in the city and is apparently a traditional place for people to visit (and eat at) when in Vail.

Unfortunately some people were not able to get jobs today. Fortunately everything works out in God's timing.

Tonight we went out to try to speak to some of the people around the Vail village. It wasn't that fruitful but me and another girl were able to get some conversations going. I hope to hear more about what others accomplished when we meet with our family groups tomorrow.

Side Note: A girl just came into Simba running away form a bear. Turns out we have them around here. Also, we got to talking and it seems that the crowd over at the Red Lion are quite an interesting bunch. Sound like fun.

So while I am still working on getting my pictures and such onto a computer I will just say that everything is amazing here. Scenery wise it's all mountains in the day and stars at night. Plus the fact that everything is very "expensive looking" adds to the whole resort feel. It is a big change from down town Louisville.

If anyone has questions about what's going on so far throw them into the comments.

reading:
Philippians
Jeremiah

The Vail Church

Waking up at 6:00 is a little weird. But when you have so much to look forward to and the sun is brighter than usual it is hard to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, after doing a few morning activities I dozed off, only to awake to one of the project members calling me to tell me we were leaving for church. Ironic.

"The Vail Church" turned out really well. The congregation isn't huge, the people seemed very kind and connected, the pastor seemed like a godly man who takes his cues from Christ. Love everyone that I met there. The worship was great to. Like I said yesterday, it was just awesome to be in a group of believers.

Got to do a little hiking today. It wasn't much at all, just up the side of a mountain (might seem like a bit, but when your already on the side of the mountain its not as long). I got some photos, and I would love to upload them, but I haven't gotten a cord for my phone quite yet. Hoping to invest in one soon.

Closed the day out with a meeting with our family groups. This was really encouraging. We were all able to share life stories, pray and eat dinner with each other. So overall a good day. I'm definetely getting used to this elevation. Though my heart is beating a little harder than normal still. Hopefully my body will calm down soon.

Christ is sufficient.

Half and Half

6 more hours in the car. Not bad at all, still awesome scenery. Especially when we came up on the rockies and saw them for the first time. The driving was crazy steep once we hit the mountains.

Arrived in Vail um zwei Uhr. Can definitely tell a difference in air pressure (and oxygen). At 8,000 feet a jog up a hill nearly killed me. Basic stuff going on. Had a cook out and scavenger hunt to get to know people on project, and drove around in the Valley. It’s not too bad hanging out in the Mountains. Excited to see what church brings tomorrow, overall it will be great to be with a body of believers. And I have never met any of them before, so it should be a learning experience.

Can't wait to:
Find a job
go biking
get used to the oxygen level
(^ it's crazy, they say we burn 1.5 times the calories here as you would in say...KY. We are told to drink at least 160 oz a day)

Fuel

Maybe a day in the car shouldn't be so exciting. But I must say driving today for 12 hrs was more fun than I would have expected. I was at the wheel for about 5 hours before Kristine took over. By that time I was pretty tired. But it didn't matter. Once in Kansas there was too much to see. You would think miles and miles of grasslands and farming land would be boring...best scenery ever. Not to mention the wind farm that we passed by. The colossal turbines where bigger than I ever expected. Then of course there was almost running out of gas (there is a lack of gas stations in KS). Close out with a night at Applebee's and you have a pretty good day of driving. Thankfully when I wake up in the morning I get to do it all over again. Today was a blessing. I can't wait to see what God has in store for all the students on this trip.