A Toilet Bowl, like I have never seen!

Hey all!  Well I've been out here for 3 wks and working for 2 1/2, it is going fast!  The last 2 Saturdays have been training whitewater on the Clackamas river.  We are one of only 8 commercial outfitters who have a permit to be on this beautiful river.  It is nestled on the west side of Mt Hood.  Picture towering mountains on either side, exposed rock, lush green trees and vegitation and cascading waterfalls on both sides of the river.  It is, from what the guys are saying, the nicest whitewater around (this for newbies like me means hold on and pray!)  It is pretty much continuous rapids of some class.  Rapids work off a Class rating of I-VI, I here VI is like a waterfall and most are illegal to run.  We had several Class IV rapids.  The favorite without a doubt is "Toilet Bowl".  The river changed over the winter, with boulders shifting causing in most cases this year, better rapids.  Coming to T bowl last week, 1st time out, as we were setting up to run it, Dave, our trainer and most experienced guide, informed us that "something wasn't right".  This involved a very tight contraction on my part.  He was trying to judge whether what he was seeing was a "rooster tail", in layman's terms, BIG SHARP ROCK AHEAD spitting water into the air...BAD news!  After further inspection he concluded that this was the biggest "haystack" (layman's HUGE UNSTABLE WAVE) that he has seen, and joyfully informed Josh, our guide, to "HIT IT!"  ...at this point I'm still holding a pretty firm contraction of every muscle in my body, particularly the ones preventing an embarrassing moment...For you farmers out there, picture one of those old school haystacks in the field, only this one alive and dwarfing our 12' raft!  The hit was beautiful as Josh hit it square, water poured into our raft, then a second wave nearly as big as the first then a third!!  By the time we got out the raft was full of water!  It was to our advantage that the raft was a "self-bailer", draining the water out the floor.   This last week all were not so fortunate, as the "Royal Fush" took 13 joyriders, in 2 boats, emptying one completely, and plunged them into the freezing water.  Fortunately this is a good rapid to fall out on, given the calmer water at the end of the waves.  All were swiftly back in the rafts, with a nice rosey flush to their exposed skin. 

     Much prayer and trust went into some of these experiences as the Lord is surely stretching me.  The first time out the Lord provided warmer weather (60s, last year snow and ice on the banks!), perfect river conditions (high unruley water levels predicted) and shifts in the river that increased safety and enjoyment.  What a good God we serve, knowing exactly where we are at and nudging us ahead, providing what we need, when we need it.  This last week I found some scriptures and was much more comfortable on the river.  Praise God!  Some of you I can perhaps see going into a worry fit at this time, it is my hope to curb that with a prayer...Lord, Thank You for life and for the courage to live it, knowing that if we are following You there is no safer or more blessed place to be.  Allow Your love replace our fears and give us Your peace that transcends all of our understanding.  Amen

Love you all, now let us press on toward the goal!

Donut in a 15 passenger van? Yep;)

Tuesday Feb. 27, 2007

     Hey guys!  Quite an adventure this morning, I'm seeing why they call it "YD Adventures".  Brian and I were scheduled to be on the coast for a recruiting visit (college in Ecola near Cannon Beach) as we headed up over the pass, in the coastal mountains, the rain changed to snow and the van gave us one warning speed wobble, Brian worked and got it back.  The second drift was just a few moments later as the front of the van was drifting toward the ditch and I could see Brian was encouraging the van back onto the road but it wasn't having it.  Well at this time I was just in for the ride, I did the only thing I could do and let the Lord know with a "Jesus keep us on this road."  The answer came quick as the front of the van swung back onto the road and well past the center as weeeeeee spun out and ended up facing back the way we came.  Brian (I think along with his acute case of the shakes) took this as a sign.  So praise goes to the Big Guy cause we were definitely heading for that ditch! 

     To bring you up to speed, I had the chance to seek some solitude and chill up on Mt. Hood this weekend.  I found a room across the street from a nice ski lodge and spent Saturday evening snowboarding the mountain with a nice view of the peak when she decided to show herself from her clouded veil.  Nice to meet some of the locals and always good to be humbled while falling flat on your face getting off the lift (started praying for some help in this area too-it worked!)  This week has been good as I have been finding my way here at the office.  Today I overdosed on Excel but it was good as I was able to get all my support partners in my database.  Just have to fill in the blanks now.

     Well I have found a running partner, Todd an intern with us, is from Kansas and used to run in college.  So I'm heading out to find some rain.  Brian and Sarah have invited me for dinner tonight, I'm being well cared for in this area, they sure know how to cook out here in Oregon (mom and grandma of course they can't hold a candle to you;).     -In His love, Jeremy

Hello

     Friday February 23, 2007-  Well here I go, I will do my best to keep you all up to speed with what's going on out here in Oregon.  Today is my third day on the job.  It has been amazing, so many new things, so many new opportunities.  Things have been crazy the last year, particularly the last several months.  The staff here at YD have done an awesome job at introducing me to things and I certainly feel like I have all the help I will need to quickly figure out and transition into my new position as staff manager.  The first day I was shown my very own desk, chair and computer...yikes this is a scary one as I have either worked out of my car or been highly mobile in my work.  The restroom is a nice walk across the campgrounds where our offices are located so I will be taking frequent get up and out trips :)  Today has been my first day to settle in, the last two have been orientation and much passion discussion of the ministry, who we are and how we are trying to shine for Christ in every way we can.  

     Please bear with me as I figure this tool out.
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